there was a post on drags you replied on and you talked about drags being over done with weight.i know next year i'm going to use drags/grapples,but i'm not sure what kind?last year i was able to trap in a very large remote woodland,not hundreds of acers but thousands of acers.the woods is thick with laurel and the powerline is thick with bramble.i was able to drive to every set.unfortunately it rained hard every ten days i was there.i'm use to trapping reds and i'm also use to using stakes.i about killed myself hammering in stakes,rocks,tons of them.i only put in about half my traps,but i still was able to catch my first coyote and my first bobcat.i know, weather permitting, if i use some kind of drag/grapple i could do much better.i'm not too concerned about theft because i'm the only one back in there.i'm more concerned about not being able to find the critter.i know one trapper around there that uses 3/8 grapple no weight,and says most don't go more than 20 yards.it is thick there,i guess they will head for the thicket rather than run down the logging road.i keep thinking a heavy drag would work better.what is your opinion?i know one thing i'm not useing stakes again........kevin

if money is not an issue get some j.c. conner "TRACKER" drags....or make something like them


heres a pic of one of them

Considering the amount of entanglement material you described, I agree with the trapper who says 3/8" rod, 2 prong grapples are planty and the catch will not likely go more than 20 yards. Seldom, and I mean seldom does an animal take off down the road and when they do they don't go far before vereing off into the brush. However, you can't overdo drags if your not concerned with theft and passerbys and it makes no difference whether the animal gets far from the road. Ace

they WILL go on down the road instead of into the brush at times. you best be prepared for that scenario.

the drags i had a friend make for me are 3 and 4 prong models, made from 1/2 inch cold rolled. they are big and heavy, and i'd wager that they would hold a bear if the grapple hangs up good. they definitely leave marks to be seen even by the blind. coupled with 10-15 ft. of 3/16 chain, and they aren't often too far away from the set.

so you could say i DO like a big heavy grapple.


if already in the middle of the really thick stuff, a normal 2 pronged 3/8 inch grapple will do just fine.

Acer is the genus name for maples.

Acre is a unit of measure for land (43,560 square feet, to be exact)

guess i need confidence,will have to look up in trees in case of a climber coon or cat.......kevin

Hey Brookhaven....Good luck getting a cat tag for PA......LOL.....

I would like one myself.

here is my drag.... it will be on sale very soon : )

Brookhaven: I could count all of the coon and bobcats over 50 years that went up a tree on my fingers and toes. Bear are a different story in my area, especially while bounty trapping in the Summer i've had a lot of bear up trees and have had them jump out at me pulling the jaws out. Lots of times a cub or two was up the tree with an irate Mother lurking around and ready to charge at times. Ace

G3-i had to let go the cat i caught(no permit),that was fun.after she was free i then had to figure how to get her out from under the truck(more fun)......989-that thing is nasty!........ace-that could happen here,lots of bear.i'm trying to talk myself into just a grappel.that other trapper does just fine on coyote/bobcats,6 feet chain and grapple.sounds simple.