I have built a pile of them over the years! One tip I have is after you cut all the panels and doors, and before assembly, use a bench grinder and go through all the sharp edges on the cut wire ends. Use eye protection and it only takes a few minutes. Your 31" gloves will thank you!
My grandpa was the president of the New England trappers association and invented this trap back in the mid to late 50s I still have the tool he made ( he had a special crimper to connect the cage walls together ) not only did he invent the collapse able muskrat trap( which he is still alive and has littlerly hundreds of his original traps still and the first crimper he made ) but he also wrote a book about muskrat trapping in marshland and was part of the people who discovered that illness that they carry,I forget the name but he told me not to eat any muskrat on this side of the Rocky Mountains ( east coast ) because they carry some sickness even if you cook it well…. James Laugretteria, god I love my grandpa, I’m sitting here admiring one of his traps right now he gave me thinking of all the times he took me muskrat trapping when I was younger hahaha I was always so freaked out reaching into the icy water thinking one of those muskrats were still alive and was gonna bite my fingers off 😅…. It always amazed me how many would jam themselves into a little trap you would regularly got 3 or 4 per trap, my grandpa said he made a slightly longer one once and got 12 in a single one! Also he would wire them stacked on top of each other so when the water level went up or down you would always have a trap on the right water lv, I can take pictures of all the traps and, the books and ask my grandpa any questions if anybody wants, he was able to raise a family of 5 kids and him and his wife just trapping, and then use the money from trapping to buy and flip houses and all his kids are all big wigs now in the medical field and medical research, 2 own a huge farm one commercial one pleasure but still were all doing good because of his guidance in life and he is livening in a big beautiful house on the beach with his family showing up every day to hang out, help out and talk….. he did really good for an Italian immigrant who came thru Ellis island when he was in his moms belly ( my nana his mom was pregnant with him and had a 3 yr old daughter when her and her husband came thru Ellis island, his dad died when he was like 6 or 7 so he was the only naturalized us citizen In the family and the man of his house at 7, basically right as the Great Depression was about to happen, probably why he was so good at trapping, he is such an incredible man and if I can be just half the man he was in life I’ll feel majorly accomplished, I’m not even 1% there yet but I’m only 28 so I got 50 or ,pre years to go to catch up to him
I have built a pile of them over the years! One tip I have is after you cut all the panels and doors, and before assembly, use a bench grinder and go through all the sharp edges on the cut wire ends. Use eye protection and it only takes a few minutes. Your 31" gloves will thank you!
My grandpa was the president of the New England trappers association and invented this trap back in the mid to late 50s I still have the tool he made ( he had a special crimper to connect the cage walls together ) not only did he invent the collapse able muskrat trap( which he is still alive and has littlerly hundreds of his original traps still and the first crimper he made ) but he also wrote a book about muskrat trapping in marshland and was part of the people who discovered that illness that they carry,I forget the name but he told me not to eat any muskrat on this side of the Rocky Mountains ( east coast ) because they carry some sickness even if you cook it well…. James Laugretteria, god I love my grandpa, I’m sitting here admiring one of his traps right now he gave me thinking of all the times he took me muskrat trapping when I was younger hahaha I was always so freaked out reaching into the icy water thinking one of those muskrats were still alive and was gonna bite my fingers off 😅…. It always amazed me how many would jam themselves into a little trap you would regularly got 3 or 4 per trap, my grandpa said he made a slightly longer one once and got 12 in a single one! Also he would wire them stacked on top of each other so when the water level went up or down you would always have a trap on the right water lv, I can take pictures of all the traps and, the books and ask my grandpa any questions if anybody wants, he was able to raise a family of 5 kids and him and his wife just trapping, and then use the money from trapping to buy and flip houses and all his kids are all big wigs now in the medical field and medical research, 2 own a huge farm one commercial one pleasure but still were all doing good because of his guidance in life and he is livening in a big beautiful house on the beach with his family showing up every day to hang out, help out and talk….. he did really good for an Italian immigrant who came thru Ellis island when he was in his moms belly ( my nana his mom was pregnant with him and had a 3 yr old daughter when her and her husband came thru Ellis island, his dad died when he was like 6 or 7 so he was the only naturalized us citizen In the family and the man of his house at 7, basically right as the Great Depression was about to happen, probably why he was so good at trapping, he is such an incredible man and if I can be just half the man he was in life I’ll feel majorly accomplished, I’m not even 1% there yet but I’m only 28 so I got 50 or ,pre years to go to catch up to him
Very nice, thanks . I think I’ll build a few myself
I've caught trout in mine. Pretty unexpected but cool.
Space farms thats crazy I'm right across the river in dingmans ferry
will you show us exactly how to trap them at the pond site
Absolutely, as the season opens I will make a video how to catch one
Work for hares cats and fox ?
Wonder if they would work for mink
I’ve caught mink in them!
What gauge is the wire? Thanks
I believe 14 gauge. I get it from tractor supply 1x2 24” wide 25 foot roll