This set of pics shows the way i build my rock cubbies and the locations that i piked for these sets. The first pic shows where i want to place a mink cubbie along this small creek. The water is shallow and there are a ton of mink coon and possum and rat sign all over the exposed rock and mud bank.



The next pic shows where i have taken some large rocks and placed them about 12 inches apart. I chose to put the cubbie on the left side of the exposed shelf for protection from fast flowing water. If and when the creek rises. This will keep the cubbie from being destroyed by the faster water.



The next pic shows where the rest of the rocks are added for the sides and roof of the cubbie. Now once this is finished the cubbie is ready for a trap and drowner if wanted. Now with the bottom of this creek being bedrock staking a trap is almost impossible. Now what i do is take a rail rd spike and find a fissure or crack in the bed rock and drive it into the crack this is how you can anchor your trap or drowning cable.



The next pic shows a rock that is exposed in the flow of the creek these areas are great for the mink to crawl on and eat and rest for a bit. You can blind set these areas as well. Anchoring your traps with rail rd spikes.



The next pic shows Where i have a spot out in the flow were the water shallows up and just below the water surface i can see sign where the mink are using this shallow for a travel route across the creek. Now placing a set here would be difficult if i didn't use the spikes. The first pic shows where i have driven a spike into the bedrock.



Now the next pic shows where i have built a cubbie over the spike in the bed rock. This allows me to set this location and a way to set a trap with out fear of a coon fox or any other critter making off with the trap. Now i have attached a drowner wire to the stake and ran it out to a rock. The rock sets in a depression that has about 12 to 14 inches of water. The water around the cubbie is about 3 inches deep.



The next pic shows the finished cubbie with the rock placed in the depression and i have back away to give a better picture of set up.



Here is another pic of the cubbie from the top of the creek bank.



Now i hope this will give you more ways of setting up your cubbies. and locations. Thanks for looking DH

If you look at the last pic you will see where they can travel from rock to rock to cross. There are coon and rat and mink tracks going along the shallow water. They cross here quite often. I fish just down from theis shallow flow and have watched mink and otter and rats cross here. Its also full of crayfish.

Looks nice, do you using guiding on those cubbies? I make the entrances for my cubbies alot more narrow then that. Otherwise you have problems with a mink snaking right around your trap.

No i never block the the mink will either use the right side or left side of the cubbie when he enters. So most times they will enter the cubbie from the upstream side and exit down stream thus setting trap to either side of cubbie useually Catches them. But there is never a always in trapping. But most of the time.

great post .... just a few comments/questions and please dont take this the wrong way .... i agree with the smaller entrances as mentioned above .... when poundin in those rr stakes dont ya fear that ya may weaken the rock (fractures ya cant see) and will lose animals later or even have them work lose after a catch or two ?? .... and how are ya beddin these traps ?? just sum things ya may wanna point out to the youngsters ...... great post .... thanx for takin the time to share with us!!!

I've also added muddy grass and moss to the tops and sides of these kind of cubbies.Adds a bit of mystery to the look.

Not wanting to hijack your thread deerhunter 65347 but to answer Gary's question and to help the beginning trapper.I bed these in sod.Just chop out a good sized piece of sod and turn it upside down in the water (dirt side up )This makes a perfect place to bed a trap and a well dyed and blacken trap will blend in well this way too.

Yes pale rider is correct a piece of sod does the trick for bedding. Gary about the rail road spikes i have some in places that have been there for yrs. Once you get them in they stay put. If it goes in to easy then it wont stay. Once they have been there for awhile they rust and the sedament that sets in around them acts like morter they wont move. I had a beaver in a no 2 one yr and it held him just fine but he destryed my cubbie.

Deerhunter is right, the RR spikes are made of a soft iron, and if properly hammered in tight hold very well.
I'd say from the picture, he picked a good spot for that sized spike.

What you guys that have that broken "country rock" stream bed can do is, make some smaller "knifeblade pitons" from flat stock.
Take a piece of 1"x3/8", drill a hole in one end, and sharpen the other end like the RR spike is (but don't make it so sharp it's dangerous, and don't overheat it).
These can "snake" there way into a crack, and the soft metal will take a good hold.

Narrower cracks tend to have more parallel, stronger walls, and will provide the most effective "placements" (climber word).

You can drill a series of holes, to lighten the pitons, and so you can tie off close to the rock or anywhere along the blade.
You end up with a smaller lighter "rock stake" that does a good job (but you can't find them along the RR track for free).

Spikes and pitons could be removed if the creek is used for wading, fishing, rafting, etc.
With the use of a "funkness device" (another climber term).

A funkness can be made with a trapper's hammer, a loop of stout poly rope, heavy cable (or better, chain), and (in the case of the pitons with an eye) a quick link.
It should be a little shorter than your arm, so you can't hit yourself with what you pull out.

My trappin' hammer in a metal handled 2# Estwing... so I'd slide a big quick link over the handle of my hammer, and the quick link in the other end gets hooked onto the stake or piton.

On RR ties I would hitch the loop of rope to my hammer, and to the spike, with a doubled larks foot knot (also known as a double girth/girdle hitch, or a Prusik knot).

Swinging (sideways) away from myself, and keeping my eyes away, I make a few soft swings of the hammer against the chain.
A funkness device hits with tremendous force.

Stop and check to see if the stake moved, and continue, swinging a little harder when you need to.
Usually with less force and fewer blows, you can funk out whatever you hammered in.
As it starts to move it will get easier, so slow down.
It will come out with tremendous force, if you are still applying it.

Pitons could be used on land, anywhere there's a crack in a rock that you have one that fits, and in frozen mud and ice.

Krusty

I use drowning rods w/ a weight slid down to the stop for those hard rock bottoms.
Hope this helps

Krusty were can a man by the pitons at cheaply. I think i would like to get some. Ive got some good cat locations on bed rock areas. And those sound better than the rr spikes. Thanks for that info

thanks for the info.

is the entrance of the cubbie facing with the water running into the entrance or water running into the back....or does that not matter??? wut do u use for bait??

nice post

The water is coming to the front of the last cubbie. I find it easier for what ever you use for bait to stay put in the cubbie with the water forcing it to the back and it helps keep your bedding material in place. As far as bait i like to use muskrat carcases. but remember keep the bait fresh for mink. Rabbit fur in the back of cubbies works great to. If you have mink lure i would put that on top of cubby.

Tony,

About the only pitons you'll find that are cheap, will be army surplus.
And they're not much smaller than your spikes.

Modern pitons are hardened, made in a wide variety of shapes sizes and intent, and not real cheap (because of a rigid certification process), but any climbing store (like http://www.rei.com ) will have them so you can look at a selection.
They can be found on e-bay, but this is a bad time of the year to buy.
I would fabricate them, if you can.

If you can't, let me know, we'll see if we can work something out.
Get a look at some hardware, and the area you're thinking of hardscrabble trapping, and think about what size "pins" you'd need.

Krusty

P.S. I placed an ad looking for some military pitons, and there's a local source I can check.
After re-thinking it they might work well for you, and be affordable.

Thanks krusty i might have to give ya a shout i am going to do a little shoping around, thanks for the info.

very nice DH

Great post DH... I have some spots I will try this out for sure... I always looks for these cubbies already made by Mother Nature in the tree roots and stuff, but most of the time they are not where I want them... This will work well!

Another great post !!!