In clear water bank den runs – Have you had more success setting the run or setting the bank entrance hole with a colony trap. I normally drop 150’s in those runs & entrances but wondering if it’s a good application for a colony trap?

If you can fit the trap in the hole, you're better off setting in the hole in clear water.

As long as you can keep 100% of the colony trap underwater, inserting the trap into the bank den has worked best for me.
You can always set another colony trap further away in the run if it is well defined and the trap fills it with limited space along the sides!

Chris

wish we could use em.

I generally set both if location allows and I have enough traps.

Wish we could stack them, place them side by side and have them larger than 6x6 inches. Then again I am glad we can use them at all!

Chris

We are hamstrung here In WI when it comes to colony trap use.
In my opinion It's not necessary to place the colony trap up tight to the den entrance. When a rat leaves the den It doesn't swim directly to the surface.

We can build fences to guide critters Into a body grip trap but we can't use any kind of guiding when using the colony trap.

Wisconsin colony trap laws suck.
When they first legalized colonies in Wi., I was asked to do a demo on them at the WTA convention. I refused to do the demo,Wi regs hamstring the trapper unbelievably,and all the tricks I learned with them here in MN,could not be used in Wi.
Tom

Got that right Bogmaster....
protectionist at it's prime.
Should be that they should have to follow their state rules when they trap -out-of-state,

Then the tail will bite the dog scenario.

Yea we campaigned for stupid overregulation.

After all why would we want to do anything the easy way? >sarcasm<

You can also (if legal ) install wings or guides on your colony. Set it in deep water and create your pinch point. It apparently works for some trappers here. Finding any dens can sontimes be tricky.

I live in Michigan and have slightly different regulations but I will say the colony traps I use are 6x6x24. I put them tight to a den entrance like I do, did with a 110. They work fine that way. Runs are easy to find if you get in the water and feel around. Most water here is muddy bottom and as soon as you step in you see nothing.

No, WE didn't. Marcus Bresee wrote up the original language for the colony trap in WI. You want to see that let me know. I'll ask him if he still has it available.

The cluster#$&@ that guides us today printed in the regs was the work of our former furbearer biologist. Apparently he had no love or use for "multiple catch" traps.

Those regs "should be" cleaned up for the 2020 season. Unfortunately, our colony trap sets continue to be judged by the multiple interpretations of individual wardens.

beats not being able to use them at all,just a different perspective.

Again, open to interpretation. Depends on whose interpretation.

I put this same scenario to the afore mentioned furbearer biologist, and assistant furbearer biologist, and was given the following interpretation:

Colony traps may be placed side by side under the following conditions:

1. They are all lined up with each other on both ends. One does not protrude ahead of another. If it does, that would be perceived as funneling. That applies both horizontally and vertically.

2. They may not span the width of the waterway, meaning you can't have a line of colony traps from one bank to another. If you do, that's perceived as impeding navigation. Doesn't matter if the stream is 7 inches or 7 feet deep, you're impeding navigation. Now if you place a bodygrip somewhere in that row of colony traps, you are no longer impeding navigation. Don't ask.

Word is common sense regulations will be in print next season. Meanwhile, we play games.

Back to the OP's question, set that colony trap down in the run. A tile spade comes in real handy. It's your third leg and you can scrape out the run allowing your colony trap to fit down in there. If you've got sufficient inventory and it's an active run, set two of them in that run, about two feet apart. You'll be surprised.

All these nit pickty laws... and the funny thing is if you're a friend or go to the same church as the local warden you're good... or if you are a relative of the local sheriff, they'll run your competition off like a free grazer.... Been there done it... here's a real kick in the pants! This guys been stealing my traps, you know him for a fact to be doing it ... sheriff says theft of traps is a DNR issue not law enforcement warden is not returning calls... finally days later warden responds "you pulled your traps in that area, right"... well yeah. I've lost hundreds of dollars in beaver traps and pelts... his response "problem solved"... trap thief works for DNR... Roar!

head east young man.

That was east I had to leave that miserable state of MN couldn't trap any were else reciprocal non resident BS... 24 hr check on non drowner footholds and snares JOKE

I'll trade world class beaver trapping for western cats and fluffy coyotes anytime baby!