If you can drive in rebar you already have a piolet hole. Wiggle it back and forth and then drive in your earth anchor.
I don't think that's to difficult.

Wetdog that makes no sense at all. Why not just stake with the rebar your driving anyway? Disposable stakes are more trouble than they are worth. I dont believe you can wear out a rebar stake. Double as a nose knocker also

Use a vise grips to help remove re bar. If needed you can snap on the vise grips on the stake it's self then you have a new point to pry from. Just keep moving the vice grips down as you pry out the stake.
I make my stakes with a washer welded about 3/4 of an inch down from the top of the stake. This year I went to just about all 1/2" smooth stakes. It sure makes a difference when It comes to removing them.

Almost all my trapping are walk lines so weight is an issue. When I pull traps, I just cut the cable and go
I should have explained it better

I've been useing 3/8 cold roll round for a lot of years now. I started with a rebar and one 3/8 stake, works good through a lap link, and now set a lot with just two 3/8 stakes. Early in the season, I use longer ones, and as it freezes up, go to shorter ones. You can drive them in a steep cross, and have never lost a trap, even in the sandhills!

How long are they?

Yup.

f

Gary, the short ones are sixteen inches and the longer ones are twenty four. I don't care for those butterfly double stake thingys, but have never seen one fail. It bothers me to have a thirty pound lunging critter pulling against a 3/16 ths inch rivet sideways! I also quit the split rings a number of years ago when I lost a big yote to one in Ne along with an mj600. was not a happy camper. that split ring was still hooke on the anchor with one end and it was pulled out to where it looked like a pair of glasses.

Lee I use 16" 1/2" smooth stakes and cross stake. I use the butter fly connections but I run a cable loop through the hole then beat on 2 double ferrules and a washer to secure the loop. Then I make my connection to the trap or snare with quick link.
Or just weld the rivet closed with one chain link.

I was toying with the idea of using smooth 3/8s rods for stakes next year. But I would probably go with a length of 20" but still cross stake In most situations.

I use rebar with double butterfry 18in. stakes been useing for years. Work great for me.

In the Early '70's I found an article in my Ontario Trappers mag regarding "frost pegs". They were using 12" 1/2" nails. I found some 14" 1/2" smooth nails at a 4 generation hardware store. I used them in the dead of winter when the ground was rock frozen. My 1 1/2 Victors had a lap link in the end.... Never lost a trap.

Now, there were ZERO coyotes where I trapped and I trapped in alfalfa field that were composed of compacted soil, no sand.

I think staking types and depth depends entirely on the soil type you're trapping in.

Maybe I was lucky, but they worked for me. I slide a stainless 1/2" washer underneath and welded to the nail top, with a top bead only. The stainless washer took a lot of beating without distortion and a twist with vise grips released the peg.

Don't know everything, but trying to learn something... Just worked for me.