I have chosen to revise and reintroduce this original thread that was first presented here in June 2007, because of a glitch in my Photobucket albums, losing all of the photos, and the fact that, as far as I can tell, the narrative was lost during the last site's server update.

The narrative and photos have been updated in this new, revised edition for your review.

Subsequent to that time frame, there are many new members and beginning trappers registered on the forum who may benefit from an introduction to these staking device options for future reference.

For those of you who may not be totally familiar with what are commonly called "Disposable Stakes," as well as other names of earth anchors and cable stake anchors, hopefully, this reference will introduce you them.

Disposable stakes have evolved over the years, and for many trappers, have replaced their traditional rebar staking techniques, providing for far less weight to carry, plus the time tested value of their strength and utility for staking a trap. They are adaptable for use in both land and water trapping.

If you have never used these before, and decide to try them, may I suggest that you buy a couple of different kinds already made up - 12" to 18" in length and test them in your soil conditions to get started trying them. I bought four different brands when I decided to try them, and decided on the 18" cable length to cover all of my land use needs.

In most cases, those lengths should be more than adequate to hold a large coyote. However, depending again on the soil in your area, you may discover the need for 24" cable on land, and significantly longer lengths for water use.

Most commercial stakes are made up with 3/32" cable. Many who make their own use 1/8" cable.

This video will introduce you to the Pogo stake anchoring system, produced by the inventor, Dan Reich:

The "Pogo" Anchoring System

These are some of the more popular "disposable" cable stake anchors, all of which, including the Pogo, are available through most reputable trap supply dealers, and are as current that I am aware of at the time of this writing:

"Pogo" Parts Before Assembly



"Pogo" Fender Washers Assembled



Fox Hollow Fin - Original #1



Fox Hollow Fin - Original #2



Fox Hollow Fin - Original #3: Modified With Added Retrieving Cable



Fox Hollow Finned Super Stake - #1 Showing Integrated Retrieving Nub At Rear Base



Fox Hollow Finned Super Stake - #2



O'Gorman High Desert Spear - #1



O'Gorman High Desert Spear - #2



O'Gorman High Desert Spear - #3



Note the differences between the upper and lower "rib" orientation on the following Berkshire examples.

Berkshire Standard - 1



Berkshire Standard - 2



Berkshire Soft-Ground



Birkshire HD (Heavy Duty)





"Iowa" Style Anchors With Different Angled Ends

These are are versions made with black steel pipe. Some trappers make them out of conduit without welding. Example shown in video below.

"Iowa" Style Anchor - #1



"Iowa" Style Anchor - #2



Mark June "Pro-Gear" Anchor



Duckbill Anchor



JR & Sons Cable Stake Anchor



Stingray Anchor



This will give you an idea of the range of different anchor types. There may be others on the market that I am not aware of.

They all work on the same identical principle: they are driven into the ground vertically to the end of the cable where it is attached to the trap chain/swivel with a steel driver. At that point, you tug upwards with the assembly to "seat" the anchor from its vertical position to a horizontal one - when that happens, the anchor is set!

Though nearly all of these are categorically called "Disposable Stakes" for some strange reason, they all can can be retrieved to use over again - either with a tile spade shovel, a pick axe inverted on its back, like a fulcrum, with the pointed end hooked into the swivel, an old fashioned bumper jack, and with a variety of homemade or commercial "pullers."

Depending upon your substrate's soil type, and frequent retrieval of some anchor designs, they have a tendency to bend, sufficiently so after 3-5 uses that some may have to be discarded and replaced. The Pogo fender washers and the Berkshire anchors appear to be more susceptible to this extended use fatigue than the others.

For trappers using these stakes regularly in non-agricultural areas that are not subject to combining, mowing, tillage and plowing, and away from recreational vehicle traffic trails/roads, they remove the trap and leave the stakes in the ground to use the following season - some for several years at a time in desirable, productive locations.

Also, keep in mind that many of these require a dedicated driving tool, unless you are very handy and can make one of your own as a substitute. While a few are so precisely machined with CAD/CAM tooling and die set ups, heck I know how to make stuff - why not just make one to fit.

I elected not to go through the time and materials needed to fuss making my own, and bought a dedicated driver for my Pogo fender washers, and had two trapper friends with far more machine and fabricating experience than me, make custom drivers for my Berkshire HD anchors and my O'Gorman spears.

When you have the time and patience, look through the trapping archives on this and other trapping forums that you may frequent, there are additional threads with photo tutorials on how to make your own from either conduit or black pipe that are patterned after the "Iowa" stake, and how to make Pogo style stakes from fender washers.

Some trappers from different regions of the country, responding to unusual, or varied soil conditions on their traplines, substitute a swiveled length of chain for the more common aircraft cable used for different anchor styles by most.

Most of these stakes can be purchased with varying lengths and gauges of cable already affixed to the anchors and ready to use, or you can buy just the anchors and make up your own cables to fit your needs. There are a variety of methods to do this, depending upon anchor selection.

If you are so inclined to make your own, this video shows how to make a variation of the "Iowa" style anchor using conduit:

Making Conduit Earth Anchors

There are differing opinions as to which of the commercial brand anchors are the "best," as is the case with most any other trapping related tool of choice. Personally, I am very partial to the Fox Hollow anchors, and just invested in several dozen of the Fox Hollow Super Stakes to augment my earlier originals.

They are tough and rugged, and I doubt if you could destroy one from use. I better drop a disclaimer: I have no affiliations with the Fox Hollow folks beyond the fact that it is an exceptional product that more than suits all of my needs for a durable product.

Trial and error, along with practice and familiarity with any anchor of choice, are on the slate to determine which one will work best for you.

Thank you to Mr. Paul Dobbins and the forum for providing me with this opportunity to make a presentation of this educational, trapping material.

Regards,

Jonathan

Nice Post Jonathan.

Bill, Thank you for the kind words. I am not sure what happened to the original one, and out of sheer frustration I decided to put Humpty Dumpty back together again.

As a former teacher yourself, I am sure you know what it is like to lose or misplace a "lesson plan."

Jonathan

Thanks jonathan. Great post.

Jonathan,
Great post. Thank You

Jonathan,

As always, very well thought and educational. Thank you for sharing!

Mods, definitely for the Archives.

Great post. Thank You Jonathan.

I had started my own word document with these.........I can now replace it with your post.

Excellent job!

I'm gonna round up some of the different "drivers" to go with these anchors and add it to my document.

Holdengr, add that to this post as well.

Drivers

Berkshire Disposable Stake Driver


Fox Hollow-Super Stake Driver


Iowa Driver



Duckbill Earth Anchor Driver




Pogo Driver

those are the only ones I could find.

Holdengr, Thank you for that share as a supplement to this edition.

I also have a compilation of "pullers" that I may eventually incorporate into my original thread with a final edit.

Jonathan

Great post, thank you.

I also would be interested in the various pullers, particularly for the Fox Hollow Super Stakes.

Thank ya'll for your contributions on this, & everything else ya'll do around here

Good work Jonathan and holdengr, you have outdone yourselves, once again.

Thank you!

Brian

Great Post! Thank you. I am wanting to try some of the fox hollow super stakes.

Tex, Thank you for the kind words.

Actually, the "pullers," as in the use of garden tools, car jacks, homemade devices, winching rigs, or commercial pullers from trapping supply dealers, are not dedicated in any way that I am aware of. No matter their design, the only thing they are "dedicated" to do is to get an ornery anchor out of the ground without too much grunting and swearing if at all possible in the process.

They all, with the exception of actually digging them out, involve using the mechanical advantage and leverage of the instrument used that is rigged with a hook/snap/chain set up to engage the above ground cable's connection to the trap chain to yank the anchors up and out.

The Fox Hollow finned stake is unique by comparison to the others by having the extra nub on it to affix an additional cable, solely to use that cable for retrieval purposes instead of the normal single cable attached to any anchor. The theory behind it is simple applied physics.

If you notice, nearly all of the other commercial, as well as the homemade anchors, have their cable connections centered on the anchor. This makes for retrieval resistance, hoping to be able to tug on it and wiggle it enough to eventually assume a somewhat vertical orientation to ease it out without herniating a disk or rupturing stuff in your groin. Many trappers create a "pilot" hole at the onset of initial staking to facilitate the retrieving caper when that time comes.

The pulling force on the Super Stake's extra cable brings the anchor more readily to vertical for its trip to fresh air, lowering the threshold for the huffing, puffing and strain in thugging it out of the ground.

Jonathan

Great job gentlemen. Shows what can happen when we work together. Tom

I would also be very interested in seeing the cable stake pullers. This year I pulled mine with a grubbing hoe and chain- it worked for me but I know there has to be easier was to end the season!

Thanks for the great post!

Steve

I just poked back in here and noticed that most of my photos are not showing now from the time that I had dropped this original thread.

Oh, poop! I must have another Photobucket glitch in the fraction of that drop. Let me see if I can locate that gremlin. Thanks.

Jonathan

Jonathan,
The only one I see is the O'Gorman #2...all other entries are blank. Looking forward to the fix. Your posts are always educational. Thanks.