Raccoons Caught, No Trigger Damage!

As with anything new there is a learning curve.  It just takes time to realize the potential in what you have in your hand by experimenting with different methods and configurations.

Raccoons are one of the toughest animals on equipment, strong, smart, persistent and they have hands!  We have used soft, stiff and in-between stainless triggers wires over the past few years to see what is "best."  Everyone has their own preference.  At any rate, there is no way to get around straightening bent wires after a raccoon, woodchuck or armadillo is caught.  Stiffer spring wires are tougher, but in time they too can break what can be termed a normally wearing part, like brakes on a car.

What has come to our attention is that ADC operator Tim in Ohio, who has owned and used our traps from day one more than 4 years ago, using some 70 Comstock Cages in his business, has passed on what could be quite valuable information.  In using the standard 9x11 powered door Comstock Cage Traps and also a couple of hand made custom 12x15 traps actually designed for beaver, Tim has found out something interesting with the stiff spring trigger wires that come standard.  Since the cages can be set in any position, Tim has found that placing the trap on its side has benefits with no damage to the trigger wires.  Not only did the 9x11 fit on soffits for 'coon better, he found that the trigger wires were left untouched, not bent at all.

Any of the Comstock Traps can be set in any position, "no wrong way to set a Comstock cage."     When the 9x11 or specialty 12x15 traps Tim used, with their unique side mounted triggers are set sideways with the doors swinging like a door on your home, triggers can be place on the bottom.  Tim chose the bottom this time, realizing that it would be even more difficult for animals to avoid them.  After numerous catches with raccoons, Tim saw that the raccoons payed no attention to trigger wires emanating from the floor of the trap.  Not only were the wires not bent, but lying on the bottom of the cage, the raccoons did not even seem to touch them!  

This is only a small amount of data from one source, but it shows promise as well as the versatility of the these useful traps.