conibear trap

[4dabirds]

http://www.terrierman.com/traprelease.htm I thought it was worth posting this in its own heading. I read dog in foot trap and it was a lot of info with some digression as well. This is a great article some one posted at the end of two pages and it seemed to me as the most important piece of info. While this is a good explanation it is still very difficult to open one of these traps when you know how ,without it being an emergency. It is a good idea to buy one to familiarize yourself with it so you know how it works.At a seminar I attended out of ten people only one could squeeze the springs with his hands.

[jimssetters]

These traps are killers. Everything has a purpose and a place but i dont like their use on land. I am a trapper 5'7" 165lbs so i am not huge. The fastest way for me is to put the trap on the ground with the bottom of the spring on the ground. Push down with both hands using your body weight and grip the spring with one hand while setting the safety spring with the other. Repeat on the other side. I have never had to do this with my dog in a trap and hope i never do. Hope no one else does either but you need the trap off as soon as possible.

[Buford Boone]

These things scare me so badly I purchased one and practiced on it.

I am more scared now.

I know how to get my dog out and I ALWAYS carry a length of rope with me but...I can only hope I'll be fast enough and the trap will not have done any permanent damage.

[Munster]

Yes, I fear these too. It brings to light the realization that as dog handlers we may have to be willing dispatch our own dogs if the need arise. I j ust dont know that I could. I would imagine that the trap will be crushing the dogs skull? My one female is only 30 pounds I am sure it would do her in pretty quickly. But my male is 55 pounds. I am sure that if I can not get the trap off, he will die a slow death.

Pretty depressing but good topic.

[DogNewbie]

I've read that in order to get the pressure off the dogs wind pipe the first thing you should do is rotate the trap 90 degrees. Anyone know if that's even doable when the jaws are putting 90lbs of pressure on the neck? Sounds like it would be tough.

[sdpowskier]

Another good resource from the MT Game and Fish

http://fwp.mt.gov/fwpDoc.html?id=32308

[jimssetters]

I've read that in order to get the pressure off the dogs wind pipe the first thing you should do is rotate the trap 90 degrees. Anyone know if that's even doable when the jaws are putting 90lbs of pressure on the neck? Sounds like it would be tough.

The springs on these traps are what puts pressure on the throat. The only way to release this pressure is by compressing the springs. IMO I also think 4 kicking feet with toenails would make this nearly impossible.

[Wildweeds]

How big is the wire/rod that the jaws are made of? if it's carbon steel and 3/16 of an inch around or less,I'd just for ease and speed back a new pair of Klein linemans pliers in my vest.Not much in the way of trapping where I hunt,fact is I don't think any.But as a welder I know that the linemans pliers when new snip right through welding rod with very little effort.

[birddog1968]

How big is the wire/rod that the jaws are made of? if it's carbon steel and 3/16 of an inch around or less,I'd just for ease and speed back a new pair of Klein linemans pliers in my vest.Not much in the way of trapping where I hunt,fact is I don't think any.But as a welder I know that the linemans pliers when new snip right through welding rod with very little effort.

Buy the Klein linemans pliers that are labelled 9E, they are hardened for cutting steel...... Spring steel might be tough tho.

[Wildweeds]

I was wondering if the jaws are spring steel or just plain old carbon,Brand new kleins might very well cut through the spring steel though,I use them for cutting stainless steel filler wire.

[slistoe]

The 330 Conibear is closer to 1/4 rod and I think is the same steel throughout - it certainly doesn't bend even when hammered shut on a solid steel pipe - the weld fail before the frame bends.

[ACooper]

Pretty good release demonstration.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVTyT3_nIcM

[bobman]

Dont post here often anymore but heres a cut and paste of a post I just made on another forum about this topic, hope it helps, IMO every bird dogger should have two in their vest the 20 covers the smaller traps and the 330 tool covers the larger range of sizes.

first heres a video about this tool for opening connibears


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3UQQ3SZQeE


I just got off the phone with him hes an interesting and very nice man I am going to stop by his place next week and pick up 4 of them
2 each 220 size and 2each of the 330 size and hes going bring some traps in to his shop to teach me some things about using them.

I asked him and he said he would appreciate it if anyone else wants to by these things to give his contact info

his email address is fur-hats@charter.net

he is in his shop sewing right now he is the largest maker of fur hats...how cool is that

Heck I might buy a fur hat while I am at it

the release tools cost $25 each including shipping and his phone number is 715-347-7311

This thing is something I've been looking for for a long time and everyone of us should have in their hunting vest pocket. It could save your dogs life.

He has two shops one in Stevens Point wisconsin and one in Rosholt wisconsin which is 15 miles from Stevens point


I am buying 2 each of each size on my way to Montana next week, so i can just move to the other side immediately if my dogs in trouble, but one of each size would probably be enough on the larger size traps because they larger traps do have the saftey catch on both sides.

I have no connection with this business I just found the tool researching how to get my dogs out of connibears

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[rkappes]

Thanks bobman, good info, I need to order one of those!

[wems2371]

Right now, I'm carrying some parachute cord my husband braided up on a caribeaner. While it was pretty handy of him, that tool looks like it would make fast work of it, without the fumbling with rope. Thanks for the link and info Bobman.

[DogNewbie]

Just ordered a couple of those safety setters. Looks like a great tool to get a trap off as quick as possible. I asked the guy who makes them, Ron, how much time he thought we had to get the trap off and he thought that once the jaws snap shut the dog is pretty much in a sleeper hold and once the dog goes unconscious, we have about 3 minutes to get it off and revive the dog....so I'd guess about a total of 4ish minutes to get it off. He said it the dog is unconscious when you get it off, hold it's mouth shut and blow into it's nose. He also suggested buying the smaller size because for the larger sized traps to be legal they have to be either partially submerged, or, for the really large traps, completely submerged in water. Upland bird dogs are much more likely to encounter the smaller sized traps. Thought that was all good information to share.

[bobman]

I spoke to a trapper I know in Montana and he told me dry land sets for the 330 size traps are legal there.... so you should check the local state regs.

It doesnt weigh much or take up any space, so i plan to leave both sizes in my vests. I am kind of a minimalist but Id rather be ready for any thing in this issue

[Swagg]

Imagine trying to get one of these off a full grown angry cow. Ill tell you it takes three guys, a horse, a rope, and about a half hour. Nothing about tht was fun. Those little removal deals work great to get a trap off when its sitting still but stuck on something struggling to live is another story. If you live in a trapping area you have no business not carrying a small pair of bolt cutters. trust me youll thank me if you need them.

[gonehuntin']

http://www.terrierman.com/traprelease.htm I thought it was worth posting this in its own heading. I read dog in foot trap and it was a lot of info with some digression as well. This is a great article some one posted at the end of two pages and it seemed to me as the most important piece of info. While this is a good explanation it is still very difficult to open one of these traps when you know how ,without it being an emergency. It is a good idea to buy one to familiarize yourself with it so you know how it works.At a seminar I attended out of ten people only one could squeeze the springs with his hands.

If you try to release a dog the way that illustration shows, you probably will not be able to do it. That illustration assumes an empty trap. With a dog in a trap, the dog would have to be in a vertical position to release it. Very difficult to achieve.

A better way is to put a toe loop in a piece of rope. Put your toe in the loop. Put the rope through the bottom spring, up through thetop spring hole, down through the bottom and back. . Now, you can even sit down and pull on the rope to open it.

The trap tool Bobman is talking about has the same problem; you can't stabilize the bottom spring. I'm working on modifying that. What you will have to do is to make a rope toe loop with an S hook on it. Put the S hook over one of both of the bottom JAWS and pull up on the setter. A heck of a lot faster than the rope.

[MtnGrouseHtr]

I carry a pair of these.