Winter project to build wooden cubbies for fisher, cats and others for coon. Thinking about no bottom. More natural for animals to enter? Why have a bottom?

Having a bottom or not having one should not make that big of a difference as long as your trap is stable and that cubby is somewhat concealed, for Fisher I would stick with the leaning pole set with a wooden cubby baited and strapped at the top, but for every other animal I would just make a quick cubby qith tree limbs and sticks laying around instead of lugging a cubby big enough to fit cats around at that point you my as well just get a cage trap for cats.

This was my first season going for fisher, but when I asked around and the general consensus with fisher is that the cubby on the ground is more effective than on the pole until snow is on the ground, then the poles begin to shine.
NY has an early fisher season, not guarantees that there will be snow.
I chose to put bottom on my boxes because I figured it made the bait more visible. It won't just soak into the dirt. I don't think coons nor fisher will be suspicious of the wooden bottom.

Your PM.

I made 160 and 220 boxes for coon. I hang them from trees when there is a possibility of catching dogs. They seem to work good. They have a bottom obviously as they are hanging with the opening on top and the bait at the bottom.

split the difference

about 1/2 bottom (rear end) keeps them stiffer/durable

Make them with a bottom,they will be much more versatile for use on the line.

I was thinking along the same lines... here is what I came up with, haven't used them as of yet.

As "Boco" said make them with a bottom. Wood is a natural medium for them to walk on as well as the ground.

I would also suggest they be 14" or more in length with trap spring slots cut 9" deep so trap can be set about 4-6" in front of bait at back of the box. The reason being that with a trap set within 4-6 inches of the bait, you will get a neck or neck and thorax quick kill zone strike virtually every time with few misses and no poor catches. This occurs because the animal is centered to the trap and stable at the bait when it fires the trap, not moving through it. I prefer pan trigger traps for this set up.

Thanks for the responses. Problem in NY. Body gripper is very restrictive. Anything above 5 1/2” on land must be recessed 18 “or 4’ off the ground or opening can be no more than 6”. With 6 “ trap can be recessed minimum of 8”. With this any thoughts on coon and fisher?

For fisher I see no problem using the above box I posted with a restricted entrance hole of 4-5 inches. Fisher have no problem entering a opening of that size. The hole in the pic is 2 3/4 inches for mink.

bctomcat. Are you using a 155 in the top pic? Thanks

No, it's a 120 belisle supX but I believe a 155 will fit into it as the inside box measurements are 6 3/4 X 6 1/2 inches. Just build your box to fit whatever size trap you use.

These work OK for marten & fisher. Coyotes will eat the marten but seem to be afraid of fishers.

Everything is afraid of fisher. Even the Beav. lol
Thanks for the replies.

I'm looking at doing the same for here in Pa. Also here in Pa. the body gripper's are very restrictive, as to where they have to be placed. We can't use the running pole set, period. If using the body grip trap, they have to be in a watercourse, or in the water, pond, lake, river. But I caught my first fisher this past week, using a wire cubby, but problem with them is keeping them covered, with wind, & all the rain we have had. That's why I'm looking at making some wood cubby's also. Yes they will be heavier, but don't need to keep covering them every day.

What is the size of these boxes, & looks like you have no bottom in them?