This is just my opinion...

Why worry about it? I'd rather double stake and sleep well. The cost of a double stake swivel and an extra stake are cheap insurance compared to losing a trap AND a critter.

Mike

I don't have the luxury of trees...stakes are it.

How do you avoid conflict in town?

Jon, Try a 24" chain on the trap and then try to pull your stake pulling along the ground like a trapped animal would pull.

I would not trust an 18" 1/2" rebar stake for our sized coons in our soil, unless the ground is frozen. I prefer a 24" long 3/8" rebar stake.

These are all staked with 20 inch 1/2" rebar. These are middle Ga coon. Stakes are handy in these situations.

To maximize your catch you need to be dead on location. So stakes have their place. Could use earth anchors too.

Chains are about 12" long...factory Ztrap chains.

Use rebar stakes anywhere coon cannot reach something to pull on. You'll be ok.

Rebar is cheap. No harm in making them a touch longer. I have some 18" but use the 24s (1/2") for peace of mind.

Ok I will make a longer stake today if it holds better I will buy some more rebar if they still don't I will make some double stakes. And I agree with swamp wolf if I see a sweet spot I don't want to have to leave it just to find a sappling or root that's just my opinion. And I will be trapping at corn feeders some so stakes are just better for me

All it took to get permission is a storm drain stop up with trash the coons were dragging out and flood a street. Then the city threaten to make the restaurant owners pay a fine. Also a beaver dammed up a small stream and flooded an entire subdivision. After I caught 2 out of there the city manager steered me to the restaurants with trouble. Plus the city owns the right of way were the lines run so in most cases only permission I need I get from city the manager.
I only use Dp's to avoid any cats or loose dogs. Cages are too heavy for the places I go.
Hand full of cabled Dp's , Pocket full of maple marshmellows, and a snap top fish oil tablet bottle full of cat food, = coons

Then use a Drag, can be anything from around the area... dead tree, tire rim, fence post or Regular store bought or Shop made Drag. Each location can have different soil... so saying soil type for this area does not always help us understand. I would use an 18" rebar and something else if you were in question of it holding. Have you tried Cable stakes.?

use a cable stake... easier, cheaper, lighter

No haven't used cable stakes and I'm going to try building my own earth anchors here in a couple of days for my DPs I just want to be able to put them in and take them out and put them any where that's why I don't want to use earth anchors for them because I don't want to just leave it in the ground or cut the loop off rebar will work better for me and I don't have to worry about weight because every where I trap I can get to with a truck or 4 wheeler.

I've lost a dp on 18" rebar single staked, 24 hour check.

Just orderd double stakes for them.

Rebar is so much faster and more durable for coon. I've done both and wont use a cable stake again. Very easy to pull and rebar stake. Unless you're cutting all your cable stakes they are far slower...and need to be maintained.

Rebar is about $6 for a 20ft rod now. so 60 cents a piece plus a dime of so for a nut. And will never wear out or need maintenance. That's pretty cheap.

I totally agree with you on that

That's a good price for rebar , I paid 12 bucks for some 20'ers the other day.

I scrounge mine from construction sites and road work, free for the asking. I've even taken my chop saw and plugged in there to cut them down to length.

That's the best way to get it

18 inch stakes for DP's in Solid soil will be fine, make sure its solid soil tho. I started running cable tie offs with alot of my dp's. Cable with loop in the end. These are for places with trees or rootballs to tie off to, makes setting fast along brushy banks. If you run any 1.5 coilsprings I would probably double stake incase you get a cat or something.