Options in New Products

Trapping is all about options in equipment, having the right gear for the job.  I really don't have a lot of equipment for my ADC work, but I do like to have a variety of traps and accessories.  We have 9x11 traps of all lengths from 18 to 36 inches long in single door, single door with a bait door, double door, multipurpose traps with built in nose cones and 3 way flaps, flush mount traps and adapters, not to mention solid nose cones with flaps.  The bait door is hinged at the bottom where animals work a trap to provide strength where it is needed.  Bait can be wired to the door, then lifted into place and locked.

We now have the option of yet one other feature, a rear slider door for single door traps.  This door rides in a track and can be lifted easily for transfer, quick release or just to add bait.  With this addition we have should have a trap that will address just about any need.  They are not on the websites but should be appearing soon.  The sliders should be available on both 9x11 and 12x12 traps.

By spring we hope to have more accessories and new cage traps for bobcats, fox etc.

Raccoon Saved by a Comstock Cage

Matt in Tennessee sent us this pic with a story to go with it.  He caught the 'coon in a 9x11 Comstock Cage about midnight.  The property owner told Matt that coyotes came upon the trap with the "coon in it, then hauled the trap and 'coon away, stopping intermittently, trying to get the "coon out of the trap.  Next morning the trap, with the 'coon still in tact, was located about 100 yards away from where it had been caught, but still alive and well.

With the signature wire trigger and powered doors, we built our cage traps to be escape proof, but never really thought about how that durability would also work the other by way by not allowing animals to get into a cage.  With internal triggering mechanisms that will take whatever animals can dish out from the inside, there is nothing externally for animals on the outside to break.  Tough cage wire and 1/4' frames will stand up to abuse from inside or out with little to no damage.  Matt said that the handle got bent, but the rest looked pretty solid.  

No Fur Damage to Animals Caught in Beaver Cages

ADC and fur trapping are separate, but blend together during the open fur seasons.  When I get calls during opening trapping seasons during fall and winter or spring there is opportunity to utilize the fur.  What is quite noticeable is that when beaver, muskrats or otter are caught in cage traps under water there is no fur damage whatsoever.  Body gripping traps seem always to leave a small rub like mark at the neck, a little patch of fur missing, especially in spring when beaver are beginning to shed.  Having used many different brands of body grippers, all sizes, standard and magnums, some fur damage is a fact of life in many cases.  The great part about the cage traps is finding animals  in tact, minus any kind of marks, no rubs, a "perfect" hide.  

Comstock 5x5 Squirrel Traps Catch Small Rodents

Though these powered, double door squirrel traps were designed primarily for gray squirrels, red squirrels and chipmunks they will take even smaller rodents like voles and even mice.  Above is a small flying squirrel left and a vole right.  With tight closing doors and 1/2x1 mesh, we have received pictures of mice in these traps, which means that the traps will take just about any rodent that will fit in them or trip the trigger.

Hints on Bobcat Trapping, What to Look For

For 8 years Judy and I trapped 'cats in California taking hundreds in the bobcat rich chaparral environment.  Daunting at first for an Easterner, we soon put it together and learned what to do and look for.  Look high and low.  Cats travel the ridges and washes and will leave toilets, segmented feces.  You can set location and or sign.  Rock outcroppings are a great attractant.  Check along the base.  Where we were we set sign, but in some areas sign may be hidden, so location is key.  Water is essential, not lots everywhere, just access.  When you begin catching you may find that areas of certain types of vegetation lend itself to 'cats.  Locating white sage where we were usually meant 'cats, no doubt because that was conducive to the rodents they hunted.  Beyond that, keep your eyes open.

There are always places that will seem to make little sense, not falling into the typical categories.
If you keep a sharp eye out you will find tracks and scat in unexpected places.  Don't try to figure it all out, you never will, but just accept that critters are where you find them and you will be surprised to see where they show up.  Rather than always look for the most remote areas, it's not uncommon to find all sorts of animals right up close to and living with the civilized world between houses etc.

Customized Specialty Cage Traps - Ferrets This Time

Ferret captured in a Comstock Specialty Cage Trap

We get calls for specialty traps from time to time, different sizes and or configurations than what we have in our standard lines.  With our manufacturer making the bulk of our products, we usually have the time to make customized traps in our shop when small numbers are needed for special projects.  In this case it was ferrets being inoculated against Black Plague that required a different sized trap.  Ferrets feed on ground squirrels that often have fleas that carry the Plague.  If a ferrets is bitten by the infected fleas they will contract the disease and die with a few days.  With ferret numbers low, an effort was made to catch, inoculate and then release the little weasels in order to protect them from disease in the future. 

The trap we provided worked great.  On the first night they had it out they went 2 for 2.

If anyone has a trap they can't find in production traps and need a different size for instance, just give us a call and we will see what we can do to accommodate.  Also, if anyone has ideas for a trap different from what is being produced that could be better than what is out there, we'd be more than happy to put one together if we can.

Bear Vs. Beaver-In a Comstock Cage

We got this pic from Glen in Washington.  A bear must have spotted the live beaver in the cage and went for an easy meal.  Looks to be a pretty big beaver by the tail, but no match for a bear.  Yup, the cage wire took quite a beating, but with the trigger on the bottom and doors at the ends, none of the firing or locking gear was hurt badly, not much at all.  Glen ordered a couple of new traps that he needed anyway and got some new wire and clips with them.  He just removed the bent stuff and clipped on new, back in business and has already begun catching beaver with the repaired trap, no problem.

With the configuration and upside down setting method, though the bear did a job on the wire, the rest was in good shape, one more plus never figured on, but nice to see that the trap could be salvaged.  From the beginning these cages did not just meet expectations, but at every turn have continued to surprise us in dozens of ways for durability and function.

10 Inch Conibears vs. 18 Inch Wide Comstock Swim Through Beaver Cage Traps

As a young guy I remember well setting hundreds of 10 inch Conibears for beaver in wide channels, from the 60's right through the 90's, from Alabama to N.Y.  If the bottom was hard or rocky it was always difficult or impossible to make a set.  Where the bottom would accept a stake in a wide run, traps required either a great deal of time consuming fence construction or solid staking so that two or three traps could be set side by side in order to fill the run.  If a trap got uprooted by a large beaver after the catch was made, the beaver could fire the others, leaving a lot of work to put the sets back together.  Looking for suitable stakes and fencing was always a time consuming chore, while close attention had to be payed to the surroundings so that debris did not interfere with a trap when it fired.

Two days ago I set a 40 inch wide bank den in little more time that it took to set the two of the 18 inch wide beaver cage traps.  A new colony with a lodge in the middle of the pond, instinctively my eyes went directly to the steep bank on the far side.  Beaver love to put in bank dens when they can and will go right to the steep side of a pond conducive for dens.  As expected there was a den, but this one was very wide.   Even though there was a lodge in the middle of the pond, beaver will spend most of their time in the bank den.  Frequently dens are just a bit wider than a beaver, 10 or 12 inches, but not always.  With two 18 inch wide cages I could cover the wide expanse of a bit more than 3 feet.  In these cases where channels are very wide, I will center the two cages, while leaving a few inches between them.

The "shined" up sandy bottom gave up the location from quite a distance.  Nothing unusual, I set the traps and dropped them in, done!  There was no wiring, no staking, no fencing and no concern about the make up of the bottom as the traps work in anything from muck to bedrock.  Yes, the cages are larger and heavier, but I carried two across a fast moving stream and had them set in a blink, with no worries.

Yesterday morning both of the big ones were in the den sets side by side as expected.  Having placed two other castor sets closer to the house, I did pick up a very small yearling in sets made on large basketball sized cobblestone.  Young beaver will often have smaller litters, so I believe this was it, 4 traps, 1 night, 3 beaver.  This was the second time in two days I had set 4 cages and took all three beaver in a single night.  

Beaver / Retriever

Today I was very glad to have swim through cage traps on an ADC job, not only for the capabilities of the traps, but for the safety factor, which allows for a good nights sleep.  Arriving on site, a bounding golden retriever ran right up to me, tail wagging, couldn't have been happier if he had common sense.  We hit it off and I knew he would be with me until I was done setting.  Familiar with the location I grabbed a pair of cages and headed to the channel, dog in tow.  The retriever did what they do best, hit the water.   Not a bit squeamish, he began digging out the old bank dens in earnest and soon was muddy and soaked.  While I was putting the sets in place the dog swam up and down all of the channels, much like a beaver would.  Swimming over the first set he grabbed the branch I had laid over the trap as if to make off with it.

In a few minutes I had 4 sets in place.  In the past I would have been using 660 conibear traps, more difficult to place and definitely more dangerous.  After watching that dog go in and out of the water, up and down the channels, it was a great feeling to be using benign traps, peace of mind in knowing there are no traps safer to use around pets and kids.

Dale in Massachusetts catches the first Bobcat in a New Trap

Dale set this new taller, double door, wire triggered Comstock Bobcat Cage Trap with powered doors and caught a small bobcat just yesterday.  This is the only trap of this type with double doors that has been used in the field, made large enough to take bobcats and perhaps a coyote.  Custom made, Dale's trap is leading the way for what we hope will be a new line in powered door, wire triggered, taller, narrower bobcat / fox cage traps.  Like all of the cage traps we make, these are the most advanced, well engineered traps made because they too were created with internal components, nothing sticking up or protruding beyond the confines of the catch compartment to catch or hang up in transit or on brush.  No animal will be able to climb on them and cause them to fire easily.

In time we hope to produce these traps in single and double door nesting models, something serious bobcat trappers will like.

Thanks for the great photo Dale.  

Beaver in Comstock Cage Traps in a few hours

Milestone, Beaver #500 !

Its's been just over 4 years since I put the first Comstock Swim Through Beaver Cage Trap in the water, October 29, 2010 to be exact.  Since that time I have come to rely on these traps almost exclusively in my ADC work for beaver.  What this means is that anyone in a cage trap only state can trap with confidence as these relatively new devices are not just another tool in beaver control, but the most versatile traps you will use, taking a back seat to none.  The beaver pictured above is #500 for me, which still leaves me in second place behind Randy in Massachusetts who has taken over 600 and did it in only 2 years.  At this time thousands of beaver have been caught in these traps, along with lots of otter and muskrats.

Matney Photo-Comstock 12x15x33 Swim Through Beaver Cage Trap

Mike sent this photo of the smaller sized 12x15x33 Comstock Beaver Cage in action with a 40-50 pound beaver in it.  So glad to see how much he likes them.  He uses the floating repeater muskrat traps he invented and also colony traps.

Florida Trapper and an Otter in a 9x11x36 Comstock Wire Trigger Cage Trap

"After breaking two traps and escaping multiple times from same traps the Comstock made him pay for all his sins! Thanks for building the best otter trap! This trap is bomb proof. Have a great day"

Though we built the larger double door 12x12x36 and 12x18x39 Swim Through Cages for beaver and otter, we are finding that it is quite common for otter to be taken in the double door 9x11x36 primarily designed for  raccoons etc.  It's always a nice surprise when a device actually exceeds expectations!  As always, "what goes in, stays in," escape proof.    

Mike Matney-Washington Trapper-Inventor

I just spoke with Mike Matney yesterday evening.  Mike is from Washington State, maker and inventor of the floating repeater muskrat trap.  Mike heard we had custom made some 12x15x33 midsize beaver traps that weighed only 17.5 pounds.  Shorter than our standard beaver trap by 6 inches, but still a full 15 inches wide, Mike had us custom make him 5 of them, now his go to beaver trap.  He says he does not miss beaver and often catches them from 40 to 50 pounds with no problem, some larger yet.  Yesterday he had caught 4 for 5.

One small difference is that these traps have a setting "tab" at the top of the lock bar.  The tab does making setting much easier.  You place you thumb on the tab and start the lock bar.  With the tab, wide mouth, short body and light weight, this is the beaver trap Mike loves since he often traps our of a boat.

 

Beavers and Beavers

Though a Washington trapper has had a stretch of rough luck with nature and the elements, at least he had reliable cages that held up quite well under very unusual circumstances.

Glen, from Washington, got quite a surprise recently.  He had caught a beaver in a 12x18x39 Comstock Swim Through Beaver Cage Trap, with an unusual twist.  Glen suspected that the beaver was alive when captured, gaining the attention of a passing bear.  As it turned out, yes the bear did have his way with the beaver and eventually made a meal of him, but not exactly as you might think.  The interesting part is that the bear actually ate the beaver through the cage wire without breaking it, pulling the beaver through the wire piece by piece.  This was one of the early cages that Judy and made in our shop in New York a couple of years ago using 2x2, 12 gage wire.  Bottom line, though the cage wire was not in good shape, as you might suspect, the trigger unit and doors were fine, no damage.  Glen is to receive a section of cage wire to replace the bear damaged wire and will be able to bring the cage back to new.

Glen also had a beaver dam blow out of a culvert and take several of the Comstock cages with it.  At present, he found 2 that appeared to be in working order, now looking for the third.  

Comstock Swing Panel Traps "Gitterdone"

     Opossum:

With a family of opossums living in a building, I was able to set some of the 6x624 inch squirrel traps along a wall in a couple of places where the opossums are apt to travel.  Because I had already captured the adults and one small one outside at entry points and knew there were more small ones still present inside, I was able to set the larger squirrel sized swing panel traps in a blind set.

*Remember, when setting blind or trail sets you don't have to find the "only" place an animal travels or necessary the "best" place where they travel most often either, but merely a location an animal is very apt to travel at least once during the course of the night.  Since animals follow structure like a wall both inside and out, a trap up against the wall, parallel to the surface with do the trick.

First check produced opossum #4, another baby one in the 6x6x24 inch Comstock squirrel sized trap. done!

     Gray Squirrel:

Earlier that day I got a call on a gray squirrel that had found itself in a basement.  Sometimes animals can be captured immediately.  Animals can be steered into cage traps by placing the trap against a wall or fencing the trap in with whatever is available.  I have done it was muskrats, foxes and squirrels.  Though a pan trap will work, a trap with either a wire trigger or swing panel trigger is superior.  It is virtually impossible for an animal to pass through a swing panel trap without firing it, while animals often step or jump over pans.

If you do try this method of quick capture, it is best to get behind an animal and direct him into the trap without pushing him hard if possible.  If he walks into the trap it is better than making him run, unless you are using a double door trap with the "back" door closed.  An animal running at full speed can sometimes beat a door, depending on the length of the trap and speed of the door.

In this case the squirrel was huddled up in a corner, tucked in between boxes and I suspected he would be running when disturbed.  I placed a longer 36 inch swing panel trap with an 8x10 opening near the squirrel and boxed in the area beside the trap.  When I finally removed the a box nest to the squirrel he darted out and ran straight into the trap.  Because it was likely that he would be running, I did close the back door.  Since the squirrel could not go past the trigger without actuating it, he was caught in a second, far better than using a pan trap.  It was quick closure in less than 10 minutes.  With internal doors, both ends of this trap are flush mount, so they be placed right up against an entry point.

Having missed animals in similar situations with pan traps in the past, the confidence in the swing panel cage trap truly has no equal.  That's why some call  these traps in this series "the best cage traps for squirrels on the market."

Live Otter Trapping with 12x12 and 12x18 Powered Door Comstock Cages

I just got a call from a fellow live trapping otter.  He is using both the 12x12 and 12x18 inch Comstock cage traps, but wanted to know how to set the traps so that the otter would be most apt to fire them.

The larger 12x18x39 beaver/otter trap is usually set upside down, trigger on the bottom, with the trip wires pointing upward.  For a live catch the trap should be set in about 9 or 10 inches in the water, leaving 2 or 3 inches open for the otter to breath, no different than usual, just like trapping beaver.  With the trigger wires about even with the surface of the water when the trap is set upside down the otter will plow right into the trigger wires and fire the trap easily.  I know of a pair of Washington trappers who caught 45 otter in one season.

The 12x12 differs from the 12x18 in that it has a side mounted trigger instead of a top/bottom trigger.  This trap is usually set with upside down doors on the bottom and a side mounted trigger.  To duplicate the way the 12x18 is set with triggers pointing upward for live otter, after setting  the 12x12, roll it  90 degrees until the trigger comes up from the bottom.  The doors will then close from the side.  This will put an otter right into the triggers for live trapping.

 Remember,  "There is no wrong way to set a Comstock trap," the most versatile traps in the world.

Working on new devices all the time, we are chomping at the bit to get new products into production, while  continuing to produce the most advanced traps you will ever use.   One of our signature accomplishments is the self contained feature in all of the traps we make, no parts sticking outside of the cage to catch or for animals to foul.

New "V" Setters, Will Fit Comstock 9x11, 12x12 and 12x18 Powered Door Cage Traps

Trap Setting Instructions with Setters:

FIRST SET CENTER SWING BAR TAB AT THE TOP OF THE CAGE, SQUEEZE SETTER HANDLE TOGETHER AND PLACE SETTER AS SHOWN ON CAGE DOOR WITH THE BOTTOM HOOK ON THE LOWEST CROSS BAR AND ANGLE END ON THE TOP CROSS BAR , SIMPLY LIFT WITH ONE HAND AND LATCH DOOR HOOK ON TRIP ROD TAB. 

This small, light weight, simple setting tool in a “one size fits all” configuration is designed to work with all of the Comstock powered door cages with 9x11, 12x12 and 12x18 inch openings, yet it weighs only 6 ounces.  By adding a great deal of leverage, this handy setter not only makes setting the Comstock powered door cage traps fast and easy, it allows for the safe release of captured animals too.  The handle keeps your hand up and out of the way, well above the trap as the animal exists the cage.  Of course, Comstock cages do not require the use of a setting tool, this just makes setting easier and releasing animals safer.  

Note: If setters are not used, a Tomahawk cage separator tool can be used to keep the animal away from the door while using a single rod to hold the door of the Comstock Cage traps open.

Traps Keep Working

One of the ADC guys I spoke with the other day that uses our 9x11 heavy duty model with 12 gage 1/2x 1 wire, told me some neat stuff.  A number of clients want him to leave a trap behind after the job is complete, "just in case."  He often obliges them.  In the coming weeks and months he receives intermittent phone calls with catches being made, for which he charges of course.  Sometimes the traps are left for many weeks, but the best part, the traps keep on working as if they were set the day before, making catches with consistency day after day.  He told me that he got a call recently about a catch made in a trap that had been left since last November!  Yes, it does tie up a bunch of traps, but the traps are about $100 with shipping to his place, which means for that small investment he keeps the client happy and returns periodically to retrieve an animal, which more than pays what the interest would be on one hundred bucks for a year, about nothing.

When using baitless positive sets, trails or crawl unders, maintenance is not required.   Though I periodically just spray paint a bare contact point, if you put a little grease on the trigger contact and end bushings, there is nothing that needs attention.  A little surface rust won't interfere with the trap function.

Raccoon Caught in a new "Tall" Comstock Prototype Cage

Pictured above is the second raccoon caught in the newest single door Comstock "Tall" prototype cage trap being used by Tim in Ohio this week.  This raccoon had been tearing up a flower garden.  Offering the most open appearing cage traps available, these new panless Comstock, wire trigger traps will be great for anyone targeting trap wise 'coon that have either escaped or been released from a pan triggered cage trap. The additional height will make these traps a go to trap for fox and bobcats.  The trap pictured has a finished opening of nearly 12 inches wide and a full 17 inches tall inside.  Though there are no established dimensions, it is likely they may be offered in heights of 20 inches or taller.  Leading the way with innovations, this light weight, practical, once again completely self contained trap, like all of the Comstock traps, will add one more to the line of the most advanced traps in the world.    

 

Newest Traps

It looks like the new traps will be a winner.

We have a made only a few of the newest single and double door tall traps for smart raccoons and also bobcats, but the traps look very promising.   Ironing out some of the particulars to get them into production does take time, as they an entirely new design for us, which will require different springs for starters. The trigger is same reliable ,simplistic trigger we have used for the past 5 years, with a new powered door system.  Tim in Ohio just began setting them and took a nice 'coon.  Everything performed as it should and held up just fine.  As soon as time permits, we will be offering them to the public.   Hopefully a prototype will be in the hands of the manufacturer within a couple of weeks for them to study.  

Update

Can't believe two weeks has slipped by.  Judy and I attended the Vermont Trappers Convention last weekend in Barton, not far from the Canadian Border.  The weather was cool, trapping weather.  Dale Duryea from Massachusetts gave a demo on Comstock Beaver Cage traps as well as bobcat traps.

We have had a few beaver jobs and continue towards the 500 mark in Comstock Beaver Cages, now at 465.  Still running over 90% catches in our cages in our ADC work, the traps continue to amaze us in the success ratio.

New products are completed or in the works, but always take more time to come to fruition than hoped for.   There are other projects and improvements in the pipeline to be revealed as soon as they are up and running.

Look for us to continue to set the pace and lead with the most advanced traps in the world.

Off Topic-First Mole

Over the years, having caught everything from gators to armadillos, rattlers, bobcats, beaver, otter, mink, fish, birds, frogs, a mountain lion, butterflies and moths and just about anything that crossed my path, it seemed time to catch a mole.  I watched Alan Huots video on mole trapping, which provided enough info to put me on the track in looking for the longest main tunnels.  We were told that it is common for only one mole to inhabit a location, but by no means is it always that way.  There can be many.

 After talking to Tim Albright in Ohio I learned that this process could take a while and would require multiple traps.  After Tim turned us on to Albano's mole traps, we bought a dozen and got started.  The traps are directional, meaning the tunnels would require two traps at each location, facing away from each other, to take a mole coming from either direction.  With 10 traps in place at 5 locations, we were ready to catch a mole.  The first trip was a blank, certainly not unexpected.  However, activity at some of the traps was noted and the mole did appear to dig past one of the traps.  But, the second trip was a success.  These traps are stainless and sensitive, a good combination.

It's a bit tricky, since the holes must remain covered, but it all worked out.  I'm sure there is a lot more to learn, but this was a start.

An Over Veiw of Comstock Traps and Accessories

                                                COMSTOCK  BEAVER CAGE TRAPS

 This is an over view of most of what we offer in panless, wire trigger cage traps with powered doors.  Above left is a 12x18x39, double door,  swim through beaver cage trap with 12x12x36, double door swim though beaver cage traps to the right.  The 12x12 traps are available in 1-1/2, 12 gage wire for beaver and 1/2 x 1, 14 gage wire for raccoons.

                                                   COMSTOCK 12X12 CAGE TRAPS

This shows the 12x12x36 traps in single door, single door with bait door option and double door in tight 1/2x1 mesh and 1-1/2 mesh, 12 gage.

                                                     COMSTOCK 9X11 CAGE TRAPS

These are the 9x11 traps,  in18,24,30 and 36 inch lengths.  These can be purchased in single door, single door with a bait door, double door(with external doors that protrude beyond the frame when set) and double door flush mount on top(one door that is internal and does not protrude beyond the frame).  Additionally we have the most versatile multipurpose traps made with a bottom opening and 3 openings for to accommodate den trapping, free standing dens or side entrances from either direction.

                                                  COMSTOCK SWING PANEL TRAPS

The swing panel traps are also panless and work like their larger counterparts.  Squirrel traps are 3x5x24, 5x5x24, 6x624 with larger 6x8x30, 7x732, 7x7x36 and 8x10x36.  Larger traps will take skunk, opossum, feral cats and woodchucks.

                                       COMSTOCK ACCESSORIES FOR DEN SETTING
                                                   (nose cones for baitless trapping etc.)

Above left front are galvanized squirrel nose cones for the 5x5 and 6x6 swing panel Comstock cage traps.  The black 3 way nose cone fits the 9x11 Comstock cage traps.  Center rear is a chimney adapter, which works with 9x11 Comstock cages, either single or double door.  To the far right is a metal nose cone, which again works with the 9x11 Comstock traps.  A flush mount ring also fits the 9x11 Comstock cage traps.  The ring clips onto the end of the cage to produce a recessed door for flush mounting against hole in a building or the like.  It is a retro tool for those who own a standard double door trap but now require a flush mount trap.  The ring can be quickly attached or removed.  Flush mount traps come in 24, 30 and 36 inch lengths.  The flush mount ring can be attached to a 36 inch trap to form and even longer 42 inch trap if necessary.  We can also make flush mount rings to fit either the 12x12 or 12x18 beaver / raccoon traps too.

The nose cones, flush mount trap, flush mount ring and multipurpose all can be used for positive den sets to catch animals coming or going without the use of hair or lure.

                                                            *NEW PRODUCTS*

Watch for a new line of taller, panless, traps with wire triggers and powered doors specifically designed for bobcats and foxes in the future, along with specialty traps too.  One of our signature accomplishments in trap building is making traps that are self-contained without doors, triggers or any extraneous parts that protrude beyond the confines of the trap itself.  We will continue to hold to the highest standards with the new traps, in practical cage design that have kept us #1 in cage traps.  Those who rely on Comstock traps know they are using the most advanced innovative cage traps in the world!

Important Omissions from a Recent Cage Trap Comparison Article

Recently there was an article written comparing our Comstock Cage Traps, a 9x11, to another brand of cage trap.  Due to numerous omissions, those who read the article might have been lead to believe that the traps were pretty much equal, which they are not.  Listed below are the all important, essential features and options unique to our traps, which simply make Comstock Cages a best choice for anyone in need of a reliable, escape proof trap.  A Georgia trapper who has used both traps simply said, "I need the very best traps I can get for my ADC business.  Yours are superior."

Here are some of the features that were omitted from the article.

1-Unequalled Stability When Set

2-Varialbe Trigger Pressure

3-Sensitivity to go with Stability

4-Multiple Trigger Wires Evenly Spaced to Cover the Opening

5-Available in 12 Gage Wire

6-Traps that will Never Hang Fire because both Doors Drop from One Trig Rod

7-A Free Floating Door Suspended from the Roof of the Trap

8-Never a Hair Trigger

9-Trigger Can be Set for Longer or Shorter Travel from Either Direction

10-Door Wire Welded to Door Frame

11-Heavy Metal Banding Clips and 12 Gage Round Clips for Wire to Frame

12-Rectangular Traps, which mean Traps are Essentially a Trap of "Two Sizes"

13-Simplicity-Fewer Parts, Nothing to Foul

14-Better Prices

15-Unipricing-All Traps in a Category are Priced the Same

16-Smaller, Space Saving Traps to do the Same Job as Unnecessary Counterparts

There were other features mentioned in the article like, Comstock traps are made with internal components.  All of the triggering mechanism are inside the confines of the trap, nothing protruding beyond the confines of the trap.  The traps will not catch on brush in transit, when firing or in the vehicle.

Like the trapper in Georgia, I too use only the best products, no matter who makes them.  I don't use our traps because we make them, but because they work better.        

NWCOA

We were asked to give a power point presentation at the National Wildlife Control Operators Association in Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feb. 4, 2015.  The topic should be of no surprise, baitless trapping techniques, something we use daily in our own nuisance wildlife business.  Employing baitless positive sets at den sites with double door live traps, setting along structure and trail sets has made our business run smoother using methods that work better and easier than convention single door traps used with bait.  While saving money in fuel, along with lots of time checking and maintenance in what can be hit or miss sets, unbaited sets result in far fewer unwanted non-targetted animals.  Rather than trying to lure the animal into a baited trap, we found that going to the animal and playing his game has proven to be superior to any other method we have used.    

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.

A Pair of Aces

Great picture from Terry in Joplin, Missouri.  Amazing catch,  not one, but 2 'coon captured in a 24 inch Double Door 9x11 Comstock Cage Trap.  Best part, we generally recommend larger 30 or 36 inch long 9x11 Double Door  Cage Traps for one raccoon.  This is the first time that we have seen a double  raccoon catch in a 24 inch cage, though it happens frequently in the larger 30 inch cage traps set for 'coon.  These traps have continued to outperform all expectations regularly, catching a wild piglet in a 9x11x30 last year and now armadillos with consistency, 10 in a row in Georgia by Stan, even in the short 18 inch long traps.  In looking over my own records for this year, most of the 45 woodchucks so far were trapped  in the 18 inch Double Door Traps with a few taken in 24 and 30 when the 18's were all out.  

  

Comparing Prices and Sizes of Cage Traps, Function

Experimenting with large and small traps, we have pioneered the use of smaller, shorter cage traps used in our own ADC Business, with the goal of finding the smallest, space saving traps to do the job.  We have led the way in this endeavor and found that even short 18 inch double door traps will take skunks and chucks virtually every time with no necessity for a longer 24 or 30 inch trap that fills up a truck in a hurry and are more difficult to place when setting, impossible at times.

Also, our wire trigger traps are priced lower than any other similar traps with features like complete powder coating, internal components, unequalled simplicity with no extra springs etc. to foul, welded frames to door wires and super duty heavy metal bands, not like the light 15 gage clips others use.  A cage is at it's strongest when all parts are in place intact, so when one light clip fails, its all down hill for the weakened trap in a domino effect until the falls apart and the animal escapes.  Comstock traps are all but "escape proof."  Since the traps were perfected a couple of years ago, we have been aware of no escapes, a record few if any can match.

We also pioneered another concept, uni-pricing for each line.  What that means, you can choose the length trap you need rather than base your purchase on price, selecting a shorter cage just to save a few bucks.  You can buy the one you want.  Whether you choose an 18 inch trap, a 24, a 30 or 36 they are all priced at the same low price and below the "competition."  As we have found and dozens who use are products confirm, the door opening is less of a factor in making a capture than the length of the trap.  If there is an educated animal, a trap of an inch or two larger will not make enough difference to make the catch.  Smart animals sometimes require very large cage traps for confidence or the use of completely different methods and devices altogether.

Updates

Recently we got an email that told of another double on beaver in the 12x18x39 beaver cage trap.  This is   the second double I have heard of with beaver.  The first was two, two year old 25 pound beaver, while this double was with a large beaver like a blanket or extra large and a small one, maybe this years.  We mentioned at least two other doubles, both with otter.

We are up to 451 beaver in the cages now, again right at 90% for the  2014 nuisance season.  There has been less call for complaint beaver this year in our area than the past two years, but we still may hit 100 before its over.

Of course there are countless examples of doubles on raccoons, skunks and some with chucks in the 9x11x traps and also 2 to 4 catches being made in the swing panel traps for skunks.  This year we began using the smaller 6x8 swing panel traps for small chucks and skunks.

Back From the Convention, New Stuff in the Works

I know I have been scare of late in keeping up with the blog, but not due to lack of material or commitment, just too much going on.  Judy and went to Escanaba, Michigan for the National Trappers Convention in late July, just now getting back to "normal."  We will also be in Herkimer at the New York convention at the end of August.  Nuisance trapping has been busy, lots of skunks and chucks, along with taking trap orders.   But, we still we managed to squeeze out some time to come up with some new products to look for in the future, a different smaller more practical speciality trap for raccoons, another size in an existing large trap, as well as accessories.  This is just a heads up, as it will take time to bring manufacture up to speed and get the new stuff posted on the website and catalog.

We are happy to say there is a long overdue bobcat / fox trap in the pipeline, coming together nicely, different from any other available, of course.  Hopefully this will prove itself and pave the way for larger and taller traps in the Comstock line of live traps, while keeping with one of our signature engineering accomplishments, making "self contained" units that have no parts projecting beyond the confines of the trap box.  These will again be panless traps with powered doors and wire triggers like all of the other traps we offer from chipmunk to beaver traps.  We are hoping that the new traps will fill the last gap, to form a complete line of live, humane, cage traps from squirrel to skunk, chuck, armadillo, raccoon, beaver, otter, muskrat, fisher and now fox and bobcat, with an eye toward coyote / dog sized traps too.  It just takes a lot of time to get it right.  We'd much rather have it right than offer products prematurely as others in the industry have done repeatedly.





 

The National Trappers Convention has arrived in Escanaba

The National Trappers Convention has arrived in Escanaba: During hourly demonstrations guests learn trapping tips from the pros

First Double on Beaver in a 12x18x39 Comstock Swim Through Beaver Trap

Local hunter and only recently turned "trapper" Carl has been catching beaver in his Comstock trap for the past two years to keep the flooding down on his property.  Using both channel and dam break sets, Carl has been accustomed to catching pretty much at will, expecting to catch every time he sets the trap, which is pretty much how it has gone.  One night last week he called and said though he knew there were beaver present, he had not caught a beaver that day.  He thought it was unusual not to catch a beaver virtually each time, but actually it is quite common place not to catch every day for sure.  Blank days can be expected, even with great sets coupled with a great trap.  Having caught a number of beaver in the short time he had been using he traps, I guess he had gotten a bit spoiled.
A couple of days passed when I got another call from Carl, this time really excited.  He had caught 2 two year old beaver in his cage, both about 25-30 pounds, a pair of two year olds.  These beaver had evidently entered the cage at the exact same time, captured together.  This was a first for a double beaver catch in a 12x18x39 Comstock Cage.






  

Catching with Comstock Cages, Beaver (+playlist)

Double Cage set, Comstock Cages with Jim (+playlist)

ADC beaver update

Still rolling along with the nuisance beaver, we are now up to 435 total in the Comstock swim through cages since the fall of 2010.  Got three more today.  Yesterday we got a call about a small culvert being plugged over the weekend.  At that point the channel was deep, non visible, but distinct.  With the potato hook it was easy to find the 18 inch wide dish.  I was able to literally throw in two traps in a couple of minutes.  Upon arrival today the it was easy to see that the water was back to normal, a small ditch, indicating that the beaver had been taken.  With a pair of matched 40 pounders in the cages, male and female, the job was over in a matter of hours, quite typical.  Many of these jobs involve a pair of beaver.  Two traps is all that's necessary quite often.

We are just a shade under 95% for this year, Beaver taken in Comstock Cages compared to other devices.

First Video of an Armadillo caught in an 18 inch Double Door Comstock Cage Trap

This is the first ever video of a strong armadillo being captured in an 18 inch, double door, Comstock, 9x11, wire triggered, powered door cage trap.  Skeptics who didn't think it possible, suggesting that the traps were just too short, have once again been proven completely wrong.  Not only did Nuisance Wildlife Specialist Stan in Georgia catch this armadillo, he also caught 6 others in the past few days in these short, but remarkable 18 inch long traps!  Adding fuel to the fire, there were no misses either.  These space saving traps take up far less room in a truck than their 30 to 48 inch counterparts and require less work when setting and placing.  Comstock 18 inch traps can be easily placed in tight areas where larger traps simply will not fit.  Even a tough armadillo is no match for the rugged little traps.  Armadillos do no damage to these "escape proof" super strong incredibly reliable traps.  Thanks to Stan for sharing this ground breaking video.  

More Armadillos, Stan and Jerry

"One night Stan" continues to catch armadillos in 18 inch Comstock Double Door Cages, another one today.  He has caught at least 6 in the past few days.  For those who might doubt or question, Stan had started out using 30 inch traps, which worked fine, just larger than what was necessary, taking up too much space in the truck and more difficult to place as they require more room.  Stan then went to 24 inch traps, easily taking more than 100 armadillos in them.

Stan is like many of us, always trying to improve and improve he did.  He pushed it to the limit with 18's for armadillos and has been catching consistently without a miss.  And though there may somewhere be lurking out there a 200 pound armadillo, 99+% will fit into 9x11x30, 24 and even 18 inch Comstock Double Door Traps.  Stan pointed out the shape of he armadillo, low on both ends and humped in the middle, configured exactly like the catch box on the 18 inch cages, a match!

We also make the most versatile, universal, "Multipurpose" trap in the world, 9x11x36 with double doors, with a den opening in the bottom of the built in 3-way nose cone.  Jerry in Louisiana likes them for armadillos too.  Just put it over a den and you're done.  

Carl Wilki of Carls Wildlife Control in Chicago area does it again

Another super day for Car Wilki in Chicago, 9 raccoons in his Comstock 9x11 cages.  I think he got some skunks too.  Carl has been using these wire trigger, powered door traps for several years in his ADC business and loves them!

Check out Carl on Facebook.

"One Night Stan" in North Georgia is Catching Armadillos in 18 Inch 9x11 Comstock Double Door Cage Traps, On Purpose!

More ground breaking by Stan in Georgia.  In the beginning we began using 30 inch Comstock double door traps for Armadillos with drift fencing to steer them into traps in blind sets without bait.  It worked great.  Mother-in-law in Louisiana caught 13 in short order.  We sent her a 24 inch double door trap to try out, a bit longer than the trap pictured, which also worked fine.  Some self proclaimed  "experts" had stated emphatically that a 24 inch was too short, too small, which was quickly proven to be incorrect. Mother-in-law caught 2 more in the 24's!  Shortly after, a trapper in Arkansas began using the 24's with great success, catching hundreds.

Over the past few years we have seen an occasional unintentional incidental Armadillo taken in an 18 inch Comstock double door trap, but Stan has ramped it up a notch, now actually purposely setting the 18 inch double door traps for Armadillos and doing very well at it.  It just took someone like Stan to see the potential and follow his instincts.  He took 4 Armadillos just recently, all in 18 inch Comstock double door traps!  Thanks to Stan, we are learning more of the capabilities of incredibly short, powered door, wire trigger Comstock double door traps.  Thanks again Stan.







 

"Minute Muskrat"

This muskrat had a newly made shallow den in the bank of a man made pond.  It was right at dark when I found the den, no time to waste.  I reached into the opening to level the spot for a 6x6x24 Comstock swing panel cage trap and clear out anything that might get in the way.  Needless to say it was a bit of shock to find the muskrat at home and then have the little bugger try to bite me.  I quickly set the trap, which took only a few seconds, then slid it into place, up to the den opening with the flush mount doors.  Even before I finished adding some leaves to cover the trap, the rat had already headed out of the den and was captured.  The entire process took less than a minute, while the rat was caught in less than 20 seconds after the trap was dropped into place.

      

Panless, swing panel, double powered door traps have no equal when it comes to versatility.  These taps are the same traps we use on land to catch squirrels, chipmunks etc.  Panless traps can be set on land and in or under water to catch virtually anything that will enter them at any angle.  It's nice to use devices that have multiple uses in ADC work and fur trapping too.

There are several sizes for the small stuff and several more for larger rabbis, opossum, feral cats etc.

Louisiana Beaver Trapper

Just received an order for a second beaver trap from Mike in Louisiana.  Will admit, when he was thinking about buying another brand I put on the hard sell, sure because we like to sell our traps, but most importantly because we know we have the best product on the market and know those who try one will be glad they did.   I have caught 23 of 24 beaver in the Comstock 12x18x39 cages this year for a total of 421 to date.  Mike just caught 6 beaver and payed for the trap already, so he ordered a second.  Quote of the day from Mike, "If I had a bunch of these traps, beaver would go extinct in Louisiana."  Mike is using hog panel sections at an angle to drift fence the beaver into his traps traps.  He says the Comstock traps work better than the conibears and we agree.

Fox and Gray Squirrels in Comstock traps.

Tim in Ohio sent us this great picture of a super day on squirrels, fox squirrels and gray squirrels.  Tim has used Comstock traps of all kinds for four years, since the beginning, everything from squirrel traps to beaver traps.  Before the advent of the squirrel traps, Tim used only the 9x11 double door woodchuck / skunk traps for baited for squirrels.  He now uses both the swing panel squirrel traps, 5x5x24 and the 9x11x18.  Tim really likes the large traps for fox squirrels since they are a bit larger than gray squirrels.

Choosing the Best Cage Trap, Revisted

Because our first business is and has always been Animal Damage Control, we not only produce the best cage traps available, we use them every day, almost exclusively.  Better than mere testing, we are in the field making a living with the same traps we sell.  Others produce traps, we use them.

The term best is subjective, so we like to quantify.  In drawing comparisons, our traps have undergone a metamorphosis, evolving from first using Conibear type trigger systems derived from the Conibear trap to invention an entirely new trap with unequalled stability, yet sensitive simplistic trigger system used in all of our cage traps in one form or another.

There are many subtleties that at a glance you could miss, lots to look at and understand when making comparisons.  In comparing, we spot weld the cage wire onto the door frames, no clips.  Where others use wads of small clips that can and do come off, we use heavy 12 gage clips and equally heavy wide metal banding.  Our cage wire for the beaver traps is a stout 12 gage, not 14 gage.   Some manufacturers powder coat cage frames, while we powder coat the entire trap, wire and all.  The large wide mouthed 12x18 beaver trap has no comparison.  No one else makes them.  Ours can be set in any position.  The 12x12 beaver trap is priced better than any competition, $20-$45 less!  Trigger pressure can be varied, unique to Comstock Cage Traps.  Even trigger travel can be selected at the time of manufacture.  Our traps have no hair trigger, no matter how the post an U bar are oriented.  The door system is free floating, which means even when sticks are in between the door and frame the doors lock as they should.  An added bonus is that all parts are internal, nothing to hang up on other gear in transit or catch on brush etc.  Since we use the traps ourselves we have taken the time to go part by part, feature by feature and line by line to compare and solve the pitfalls of cage trapping.  

New Option in Flush Mount Traps for all 9x11 Comstock Cages, http://comstockcustomcage.com

We have offered flush mount cages for several years to allow the 9x11 double door cages to be placed up against structure or at den sites.  Flush mount systems mean that cages can be set touching a wall with room for door clearance.  "External" doors on the original traps become "internal" doors on flush mount traps.    

The newest flush mount accessory provides the option to turn an original 9x11 trap into a flush mount quickly and easily to form a rock solid bond between the flush mount extension unit to the cage.  What this means is that it is not necessary to buy a new trap or fabricate a flush mount portion on site,  but anyone can now turn any of their existing 9x11 traps, single or double door traps, into flush mount units.

Pictured above is the flush mount extension unit with an original 9x11 Comstock Cage

This is the new flush mount extension unit that can be clipped onto an original cage to change it into a flush mount unit.  The reason we now offer this option was because I needed a flush mount trap for a raccoon job in my ADC business the other day and did not have one.  A short time later we had a flush mount unit and then a flush mount trap, making the job very easy.  We thought if we found a use for a flush mount unit, others might too.

These photo show the flush mount extension clipped into place.  It takes only a couple of small light clips on each flap to produce a solid "weld like" bond between trap and flush mount extender.

If for any reason you have a need to return to a non flush mount original trap, simply remove the clips and the unit.  Also, if you have a flush mount and decide you would like a double flush mount trap, you can add the additional flush mount unit.

http://comstockcustom.com Followup on Raccoon Family

As expected, the roofers called and said mama raccoon was in the positive set 6x11x36 Comstock Cage placed the day before, without worry from escape from the "escape proof Comstock Traps."   No injury to captured animal and no damage to the rugged trap.    

The raccoon babies, 3 of them, were huddled in the insulation as usual, with eyes opened, but moving in slow motion.

The 3 baby coon were placed in a swing panel trap initially.

Mom and babies were reunited shortly after.

Raccoons in the Attic and a Positive Set

All but two of the screws at the top of the vent fell out of the vent unit, providing easy access to a female raccoon looking for a place to raise a family.  Amazing how she found it on top of the garage.  

We removed the vent and went to work on a positive set, blocking the opening, except for a section at the bottom, soon to be occupied by a double door cage trap.  This Comstock double door trap had a smaller opening, only 6x11, a third smaller than the standard 9x11.  The cage to be used is a 6x11x36.  An ADC trapper named Gerrod Walker had us custom make him a bunch of them for coon and loves them.  Though they look small, in a positive set, coon do not hesitate to go through them.  A coon can easily fit into a 5 inch, hole, why not a 6x11 opening?

Two pieces of wire were all that were needed to cover the opening around the trap.  Note the "foot" unit clipped onto the end of the cage trap at the bottom to hold it solid and level.  We used a couple of clips to hold the cage to the wire covering the opening also.

This is an overview.   You will notice in all the pictures that my hair color is "beginning" to fail.  LOLs 

Live Trapping Raccoon with Comstock Humane Live Cage Traps (+playlist)

Coon calls here are rare after the rabies hit some years ago, but once in while we do get them.  This raccoon was taken in a positive set.  A flush mount trap was placed over the opening with wire covering the remaining space.  This was a textbook scenario for the flush mount trap.  However, since I did not have a flush mount trap on hand I was able to make "flush mount extension" 6 inches long to clip onto the existing cage.  What this extender means is that any trap 9x11 trap, single or double door, can be made into a flush mount trap in seconds when the need arrises and yet it is not permanent.  It's all about options and ease in adapting to situations.



These baitless den sets made with double door traps are the most effective, maintenance free sets that can be made for raccoons, woodchucks, armadillos, skunks, squirrels and more.

Cage Trapping Muskrats with Comstock Cages (+playlist)

In this video you will see how the Comstock swing panel squirrel/chipmunk traps double as a muskrat trap.  Two 6x6x24 cages traps were simply set in the run at the den site, side by side.  First night produced a muskrat in each trap.  It took only 1 minute 12 seconds to check, remove the muskrats and reset the traps.  Due to the effectiveness of all of the Comstock cages, we use them almost exclusively in our ADC business for skunks, chucks, squirrels, raccoon, opossum, beaver, muskrats and more.  Baitless trapping is the cornerstone of countless time and money saving success stories.  With no traps like them, these unique humane live traps have no equal.  They are the most advanced traps you will use.

Another side by side catch, a beaver and a muskrat

One of the great features of setting these swim through cages is that when set side by side they are great for multiple catches of all kinds.  Each trap works independently of the next trap, neither interfering with the other when fired.