Welcome to the American Outdoor Living RU-vid channel. On this channel, we will do many things, from trapping and fishing to using, restoring, and maintaining timber gadgets like crosscut saws, bow saws, axes, and vintage chainsaws. We will also be keeping laying hens and gardening. We have content for every avid outdoorsman, so go ahead and subscribe, you won't regret it!
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" Psalms 33:12
The jaw tips should be bent up like that to prevent the jaws from coming loose. Better yet, get out your welder and bubble tip the jaws on all your traps
Just me- I'll not have any more foot traps without a substantial frame or welding a base plate on the bottom to prevent the frame from flexing. I'm sure no professional by any means, but I've trapped enough to know that anytime I put a trap out it needs to be completely secured and anchored to hold whatever creature might stick it's foot in, and the trap itself needs to be sturdy enough and not weak to allow an animal to wreck it when it fights
First I've ever heard of the name. I can attest to the Dukes I have were all weak in the frame and needed base plates welded on the bottom, and the cross frames needed a bead of weld. In fairness, the Victor 1.5's I bought were as weak in the frame and some ears broke off where the jaws are mounted. They welded back together ok, but it shouldn't have happened. Some new Duke B.G. traps I bought a few years ago and put aside broke the welds when I took them out to use a few days back. Brand new, never used just POP ! ! ! and the welds broke trying to set them
Most of my traps are Dukes, as they are pretty much the only brand available near me and are cheap. But they are as thin and flimsy as you can make a trap, should have invested in Bridgers at least.
After welding a flat base plate with D- ring they're properly stiffened up and after adjusting the dog and pan they're decent And at least one crunch proof swivel. The swivel is the best practical advice I've ever gotten from experienced trappers. And anchoring any trap as if you anticipate godzilla stepping in it. Always.
I beleive it is a Hickory handle, as that is the standard wood for handles in the US, but yes it did split later on when I tried to split a piece of wood, hit the edge with the bit, and the wood didn't split entirely and the handle hit the wood.
A number 2 is typically a canine trap (foxes, coyotes), and it could also be used for bobcats and lynx. However my most likely target will be coyotes or foxes.
Thanks for the info and I'll be looking for older traps. I've caught a ton of coon, skunks, feral cats with canibear through the years but now I need to go after muskrats in my pond and county ditch where I pasture cows.
Every faller (the one who gets the trees on th ground) needs one because every faller needs an axe to pound felling wedges to keep the tree from pinching on the bar on the back cut, and/or to pound wedges to get the tree to actually tip over.
Thank you for creating and sharing. I'll have to check out Wolf Creek, they look to be very nice traps. And yes, made in USA does mean a great deal. Might make the difference between an American having dinner on the table, but I'd certainly choose South Korea or Taiwan over anything produced via the CCP. Great video!
As far as new traps go with a #1 longspring the Duke is a terrible trap I bought a few some years back and they were complete junk.The Bridger on the other hand is a decent trap it has a much stronger spring and better jaw design.Blake and Lamb was the best #1 for the price back in the day those traps would hold coon without modifying them because the spring was monster strong for a small trap.
I have a Duke #11 and it is pretty flimsy, the Bridger #1 long springs I've seen in stores do look sturdier as you've pointed out. I do also have a vintage Blake & Lamb #1 longspring where the spring is about twice as strong a a new Duke. They don't make 'em like they used to I guess.
Have you ever used these "shameful contraptions", or have you only watched CNN. I'm assuming you haven't used them, so then how would you know that they inhumane? You don't, you just form your options off of emotion, not experience.
Yea, plastic is the most common material for felling wedges, with aluminum ones also, typically splitting wedges are steel though, with a few newer ones being aluminum.
If I'm using my fingers to check sharpness, I never go along the blade, always perpendicular to it and rub it across ever so lightly, another good way to check is to put it in a vise and pull a piece of paper across the blade, and if it is really sharp you can hold the paper in one hand, axe in the other, and shave off the corner of the paper.
Thanks for the video. I had never heard of Wolf Creek since there are no vendors in my area. I was planning to purchase a half dozen Duke 330s from my local co-op but checked out Wolf Creek 10x10s. Even after shipping Wolf Creek cost considerably less. I bet the quality is as good or better than the Dukes also.
I'm glad you found the video helpful, and the Wolf Creek was definitely beefier, but one thing to note is that the springs on this Wolf Creek were a little weaker than the springs on the Duke, before and after one season of being set, not sure how important that is, but just thought I would let you know.
Very bad ideal you weakened the crap out of the trap doing it like that. You were better off leaving it the way it was. If you are going to center spring it weld the brace to the bottom. There are several good videos on doing it . This is not one
I understand that this method does not work for bigger animals, however this is a #1 coilspring, the biggest thing you catch in it is a coon, which is why I center swiveled it, so it will be harder for them to pull out, and I doubt a coon will break this trap.
I center swiveled my Duke #1 coils for coons, and I could (maybe should) double jaw them as well, but these are not intended for coyotes, so I don't need 550s or 650s for this purpose, but I could see myself getting some in the future, as they are well made traps, both the 550s and 650s from Duke or MB.
Watching from northern Alaska and just wanted to say good job. I have trapped up into the Brooks Range of Alaska for 50 years and hope to continue though I am now in my 70'S. Mostly trap marten, fox, wolverine and ermine on my lines. Take care young man, Dave S in North Pole, Alaska
