Anyone use 160's for marten and in what application? Using a pan or just regular trigger wires? I really don't want to gear up with 120's as it is so limited in use. I don't even use 110's for rats.
Dean

My trapping partner and I use 155's, we get less refusals from big males. We got tired of seeing big tracks go up to 120 sets and then walk away.

The top picture is a small male caught by it's face in a 110, the bottom is a big male suitcased in a 155. We experienced less snapped empty traps, less refusals, more large males, and better full body catches after switching to bigger traps.

I'm sure 160's would work good too. We use unmodified triggers.

We caught three in a Sauvageau 220 bucket set as well, and two in a 330 Belisle set. These were for wolverine, but caught marten occasional marten in them as well.

Caught a couple in a 155 and one in the single spring version (150). Have otherwise used 110s and 120s, if buying marten traps I buy 120s but use what I have available at times. And whenever I order from MTP and have an option for a free 150 or 155, I take it. They seem to work good on marten, but won't fit in a lot of boxes made for 120s.

They work fine, I use lots just because I have a lot of fisher in my area.
I put pans on them all and have been very happy with the results. I can't say I've ever had a snapped trap without fur.

i see what you did there with that cubby! that is slick i realy like how you set up your pole to get the marten up.

Yep, we couldn't get our marten to climb, so we kept our wooden boxes and flower pots about a foot off of the ground, and wired a tip up pole to the trap. Pull the small side of tip up pole and trap down to the box, the trap sets tightly in the box or pot, when it goes off, it shoots out of the box, letting the tip up pole pull the marten off the snow so as not to get shrew gnawed.

Called the tip up set, not original with us.

I use a few just in case a big male Fisher or wolverine come by.

I plan on using them with pans. I just don't want to get set up and have the 160's not have proper strikes on the marten d/t size. Probably worrying too much.

120 is plenty for marten. Even fisher.

Cracker, did you make those lift sets yourself, or inherit them from Family Trapper?

I think he showed my trapping partner how to make them, or at least described them to him, and I want to say he gave my partner some pots and 110's. We didn't care for the flower pots and 110 conibears, so we started making plywood boxes, and using 155 conibears. From what he showed me the last time he was at my house eating supper, when he showed me where he used to trap, there are other people trapping there now. We trap further North. It would be neat to see one of his old sets out there, but I doubt we will.

Family Trapper showed me his snare set up for catching marten, I have three that he made hanging in my workshop, and material enough to make a hundred or so. One day I will. Dean, I have never used conibears with pans, so I can't comment on that.

As "alaska viking" said a 120 is plenty of trap for marten and fisher. As well it is a very efficient trap for mink and rats. I have used them with a pan trigger for years for mink, marten and fisher with trap set 4-5 inches in front of the bait for many years with great success. The mink and marten are suitcased with a neck thorax strike and fisher a base of skull neck strike. A trap set close to the bait, relative to the target species stance, is much more productive in producing consistent humane strikes than one placed far away, in a box or cubby. This occurs because the animal is stable at the bait and not moving through the trap to get to the bait when it is triggered. When set at the appropriate distance from the bait for the target species you will get a consistent humane neck or neck/thorax strike. This occurs as they have their neck through the trap jaws with a foot or chin pressing down on the pan while working the bait.

My 120 sized traps are set up exclusively for marten in the manner described in bctomcat’s post. The only difference would be that I prefer the wedge shaped boxes, search William Larkam aka big land trapper on YouTube. My experiences with them leave nothing to be desired. The sets are very efficient in taking marten, fisher, and our occasional climbing mink.

Further to my previous post, I have never noted a fisher that has climbed refuse to enter my 120 trap. I have seen them refuse to climb though. The 120 trap provides an unobstructed entrance of around 4 1/2 inches which a large fisher can get their head easily through. If a fisher wants the bait it will squeeze through. The following picture is of a large fisher with its head through a 3 inch hole.

Wow, BC, that's awesome!

I know 120's are adequate for marten, but think I would like to have a more uniform set of trapping equipment. I could also use 160's on raccoon, and like them for trail mink and bottom edge sets for rats. 120 isn't good for much except marten boxes. I won't even use 'em for rats.

Apparently you have never used a Belisle Super X 120.

Curious as to why you won't use 120s for rats. The 110 is generally considered the quintessential rat bodygrip and is just a single spring 120. Why don't you like the small bodygrips for rat and mink?

I am also confused. Seems to just want to use 160's? I could care less, though I have never heard of anyone preferring them for rats. But what do I know. Only been trapping 45 years, or so, and still learning.

The only problem I see with using 160's on marten is; higher cost, extra weight, the need for larger boxes, and probably a lot more misses on the incidental mink.

I can also see damage to the valuable middle of the back fur, with a larger trap. Marten, as we all know are small critters, and are eager to enter a set, usually. I spend more thought on where they are than how to catch them, once I know.

A 160 is a much better rat trap than a 110/120. A 220/210 is much better than a 110 as well. A swimming rat will never get through either, and the bigger opening will cause less misses/refusals/swim arounds. I have personally had very few mink get through 220/160 on dry land when set with a cross wire across the trigger. The point of my post is: I have a lot of 160's. They can be used on coons as well, so are a dual target trap. Is anyone using them with pans and having any problems. If they don't work well, it is no problem to use a 120. On my line, they would be used for only one animal- marten.

Thus ends another thread......

Not necessarily. On my line a 120 Super X Belisle was effectively used for weasel, rats, mink, marten and fisher for quick dispatch. No used for a 160 as a 220 or larger was required for humane dispatch of larger animals.

I agree 100%. We don't have rats here, to speak of, but growing up in Oregon in the 70's, I trapped many 100's of them with small footholds and 110's.
Here, mink , ermine and marten are the order of the day, and the Belisle 120 is my trap of choice. All outfitted with wood pans.
Boxes like yours, as well.
Fisher are a new arrival on my line, but the 120 certainly proves plenty adequate, as well.

Since we can't trap fisher here (may get a limited season soon) I would actually prefer if they did refuse 120s. I don't see a large problem with using 160s if you have them and agree versatility is always nice in traps. I just prefer the 120s for the reasons AV cited and would never buy 160s for marten. For that matter I wouldn't buy 150s or 155s for them, but since I've gotten a few free from MTP I use them and they work fine. They don't get used as much because again, you need different size boxes and that is a pain.
IF you are using supports and setting your traps on the outside of the box then it wouldn't be an issue. I do this some and am going to try using milk jugs this year, unfortunately I have multiple brands and ages/models, so that I have to have different supports for different traps, again a pain.