diy weasel traps

[sebek556]

Ok here we go...
Both of these styles start with a victor rat trap (1.79 at home depot), some sort of lumber you can get cheap
(must be wider than the trap which is 3.5"), screws to hold it all together, saw for cutting the lumber, a drill
. Each will need their own little odds and ends.Also you can tweak the design and build to your taste. These are
first run of each style I made and are not the end all be all, infact I am thinking of how to tweak them as I type
for future models.

Style 1, standard weasel/mink box trap. You will need said tools above, plus a 1 1/2" or 2" hole saw (or a drill bit with jig saw to make the entry hole). Make a box that your trap will fit into snugly width wise, and some extra room length wise. The trap is 3.5" wide and 7" long.(see start picture) I used some tool carry box's my kids made years ago at home depot as the trap fit in almost perfect. You do not want to make it wide enough for a weasel or mink to sneak around the trap.So figure 3.75" by 10" is a good size. The box also needs to be deep enough for the trap to spring with out hitting the roof, but again not enough room for escapement. So about 4.5" deep. Make the lid removable, either by a few small blocks the hold it on or simple nail with a hole drilled. At your entrance side(which ever side you choose) drill your access hole either 1 1/2" or 2" for the weasel or mink to enter. Now for the trap itself I decided on a pan set style, my dad thinks it could just be used as a normal trap. I took a mason jar lid cut it to come even at the end of the trap. Then punched a hole in it. Bend the middle of the trap up slide threw the hole, and crimp it back down with pliers. For extra measure I also used some j/b weld on it.(see style 1 pic) It will take some messing with bending it around to get it to set where it is not pointing way up in the air. But its not hard to do. I took the fence staple from the holder out and added it to the middle of the coil springs for extra support. After you get it set to your liking I used pliers to pry up the end of the springs and slide a small 1/8" piece of wood to give it more power. Then screw your trap into your box where the pan is about a inch from the door to give the weasel/mink room to get in and its ready to be set.(see style 1 in box pic) For setting  just toss the bait into the back of the box, set the trap and place the lid back on.

[sebek556]

Style 2, modified from the back of the trappers ed book. For this one you'll need the box again, but no hole saw. You will need a 1/4" drill bit, a piece of rod ( I used some welding rod I had in the shop, book says as thick as the rod on the trap) , fishing line and hook, 1/2 or 3/4" drill bit, and some 1cm X 1cm wire/fencing(dunno if it needs to be that size but figure they can get into anything thier head can so smaller is better). This one is a little trickier than the standard but I like the looks of it. Start again making your box 3.75" width x10" length x 4.5" depth (can be a
little shallower on this one cause the trap does not spring all the way) Next I took the trap and pushed the rod back into ready position and traced around the rod. Then I broke the center of the pan (its already cut out like a triangle)off. Screw the trap into the box this time with the pan pushed back about a inch from the wall. Once again I used the fence staple from the holder, and added it to the middle of the coil springs for more support.Now, I drilled 1/4 holes into the corners of where I traced the rod at. Then I switched to the 3/4" drill bit and drilled a hole under the pan.
When drilling these go through the trap and box. I played with multiple triggers, but liked fishing string and a hook the best, so went with that. Take your rod or welding rod, and bend it to match the shape of the striking rod, I used a total of around 13 inches of the rod to do this mine messure 4x3.5x4 not including the bent over ends. So you'll want about 4.5x3.5x4.5 to give you room to bend them over the striking rod. Once bent come up from the bottom and bend the ends over the striking rod of the trap.(see style 2, style 2 other view, and style 2 under)
 Kind of a tricky part and having a helper comes in handy so you dont smack your fingers with the trap while trying to bend the rod over the striking rod. So now you should have a striking rod
and a hook for the trigger on the bottom of the trap. Next take your wire/fencing and staple it to your box, the closer you can keep it to the striking rod the bettter, no room for them to sneak around it and get the bait. Leave or cut a entrance for them at the striker end of the trap.(see style 2 cage,style 2 cage 2) Once again I added 1/8" piece of wood under the ends of the coil
springs to give it a little more power. I only do this at the end, that way if I mess up along the way, I dont break a finger. To bait this trap I pull the hook up through the 3/4" hole bait the hook and push it back down the hole. Set the trap and put the lid on.

[lokidog]

I'm confused.     I'm usually pretty good at figuring out mechanical stuff but am not sure what I'm looking at.  This also seems way too small for a mink.     Sorry.  Also, can you choke them off if you are using a "rat" trap?  Is that the way the no body gripping thing is written?

I am seeing how I might be able to use a rat trap as my door/gate closing trigger though, thanks.

[Heredoggydoggy]

I built one similar to "style 1" for my neighbor's wife when she had a rodent eating stuff in her garden.  I had some metal roofing, and used a piece of that for the roof.  That way, the birds didn't steal the bait, and once the rat was caught, she saw smaller droppings around the big rat trap, so she put mouse traps in the box and got those little buggers too! 

[sebek556]

rat traps are legal to use still, the top one is pretty simple box, with trap screwed in it with a large plate. The bottom one had me confused for awhile too with the original print out I had of it, basically your inverting the trap to smash up instead of down. The opening area on the style 2 trap is 3x2, it should be big enough for a mink to crawl into. I'm not looking for them to make it all the way in. As far as the trap choking them, I'm thinking more like broken spine. When you wedge that piece of wood in there, they have quite a bit of power. These were originally called weasel traps, but I don't see why they would not work for mink as well.
Thanks for the good criticism  , keep it coming, the more you guys pick and prod the better the final design can be. I'm a still a rookie and you guys might have ideas for a tweak to make them more effective than.

[Heredoggydoggy]

The wire stuff in the last picture looks a lot like my suet cages I hang for the birds in the back yard! 

The same back yard where I trapped the stray cat last night!   

[Wade Scot]

What do you find to be the most effective bait?

[huntingfool7]

I would loose the fish hook for a bait hanger.  I think it would be frustrating getting bait hung on that without getting a bunch of misfires.  Instead I would run the trip line down through the floor and then around the outside.  Use one of those paper clips that look like a clamp to hold the end of the trip wire for easy length/tension adjustment.

Loki- I've used rat traps for door trigger mechanisms with good success.  Screw the rat trap onto the outside of the box trap opposite of the door.  Use a nail to hold the door open.  Tie line from the end of the nail to the kill bar on the trap.  When the trap is fired, it pulls the nail out and lets the door drop.  (Door is a simple dropping door in U shaped tracks).
For the trip wire.  Drill a hole under the rat trap pan.  Tie line to the pan.  Then trip wire is fed into the box trap down to and threaded through a hardware 90 degree angle piece on one side of the trap.  From there it runs across the runway of the trap and out to the above mentioned paper clip clamp.

It's a little crude, but effective for backyard, coop raiding bandits. 

Edit to add-  Forgot that I eventually replaced the normal rat trap pan with a small hinge.  The trip wire attached to the hinge screw hole.  The rat trap bar that holds the crushing bar down pops right in the other screw hole.  Quick to set up and no misfires.
 

[sebek556]

Thanks for the input. Haven't really had a problem with misfire as I pull the hook up bait it then drop it down through. But I do like the trip wire idea. Think I might play with the idea. On a future trap