Details: Marsee Wilson's Incredible catch, 5 Otter at once in the Comstock 12x18x39 Swim ThroughBeaver/Otter Live Cage Trap

Marsee Wilson is a 69 year old long time professional ADC trapper from Mt. Vernon Washington.  Among other critters, he is an accomplished beaver and otter trapper.  In Washington, along the coast, it is not unusual to get beaver and many otter complaints too.  In the past 4 years while using 10 of the Comstock wide 12x18x39 Swim Through Beaver and Otter Cage Traps, Marsee has caught more than 400 beaver and a pile of otter to go with them, 20 this past year.

I learned of the incredible experience he had with otter in January from Fred Lawrence and gave him a call yesterday to find first hand for myself what had happened.  In late December 2015 Marsee set a few of our large cage traps for otter living under a residence on Camano Island.  In this case the trap that did the catching was actually set on land, right side up at the corner of a deck, narrowed up in a positive type set to catch animals coming or going.  He got the call from the home owner saying that he had caught 3 otter, but because it was still dark that wasn't exactly the case.  Arriving on December 27, 2015 in the dark Marsee began counting otter as he saw them.  With no idea how many otter were actually in the trap, first there was one, then two, then three as expected, but Marsee quickly noticed there were two more for an incredible catch of 5 otter at one time in one Comstock Beaver Cage Trap!  To make the story better yet, the otter were not juveniles either  but were all adult males!  On this one particular complaint Marsee ended up taking 8 otter altogether.

During the conversation it was revealed that on at least two other occasions Marsee had taken 2 otters in one cage as a number of others have also done in the past 5 years.  Obviously otter travel closely together, so having an 18 inch wide trap allows for multiple otter catches, which are not as uncommon as once thought in this unique trap.  However, this is the first known take of more than 2 otter at one time in a seemingly impossible catch of 5 large otter at once!

In a hurry, minus a camera, though the news of the take was record breaking, Marsee took no pictures.  But, his wife and home owner were there to share in the experience that may never be duplicated again.

As a footnote, when Marsee first learned of the new traps the news had come from 80 year old Fred Lawrence, also of Washington.  Fred has taken hundreds of Beaver in the Comstock Cage Traps and a lot of otter too.  Marsee said, "when Fred finds equipment that he knows is good, you better pay attention."  We thank Fred and all of the others who have supported us.

When only a handful of trappers have taken 2,000 beaver in the Comstock Cages, with all of the cages in use, it is possible that more than 10,000 beaver and hundreds of otter have been taken in them to date.            

Perfect Ending with 31 Squirrels

Though 31 gray squirrels isn't a personal best, nonetheless it was a respectable take.  The best part, on the last day with one "last" squirrel, or so we thought, in a trap I pulled up to pick up the gear.
When I got there one more squirrel appeared.  I just sat in the truck, watched him run around a cage for a minute until he made a dive for the bait.  Bingo, the last, last one.

Beaver-Otter Cage Trap / Bobcat Cage Trap--(The Sidewinder)

For those who already own the Comstock Swim Through Beaver Traps, here are some great pics sent by Tim Kenney of Toads Guide Service from Montrose, Colorado, showing he versatility of these rugged, wire trigger cage traps for Bobcat and Fox trapping.  Not only will they take beaver, otter, muskrats, nutria in the water in numbers, they also are a fine Bobcat Trap when set sideways on land, thus the Sidewinder name when set upright with an 18 inch height.  Since the doors are on the side when set in this fashion, the trap is a full 18 inches high, losing no space to top door clearance.  Trappers in Colorado, Kentucky and Florida, to name a few, have used these traps to to target Bobcats and were not disappointed.

It was only after making these traps for beaver, while taking note of the fact that they could be used in any position, that we got a pleasant surprise in the realization of what we had, a tall Bobcat / Fox Trap.

What this means is that we now have no less than 3 options to take 'cats in Comstock Cage Traps, the Sidewinder Beaver Trap, the Bifold Door Bobcat Trap and the Angled Ring Lock Bobcat Trap.  Further, though the most recent traps were designed for Bobcats and Fox, like the Swim Through Beaver Traps with a secondary use in Bobcat trapping, we believe the new Bobcat Traps will work just fine on land and even in or perhaps under water for Beaver too!  Someone just has to give them a try.




  

Everyone's Catching, Thanks again for the Great Feedback on both of the New Bobcat Cage Traps

We love to hear about the success stories from those using the newest addition to the Comstock Line in bobcat traps so that we can share info with those who may not know about the new products or are just waiting to see what others are catching before jumping in.  With just a few traps inservice at this point, it's wonderful to learn how well the traps are working.

The trigger system on each tall bobcat type trap in light enough to take crows and even blue jays.  The guys using the B-1 type trap have caught 2 bobcats and some miscellaneous critters, while the guys using the B-2 just called to say that they caught 2 red fox, a fisher and several rabbits that had escaped the hunting pen, meaning the traps are paying off in more ways than they counted on.  Not only are predator numbers reduced, but they are catching rabbit escapees.

Double door traps were set along the outside of the rabbit pens to take circling predators looking for easy entry points to take the rabbits inside.  We had hypothesized about doing this for some time until recently, but now some local hunters put the plan to work.  This set up will take bobcats, fisher, red and gray fox, raccoons, opossum, skunks etc., perhaps even a coyote, along with the rabbits.  Catching the rabbits was something of a bonus no one had thought of.  Once in the cage, they are protected from predators and can be returned to the inside.

What is positive financially through using these cages is that potentially destructive predators are removed from the area and can also be utilized for fur to offset the investment, while capturing and returning rabbits to the pen saves money on purchasing replacements.            

Squirrels transferred in seconds, Comstock Swing Panel Live Traps

Squirrels in Comstock Swing Panel Live Cage Traps

Another Bobcat in a Comstock powered, bifold door, live cage trap

Todd and Tom are just beginning to use the newest Comstock powered, bifold door live trap for bobcats and have already caught a couple of them.   Pictured above is Todd with a bobcat and miscellaneous other creatures, a skunk, 'coon and a crow.  These traps were purposely made with a very sensitive trigger so that a weary 'cat wouldn't have to push against a stiff trigger with resistance that might act as a deterrent.   This trigger moves easily to trip with a light touch.  Catching birds, such as this crow, shows how light the trigger is.  It makes no difference which of the 3 nested traps is set.  They all produce.  Incidentally, the largest in the set is 12x24, taller by several inches than cage traps offered in sets for bobcats by others.  Again, these are the first bifolds, the first nested powered bifolds and the first of a kind that can be nested in either single or double door models, more options.  Though we haven't tried it, I believe they could be made in a set of three with one double door and two single doors, or vice versa and in any other combination for that matter.

Comstock Swim Through Beaver Cage Traps Catching Under the Ice

Two days ago we set 6 of the Comstock Swim Through Beaver Cage Traps at one beaver colony.   Three were standard 12x18x39 and three were a bit smaller, 12x15x33.  The weather had been warm, so we gave it a couple of nights at zero degrees to make some ice solid enough to walk on before we headed out, about an inch and a half of clear ice, ideal.  We set two pairs of traps side by side and two singles in runs.  On the first check we connected with all six, five beaver and one muskrat.  It would have been great to get both of the big ones on the first check, but it was not to be.  The big female is usually last to leave the lodge, which was the way it went this time.  We got the big male and four little guys.

On day two we picked up one more of the little ones, which is no doubt the last of the yearlings, with no other traps touched.  The big female may not have moved or avoided the sets as we did not yet take her.  We found a six foot pole pushed into one trap up to the trigger, but the trap was not fired.  In two days we have taken six.  This time we have moved the traps up tight to the house.  On the first set up purposely stayed back from the lodge where the run fanned out wider so that we could take multiples and we did.

Some have suggested that guillotine door traps are a good way to go for beaver trapping, but you only have to analyze the trap and function to see that it carries with it many limitations.  We do it all, spring, summer, fall and even winter as you can see, in all conditions, requiring traps that will function in both warm and freezing conditions.  The power door, low profile traps with wide doors handle over sized runs without blocking and can easily be set in very shallow water, in this case just in just over a foot of water, even under ice!  Try to set a g door trap in a culvert, no way.  Try to hide them, not easy.  Brush can get hung up in a door, but our power door traps are made with internal components, nothing to foul.  Each one of the shortcomings of a g door trap are easy handled by the powered door traps we use and produce and there are many more advantages to the powered door traps with the solid lock bar.
  




     

Comstock Bifold Powered Door Bobcat Trap Connects

Thanks to Tom for sharing this great picture.  Tom Gansowski caught this large 29 pound female bobcat a few days ago in a Comstock 12x24x36 inch bifold powered door bobcat trap here in New York.  There are just a few of these traps in service and unfortunately they are operating in relatively low density bobcat areas, but this is a beginning.  Last year Dale Duryea caged a small bobcat in the double door model of this bifold door trap.  Because the doors are powered, with a sensitive wire trigger, in a trap that can be completely covered from the weather if desired, they have distinct advantages over all other bobcat cage traps.  A self contained unit, this trap will work in the worst weather conditions, snow, ice, rain, freeze and thaw by simply covering the trigger and door with a sheet of nonporous material.

 Because the doors on a Guillotine door trap stick way up above the trap body, almost as high as the trap itself, they can not be easily concealed or stuffed under brush.   There is no way practical way to cover the doors on a G door trap to keep them from freezing up in rough weather.