I’m a brand new trapper and today I tried anchoring a trap with a wolf fang and bent it all up on what turned out to be a massive rock. I really wanted a trap in this exact location, and it turned out this was going to be impossible. If I had a freedom brand drag would this be my best second option? It was going to be a flat set on a great intersection surrounded by mountain laurel and young thick woods. Burying the drag would probably not be an option so how would I implement this method?

Have you tried another brand of earth anchor? What about Super Stakes? They hold up better in rocky ground, and if you get them on chain, if you hit a rock, and the anchor is not all the way in the ground. The remaining chain will lay nicely in your trap bed.

Thanks I’ll look into that for next year!

How deep did you get before you hit rock ? If you don’t have enough dirt to bury an anchor you probably can’t get deep enough to hold with a super stake either !

4 inches max.... which is why I originally thought drag, but have no experience or knowledge of them

Don't hesitate if you have good sign and no drag with you in the field to cut your own drag from a good hardwood pole at least 4" thick and 5' or 6' long.

You don`t need to bury the drag.I just cover up the first couple feet of chain and hook the drag around a small tree or just in some brush.As long as it is thick cover they will get stuck on something quick.

I use drags whenever possible. I trap in a lot of open farm country so not always an option. If I could I would use them at every set. If you can make your set close enough to a little cover just make your set and throw the drag up in the cover then hammer your chain in a bit to conceal it and go on down the road.

Great stuff guys I guess my next question is how much chain do I need?

Depends on the terrain and amount of cover. I typically run 8ft but have some heavy drags with just 6ft for cutovers.

Try using a cordless drill to put in a pilot hole before you drive the stakes. It literally cut my set time in half.

I run about 10 feet on my drags as I tend to use them in sod and want the extra length to help the drag lock up in grass. Hard to go back to anchors after using drags.

Just to piggy back offa what the rest said

Just to piggy back offa what the rest said

I have a couple grapples with chains I could loan to you.
A good location needs set before it changes.

I appreciate all the help and your offer Wright Bros. Came home from the game lands and put a good wolf fang on that duke and made a set in the field out back. There’s a red fox who’s been making me look foolish all year.(don’t take much being a rookie)

im with snipper I like at least 10' of #2 chain but I also like 3-4' of heavy log chain connected directly to the drag. I want to know 100% the drag stays on the ground digging.But as john said don't hesitate to use a clog. that's how I connect my fox traps and 75% of the time the trap bed is at the very edge of the catch cirle

I trap some real open and manicured areas. Don't waste your time on any drags that aren't either picker point, JC Connor or Sabertooth. There are probably others, but these are commercially available TODAY by calling any number of suppliers.

JC and Sabertooth will lock up in sod and grass with about 8 feet of chain! Picker point drags will allow a little further travel in the real smooth stuff, but when I want critters to get to the brush they are my go to. Other things about JC's stuff. He has various styles an weights. If you call and explain what you are trying to do- pre hook, nail down on the spot, let them get to cover, fox, coyote, wolf, etc they will get you the right gear for the task.

Tom

Sorry to steal this thread but on drags whats everyones preferred weight on drags? I make my own a more aggressive Saber tooth style and I shoot for 10lbs on the drag its self! a fellow trapper says that's to much! Opinions?

On the JC Connor or Sabertooth style drags weight 2-3 is all you need. The design of the drag is what slows the animals down. I don't think you'd want a truck of 100 10# drags plus the chain and traps.

1st year using drags. I love them for cat trapping in the brush. Been using the ugly drags designed and made by Chip davis with 10-12 feet of #2 twist chain. Caught 4 cats with them, not 1 made it furhter than 10 feet. I really like this set up for cats and will have a dozen more before next year. I like the lighter set up, easier to carry into the brush.

If I was going to trap coyotes with drags I would use something as Tony F. described, heavier drags and chain, I would want it to constantly dig in and wear the critter down and keep him as close as possible.

I trap primarily with drags and rarely stake a trap down. Build my own drags from rod stock, sucker rod from windmills, or rebar, with cotton picker spindles for the points. They are set at opposing 45 degree angles from the mains shaft of the drag. They probably wiegh 2-3 lbs. I run at least 10 feet of chain, #2, most of the time. yes you can get away with shorter chain if your country is really brushy, but I don't hesitate to set mine up in open country and that length of chain is a big plus in open country. I like to have at least 3 swivels in that length of chain. One at the base of the trap, another a couple of feet down, and the 3rd really doesn't matter. I have some with the 3rd swivel halfway between the 2nd and the drag, and some with the 3rd swivel at the top of the drag and have had good luck either way. I usually bury mine off to the side of the trap bed and lay the chain in so that it all comes out before the drag leaves the hole. If I can't bury it there is usually some juniper duff around to cover it with. I'm not a fan of leaving it uncovered, as there might be a shiny spot on it that the critter may focus on and we want them focused on the set, and not something else, and I never hook mine on anything. I'm not saying that leaving them uncovered and hooking them on trees, brush etc. don't work, that's just not how I learned. Good luck, and happy trapping

Cutting trees on gubt land can get you in a heap of trouble, be advised.

When I started, clogs as these guys call them was my main method.
One time I got balled out by a land owner for cutting a young oak.

I'll never forget that lesson. It's not "the" woods, someone owns and manages it. He later hired me to do cull cutting. We became life long friends.

I switched to Iron wood. We had no coyotes then, I used dbl wire. I will not use wire in that situation today.