Another Testimonial Today

"hi. I am very sorry i did not get back to you, but a little update, The cages are doing great, have caught beaver ,fox, rabbits, raccoons and some porcupines (in the beaver cage)  so everything is great.  i will try to come down and say hi on our trip this summer."

Andre  from Quebec, Canada

"In his own words"

"Thanks so much Judy. Till I found out about these traps I was stuck with the single door traps and using the big ones for castor mound sets and they worked but not how I like them plus I love to make run sets and that was not working out good with the other traps. These traps have opened up a whole new trapping experience. When they took our coni's and footholds away in 1997 it took part of me with it. Thanks for giving me back part of my passion!!!"

              Gary 

 Massachusetts

Heavy Duty Swim Through 12x18x39 Beaver Cage Trap

Photo of the "Indestructible" "Escape Proof" Comstock Beaver Trap.

Shown is the openness of the rugged heavy duty swim through beaver live cage trap.  With nothing but thin wires between the beaver and their destination, beaver don't hesitate to enter the open chamber or swim through the trap.  While other brands of cage traps have wire to wire light banding and or very light 16 gage ring clips, Comstock Cages are clipped with heavy metal bands shown.  Instead of mere light banding on seams, wire to wire, a 3/16 inch rod with the heavy metal bands assures that no beaver or otter will ever damage the cage.  Additionally, door wires are actually spot welded onto the door frames in an unbeatable display of strength and durability.  Where bands can not be used or welding in not in place, the time is taken to apply 12 gage round clips by hand.

These cages are now completely powder coated.

Trigger Pressure Adjustability on Swing Panel Squirrel Traps

Trigger pressure on all of the Comstock traps can be regulated.  Not only can trigger pressure be varied on the 9x11, 12x12 and 12x18 heavy duty beaver trap, variability is even possible with the newest swing panel squirrel type traps.  Each of the cage traps is designed to have light trigger pressure for most common uses, squirrels and chipmunks, but additional pressured can be added to the swing panel squirrel type traps, from the smallest 3x5 up to the largest 8x10 trap for rabbits.

Additional spring pressure will make the trap a bit stiffer, requiring more pressure to fire.  Springs can be stretched for more tension and hooked lower on the door and conversely can be relaxed for lighter pressure.  The simplicity in these traps allows for additional springs to added to increase pressure.  The larger traps already have 2 springs, while the smaller traps have 1.

Since the contact point on these traps is two galvanized rods, even a piece of tape on one element could have a similar effect.

"Escape Proof" Rugged Cage Traps

When we first set out to tackle the huge undertaking in designing a wire triggered, humane, live cage trap with powered doors, not to be overlooked was a desire to build a trap that would be solid, rugged enough to take what animals can dish out when captured.  The trap would have to be strong, configured in such a way so that escape was a virtual impossibility, even for beaver, otter, armadillo, woodchuck and raccoon.  Because the new design was so different, a major improvement over standard cage traps, other accomplishments were sometimes overshadowed.  When the dust had settled, we knew that not only had we put together the most effective trigger system ever developed that in turn would make the traps the most versatile in the world, we also beat the issues the plagued many of the other cage traps, escape and trap damage.

Because the trigger, function and versatility was the initial driving force behind the development of these innovative cage traps and what sets them apart from all the others, we sometimes neglect the accomplishments in durability.  These traps are essentially "escape proof."  When the door closes, "What goes in stays in."  Having some issues in the early going with coon four years ago when using 1x1 mesh door wire, it has been years since we switched to 1/2x1 door wire.  The change over has translated into no escapes of any animals in the past couple of years in any of the traps we make, a remarkable accomplishment in and of itself.  Wire, doors and frames are tougher than coon, armadillos or woodchucks can dish out.  Not only will the catch be there waiting for you when you get there, whether you get there in an hour or at the end of the day, it's also reassuring to know that the trap will also be intact and likely will require no repairs other than standard trigger wire straightening or occasional trigger wire replacement.

Coon in Chimneys

For coon in chimneys we do make an adapter that clamps onto the 9x11x30 or 36 double door traps.  The adapter goes into the chimney while the trap remains above the chimney.   This adapter is for smaller chimneys, but not necessary for larger chimneys.  If the chimney is large, a 9x11 trap can simply be slid into the chimney with a rod wired through the trap to keep it from dropping.

Again, for larger chimneys, no special equipment is necessary as the 9x11x30 or 36 double door traps will work in a chimney as is.  The adapter will work in smaller chimneys.  In each case you still have a trap that will work for chucks, skunks etc. while saving money on an expensive singular-purpose chimney trap.

Spring Break Up, Beaver

It's that time of year, beginning to break up, even though we have not had much for warm weather.  With longer days, short nights, unless the temps remain really cold, break up begins.  On pond colonies, beaver will often break out up stream where the ice is thinning, looking for some fresh eats after the winter cache has soured from spending a winter under the ice.  If you find a break out, it's a good bet a beaver will return to feed again, a great place to put in a blind set.  Unless the area is a large open area, only one beaver will visit a break-out.  After you make a catch, it's a good idea to look for others.

Ice is a great dead-man, which keep the beaver swimming on the bottom in channels since they are unable to swim on top.  There is no better narrowing agent than ice.

A few fresh poplar twigs are a great bait, especially if they don't have any that is readily accessible.  Beaver have a great nose and are able to smell fresh poplar sprigs from quite a distance.  Late March, early April is a super time to look for beaver.  

Another Competitor's Cage Failurre

Above is another example of a very typical not so heavy duty cage trap, the type of trap that has been around for years with few significant changes or improvements.  The lock bar is light duty, allowing the equally light duty door to twist and the coon to escape.  In the morning the coon was gone.  Coon are very strong, smart and incredibly persistent.  Traps with this type of door configurations are problematic and were the reason we built our Comstock Cages with 1/4 inch diameter rods in all components, frames, doors and lock bars.  With triangulation combined with stout material, the Comstock traps are essentially "escape proof."

Remember, though you may hold some of the small or weak, if  you are going to lose one, it will be the big one!  

Flush Mount Squirrel Traps

Not only do the newest double door, swing panel traps catch critters coming or going from either direction, because of internal doors they will easily flush mount against a vertical opening.  Just yesterday I had a squirrel job where the squirrels had chewed the weather stripping under a door.  It took little more than seconds to set up.  I just set the traps and placed them on the floor up against the door over the opening, done!  With recessed doors, there was no blocking, no fabricating and no accessories needed.  As quick as the traps were set on the floor, the job was complete, nothing simpler.  Today a pair of squirrels were waiting to be picked up. 

Any vertical opening like this is a gimme with any of the flush mount swing panel traps.

 

Testimonial Otter Trap User

We just got a call from a older fellow from the midwest.  He was 84 and his wife 75.  Otter were destroying their pond raised fish.  Though they had used body gripping traps to catch one otter previously, the body grippers were difficult to set and of course potentially dangerous, especially for someone of that age.  There were a couple of ponds with a connecting channel between them, just the  right size for the 12x18x39 beaver / otter cage.  Calling to say how happy they were with the results, the first night they caught a 44 inch otter.  They reset the trap and caught a second 44 inch otter the very next night.  These traps are so simple and easy to use we say, "just add water."

In between sized Beaver Traps, 12x15x33

Last fall I made several 12x15x33 inch beaver cage traps to see how small I could push it and still catch in a trap with a large appearance.  The height was the standard 12, while the width was in between the 12x12 and the 12x18 at 12x15.  In an attempt to go as short as possible, the length was only 33, probably about as short as you could go simply because beaver are large, with a 50 pound beaver measuring about 32 inches head to the base of the tail.

It was a tough winter and not worth the fight, below zero many nights, lots of ice and a fair amount of snow.  I didn't set any beaver traps for the past couple of months, but break up is beginning.  Finally I got a chance to experiment with the new traps and went two for two, not a surprise, a large beaver just under 40 pounds and a small one.  This trap is only 71% as large when comparing the volume of this trap to the 12x18x39, while it has an opening 83.3% as large as the bigger trap.  The new trap weighs only 17.5 pounds.

Skunk Followup

Several days ago we posted info on a skunk problem.  We set four 9x11x18 double door traps with nose cone /skunk covers.  The first night we did 3 for 4 and posted a video.  Second nigh was 2 more, while the third nigh produced 1.  Thinking we might be getting done, but not wanting to chance by pulling the traps, we left them in last night.  Surprise, 3 for 4 again!  In four nights we have taken 9 skunks, not unusual.  We explain to people that 5 to 9 is common, but there can be more.  Again, all taken without bait!

Squirrels Caught in Positive sets with Comstock Nose Cones and Swing Panel Traps

Squirrels recently chewed 2 large holes in the siding, building a new home and were working on three more when we got the call.  It's nesting time, so squirrels often move into attics and walls to have their young.  Comstock nose cones were used with Comstock double door, swing panel trigger traps, without bait in positive sets.  The pair of squirrels was taken in hours overnight.  This method takes squirrels coming and going from either direction and does not rely upon attractants.  All the squirrels have to do is move.  The top picture shows a close up of the squirrel on the right of the bottom picture, while the second picture shows a close up of the squirrel of the squirrel at the left of the bottom photo.  The set at top left employed two traps, while one trap was set lower right.  This method of baitless trapping is used with both skunks and woodchucks on the ground and can be used for other animals as well.

Followup to followup

At some locations it seems there is no end to skunks.  How nice it is to do nothing more than place the trap, no bait, no re-bait, no maintenance, nothing to do but pick up skunks one after the other.

After taking 9 at the location I hoped it might be over, but the call came in yesterday that #10 was waiting for us.  A busy day, we got there just after dark.  Not a big surprise, #11 was nestled in comfortably next to #10.

At least the client was told that taking 5 to 9 was not unusual, while more was possible.

Testimonial

I just received a call from Kenner, Louisiana minutes ago.   A trapper called to say how happy he was about catching his first beaver on a first try at a culvert in the 12x18x39 Comstock beaver trap, something we hear all the time.  Though he fell in, got soaked and was quite cold he said, "I am very happy."  He said the location was a "hard catch" as he put it, no easy way to set it and a conibear would not have worked at all.  He opened up the culvert and placed the trap last night.  The beaver was there this morning.  Thousands of beaver have been taken in these traps in the past 3 years, but it's not just the numbers that count, it's all in how it was done and the circumstances.  What's important to realize is that these traps are the most versatile beaver traps ever made, bar none, offering a wider range of setting techniques than the others.  There are no traps better suited to take beaver than the Comstock Beaver Cage Traps.

Why we don't use or sell light duty traps

Jim Horton posted this picture of a raccoon disaster.  It shows the reason why not to buy cheap mail order or hardware store cage traps.  The client set this trap for a raccoon that had gotten into his house.  As you can see he caught the coon, but only held it for a short time.  The coon simply ripped the door right off the frame.  These cheap traps are made with "clipped on doors."  There is a light duty clip holding wire to wire clip at the door hinge point, that will work for light duty animals at times, but not raccoons.

We made the Comstock traps "bullet proof," overkill, with 1/4 inch door frame rods wrapped around 1/4 inch cage frame rods, impossible to break or come apart.  The Comstock traps are essentially escape proof.



  

Pictures of Skunks in positive and trail sets today, without bait.

The pictures show 3 of 4 double door 9x11x18 Comstock Cage Traps set for skunks during the late winter breeding season, each one of them with a skunk.  Skunks were living under the house and had sprayed.  Two traps were set side by side in baitless positive sets where the skunks were going under the house.  There is a "dirty" path in the snow where the male skunks were traveling in and out of the den site.  A second small building, perhaps 50 yards away, also had an area the skunks were frequenting with a beaten down path between the two dens.  Two more traps were set in between the two den sites, again no bait was used.

First check of the 4 traps yielded the 3 skunks, which is very common.  The reason for multiple sets is because many times there are 5 to 9 or more skunks at a location.  Multiple traps just makes the job go faster.  Because the urge to mate is so strong, skunks don't usually wise up to the traps, but keep coming until they are all captured.  Skunks don't always respond to bait well, but using a combination of positive and trail sets will usually take them all quickly.

Positive Sets for Raccoon in Winter

Tim in Ohio doesn't let the rough weather slow him down in his Nuisance Wildlife Control Business.  He uses positive sets in all sorts of creative ways.  Note the cage in the middle photo.  It is attached vertically while using a nose cone, usually used on the ground, to direct the raccoon into the trap on the side of the house.  Also pictured is a raccoon on a roof, again a positive, baitless set with a panless trap that can be used in any position.  "There's no wrong way to set a Comstock Cage."

Tim has been using the Comstock line of traps since the first day they were made available, nearly four years ago.  He owns just about every style and type of  Comstock Cages made, including raccoon, woodchuck, skunk, squirrel and  beaver traps, single and double door, multipurpose, nose cones etc.  Actually Tim may own more of these than anyone else in the country,  perhaps 70, maybe more?