Tree rats!

Here is how I set the Conibear trap next to a wood fence squirrel trail. BTW The neighborhood cats don’t walk on top of this fence.

I dispose of the carcasses in ziplock bags via normal garbage.

Anne it looks like something is nibbling at the food in the trap but they dont do it hard enough to set it off. Have you seen this? Found any methods to ensure it goes off?

Hmmmm. I think my biggest problem initially is learning how to set the hair trigger - finessing the trigger whilst using about all the strength I could muster to hold the spring down.
I smear chunky peanut butter in both ends so no matter which side they enter they will see the bait on the other side and pass over the trigger pan…
This may sound strange, but I wonder if we leave the carcass in the trap too long, the smell of death makes other prey leary. I know people have reported catching 100’s with this trap and that may not be a problem, but something to consider if they nibble and avoid entering. I haven’t set mine for a while and I need to get out there and do it.

Would just add, if you decide to try the tube trap, order the “rust resistant” model, if you are in an area which receives a fair amount of rain. My tube trap rusted out after only a couple years.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e006fzmQnE

I ordered one of these, am looking forward to seeing how it works. My older tube trap I found is from the same people but they changed the trigger since I bought mine ten years ago. It also rusted badly so I am getting the rust-resistant one.

My plan is to mount it to a long 2x4 and then bungee it inside the trees where the squirrels are going.

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Super great idea!!
Orchardists uber rodents!!!

Anne – why did you attach yours to a 2x4 / 4x4? I’ve just been setting mind on the ground and am wondering if the mount buys me anything?

I’m kinda squeamish and had to think through what I was going to do if I caught one. I had read that some folks recommended mounting on a board on the reviews. Some indicated that it was easier to set the trap that way, but that was not my reason for mounting. Mounting allowed a few field mods to be added for minimal handling when bagging the carcass. :sweat:
Whoops: Mine is mounted to a 1X6.

I ‘loaned’ my tube trap to my son yesterday and he texted me with 6 ‘kills’ just this morning. One right after the other. Squirrels were climbing over the dead trapped squirrel to get any remaining peanut butter. He said he’d reset the trap, walk inside, and the trap went off again. Then he had to leave for work.
Like others mentoned here, he placed it on a fence ‘squirrel highway’ - the same spot every time.
Apparemtly he has a neighbor who likes to feed the squirrels, but the squirrels prefer his garden. :confused:

I got my tube trap and set it in a tree last evening. Unfortunately the mechanism is not that much different than my old one, it has this extra safety hook so I thought it was different based on the pictures but that hook is not materially affecting how the trap works. We will see what results I get. I know that many people have had problems getting the trap to fire, when I had the last one ten years ago I ran into many people with that complaint. Maybe the traps are not consistently good in firing based on manufacture, or maybe there is a trick in how to set them.

This one is hilarious!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUDOTefoVAA

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Looks like I was too skeptical, I got my first catch in a couple hours. The Kania trap nearby has not been interesting to these squirrels, one reason why I got the tube.

Anyway so far so good! Looking forward to a good squirrel harvest.

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My son said that some squirrels were not dead after the trap sprung b/c they apparently hadn’t gotten all the way in. He thinks it was my advice on the ‘hair trigger’ - i.e. too sensitive, i.e just shaking the trap a little set it off. I think it may have to do with where the bait is placed. I think he is very generous with his peanut butter application. When he is home he is resetting the trap every 10 minutes (if the squirrel is dead, o/w he has to wait) They have a serious infestation.

I recognize that guy at the end. It’s the frustrated engineer reaction when his field mods don’t work, LOL.

On my first catch the squirrel had licked off the considerable blob of peanut butter I had put down. So, I didn’t have any hair trigger problem and am more concerned about it not going off.

Here is a picture of the first catch. You can see the board I bungeed to an apple tree.

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Nice work Scott! I had fantastic luck for the first 2 weeks. Pretty much one per day. Now each day when I go out there the trigger is wiped clean and no rodent to be seen. :frowning: Has anyone encountered this? Any suggestions for returning to my 1 per day capture rate? I’ve been leaving it on the ground so maybe this is the problem?

I think having it firmly held could improve things. If its loose, the trap can rock when they push on the plate but if its firm the plate gets all the force. Its one reason why I put it on a board (also, on my original trap I never had it on a board and it never worked). All I had handy were these thin boards and they may still be allowing too much flex - I have a bunch of these (bed)boards and am now thinking I will screw two more of them on to make a thick sandwich which will not move at all. The board is very firmly held to the trees with bungees, that part is working very well. Its also going to be really handy to move it from one hot spot to another. In the picture you can see a big tree in the background, I have been seeing squirrels in that tree recently.

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Thanks Scott. I’ll cut up a board tonight and bungee it to one of the fence posts they run across. This worked AWESOME for the first two weeks and I’m hoping the squirrels haven’t outsmarted me.

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Let us know if things improve. The number one issue with this trap is getting it to fire, and it would be good to get to the bottom of it.

It was only a matter of time, I for one, salute our new Squirrel overlords :sunglasses: