Conibear

[truck driver]

I haven't messed with traps since back in the day but I had a large Rodent close to the house I couldn't safely shoot.
On a trip to PA I stopped in a hardware store and found a large Conibear trap.
Use to using jaw traps the Conibear was a new experience and it took a special tool to set it unless you're Hercules.
So I watched a how to video to figure out how to set it and thought man what did I get myself into. The guy in the video was very advent about safety which is a good thing because they can be dangerous to set and the last thing you want is for it to close on your arm or hand.
So I made the tool not wanting to spend more money beside the $15 for the trap. I used two pieces of 1" aluminum angle that I had on hand flat bare will work also and cut slots to fit over the spring to compress it and found the right place to drill a bolt hole to assemble both pieces to work like a pair scissors.
After a couple of dry runs to figure things out I got the trap set and put it where the Rodent was traveling under my shed.
Went to South Carolina to shoot in a pistol match and when I came home the Rodent was waiting on me in the trap.
Probably the most humane trap made and when set right it produces instant kills.
Just a warning should you find the need to use this type of trap, they are not pet friendly and will kill a dog just as quick as it will a groundhog.

 

[salmonchaser]

Yes they are hard on dogs. Another tip regarding the conibear, never stake it down, secure the drag chain until it is set and you are otherwise satisfied. Catch yourself and you can’t get to where you are anchored you will be in trouble.

 

[truck driver]

Yes they are hard on dogs. Another tip regarding the conibear, never stake it down, secure the drag chain until it is set and you are otherwise satisfied. Catch yourself and you can’t get to where you are anchored you will be in trouble.

Thanks for the tip. In the video it said to secure it so a fox or coyote couldn't run off with the trap.

 

[salmonchaser]

Thanks for the tip. In the video it said to secure it so a fox or coyote couldn't run off with the trap.

Secure after you have made your set. Get your hand caught and you can’t get the anchor chain loose the coyotes will eat you.

 

[Thebear_78]

I once drove 20 miles with a 330 coni bear stuck on my left arm. I had to go to a friends to get help getting it off. Pretty bumbling experience. I always kept a lefty on rope on me after that. In a pinch a piece of rope with a loop on it will quickly reset those springs

 

[DrMike]

Secure after you have made your set. Get your hand caught and you can’t get the anchor chain loose the coyotes will eat you.

Nothing goes to waste in the field!

 

[truck driver]

Secure after you have made your set. Get your hand caught and you can’t get the anchor chain loose the coyotes will eat you.

Yeah that would be a problem and I wouldn't like to have to fight off the coyotes. ( Ummm taste like chicken )

 

[truck driver]

Nothing goes to waste in the field!

Yep all protein is consumable.

 

[salmonchaser]

I once drove 20 miles with a 330 coni bear stuck on my left arm. I had to go to a friends to get help getting it off. Pretty bumbling experience. I always kept a lefty on rope on me after that. In a pinch a piece of rope with a loop on it will quickly reset those springs

I need to see if I can find a video on that, come close a time or two back when I trapped beavers.

 

[HodgemanAK]

330s are no joke. Well worth the minor expense is a safety catch you can leave on the jaws while you set it and make your set. I've had a couple go off and the safety catch was the only thing between me and injured.

They are absolutely my favorite trap for beavers. No survivors. In AK they are a common wolverine and lynx set and will kill a dog like a bullet.

 

[ShadeTree]

I once drove 20 miles with a 330 coni bear stuck on my left arm. I had to go to a friends to get help getting it off. Pretty bumbling experience. I always kept a lefty on rope on me after that. In a pinch a piece of rope with a loop on it will quickly reset those springs

I was setting the smaller 110 coniber for muskrats when I was knee high to a grasshopper. I was too small at the time to even set one of those. My Mom gave me a short piece of cloths line, and I would loop it through the eyes, stand on one end and pull on the other. Muskrats were running $7-$10 a piece then, and a X-large grade A might bring $13. Big bucks for a kid. Ha. I had 3 traps I had saved up for and rotated them as the holes got trapped out.

I might, may, possibly, know somebody that used a 330 set up inside something as bait at a place where there were some break in and thievery problems. It was secured in such a manner that whoever was with the unfortunate soul apparently had to use bolt cutter to get him out. Wont go into any other details, but word gets around among thieves, and that was the END of it. I bet that was some panicked screaming for a couple minutes. Those 330's are no joke. Always looked to me like they could break an arm.

 

[HodgemanAK]

Always looked to me like they could break an arm.

They sure can. My trapping buddy broke three bones in his hand in one.

 

[truck driver]

Not sure which trap I have since both the 330 and the 220-2 have dual springs but I know it's hard to set and I'm glad it has two safety hooks one for each spring. And I'm not sure I would want to try the rope lope trick to set one of those springs let alone both, the tool I made works great and gives you a sense of security.

 

[Thebear_78]

They sure can. My trapping buddy broke three bones in his hand in one.

Didn’t break my arm, caught me across the bicep and for arm. Stung like a bitch, but hardly broke the skin. That rope trick works pretty good.

The worst part was all the guff I got from my friends rolling up with a 330 on my left arm. Took a while to live down.