Using drags on the trap line

[@stephenpickard3150]

Good info. The more you use drags the better you’ll like them. It’s great when pulling the line to just reach down and pick it up too. I’ve gone to a lot of drags as I got older.

[@284Winchester]

Yeah I have some significant back and shoulder issues and pulling an anchor or rebar out of red clay ground was a test when I was in great shape now I think I’ll just use a drag when I can.

[@2bonosc]

In Ct we can only use drags in water/spring hole sets. Which I’m doing now ( land trapping finished 1/31 ) . You’re right it is exciting when I don’t see the rock moss on my pan and the hunt is on!

[@trappingtheozarks23]

Interesting, I wonder what the logic is for not allowing drags on land sets

[@2bonosc]

Trapping the Ozarks the state of Ct and logic are unknown to each other.

[@trappingoklahoma5808]

I love the sabertooth drags

[@trappingtheozarks23]

trapping Oklahoma I remember seeing that on one of your videos, know several others that love them too. Next ones I get I will try them

[@trappingoklahoma5808]

Yes I highly recommend them I'm glad I finally tried them

[@frankg6563]

As a new trapper, you answered my questions about drags. I don't have any now, but I will make or buy a couple and give them a try next season. I do have questions about springs. Can you elaborate when and where to use them on my sets.

[@trappingtheozarks23]

A couple three years ago I added JC Connor springs to some of my setups and liked it so much, I added the springs to all my traps. I attach the spring with a crunch proof swivel in each side and this not only gives me more swivel points, but the spring lessens the leverage that an animal can get to pull against the setup. This helps prevent pullouts and helps prevent injuries to the animal due to the less amount of force that the animal can use to pull due to the spring. I am now a believer in them. Get a few for next season and give them a try and see if you like them. I think you will, but if not you are only out a few dollars.

[@frankg6563]

@@trappingtheozarks23 Thanks. I'll put them on my order list.

[@WildAboutBeingOutdoors]

Thanks for sharing buddy. I have used them were there is high traffic of hunters. But trapping private property I us Wolfgang ankers. 18 inches. I'm going to try and make some this summer. I'm going to be trapping in Pa state game lands for a bobcat . Great video!!

[@trappingtheozarks23]

Wolffang anchors work well and using drags around high traffic areas is smart, way to go

[@wadewittman8510]

Great video buddy 👍! I've built the sabertooth drags and love em! They seem to be a little heavier duty than rebar and easier to weld up. I'm probably going to go 100% drags because of the ease of setting and pulling the line.

[@trappingtheozarks23]

That's awesome, I am not sure I am a good enough welder to weld the Sabertooth drags, but might give it a try if you think they may be easier

[@wadewittman8510]

@@trappingtheozarks23 yeah, in my opinion they were easy to weld up. I used 1/2x1" bar stock and 1/2" round stock. I sharpened the prongs pretty sharp and had them at approximately 35°-40°.

[@trappingtheozarks23]

@@wadewittman8510 I think I will try and build some, thanks for the info

[@wadewittman8510]

@@trappingtheozarks23 you are more than welcome! You won't be disappointed.

[@CoffeyOutdoors]

Great video

[@1Buckluck]

Think i am gonna switch to drags looks like it would be more efficient especially when moving. But still trying to catch my first coyote though!!

[@trappingtheozarks23]

Drags are good, only issue is they take up more room and sometimes when in a hurry it takes a little longer to find the critters. I like using both

[@1Buckluck]

@@trappingtheozarks23 thanks for the tip. I deal with rocks along with roots when trying to pull my anchors. As always looking for an easier way.

[@coodyoutdoors8766]

I’ve running 100% saber tooth’s this year never had a animal go over 30 yrds

[@trappingtheozarks23]

Coody Outdoors that’s awesome

[@TrehanCreekOutdoors]

Is that many swivels really necessary? Seems like a lot. Also, how long of a chain do you recommend? Thanks for the tips. You put out some good videos!

[@trappingtheozarks23]

The swivels serve the same purpose on a drag that they do on an earth anchor. At some point the animal is hung up and the swivels help prevent the animal from getting twisted up and putting undo leverage on the leg that is caught in the trap. This helps prevent pull outs, but more importantly helps prevent injuries to the animal

[@TrehanCreekOutdoors]

I fully understand the motivations of a fur trapper to not lose the animal from a pull out as the trapper has then lost the fur money. I also fully understand the fur trapper's need to keep the animal from damaging its fur in the trap so he can sell an undamaged fur. But I don't trap in order to harvest and sell fur. I trap purely 100% for game management enhancement via predator control. My goal is to trap and remove every single predator I can. I feel there are a lot of trappers out there like me doing predator control who won't ever sell a single fur and frankly don't care about making life comfortable for the coyote, bobcat, or fox we are going to kill as soon as we arrive. So if a predator pulls out, it only means he lives longer until I possibly catch him later. It isn't the end of the world. Putting $3 or $4 of extra swivels on every single trap chain in order to prevent a pull out or two is pretty irrelevant and unnecessarily costly for predator control trappers like me. As for adding several dollars of swivels so that the animal doesn't damage its paw or its fur, I'm just going to kill it and throw its entire carcass, fur and all, into a gut pile site. These animals are just destructive nuisances on my farm so I could care less if the animal hurts itself by fighting the trap. I consider the animal has a choice, which a few seem to take. That choice is to not resist the trap and just rest calmly until I arrive. It's the predator who chooses to fight the trap that breaks its teeth off, breaks the bones in its foot, cuts itself, or otherwise harms himself. I don't blame myself or the trap for the animal's own choice of whether or not to fight the trap. It hardly seems sensible to spend my cash adding swivels to insure the animal is comfortable before I blast a bullet through his brain. Perhaps predator control trapping just has a different mindset than fur trappers have. I can respect both sets of opinions. As for some perhaps seeing a sadistic cruelty in trapping an animal for no other reason than to kill it and discard its carcass, the greatest cruelty in this situation comes from the predatory animal itself who will drag down a defenseless deer fawn and begin eating it while it is still alive. Humans, being the apex predator, have a role in nature for coming to the aid of the defenseless and helpless deer, turkeys, ducks, birds, or other victims of coyotes, bobcats, fox, or other predators . Predator control may seem heartless but it actually is a life saving action that gives all the prey animals a legitimate chance at life. Realizing that, I could care less about making a predator comfortable while it is in the trap. So many trappers talk endlessly about being sure the animal is unharmed and isn't hurt in any way while in the trap. I'm new to trapping so it is hard for me to grasp the thinking process of seasoned trappers who will set snares, conibear traps, and drowner rods to kill the trapped animals in rather violent ways but don't seem to be worried about animal comfort in those traps. Yet they seem to be disturbed about an animal being uncomfortable for a while in a foot hold trap. If a trapper is perfectly happy using the first three things the clearly cause some degree of pain to the animal before it dies, it seems illogical to me that the same trappers should worry about an animal being uncomfortable for a while in a foot hold trap. Whacking an animal on the head with a conibear wire has to hurt the animal. So does choking it to death in a snare. Or drowning it underwater. Why so much concern over an almost insignificant amount of pain to the animal from a foot in a foot hold trap? I've had my hand in a foot hold a time or two and it really wasn't any big deal. Most animals are probably a lot tougher and better able to withstand pain that humans are, I would think. I just don't get it about all the concern for animal comfort in a foot hold trap. But I really do learn a lot from your videos and thank you very much for taking the time to share your knowledge with me. Most trappers really are a very good group of people!

[@linklesstennessee2078]

Good information

[@trappingtheozarks23]

Thank you