Securing your traps

[Amonty]

What is everyone using to secure their traps? cable, chain, stakes,etc.

[jkcasey]

It all depends on the location. For normal soil and little rocks I use a single 18 in. rebar stake. In the more sandy soils I have some earth anchors I made up with 3/32, 1 in 19, cable 18 in. long that you have to dig up with a shovel to retreive. Now for the spots where driving a stake or anchor will not work the only other thing you can do is put the trap on a drag and hope they hang up somewhere close. FYI I try to find another spot close before putting a trap on a drap. It will blow your mind how far a critter can go with a GOOD drag.

[Arkansas Frog]

I caught a Doberman in trap ties to a cement block that weighted 21 lbs and that dog drug that block nearly 100 yards and would of went father it he had no got it hung up on a cedar tree.I use cross stakes rebar 24 inchs long,will hold the biggest around or a 36 in. single and drive it half way down then bend it to nearly a 45 Degree then finish driving it up that will hold them.

[kolob2034]

A trapper has to be able to read conditions and adapt or improvise. I have more traps that are rigged with grapples or drags than stakes. I prefer drags but they are heavy if walking very far from the vehicle. Advantages of drags are they allow the catch to escape to heavy cover and be better hidden from theft. An animal that is hung up in brush has something to occupy its time by trying to chew down the brush. An animal that is held fast by a stake or some other kind of ground anchor on has the trap and holding system to fight against and this has the potential of ending up with a worn off foot. I have seen staked traps fill up with heavy clay and add a lot of weight to the trap. The heavier the weight on the held foot the quicker the potential for a worn off foot. I can't recall ever haveing a coyote on a drag that the trap filled with heavy clay.
it also gets very old having pounded in a stake three quarters of its length and hitting a rock that negates further penetration. Traps that are staked are much harder to pull than traps on drags. I use Mike Ayers style dog knot stakes when I do stake a trap.
When it is time to pull the stake I usually have to use a large stake puller to get the stake out. If you really want a challenge try catching up to a coyote that has pulled the stake. A good trap dog is invaluable in locating animals on drags. Very little time is wasted with a good dog. This year I have many traps rigged with an end chain swivel and plan to cut green branches approx four inches in diameter and 5 to 6 feet long to wire to the swivel. I use a #9 wire for this. This will allow me to carry more trps on the mules. Drags need a good length of chain on them to work properly. I use at least seven foot of chain with 3 double swivels evenly spaced.

[yoopergat]

i normally use rebar stakes. once in a while with the right ground i will pound in a earth anchor. they are really nice because they are light in weight and they hold like no other. i used one to tie the dogs cable to in the front yard. the do was a pittbull at 60 lbs is. never was able to make it budge.