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Otter lessons #6666771
11/15/19 06:40 PM
11/15/19 06:40 PM
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 1,306
Maine
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Jonnytrapper Offline OP
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Jonnytrapper  Offline OP
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Maine
Had two 330s set a few feet apart. One had an otter that was close to being hip caught and one was tripped. The one that was empty had weaker springs than the one that was not. Guessing weaker springs, trigger configuration and non closing jaws cost me my first double. People tell you stuff but some times you have to learn the hard way.

Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666776
11/15/19 06:47 PM
11/15/19 06:47 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 21,385
Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
Jtrapper Offline
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Alabama (Bama for short) 108 y...
cool


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Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666797
11/15/19 07:22 PM
11/15/19 07:22 PM
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Posts: 11,165
Central NC
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traprjohn Offline
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Close to hip caught says,,,,you possibly didn't tune the trigger set up as instructed in the Basic Sets forum above....and tap a punch or nail in the yoke to help as well. You want the trap to trip with short trigger travel.
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Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666800
11/15/19 07:27 PM
11/15/19 07:27 PM
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100 Mile House, BC Can
bctomcat Offline
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IMO a 330-size trap is a poor choice for otter unless it is fully submerged.
For fast moving otter’s a 330-size trap quite often closes on them to far back resulting in poor hip catches that don’t dispatch them quickly. My experience with the smaller 280 is that it closes faster and results in fewer, if any, poor catches. The 280 will also capture more of the incidental mink and muskrats that often trigger 330 beaver and otter sets without getting caught. Thus, it is the ultimate otter trap IMO.


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Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666803
11/15/19 07:30 PM
11/15/19 07:30 PM
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Posts: 1,306
Maine
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Jonnytrapper Offline OP
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Triggers are tuned up real good but the other two made it quite a ways through the traps too. There is a lot of open space in the 330 and I think they are triggering when their front legs hit? What do you think?

Here's #2 front legs last the trap
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Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666804
11/15/19 07:32 PM
11/15/19 07:32 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,415
east central WI
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k snow Online content
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I tuned my 330 triggers per some posts on here, and that helped a ton. I caught 4 muskrat in them and my otter was caught right behind the head, never made it to the second jaw.

Filed the dog to take out trigger play and chamfered the corner of the dog to reduce engagement.

Re: Otter lessons [Re: bctomcat] #6666806
11/15/19 07:33 PM
11/15/19 07:33 PM
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Jonnytrapper Offline OP
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Originally Posted by bctomcat
IMO a 330-size trap is a poor choice for otter unless it is fully submerged.
For fast moving otter’s a 330-size trap quite often closes on them to far back resulting in poor hip catches that don’t dispatch them quickly. My experience with the smaller 280 is that it closes faster and results in fewer, if any, poor catches. The 280 will also capture more of the incidental mink and muskrats that often trigger 330 beaver and otter sets without getting caught. Thus, it is the ultimate otter trap IMO.


These where set for beaver but I do have some 280s with good springs I was considering swapping traps.

Last edited by Jonnytrapper; 11/15/19 09:19 PM.
Re: Otter lessons [Re: k snow] #6666807
11/15/19 07:34 PM
11/15/19 07:34 PM
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Maine
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Jonnytrapper Offline OP
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Originally Posted by k snow
I tuned my 330 triggers per some posts on here, and that helped a ton. I caught 4 muskrat in them and my otter was caught right behind the head, never made it to the second jaw.

Filed the dog to take out trigger play and chamfered the corner of the dog to reduce engagement.


Done that. Fire with almost no movement.

Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666811
11/15/19 07:36 PM
11/15/19 07:36 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
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east central WI
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k snow Online content
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You could try putting thin wire between the spread ends of the trigger. There's a lot of room in a 330 for an otter.

Re: Otter lessons [Re: k snow] #6666817
11/15/19 07:45 PM
11/15/19 07:45 PM
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Jonnytrapper Offline OP
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Originally Posted by k snow
You could try putting thin wire between the spread ends of the trigger. There's a lot of room in a 330 for an otter.


Like a metal wire or fishing line?

Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666819
11/15/19 07:48 PM
11/15/19 07:48 PM
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 6,415
east central WI
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k snow Online content
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Yep, something thin and light. But if theres a lot of debris in the water, it's just one more thing for it to catch on.

Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666832
11/15/19 08:06 PM
11/15/19 08:06 PM
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PA
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lumberjack391 Offline
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If they were only a few feat apart whos to say the caught otters thrashing didn't set off the other trap?

Re: Otter lessons [Re: Jonnytrapper] #6666854
11/15/19 08:29 PM
11/15/19 08:29 PM
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Jonnytrapper Offline OP
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Trap never moved off the stakes. I'm just guessing there was a second otter though of course.

Re: Otter lessons [Re: bctomcat] #6666861
11/15/19 08:38 PM
11/15/19 08:38 PM
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Orergon
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alaska viking Offline
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Originally Posted by bctomcat
IMO a 330-size trap is a poor choice for otter unless it is fully submerged.
For fast moving otter’s a 330-size trap quite often closes on them to far back resulting in poor hip catches that don’t dispatch them quickly. My experience with the smaller 280 is that it closes faster and results in fewer, if any, poor catches. The 280 will also capture more of the incidental mink and muskrats that often trigger 330 beaver and otter sets without getting caught. Thus, it is the ultimate otter trap IMO.

I agree, 100%.


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