The New Year-New Products-New Website

We are working on a shiny new website, a big plus for both administrator and user in the coming year.  Lots of work yet, this should offer many advantages with more opportunity to add features in the future.  Less limited, the new store will allow for direct ordering from mobil devices.  Electronics change rapidly.  Its hard to keep up, but we are staying with it.

Tomahawk has several new items from Comstock Custom Cage they are looking to add to the line up over the winter, hopefully ready for spring, including the lightweight, small chimney traps we have been making here.  With some great people working to produce the Comstock line and the new 6,000 square foot addition to the factory, it's only getting better.  The power coating has been great.  

Additionally, we have new gear we are making in our small shop in New York.  The two bobcat traps have seen improvements over the past months.  Our Bi-fold door traps, for instance, now have a door made with rods, incorporating a slot for a catch pole.  These traps nest inside each other in sets of three in both single and double door models, the double door models yet another first.

Still working on new and or improved, as time permits, we hope to be able to introduce more traps and accessories to make life easier for nuisance control wildlife.

Off to set another beaver location later today, we now have caged beaver number 700 in our sights after taking more beaver in the last few weeks than expected.

Merry Christmas  

Canadian Certification for the Comstock 12x18x39 Beaver/Otter Cage Trap

We are very proud to announce that this week marks the positive conclusion for the certification process of the Comstock Beaver Trap.  The traps were tested this fall for a period of weeks to see if they could meet the requirements of the Canadian Fur Institute.  Though we were confident that they would pass, its always a relief to get the paperwork that indicates the traps were the certified.  What this means is that the traps are now legal for use, not only in Canada, but also in Europe and Russia.

Custom Orders

We do get calls for specialty traps, like the large double door 15x24x36 Angled Powered Ring Lock Traps we just built for fox last week to be used for bobcat and fox a hunt club.   This week we are working on 10x12x40 inch beaver traps, which might make some wonder why, since we already make a 12x12.  Due to regulations, the smaller traps may be better suited for the situation as in how the traps relate to the regs, so we are more than happy to accommodate.  We used 12 gage 1x1 to make a really beefy unit.  Short doors are very powerful and snappy.

Next up we are going to make some nesting sets of bi-fold door traps that come in three sizes for bobcat, fox, etc.  At this point they are not standard production, but may end up as such, as this unique set up offers more possibilities than the guillotine door counterparts.  The bi-fold can be covered, flush mounted and has the advantage of having no parts protrude above or outside of the cage box itself to catch or hang up on brush.

Of course the Powered Ring Lock traps for bobcats and fox can be made in just about any size required.  

Great Finish to ADC Year 2015 for Beaver

In the past 13 days we caught 35 beaver, mostly in a night or two, while trapping a few hours a day.  One job produced 9 in two nights. I was lucky enough to find 3 different locations with super cut offs on stream colonies that so far were responsible for 10 of he catches and cleaning the locations.   In the last location, some 3 weeks plus into the regular fur season after someone had been trapping there presumably for most or all of the season, we picked up three large beaver first night, including a beaver missing a toe with estimated weight of 55 pounds.  The scale said 54.5, close enough.  All of the beaver were taken in cages as is usually the case, placing the season average at 93.7% caged beaver.  The first 43 of 44 were all caged  this year and the last 39 of 40 were caged.

The cages were used in a variety of ways, cut off channels, castor sets, a culvert, dam breaks, bottom edge, front doors etc., set shallow and set deep, with almost limitless ways to set them.

If anyone has questions about how we do they are encouraged to give us a call.  And, for those who want to share experiences, we are all ears.

In the coming weeks we hope to announce the creation of a new website to make it easier for those looking to see what we have and what we are doing.  

Colorado 1982, Article Coming in Trapper's World on Johnny Thorpe

This is a photo taken by Judy in the mountains near Woodland Park above Colorado Springs, October  1982.  I am on the right, Johnny Thorpe at center.  I became involved in trapping nearly 50 years after meeting Johnny in Lake Vanare, N.Y.   Johnny died on October 27, 2015 at his home in Stony Creek.  As a staff writer for Trapper's World, Johnny will be remembered in the next issue.  I have contributed an article for the magazine, highlighting some of John's accomplishments, while providing a few details of times I spent on the beaver line with Johnny in Virginia in the 70's.

No Tail Beaver

A friend who uses the Comstock Beaver Cage Trap to take beaver that flood his hunting property regularly uses but one trap in a dam break set to control the beaver.  Last year he took 9 with one trap, one location, one set.  The beaver kept coming and he kept setting the trap until they were gone.

At times beaver can put mud in a cage without firing it, which isn't a problem since the beaver does not get wised up having not sprung the trap.  This year, for the first time, not only did the beaver plug it, but did it several times.  We spoke about moving the trap upstream in the channel if the dam break did not produce on one last try.  He called yesterday and to say that he had him.

Strange, the 30 pound plus beaver had absolutely no tail at all, which I think is the first time I ever saw that.  A birth defect or damage done when the beaver was young it hard to tell, but it did almost look congenital, very odd.

We sell all Tomahawk products and use a number of them, including the Bailey Live Beaver Cage Trap

When beaver either get educated by springing a trap that I have set or we inherit one from another trapper, a smart beaver can be maddening to remove.  Once they know they are the target, they are on guard, watching every change, looking for traps and then firing them.

The Bailey Trap is large, but can be camouflaged completely in the right situations, offering a very good shot at taking that last problem beaver.  Its a fine line we walk, trying to catch that hold out beaver without pressuring him to the extent that he leaves the pond.  The goal is to keep him there fighting with you.  You can make multiple "mistakes,"  while the beaver has only to make one.

I have found the Bailey to be a great asset in taking the only beaver in a colony that counts, the last one.  With our Swim Through Comstock Beaver Cage Traps we take most of our beaver, but being visible like conibear traps or snares, smart beaver will often avoid those devices.  Like a foot hold trap, the Bailey can be sunk into the mud, then draped with Lilly pads and pond weeds, rendering it invisible.  Since beaver do not like swimming under or through obstacles once they have been alerted to trapping, the Bailey fits the bill, because the beaver simply swims over the trap in his normal routine. With the small trigger under water, the beaver breasts the mechanism, which fires both jaws that lock securely.

Yesterday I ended a battle with a large male beaver in a remote pond many miles from home that had begun several years earlier, a long story.  The Bailey requires some focus, as attention must be payed to how it is set, but set properly it can solve some aggravating problems with wised up beaver.  Not as experienced with the Bailey, I once did not check the safety catches that were hidden in deep black muck.  Because one safety was not kept clear, when the beaver fired the trap the safety caught the cage wire, my mistake.  Live and learn, I will not repeat that error.  If the jaw retainers are set near the edge and the cables clear, the trap should do the job.

Having seen the other clam shell type live traps, before I had ever seen the Bailey, I thought, "wouldn't it be nice if there was a trap that would lay on the bottom in shallow water with both jaws firing together, coming up to meet in the middle, triggered by a beaver simply swimming over it."  That is the Bailey.  

Best Trap Selection in Wire Trigger Traps and Accessories in our Patented Designs

Having come up through the ranks in Animal Damage Control trapping for beaver, skunks, woodchucks, raccoons, opossum, squirrels etc., we not only produce and sell traps, but actually use them daily in our business.  In looking over what we now make, we would like to point out that there are no less than 80 products to choose from in our panless traps, which include, single door traps with solid backs, single door traps with hinged bait doors, single door traps with release slider doors, double door traps, double door flush mount traps, in a variety of lengths and openings, wire gages and mesh, nothing left out, your choice.

Having led the way in wire trigger traps, we were the first to offer shorter, smaller traps for those who require them, while still providing the larger traps if desired, something for everyone, more options.

We have the best selling most widely used swim through beaver cage trap in the world in the 12x18x39 model and also a 12x12x36.  Better yet, when price shopping, when comparing to other traps of this type, we also the best prices with guaranteed quality, offering wider traps no one else is able to produce.  Additionally, we have even made wider traps yet, 22 and 24 inches wide along with in between sized 15 inch wide traps.

We were first and only trap maker to develop a drop in chimney trap with wire trigger, small, compact, practical.

We now offer tall bobcat traps, custom made in 36 inch lengths, but can be made both shorter and longer to order in 9 to 15 inch widths and 18 to 24 inch heights in a variety of wire mesh, which means the combinations are all but limitless, again much better priced than similar traps.  In short, we have it covered in both wide and tall traps as well as smaller rodent sized traps.

Our unique squirrel traps with the swing panel, along with a number of accessories, rounds out the product line.  Good for squirrels, chipmunks, rats and baby animals of all kinds, along with the 3x5, 5x5 and 6x6 we have larger 6x8, 7x7, 8x10 models.

We are happy to take on special projects as time permits to accommodate needs in odd sized traps too.

 

With New Traps Comes Opportunity for New Sets, The Dam Break Set used with Swim Through Comstock Beaver Cage Traps is one of them.

We have been successfully using the dam break set with the large 12x18x39 Comstock Swim Through Beaver Cage Traps for a couple of years now.   Until the advent of this versatile cage trap, a set like this wasn't even a dream.

Trappers have relied on Conibear type body gripping traps to take beaver for years, but using them in a breached dam usually spelled disaster.  Often the result was a wised up beaver and a sprung trap.  If not sprung, the traps would quite often end up buried in a foot or two of mud, grass, leaves etc., often the only hint of set showing were the tops of the stabilizing stakes.    

The swim through cage trap with powered doors, set upside down and concealed in the dam, in the water on the top side of the dam offers an excellent opportunity to take beaver while using a small leak as the attractant.  We have been promoting this set for some time, but always setting one at a time.  However, with only one channel to set, the other day I decided to place two dam break sets, one on each corner of a narrow 15 foot wide dam.  The result was a double!  Both adults were taken together.

What I did find unusual was the fact the first trap was out of place and under water, something that I had not encountered in the past.  The trap with beaver in it had been moved 3 or 4 feet.  It is difficult to know if the captured beaver had reached out, causing the trap to move of if the other beaver had moved the trap after the first was captured.  Beaver number one was submerged, while the other beaver was alive.  The second trap had moved only slightly.  A trail camera would have solved the mystery.  Bottom line, both sets worked together.      

Pictures of the New, Panless, Powered Door Comstock Live Bobcat /Fox Cage Traps with the Patented Wire Trigger System

These Bobcat cage traps are now being produced in New York to order, custom made to height and width.  Most of the traps we are making are 36 inches in length in both single and double door models.  The traps are generally from 9 to 12 inches wide and from 18 to 24 inches high, but we have also made wider traps.  If a longer trap is required, we can accommodate.  Generally we use 1-1/2 square 12 gage mesh, but also have 1 inch square mesh in both 14 and 12 gage.  We even have 1/2x1 12 and 14 gage mesh that is most often used on smaller traps, lots of options.  The traps pictured are 10.5, 12 and 16.5 wide, while the height varies from 19.5 to 24 high.  The widest trap is 39 inches long.

At the N.Y.S. Trappers Convention we introduced our powered ring door traps and were pleased to see that though there were other live bobcat cage traps available, guillotine door, single door models, trappers often chose our door design, also appreciating the double door option as well as the very light but stable patented wire trigger system.

We believe that a powered ring door system has a number of advantages over a guillotine door trap.  First the g door traps stick way up in the air, are more difficult to conceal and drop straight down, sometimes hitting animals in the back, which can result in backing out.   The sweeping action of the lock ring door trap, with power, will help push an animal forward, like all of our other traps.  G door traps, even those with power assist, do not have continuous power closing them throughout the cycle.  A door can be easily lifted by an escaping animal.  The time tested, reliable, ring door locking element means that there is no return to a dropping door.  It is one way only, down.  Even if the rings drop but an inch or two, the door can not be pushed upward.  The rings have to move very little to keep the door nearly closed, with no return.  Like a constricting snake that closes down on prey as an animal exhales, unlike g door traps that can be pushed upward, the ring door is a one way lock up.   

Anyone interested in ordering should contact us well ahead of time as we make the traps on a small scale in between nuisance wildlife calls for beaver, 'chucks, skunks etc.    

Beaver #600 for us in Comstock Swim Through Double Door Beaver / Otter and Bobcat Traps

I don't often get to set culverts as nice as this one.  This is a 5 footer with about 10 inches of slow moving water in it, with a grate at the other end to keep brush out, but with enough room for a beaver to swim under it.  This was a 2 year old beaver who got the honor of being number 600 caught in our cages in our ADC business.  Randy Volk still is the number one beaver catcher with our cages , for now anyway, having taken more than 600 in just two years, 400 plus the first year and 200 plus the second year.  Beaver #601 was downstream about 30 yards, a yearling

Amazing how well the cage blended into the culvert with only a small amount of brush.  The beaver and cage were all but invisible from the end of the culvert.

Patent Issued on Comstock Cages

We are happy to announce that the long arduous patenting process has finally come to a successful conclusion.  A patent has been issued on our unique power door, wire trigger live cage traps.  It has taken a number of years due to first filing a provisional patent before entering into the patent pending process with customary, yet common rejections requiring many back and forths between Judy and I, attorneys and the patent office.

We have always viewed life as a marathon, rather than a sprint.  Our sights have always been long term, eyes on the finish line, viewing life as a Marathon rather than a sprint.  Being first out of the gate is of little consequence.  Taking our time to get it right by making traps that worked properly from day one, then moving slowing through the patenting process has payed off, the tortoise and the hare.

 As soon as we get caught up on custom orders we will get back to the business of creating new again.  We are hoping to have the chimney trap in production this spring as well as a couple of improvements to other traps.  

Full line of Products and Materials, Options, Custom

We are currently putting bobcat traps together for several trappers to be used this fall, the powered ring door type.  After purchasing a large quantity of 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" heavy gage wire, we are making bobcat cages with openings of 10.5x21, 12x19.5 and a bunch of 12x24, larger than what most make in standard runs.  With that said, we can produce traps of custom sizes like 9x18 or something odd like 16.5x21.  Traps can be made in 1-1/2" increments in both width and height in almost any combination or 1 inch increments if the smaller mesh wire is desired.

I am always interested in materials, stepping away from the norm to build traps others never thought of, like using the 1/2x1, 12 gage wire for instance for many of larger, frameless, swing panel traps.  We have used 2x2 heavy gage wire for both beaver and bobcat traps as well as 1-1/2x1-1/2, finding that work interchangeably.  For a time we were able to acquire some 10 gage 2x2.  Of course we also carry 1x1 mesh in both 14 and 12 gage.  We even have some interesting 3x3, 11gage we have used for beaver traps too.

For custom work, if there is something special required in wire mesh or diameter,  if someone makes it, we can probably get it.  When ordering custom, just buffer the purchase with plenty of time as we are a one man show for the smaller orders and still have the ADC business along with the retail online cage traps.

Besides offering more options in size, configuration and material than other trap makers, we hope to add a chimney trap from manufacture in spring, another option in beaver / otter trapping not offered elsewhere and an improvement to recessed door, flush mount traps to make setting a snap.  As for variety, we have traps in 18, 24, 30 and 36 inch lengths, double door traps and three different single door traps.  They come with solid backs, a bait door or rear release slider door, not only in heavy 14 gage 1/2x1 mesh but also in extra duty 12 gage, options you will find nowhere else.

A lot of trappers still don't know about the inexpensive double door traps we have for squirrels, chipmunks etc. in three sizes, again panless, including the narrow gutter trap.  Additionally, we are working on a host of projects to make life easier and better in our own business and of course all ADC trappers.

Woodchucks in Comstock Swing Panel Live Cage Traps

 Woodchuck in a 7 x 7 x 36 Comstock Swing Panel Double Door Cage

Woodchuck in a 6 x 6 x 26 Comstock Swing Panel Double Door Cage

As is turns out, both by accident and on purpose guys have been catching groundhogs in a variety of the swing panel traps.  Lou, a couple of years ago, caught 10 rabbits, a 'possum and two chucks in an 8x10x36 Comstock Swing Panel Cage Trap.  He had set for rabbits raising hell with the garden and ended up with two incidental 'chucks also.   

Nate set a 6x6x26 squirrel trap for a 'chuck under a shed because that's was what he had.  It worked!  Mark has purposely been using the 7x7x36 Swing Panel Traps for 'chucks and just connected with his first, a nice one.

What this shows is a couple of things.  Groundhogs are tough on traps and though they put a lot of pressure on doors, the 12 gage 1/2 x 1 wire holds up fine, while the 'chucks are not sharp enough to figure out how to lift the door.  We routinely use the 6x8x30 to take the small ones without issue, but it looks like there are more opportunities in swing panel traps for those "bold" enough to try something new for the larger groundhogs in a light weight, solid inexpensive alternative.     

Woodchucks, You Tube Videos (miss the mark)

Quite by accident I ran across 2 videos put out by Universities on Woodchucks, designed to "help" those who have not trapped chucks before.  Each missed the mark by a city block by using baits, even pre-baiting, while the last actually said, "bait the trap, but don't set it right up tight to the den as you don't want to force them into the trap."  Not only did they miss the point, they actually promote the exact opposite of what is optimum.  I guess its one thing not to know what you are doing, but quite another to explain it to the whole world.  Yes, bait will catch a chuck, but den setting is infinitely better.  It's just too bad that so many see these videos and are led down the wrong path.  Again, forget the bait, set the den with a double door trap and nosecone.

Convention--Bobcat Cages

We got back from the convention in Herkimer Saturday night.  It was a good show for us as we sold just about everything we brought and took orders for others.

Trappers are showing more interest in the unique Comstock bobcat / fox cage traps.  We are making bobcat traps to order in our shop in New York, both single and double door in a an angled powered ring door trap with wire trigger that we can build to order in just about any size desired.  They can be made from 9 to 15 inches wide and from 18 to 24 high in any combination.  These are popular dimensions, but we can make them in almost any size within reason, larger or smaller.

We also have a bi-fold door bobcat cage trap that allows for flush mounting and also can be easily covered from rain, ice and snow, freezing and thawing, which is the enemy of any trapping.  Unlike guillotine door traps, the bi-fold is the only trap that lends itself to being covered completely and easily to keep it out of rough weather.  Warm or cold weather with dry conditions like the west are easy to deal with, but regular precipitation of both rain and snow in the north and east, coupled with temperature changes that go above and below freezing almost daily is a real challenge.  Covering a cage will solve most of the issues.   Difficult to make, we will simplify the bi-fold door system as time permits.  

Tripple on 'Coon in a Comstock 12x18x39 Beaver Cage Trap

After using the large swim through Comstock beaver cage trap to catch beaver, Jay from Colorado found another use for the double door trap, 'coon this time.  Jay has taken a number of 'coon in this trap, singles, doubles and even this triple, a first in the beaver trap.

Surprise "Chuck" in a Comstock 6x6x26 Squirrel Cage Trap

As has so often been the case, users of Comstock Cage Traps have been pleasantly surprised to find  that these cage traps will often work in different ways and for animals the traps were never intended to capture.  The trap pictured is a 6x626 panless, swing panel Comstock squirrel cage trap, but the creature confined is a medium sized groundhog.  Owning both large and small Comstock traps for beaver and squirrels, Nate Brock did not have a trap that was designed specifically for woodchucks.  So, Nate just pushed the double door flush mount squirrel trap up against the den opening and gave it a shot.  As you can see, the trap did the job quite well, a first as far as we know of catching a larger woodchuck intentionally in such a small trap.

When we are trapping young groundhogs we often use smaller traps, both 6x8 and 6x6 swing panel traps for the small, baby woodchucks early in the season after taking mom in a larger 9x11x18 Comstock Cage.

Presently there are two ADC trappers about to try both 7x7x36 and 8x10x36 Comstock swing panel traps for chucks.  One local gardener a couple of years ago got some of the 8x10's for rabbits.  He managed to take 10 rabbits, a 'possum and 2 chucks at the time, one medium and one small.  With 12 gage 1/2x1 wire mesh, the durable traps should hold up fine, while it appears that chucks might not be able to figure out how to raise the doors after all.

We're always ready to learn and share.  The beauty in this trap is that it is less than half the price of the other traps.

Looks Like its Time to Pick Up

After 30 days of skunk trapping with no baits or lures that produced 8 skunks, 7 little ones and mom, it was time to pick up, job completed with no non-targets.

Likewise, after 36 days of groundhog trapping it was time to give it a rest.  The last stretch had gone about two weeks before the last catch.  The total was 6 chucks and one opossum.  Four of the chucks were big ones, the last of which the biggest of the bunch taken on the last day, day 36.  Hanging in there proved to be profitable for the trapper and worthwhile for the client, again all taken without using any baits or lures.

New York State Trappers Convention, Herkimer, Labor Day Weekend / Bobcat Traps

Judy and I will be set up in the center of the main building where we have been in past years.   I will be giving a demo on Saturday at 1:00 on Cages and Cage Trapping.

This is the first year that we have taller wire trigger, powered door bobcat/fox traps.  Over the winter we made some single and a number of double door traps in a new angled powered ring door design and also came up with a bi-fold door bobcat trap.  The angled ring door traps can be made to order in both height and width in many combinations to suit.  Though we have made some nesting sets of single and double door bi-fold door traps, we are working on simplification to make them easier to produce.  The bi-fold door design has received a positive response as this is the first cage trap that has neither a door that sticks up high above the body of the trap nor a door that protrudes in front of the trap, making the traps easier both to conceal and also to cover to keep them out of rough weather, snow and or ice.  The powered door means fast closing, while the unique double lock at middle and bottom means your catch will be there when you arrive.  With no pan to clog or freeze down, this trigger will work as well in a few inches of snow as it does on bare ground.

Look forward to seeing everyone at the show.  

More Patience

It's now been 21 days since the skunk location with all the little ones was set.  We picked up one skunk the first night and pulled the traps as we were going out to town.  About 6 days later we dropped the traps back in place, in front of the den and in a pathway.  At present all sets are in pathways, 2 next to the den.  The total is now 8 skunks, the last caught just this morning.  At least we know our "bait" is effective, since we don't use any.  We will continue until the catching ceases to catch whatever is there.

Testimonial on Groundhogs and Comstock Cages

"The traps that I have are seeing a lot of use.  They are performing well and we really do like them.  Let Jim know that I took a lot of his advice to heart, and we are racking-up the groundhogs!"

Scott, Michigan

Of course we offer great traps, but something not found many places today, one on one assistance.  We are more than happy to help at any time with suggestions coming from not only our experiences, but the collective experience of many who use our gear.

Patience, The Key Ingredient for Successful Trapping

Recently I set a couple of traps for woodchucks that had eaten a section of a flower garden.  I set two positive sets, double door 9x11 Comstock Cages in two intermittently used den hole openings under the house.  For 12 days there was no activity, nothing.  Day 13 produced a small chuck, indicating there were likely several more young as litters of 4 are common.  With another non productive stretch, day 19 produced two more, this time a large and a small one.  Day 21 was good for another large chuck.  Again, day 23 was another winner, a slammer big chuck.  Total for 23 days, 5 chucks, 3 big chucks and 2 small.

Chucks and skunks are dispersing, finding new territory.  The young are big enough to move around on their own.  I have been working on a skunk location simultaneously and the total now is 7 small ones.  Skunks can have large litters, 5-9 common, so this should be about the end of the little guys.

All of these 12 animals, as usual, were taken either in den openings or in travel ways near the den, positive and trail sets, without bait or lure.  Better yet, there have been no non-targetted animals captured.  Additionally, the traps required no maintenance.  Once the prime location is set, it's just a function of time until the animals return, patience with the confidence in knowing what you doing is spot on.  

Chipmunk Catch

The other day I went out to the shop and noticed I had caught a chipmunk in a swing panel trap.  Not unusual, except that though the trap had a peanut in it, left over from a job, the trap had been left unset.  With the angled doors closed and bait inside, the chipmunk had forced his way in even with spring tension.  This has happened before to others, but the first time it happened to me.  The door tension can be varied by either size of the spring or where it is fastened to the door, a quick change.  With light tension it is possible that multiple catches could be made as long as there is still some bait present after the first catch is made.

National Trappers Convention / New York Convention

Judy and I just returned from the National Trappers Convention near Buffalo in Hamburg, N.Y.  Even with a light turnout for the show, primarily due to low fur prices, by the evening of the first day we had sold out just about everything, including a dozen beaver traps, the large 12x18x39.  We only returned with a few prototype traps so that we could duplicate them.
 
There was very good interest in the bifold door bobcat trap that folds up against the roof of the trap with no external components.  We have made the bifold in both single and double door models in various sizes, even nesting sets of 3.  The bifold door stays neatly out of the way and does not stick up above the trap like a guillotine door or  hang out in front like a drop door.  With power, like all of the traps we make, it fires, closes and locks at both middle and bottom.

We have also made a Type 2 bobcat trap with angled powered ring doors, using a similar design to produce single and double door traps in 8x8, 10x10, 10x11, and 12x12.

Hope to see everyone in Herkimer at the New York State Convention.

   

Comstock Double Door Swing Panel Cage Traps and Nose Cones for Chipmunks

The versatility of a double door live cage trap can not be matched with single door cage traps.  Chipmunks were digging holes in a garden and lawn, leaving the opportunity to set double door traps along the foundation of the home without using bait or lure, done in seconds, literally.

Like groundhog or skunk trapping at den sites with positive sets using nose cones and double door wire trigger Comstock Cages, the same thing can be done on a smaller scale for chipmunks.  We place wire nose cones over den holes, then slip a 5x5 or 6x6 Comstock Double Door Swing Panel trap into the nose cone, done.  Again, the same concept used in woodchuck trapping, while using a small wire nose cone and double door trap, without bait or lure.

I set 3 unbaited traps the other day, one along the foundation, with two positive sets, three for three the next day!

   

Large Comstock Cages for Coon

Tim in Ohio generally uses 9x11 Comstock double door cage traps for raccoons without issue, but at times chooses a larger Comstock double door trap.  This time Tim used a couple of larger 12x15x33 cages set tall, 15 high and 12 wide, in trail sets in the grass.  Designed for beaver as a smaller alternative to the larger 12x18x39 traps, Tim sometimes uses these larger traps in dumpsters and in trail sets.  Tim has learned to set them with the trigger coming up from the bottom with a door that closes from the side.  It's nice to have traps that work in any manner of set, options.  With the trigger coming up from the bottom, Tim has found that the raccoons do not fight the trigger once the trap is fired, while is makes it all but impossible for a 'coon to pass over the trigger bar without firing the trap.

Sight Hunting / Trapping Groundhogs with Double Door Cage Traps

This sort of sight hunting for chucks integrates hunting with trapping and adds an element of excitement to the experience, while it both speeds and enhances the process.

I know I have mentioned a lot of this before in different posts, but would like to tie it altogether with hows and whys on some important aspects of groundhog trapping with double door cage traps.  Like beaver, along with morning, woodchucks are active in the evening up until dark, making late day a great time to check and set traps, while locating "new" chucks and dens, chucks that can get overlooked.

When checking in the evening its not uncommon to see groundhogs moving and feeding.  You will often see chucks you were not aware  of on large properties  When I spot them running I will jump out of the truck and follow them until they dive into a den, unknown chucks and dens for the most part.  Since evening is the time chucks are feeding before they bed down, if you push them into a den before they have finished, they will be eager to come back out and finish supper before turning in for the night.

Last evening, as hoped, I ran into a chuck crossing a road and followed him until he holed up in a den that I was not aware of.  I a minute I had a double door Comstock 9x11x18 covering the hole.  After checking a couple of traps I returned about 10 minutes later and found him in the trap, as expected.  What it comes down to, if you see a chuck late in the day, he's yours.  Just follow him and set.

I know some will set single door traps at chuck holes.   A single door trap will take only chucks in the den at the time of setting.  Where chucks are often in the den, not always be a long shot.  Transient males will have dens or dive holes scattered everywhere, long distances apart.  A dive hole is a quick safe haven for chucks to hide in when they feel threatened.  If you set single door traps at these locations you will short yourself.  Last night two of these holes that had remained vacant for a couple of days each had nice fat groundhogs.  Of course these woodchucks were caught re-entering the dens rather than exiting, chucks single door traps would simply have missed.

Woodchucks, Territoriality, "Dirty" Double Door Cage Traps

Like beaver that respond to castor scent nearly 100% of the time in an effort to assert themselves with territoriality, while maintaining boundaries with intruding beaver, likewise woodchucks are also territorial.  Woodchucks can be be caught in positive den sets with traps set right in or over the den holes of course, with bait in single door traps and even with "dirty" free standing double door cage traps.

When woodchucks are caught at a den sight, which is the set of choice, and remain in the traps for a few hours, they often leave a lot of excrement in the bottom of the trap, a dirty trap.  Woodchuck feces really stink, quite loud as they say.  The first instinct is to clean the cage, remove all odor.   But, if you leave the smelly cage as is, the cage with natural odors is a ready made set in and of itself.  I usually look for dens or trails, but in the absence of either a smelly trap may do the trick.  Just take the smelly double door cage, level up a spot and plant the trap, done!

The indigenous chucks will often come to investigate the odor to find out who is moving in to their area and simply walk into the cage without bait.  Like a baited trap, nothing special is required for location, just a place where the woodchucks have been frequenting.

George Gardener, a nuisance wildlife trapper here in New York, had turned us on to this method having left smelly, set 18 inch double door traps out over night at his home while he cleaned out his car.  Twice he unintentionally caught woodchucks this way, so why not do it on purpose?

Baitless Trail Set for Coon, Just can't help myself

There are few 'coon in our area due to rabies, but we do get a job now and then.  A few years ago 'coon had infested a warehouse.  I followed the tracks from the warehouse outside in the dusting of snow and set along a fence line.  If 'coon travel a trail once, they will be back.  We caught 2 outside in trail sets.  The 'coon were traveling along the eves also, so I put a couple of 220's in their path and nailed the rest.  Think we got 6 or 8 when it was over, again no bait.

After inspecting a 'coon job yesterday I found raccoons living in the ceiling of a modular home, but again I opted for a trail set outside of the home.  The normal method would have been to use a positive set on the soffit with a double door cage, but since the soffit was missing in many places around the house on all four sides, at least 30 feet of it, there was no narrowed single location to set.

With that, I noticed a well traveled trial in leaves leading from the porch steps through some brush to a small tree that was an access point to the roof.  Like the old days, it was back to "trappin'."  I just placed a trail set with a double door 30 inch 9x11 Comstock Cage and had one today, which was the good news.  But, the homeowner said she saw another large one.    

Touch Up Painting Cages

Comstock Cages now come powder coated completely from the factory, frame and cage wire, beginning more than two years ago.  In time there are wear points that need a touch up no matter what the coating.  Even powder coating can chip.  Custom made cages made in New York are spray painted with Rustoleum.

We began touch up painting with Rustoleum primer, both the red brown and black years ago.  (The red blends in with red brush very well, another story.)  I was later told that primer actually absorbs water.  Primer holds for a while, but not as long as I liked.  We have used the Rustoleum flat black, which was similar to the primer when sprayed.    

You can also use speed dip, the gasoline mixed product, but make sure the traps are dipped on a hot dry day and the traps dry well so as not to be sticky.

Recently I bought some Rustoeum Satin just to try.  Satin is a bit shinier, dries more slowly, but holds up pretty well, I think better than flat or primer.  Animals don't pay any attention to it.  I have not used gloss, not wanting anything that shiny, but that too could be an alternative especially if another coat of any non shiny paint is used afterwards.

I'm often in a hurry and often just spray whatever is handy, but if the metal was clean, primer applied before painting with Satin sprayed on after as recommended, I think it would last quite a while.  The Satin seems to offer a harder finish.

 

Speed Trapping Groundhogs / Woodchucks with Comstock Double Door Cage Traps with Nose Cones

Many of us know that groundhogs are diurnal, daytime feeders, usually out foraging in the cool of the morning and late evening just before dark.  I have often mentioned that if traps are set early or late in the day just before woodchucks emerge, they can be often be taken quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes.  Of course during cool weather stretches woodchucks can be out at any time of the day, but never at night.

When trapping groundhogs, to prevent catching unwanted non-targetted animals, you may simply cover the traps at night.  The reverse is true when trapping nocturnal animals like skunks.  Traps can be covered during the daylight hours to prevent woodchucks from entering.

In hot summer weather groundhogs are often out twice a day, meaning there are two chances to catch them.  If a double door trap with nose cone has captured an animal in the morning after the trap has been set and not checked until the following day, you can lose the opportunity to catch more woodchucks in the evening because the trap is full.  By removing animals quickly and resetting you will have yet another opportunity to catch a second woodchuck at the same location in the same day.

With a mini infestation at a recent location I did just that, set 11 Comstock Live Cage Traps and checked them twice in one day and again the following morning, leaving traps open for catching during each of the 3 prime catch periods.  The first check in the afternoon netted 5 groundhogs, while the second check just after dark produced 3 more.  Traps were left open and working during each of  catch period.  With a late morning check the following day there were 2 more groundhogs, meaning in just over 24 hours 3 catch periods had been utilized to take 10 woodchucks.

Fox killed after three attacks in Queensbury

Fox killed after three attacks in Queensbury

Rats, Great success story with Comstock Double Door Squirrel Cage Traps

Rats can be tough to catch as they are often quite skittish with the introduction of anything new or different to their environment.  Some Animal Damage Control Operators will pre-bait traps to acclimate rats to the sudden appearance of something foreign. like traps.  Where mice may be curious, rats can be intimidated by change and may require some time to accept the traps.  A pre-baited trap, left unset, will allow rats to lose their fear while feeding for several days, growing accustomed to the traps before they are set.

In this case George Gardner of Columbia County, N.Y. received a call about rats living in a house not far from his home.  George began with normal pre-baiting procedures with several of the Comstock 5x5x24, Double Door, Panless, Squirrel Traps.  He received a call the following day, informed that the bait was gone.  Realizing that these rats were hungry, without any fear of the traps, George re-baited the 4 traps and set them up.  Within a few days he had removed 13 rats, including catching doubles a couple of times, but you don't always know if you have caught them all.

It's usually not difficult to catch a rat or two at a location, but can be a challenge to take them all.  The  occupants of the house has since have not heard of seen any sign of rat activity, which means that with the Comstock Squirrel traps and black sunflower seeds, which rodents love, the problem was completely remedied.    

Fox pup in Comstock Cage Traps, Positive Sets

Dale, from New York, shared his success with this picture.  He live trapped 4 red fox pups at the den in positive sets with Comstock 18 and 24 inch 9x11 double door cage traps.  

Land Set with Comstock Beaver Live Cage Trap

Below are pics of a beaver caught in the 12x18x39 Comstock Beaver cage Trap taken in a land set in Colorado by Jay.  Of the 550 beaver I have taken in these cages, only 1 was caught right side up in a land type set in about an inch of water at the end of a culvert.  Everyone has a different situation and a different way of problem solving.  It's great to see something new and how versatile this trap is.  Since others have set this trap on its side when set in land in trails, we thought that's the way this would go too.  Love to hear success stories and thankful for the pics so that we all can learn form the experiences of others.  Looks like a pretty big beaver.    

Raccoon in Comstock single door 9x11x30 live cage trap used with Comstock chimney adapter

Above is a raccoon in a Comstock single door 9x11x30 inch live cage trap with Comstock chimney adapter for raccoons.  Unlike other brands of chimney traps that "balance" on top of the chimney, this trap with adapter slides 18 inches into the chimney for much greater stability.  In this way it functions like the Comstock 29 inch raccoon chimney trap from the last post that slides all the way into a chimney out of view.  

Because this universal adapter works with 9x11 Comstock Cages, it can easily clipped onto a Comstock 30 or 36 single or double door cage to be used like the above photo that Matt Chittwood of Tennessee shared.  

There are now two options in Comstock Cages for trapping raccoons in chimneys, one as pictured above with the adapter and Comstock Cage or two, the Comstock Chimney trap that slips into a chimney out of view. 

This chimney cage adapter allows for Comstock 9x11 cages to be transformed into a raccoon chimney trap in little more than seconds for far less cost than other raccoon chimney traps that have but one use, while at the same time giving a trapper the advantage of being able to simply remove the adapter and return the cage to "regular duty" on the ground for skunks, woodchucks, armadillos etc.

  The advantage of the single purpose chimney trap is that it slides down the chimney out of sight and is only 29 inches long, very light in weight.      

Double Door Comstock Cage with Comstock Chimney
adapter in the upright position. 

Above is a Comstock Cage with chimney adapter
attached.  Looking "down the barrel."

Comstock Chimney Adapter

Another Catch in a Comstock Raccoon Chimney Trap

Bryan in Virginia needed a couple of raccoon chimney traps ASAP.  As luck would have it, we happened to have 2 on hand, which shipped right out.  The top photo shows the coon looking up through the 29 inch 5x9 Comstock trap from inside the chimney.  Bottom picture tells the story, Caught!  Light weight, compact, stable and priced less than others, these traps have been working very well.

Drift Fencing Grubbing Skunks

Drift fencing, as pictured, is common for armadillos, incredibly effective and efficient, so why not use the same method for other critters like grubbing skunks?  When skunks dig for high protein grubs it's sometimes difficult to entice them with baits, about like putting a hotdog next to a guy eating filet mignon.  Though many yards are fenced, leaving dig-outs and a great places for double door cage traps as animals crawl under fences, some yards are wide open.  Skunks often live under porches or out buildings etc., again providing super den or positive sets with double door cage traps to take skunks coming or going, but again, these sets are not always available.  In the absence of trail or den sets with grubbing skunks, drift fencing will limit the skunks access to prime "hunting" areas while funneling skunks into waiting double door traps.  In this case, with a large open yard, the fence was placed over the center of the property with funneled traps at each end and a little bait just as an added plus.  The first two nights without the fence did not take the single skunk doing the damage, a lot of damage.  First night with the fence, bingo.

Bull Snake Picture-Caught in Comstock 5x5x24 Squirrel Trap

This was the snake, about a 4 foot bull snake, mentioned in an earlier post.  He got stuck in the cage wire after crawling into the 5x5x24 cage, firing the swing panel trigger.  The door was tight enough to hold him as was the cage wire, at least half of him anyway.   Just a thought for anyone dealing with snakes, what it shows is that with the correct mesh cage wire, trap lengths and trigger set up, these traps could be used for taking snakes of specific sizes too, large or small.  

Dead Deer

On the lighter side, it's not always about trapping.  I had the honor of removing a dead that must have fallen through the ice over winter, washed up to shore.  Slipping badly, he was just about bald, but fortunately held together in one piece.  After moving him I couldn't figure out why it still smelled so badly, residual?  Nope, it was a nice rotting 10 pound carp.  It just don't get no better as they say.

Pictures of a large 'Coon in the New Chimney Trap

New Chimney Trap--Success

At this point there are less than a dozen of the newest compact chimney traps in the field, so we are looking for more feedback.   I just heard today of the first raccoon caught in the first attempt with this new trap, a large female coon that was said to have filled the compartment.

The first trap we built, a year ago, was 30 inches long and as mentioned, caught 3 for 3, all large 'coon, each first night.  This updated, simplified trap is about the same length, 29 inches long, with the same triggering, but new door system and lock.  Light in weight and smaller than other similar traps, this trap fits down inside the chimney out of sight.  This smaller 29" trap with a powered door will accomplish the same results as a longer 43 inch trap, easy to set and easier to handle on a ladder.    

Interesting Snake Catch

Admittedly, we don't make a cage trap specifically designed to capture snakes, but that's just what happened a couple of days ago.  We received a video from a Colorado trapper with a 4 foot bull snake caught in one of the  Comstock 5x5x24 squirrel cage traps.  The snake had crawled in and fired the trigger holding him inside.  Evidently the snake's head was small enough o fit through the 1/2 x 1 mesh to get stuck half way out.  At that point he could not go forward or back, which is how he was found.  With a snip of one wire the snake was freed and released.  I guess bull snakes eat rodents as a primary food source, but may also eat a rattlesnake, which I'm sure no one minds.  At any rate, this is the first known snake catch in a Comstock cage trap.

The list of odd or interesting catches and occurrences grows.  We have heard of Iguana, Snake, Piglet, Fish including Salmon, Carp, Bass, Pike, Suckers, Brook Trout etc., Turkey, Chickadee, Duck, Mice along with all of the expected catches, beaver, bobcat, otter, raccoon, muskrat, mink, squirrels including fox, gray, red and flying squirrels, fox-red and gray, fisher, coyote, skunk, woodchuck, armadillo, mountain beaver, rats, chipmunks and now doubt a bunch more we have forgotten or haven't heard about.

Spring Beaver with Cages

In an effort to get some more pictures and video I spent the weekend downstate N.Y. near Elmira trapping some spring beaver with Nate Brock using Comstock Swim Through Cage Traps.  We put out 15 sets for a couple of nights.  The water was high and then got higher, with overnight rains that swelled the streams out of the channels.  With clay banks and raging current there were a few places that weren't easy to cross.  At one point Nate did have to wring out his socks, but put on chest waders the following day.

Of course we had used conibears for years, but this time we would use cages.  Again, the stability, ease is setting and versatility of these swim though cages can't be matched with any other device.  First check provided 7 beaver, while the second yielded 6 more and a muskrat.  This was the tail end of 4 month season, the final days.  We were picking up leavings from the fall, which meant if we had started with a clean slate with virgin colonies, the catch no doubt would have been much higher.  But, we made a point, these cages have their place in both ADC and fur trapping.  Even tough spring conditions were not a problem for cages and castor.

This brings the total to 530 beaver that we have caught in the cages in 4-1/2 years.

Good News, Shipping by Fedex

We just learned that Fedex will be the new shipper for Comstock and Tomahawk Cage Traps, accessories and anything dealing in ADC trappers and everyone else too!  This is great news for two reasons, first reduced rates passed on to customers and secondly, there will be Saturday deliveries, which can be huge.  For those who need a trap or accessory, anything in ADC quickly, there will be no more 3 day waits over a long weekend until Monday, it can come on Saturday!  

Magnetic Triggers (reusable / magnetic trigger unit)

This is a photo of the first magnet triggers we put together made with stainless parts.  The magnets are quite strong, but we will order in one more to try out.   Triggers can be made with loops or two separate wires.  Yesterday I set a skunk trap with a magnetic trigger and it performed as it should, a skunk was waiting for me today.  What's neat about these units is that they can be easily placed anywhere you like and moved in seconds.   Need more triggers, just pop another on.

http://www.comstockcustomcage.com

Magnetic "break away, removable/reusable triggers"

It might be a bit premature to mention these trigger units as they have not yet been put to the test, but I am kind of excited out the prospect of perhaps, finally having a "break away, removable" trigger unit that will not be easily damaged by raccoons etc.  I believe these new magnetic trigger wire units will work as a replacement trigger for the 9x11 and 12x12 traps at the very least and might even work on the 12x18 beaver trap too.  Even if this unit is not the end game, we believe that it is a step in the right direction.

For a long time we have been working on a simple, easy replacement trigger for a host of reasons.  Exploring several ideas and experimenting, we did not find exactly what we wanted for some time, but kept plugging along with no intent to surrender until a replacement trigger setup was found.  Again, I will qualify this by saying, it is brand new and not tested, but shows a lot of promise.

Recently we found a small powerful magnet with the right configuration and correct strength with which to attach soft 14 gage wire and perhaps even 12 gage wire.  The magnet will simply stick to the swing bar, with trigger wires extending into the trap as before.  With enough power in the magnet to hold the unit firmly in place, the animal will fire the trap, but with a twist.  When confronted with an agitated raccoon, the primary critters that inflict trigger wire damage, this trigger will simply fall away and drop to the bottom of the cage after the catch is made, out of the way.

What we are hoping for is that when the wire rests on the cage floor the raccoon will have little interest in it, as shown when standard traps are set with the triggers coming from the bottom.  Because of the swing bar trigger with 1/2 inch wide mounting surface, the magnet will pop right on and match the bar.  Once it is loose after falling away, a raccoon will have little or no purchase or resistance with which to work against the trigger wires to bend and break them.   Since a coon should not fight the wire there should be little or no straightening.   Due to the size of unit and magnetism, the until will remain with the trap and should not be lost, sticking to the cage wires or frame.

The advantage of having a unit function like this is (1) to speed resetting, saving on wire straightening or wire replacement time.  Also, any (2) wire straightening or replacing can be done outside of the cage in your hands, hopefully without tools.  (3) This unit can be popped on where you want them, (4) as many or as few as you like and easily moved up or down the swing bar, positioned where you want them.  (5) Triggers can quickly be made into a loop or attached at center with two separate wires protruding into the trap as usual, your choice.  (6) There is a wing nut for quick wire swapping (7) with components made of stainless to resist rust.  (8) Using soft wires and or loops, animals risk little chance of being poked.

The magnets appear to be compatible with the powder coating.  If more trigger strength is your choice, twisting wires together from two separate units effectively doubles the strength of the trigger wires.

Comstock Powered Door, Lock Ring Live Cage Trap for Woodchucks/Skunks an...

This new addition to the Comstock Line will be sold from our Upstate NY location at this time. Please call or email anytime if you have questions.

New Traps Ready-Patent Pending

Though we are not in production with manufacture at this time, we are excited about the new traps we have developed and will be making in our shop on a limited basis.  Since it is just me cutting, bending parts, welding and doing all of the fabrication at this point, I won't be able to make big numbers, but will be happy to provide traps as quickly as I can for those interested.

We now have bobcat traps, powered, angled, lock ring doors with wire triggers, something not done before.  The traps are fast, with powered doors, lock like ring door traps combined with the signature wire trigger we are known for.   We have made them in 10.5x19.5x36, 12x24x36 and others.

Since this trap worked so well, we quickly made them in 12x12x36 for raccoons, with great results.

With these under our belt, we plan to make some 8x8x24 to try out on skunks and chucks.

Lock rings are not as versatile as lock bars, but for many animals like chucks, skunks, armadillos and possum that are often caught on the ground, they will work just fine.  They have worked great baited for raccoons, but in positive setting conditions where traps may be set either sideways, upside down or vertically, the 9x11 lock bar trap is the way to go.

After a quick study of this system it was evident that this combination would actually work vertically too when the door was facing downward, which meant, we had a winning combination for a Drop In Raccoon Chimney Trap.  The Chimney Trap will drop into a Chimney, out of sight.  When the raccoon climbs the trap to exit the chimney and reaches the closed door, he will pull on the trigger bar located 1" from the end of the trap and fire it.  The powered door slams shut.  The lock rings drop to the bottom. The raccoon is caught.  This trap was made with a 5x9 outside opening like widely used chimney traps that have been around for years.  Other drop in traps are 43 inches long, while this trap is but 29 inches long.  At just under 9 pounds, it is a light weight, easy to take up a ladder.  Rather than clip the top plate to the end of the trap, we made the place to fold and fit into the trap for storage and to save on shipping.  It can be clipped into place and left in place if desired.

Having made a trap similar to this chimney trap last year at 30 inches long that worked as expected, we believe this trap will perform the same way.  In the first test 3 coon were each captured first night in the we tested last year, all big coon, no misses or mishaps.

We will be taking orders for these over the phone, 518-792-2371.  These traps are simpler in nature to what we have made in the past and are intended to be less expensive, while still doing the same job as previous models with the exception of special situations in ADC work.  We can make custom sizes to suit.

Roof Setting for Raccoons, "Roof Proofing."

Many of the guys are using the 1/2x1 mesh, 14 gage wire cage traps for roofs when dealing with raccoons with very good results.  The reason for the tight mesh is to keep raccoons from getting ahold of shingles and doing damage.  Coon are notorious when it comes to wrecking anything they can get their mitts on.  The 9x11 cages were made with a bit of an intentional gap under the door so that debris would not clog the door as it closed, no jamming.  Though we have not heard of roof damage with the standard cages, while the opening is very small, it might be possible for a raccoon to reach out under a door a short distance.  

By attaching a flush mount extension ring or rings to single or double door Comstock cage traps the traps should be pretty much "roof proof."  The ring extends 6 inches beyond the door to prevent reaching out and turns the traps into flush mount units for positive den setting.  Also, we do make traps in extra heavy duty 12 gage wire, not only incredibly strong, "bullet proof," the gaps between the wires are smaller yet.

The rings can be quickly attached and can be just as easily removed depending on situation or what is required, one more option.    

Trapping Gators in a Comstock Alligator Trap

This was the second of 2 alligators taken in the first Comstock Alligator Trap in Florida this past year.  At 4 1/2 feet long the 5 long trap dwarfs the gator.  A trap of this size, 12x24x60 inches will easily handle a 6 foot gator and probably will take gators 7 or 8 feet long.

The first gator taken in this trap was a shade over 5 feet long.

Colony Traps vs. Single Catch Traps with Locking or Powered Doors for Squirrels

Having not spent any time with colony traps I don't have personal experience with them.  Though they work very well for muskrats in water, we are hearing negatives when used in positive den sets for squirrels.  At times I have wondered if I should be using them, sometimes wondering if the single catch double powered door swing panel trap we use was the best way to go.  However, with hundreds of contacts we do hear from many using all kinds of traps, including these multiple catch colony traps.  I guess some use them successfully in the right places, but over the past months we have been hearing more and more instances of shortcomings with them, including escapes and refusals.

Today I spoke with a trapper at length who was experiencing continuous refusals for squirrels.   You probably wonder how he knew this.  With trail cams in place, he saw repeated instances where squirrels would not exit a den hole into a colony trap.  Also, there was evidence of escapes, something I had heard before from others.

This trapper was using single door traps to replace the colony traps because that is what he had on hand, but ordered 12 of the double door 5x5x24 swing panel traps that reinforced our belief in what we are doing using double door traps with nose cones over den holes in positive sets.  I guess we were on the mark all along.  When single catch traps are used with powered and or locking doors, there are no escapes.  Also, since the trap is more open, squirrels enter them much more readily.

Raccoon Pickup- Critter Wranglers, LLC

www.CritterWranglersTN.com 

Rednecks Pride Outdoors - Live & Recorded Episodes:

Rednecks Pride Outdoors - Live & Recorded Episodes:



Check out this Podcast I did with Ron Jones last evening. We had a really good time and I think some interesting info was shared! Let me know what you think.

New Traps--- (moving closer to production on bobcat and chimney traps)

I don't usually mention anything about new traps until we are up and running, but we have been producing a limited number of these new traps in several sizes in our shop upon request and will continue to make them here until they are in production.  

We are always working toward new and better cage traps, first to fill in the gaps in our own line of cage traps to capture everything from chipmunks to beaver and most animals in between, but also to improve upon what we already have.  Accessories are routinely added from time to time to make jobs go faster and easier.  I believe the last accessory was the universal setting tool for the Comstock  9x11, 12x12 and 12x18 cage traps.

Bobcat and chimney traps are two cage traps we needed to have a nearly complete line of cages.  In keeping with our tradition of power doors and wire triggers, these traps will function similarly to what we have, but with a different style of door and lock up taken from existing traps, configured differently to accommodate powered doors and our own trigger.  They will of course be available in both single and our signature, versatile double door traps.  

For some months we have been working on new traps for bobcats and fox, taller and narrower.  Two very different traps were developed.  The first, B-1, has some really great features, more complex and requires some simplifying yet to make it easier to reproduce.  The second was ready to rock and roll as soon as it was conceived.  Not only will this trap work for 'cats in sizes from 10x20 to 12x24 openings, but in smaller versions it has worked great for raccoon in a 12x12 model.  We will experiment with other sizes larger and smaller, 10x10 and 8x8 to begin with.  This trap can be called the B-2 type, which is now in action.

We made a raccoon chimney trap last year.  It worked great, 3 for 3 on the first outing on large coon, all captured first night.  However, that trap is a beast to make, lots of parts pressed into a small confined area.  So, with the advent of the B-2 type trap there was reason for optimism.  With this design a trap of few parts was constructed in a few hours, powered door, the same trip bar as they earlier traps and same size.  This one is much easier to produce, a simpler cost cutting model that does not sacrifice function, while it is as fast as any we have made, perhaps faster.  Designed to drop into a chimney like the Noseeum completely out of sight, we believe this trap to be a major improvement over the 43 inch Noseeum chimney trap because our Comstock version is but 29 inches long!  It is a full 14 inches shorter, 1/3 shorter than its counterpart.  Due to the construction and set up we have, we can live up to our name and build custom sized traps to order, 6x6, 7x7, you pick it, for those who encounter odd, small sized chimneys and require a different size.  This line of traps should be attractively priced.

In a nutshell, we have a bobcat type trap that can be made in virtually any size as well as a chimney trap that likewise can be made to order in opening or various lengths.  In time we hope to have a second bobcat trap, B-1, with expanded features.  

Anyone with interest or questions can give us a shout as we can now make these two traps on a limited basis.

   

Thanks to Carl Wilki of Carls Wildlife Control in Elmhurst, Illinois

Judy and I want to thank Carl Wilki for all of his continuing support and also sharing his success stories.  Carl has posted super photos of raccoons, skunks, woodchucks, squirrels, beaver etc. while using the entire line of Comstock Panless, Powered Door Cage Traps, which has not only been of benefit to us, but to many trappers in ADC as well.  He  has been involved with Animal Damage Control for decades, so it means a great deal to us to have a professional with his experience and skill in our corner using loads of our traps and accessories.

Carl began using Comstock Cages when we were just beginning to build our first cage traps.  Before he began using them, he spent a lot of time studying what we had and comparing and we glad he did because in the end it let us know where we ranked among other cage makers.  We were thrilled when he bought the first Comstock Cage traps, but the most important aspect is that he has stayed with us, picking up additional Comstock Cage Traps as his business warrants.  We are always listening and it should be noted that Carl's input has been invaluable in developing many of the products we make.

You can check out Carl's website at carlswildlifecontrol.com for all sorts of wildlife removal to see what he's up to and get some hints on how why he is so successful.  If you look through the pictures you will see truck loads of animals caught day in and day out, not by accident.

Check out Carl on Facebook.

Unique Castor Mound Set for Beaver using a Comstock Cage Trap in open lakes and ponds

Tim from Ohio shared his success with this beaver in a castor mound used using a 12x18x39 Comstock Beaver Cage Trap buried under a pile of leaves and mud.  Credit must be given to Dan Gates in Colorado for coming up with this set.  The set was designed to be used in open water where there are no channels, small streams or narrow spots to place a cage in standard blind sets.  When there is shallow open water with basically nothing to work with, Dan simply placed the trap about even with the water level, then piled it with leaves first, then mud and topped it off with some castor.  This simple yet ingenious set works on the principle that a beaver will just swim around and dive under until he satisfies his curiosity about the "intruder."  Before the beaver has done enough sniffing and looking, the beaver swims around and simply goes through the trap, as shown by Tim on his first shot at making this set.