Trap Chain - is long or short chain better?

[@davemoulton8051]

I really am learning a lot from your videos I appreciate you taking the time to make these videos

[@Northwoods208]

I use drags for about 60% of my land trapping, the ground is rocky as can be, and frozen solid for all but the first week or two of trapping season. Also wolves are very strong, and I've found they don't hardly fight the trap if they can get to a comfortable spot where they feel safe, so I have most of my steel rigged with 10-12' of chain and a heavy drag

[@TrehanCreekOutdoors]

Good video. Got a serious trapper question for you. My land is virtually all heavily forested so there are trees every couple of feet which are convenient anchor points. What's your opinion about cable anchoring or chaining around trees instead of ground anchoring with either cable or chain? What are the pros and cons of tree anchoring?

[@TrehanCreekOutdoors]

Forgot to say I am using 3/32 cable with a 920 pound breaking strength. I don't have any animals on my land that can exert enough force to come anywhere close to breaking that cable.

[@TrehanCreekOutdoors]

I'm currently using 3/32 cable that is 7x7 which has a 920 pound breaking strength. It's hard for me to believe a coyote can actually break that cable outright but it might be possible for it to bite or otherwise severely kink the cable in some manner and then work the cable back and forth enough to break one strand at a time until it give way. I don't really get a lot of coyotes on my land and if one of them managed to run off with a $10 or $15 trap that wouldn't be the end of the world. I don't have any wild hogs so there really isn't any big and strong animals to get in my traps. Using the trees is just so handy and quick to set up. No need to carry heavy rebar stakes or drive anything in. If I ever do have a problem with a coyote breaking a 7x7 cable I will jump up to a 1/19 which has more has a 1,200 pound breaking strength. Also, I am such an old school type of guy, being 66 years old myself, that I really put a lot of value in how the old timer's trapped before all the modern equipment and procedures were developed. Thanks for sharing your input, I give it a lot of weight.

[@steelhanded11]

Was wondering what would be best diameter cable to use as an anchor as far as using a small tree or dead fall? 5/64 or 3/32??

[@coyotetrappingschool1575]

I'd say minimum 3/32, at least if you may catch a coyote. Also be sure you've got plenty of swivels points, you don't want that cable to bind and start kinking. It will break soon after

[@steelhanded11]

Ok.. Thank you again. I really appreciate all the info..

[@John-ls6hz]

do you think.too long a chain could give a coyote enough momentum to pull free of a trap

[@steelhanded11]

I'm just getting into trapping and just purchased some 20in cable stakes and was wondering if that is going to be sufficient for coyotes??

[@coyotetrappingschool1575]

Yep 20 inches should be more than enough for coyotes. It all depends on what type of soil your trapping in, the looser the soil the longer the stake and the harder the soil the shorter of a stake you can get away with. If in doubt go long rather than short

[@steelhanded11]

Thanks for the fast response appreciate it!! And I seem on your other video that I can get away with the S tool which I already own so that'll save me almost $30 on a J hook tool.. Thanks again!!

[@coyotetrappingschool1575]

+steelhanded11 You bet, good luck!

[@97kt69]

Very helpful thanks👋

[@gotosleepcrittercontrol.7355]

Hey what do you think for a good summer bait or lure?

[@coyotetrappingschool1575]

I've had good luck with similar baits/lures that I've used in winter. Caven's Hiawatha Valley, Red Fox and Bobcat gland usually do well. Something with a little skunk, like Gusto

[@coyotetrappingschool1575]

Hey Chris, just checking to see if you got my reply. I deleted your comment so your number wasn't visible, but I think it may have deleted my reply. I'm assuming you already got him skinned, sorry I didn't get back to you sooner. You can always shoot me an email at [e-mail] Good luck with the rabies test!

[@dougspizman6751]

Would an animal caught in a foot hold be smart enough to chew an extension cable around a tree or dead fall? Or would he concentrate on the trap on his foot?

[@coyotetrappingschool1575]

They will chew on an extension cable. I wouldn't say its smart, they are just chewing what they can reach, not reasoning that the cable is holding them there

[@steelhanded11]

Thanks and same to you!

[@denismoresby1075]

Some comments from NZ I note your shock spring was way too heavy! Too heavy to work correctly. Suggest going to a much lighter spring & you might be happier about using them! Ones we use are very cheap & fast to replace & long lasting, I would not leghold trap today without at least 2 swivels on my 11 inch chains & at least one chain spring. Our trapping Ass. here recently had a spring manufacturer run out a batch of 10,000 springs to get costs down super low & with an easy to fit NZ trapping research designed spring. New Zealand does not have the manufacturing engineering base of the USA. If I'm going about a trap line..... with 2 to 3 hundred traps on it one does occasionally lose a chain spring its only a minutes to repair or replace...... just a suggestion "lighter spring!