Powder Coated Comstock Cages

These are the first powder coated cages we received from manufacture and they look great.  The flat black matte finish covers all components, frame, trigger parts and even cage wire.  This thin slick coating will help protect the metal from the elements, while removing the bright silvery shine from the cage wire to allow the traps to blend better with the environment.  All 9x11, 12x12 and 12x18 large heavy duty traps with the swing bar trigger system will be powder coated from the factory at no extra cost.  If anyone wishes the to have the smaller swing panel squirrel traps or skunk traps powder coated that option is available for an additional 15%.   

Beaver in Winter,  Is the lodge active?

There are some tell tale signs, easy to pick up on, to tell if a beaver lodge is active in winter.  The obvious is fresh cuttings along shore, which will at least let you know they have been there recently.  The dam will be mudded, water high.

  If there is snow on the ground and the lodge is covered, look for a "smoke hole" or breather in the top of the lodge.  Beaver build the lodge without packing mud on top of the house, purposely, to allow for fresh air ventilation.  The rest of the house will be like concrete, frozen solid and tight.  If snow cover is light, you may see a thawed spot on top where heat coming up from the lodge has melted the snow.  At times you may even see "smoke" coming from the top of the lodge, which is actuarially condensed water vapor.  When the snow on the lodge is deep, you will have to remove just a little from the top of the lodge, which will reveal the thawed top that will have a wet appearance, while the rest of the lodge is frozen.  The smoke hole shows that beaver are present.  The size of the smoke hole will give an indication of how many are in the lodge.  Soccer ball size may mean only a pair but if the top of the lodge has a melted area as big as a bushel basket, or larger, there could be a bunch, 6 to 12 perhaps.   A frosted smoke hole means no beaver present.  Moisture from the lodge simply rises and freezes, crystalizing on the sticks.

Beaver usually keep the dams up in good shape and water level up.  Though not always the case, if a pond starts to drop and the ice sags it could be an indication that no one is home.

Feed piles are a give away.  Fresh feed means beaver were planning on spending the winter.  Though the feed pile may be fresh, cuttings evident and the dam still in tact, the breather is the best indicator.  If the colony had been trapped earlier the feed will look fresh and water may still be up, but the frozen lodge minus a breather shows that you were not to first to find the colony.

It is a good idea to take a minute and check thoroughly.  Forty years ago a local tapper set traps in a small creek near a "lodge."  He hadn't checked for a smoke hole or feed pile, but made assumptions.  Late in spring, after catching no beaver, when the snow began to melt, he realized he had set traps around a large boulder!

Beaver Cage Traps VS. Size

Beaver Cage Traps vs. Size

Having caught nearly 400 beaver over the past three years in the Comstock beaver cage traps we have gained a lot of experience and learned what works.  The cages we invented and sizes that we used all worked great.  In any type of cage trapping there is an acceptable practical size range to take all beaver and somewhere in the abyss, a bare minimum.  No one wants to miss animals, nor do they want to  carry a trap larger than what is needed.  We've always said that anyone can make a trap to catch, but to make one as small as possible, that's the key.  Though we do know what works, we don't know exactly how far we can go by shrinking the cages to find the minimum size to take larger 60 pound beaver every time, but have a good idea.

The 12x12x36 inch traps have taken beaver up to 61 pounds while, the 12x18x32 inch traps have taken beaver 45,46,47 and 52 pounds so far, showing a lot of promise in length.  Splitting the difference in opening size, while shortening the 39 inch cage to 33 inches, we have come up with an idea for a 12x15x33 inch trap only 70% as large as the standard trap.  Since the body of a large 50 pound beaver is about 32 inches long, adding in the diagonal of the 12x15x33 inch trap, it would seem a trap that size would not only work, but would be a whole lot easier to carry in the field, easier to place and take up less space in a vehicle.

Beaver usually become bigger around before they get much longer.  Depending on the area of the country as related to trapping pressure, the average size of the beaver can vary.  Untrapped areas may have a lot of 60+ pound beaver so that the larger traps may be best.  But, where pressure is greater, or just due to section of the country,  beaver can range in the 40's to low 50's.

We are beginning to find that with these powered door, wire trigger, double door Comstock Cages that the only factor of real importance is that the beaver must be able to fit into the trap, period.  If he fits, a catch is made.

When live trapping it's a different story altogether.  The 12x18x39 is a great trap for humane live trapping beaver as it gives them the room that they need to move around.  In the coming months we will be building and experimenting to find what is optimum.  

TIGHT vs. LOOSE TRIGGER WIRES

Some may worry about trigger wires that loosen up.  Trigger wires can be tightened easily by crimping at the base where they connect to the swing bar.  However, the important aspect is knowing that it really makes little difference if the wires are solid or flex.  When they are tight the trigger is actuated quickly upon contact.  Loose wires allow the animal to penetrate the compartment deeper before the trigger fires.  Having some play in a loose trigger wire, if anything, gives an animal more confidence to push on with little resistance to impede them in a loose wire.  By the time the trap fires the animal may be centered between the doors exactly where he should be to prevent a quick dash or back-out..  

TRIGGERS,  Short Throw vs. Hair Trigger

There is a vast difference between a "hair trigger" and a trigger that has a short throw or small amount of travel before it fires.  Though a hair trigger general travels only a short distance before the trigger is actuated, the connotation includes a trigger that is also touchy, very sensitive to any movement that could set it off.  It could be actual trigger contact or merely jarring the trap itself.   This type of setting is one that can easily misfire.  A slight bump to the trap, without even touching the trigger can cause the trap to fire.  A hair trigger is generally not what is required as the traps are often found sprung and without a catch.

However, some traps, like the Comstock Cage Traps can be set with a short travel to fire the trigger.  The triggers on these traps can be made to fire with only a fraction of travel and yet will remain stable.  With a hair trigger, usually the trigger is not seated properly, but partially engaged at the contact points.  In any trigger position the amount of pressure require to fire a Comstock Cage is exactly the same, no touchy areas or uncertainty associated with a hair trigger.  When trying to set a hair trigger on other traps, they often fire.  If you are lucky enough to get one set, just how hair trigger is it?  It's always an unknown.

The trigger on the Comstock Trap can be moved from center contact to either end of the short contact bar on the swing bar or U bar depending on the trap.  In any case, if you place the trigger so that it will travel only a short distance you can rest assured that the trap is no more or less sensitive than it would be in any position, very stable.  The amount of pressure required to fire the trap can be altered by where the door hook rests on the short trip rod posts or dog bar on the beaver traps.

COVERING TRAPS-camouflage

Comstock Beaver Cage Traps are have a small profile when viewed from the end so that a  swimming beaver coming from either end of the trap are not intimidated.  Frame wire that is only 1/4" in diameter is not a deterrent.  The trap is hardly more than an unconfined bare trigger wire, nothing for a beaver to avoid.  Though we do often camouflage our sets, camouflage is not a prerequisite to making a catch by any means.  Covering a trap would seem to be an issue of personal preference since these traps work well with or without coverings.  Perhaps the most important consideration for hiding a valuable trap would be to reduce theivery.

Carl Wilki

CARL WILKI-Facebook

For those considering Comstock Live Cage Traps for ADC businesses, home or fur trapping, who may have questions about just how effective these humane live traps are, you need look no further than Carl Wilki's Facebook Page.  Carl is a long time experienced nuisance wildlife trapper from Ilinois who began using Comstock Cage traps in his business a couple of years ago for woodchucks, skunks and raccoons.  This past year Carl expanded his supply of Comstock Cages, adding two dozen more to his arsenal, while at the same time liquidating the conventional pan traps he had used for years.   I'm not going to paraphrase.  Anyone can read Carl's own words to understand how much he loves the new Comstock Cage Traps because of the success rate, which puts more money in his pocket since success and closure come so easily and consistently.  He sets Comstock Cages and catches,  It's that simple.  Back-outs just don't happen.  Animals don't beat the power doors.  A hesitant animal is pushed into the trap.  Cages can be made shorter because of the speed and power in the doors.  There are many others who share the same passion and enthusiasm about the Comstock Traps, but none more vocal and supportive, sharing his success with others.  Thanks Carl.

Carl is one of many who have used both pan traps and traps the operate in a similar fashion to the Comstock Cages.  There is a long list of those who have tried all brands with all kinds of triggers, even wire triggers and shelved what they had for the Comstock Traps.  Size, practicality, price, function, durability, reliability, consistency and stability combined with sensitivity, price, quality in powder coating, you name it, are unmatched.  This not only includes traps for woodchucks, raccoons and skunks but the smaller chipmunk and squirrel traps as well as the larger beaver traps, something for everyone.  If you have a problem, we have a solution.

Not only do we make and sell our traps, we are clients too, using the traps in our nuisance wildlife control business every day.  With just under 400 beaver taken in our own business, we have taken 397 beaver to date in the Comstock Beaver Cage Traps, which actually puts us in second place, well behind one trapper who has taken more than 600!