Anyone have any experience with any type of indicator to show that a trap has connected?
I have to hide my catch from view and I am looking for ideas on types of indicator that can be seen at a good distance so I don't have to approach the set location that would show a catch was made even though the animal is hidden.

What are you trapping and where?

Some smart fellow should invent a sensor on a trap that would send a signal to your cell phone to show if it was sprung, guess it would be to costly.

I have used bicycle flags triggered by cage trap doors for beaver so I did not need to put in the boat

I've made sets where I can't see the catch but I can see if the weeds are knocked down, like a tall horse weed for example.

Usually an extra tall and lonely stalk of goldenrod. Jam it in the chain link out by the drag. When it’s gone, the drag has been moved and you are in for a merry chase

Good idea. I’ve heard of guys painting the traps bright colors and using binos to check sets on field edges

Canines and coon on open field edges and hiding if fence rows. Looking for ideas that save me from driving to the sets daily. Most of the sets are from 50-500 yards out. I've been toying with the idea of utility flags under the trap that should in theory pop up when the trap is pulled from its bed.

They have some

I did a couple using eperbs…. My local coast guard was not happy

There was a guy on here from the Netherlands a few years ago that made them out of flip cell phones. When he made a catch the phone was turned on and it would ring when he called, before a catch it went right to voice mail. He had to call them to see if he made a catch. He is not on here any more. He came to ND and trapped with me a month one year.

I use indicators trapping beaver in the spring. Especially when trapping problem beaver off the road. Less foot traffic means drawing less attention.

Yes we always put a weed through the chain poked into the ground on submerged foot holds on drowners. No need to go look if the weed is still standing... well at least when we use good traps.

Traps need to be tended and tealed otherwise you will not know what is going on at the set.
If your indicator fails or the bait is gone and the trap not triggered(which happens often) you are wasting your time going over the line.

Long willow sticks. 3' from the trap.

Like others a tall weed like a Mullien or Golden rod in the catch circle or in the path of the slide wire

Something I have used is about 2 or 3' for (pick your color) survey ribbon. Just fold it up enough to sit under your trap. Use a stick or nail to push in the loose end, thread the loose end under the base of your trap. When it is pulled from the bed, it will pull it out of the hole and be easy to see. Also gives you an idea on which way your drag went. Works with water traps as well, can see they are gone with out having to climb down the bank.

For my wolf sets I use a tall piece of brush or dead cedar whip (which are always light colored) wrapped in the chain to indicate if the set has been disturbed. I try not to go any closer than needed when check and the sticks can be seen a long ways off. You can stick a reflective tack in the very top of the stick as well. If you check in the dark with a flashlight they really show up from a distance. To Boco's point, you need to know your set location well enough to know when/if it needs tended which it eventually will.

White stick in center against the grand fir is wrapped in the end of a chain. Pee post to the right of the stick.

Thanks for the ideas.

There are electronic strikers out there, however most are designed for biologists with big pockets being fed from other funds !

I did some research about making my own seeing as I'm already set up with my calling units building wise, thought some of the cost would be mitigated down a bit. Can do it, however the cost is un-supportive to using them unless your gang setting or are being supported with some one else's funds for research or other form.

Parts are expensive to send signals, line of sight mostly is what is needed, trapping don't usually lend it's self to that notion most of the time. Besides getting pretty beat up with being in close contact with the target, they would not last long, easy to make, expensive to sell and repair usually is not a do thing as they are torn up pretty badly.

Best thing is to just mark the area in some natural way only you can identify, or if after a particular target use a phone camera placed away from the area but on the catch area.

I've been getting some real nice video's from some customers using my calling units with these new cameras, expensive yes, but you cannot argue they don't work, when tripped by movement they send a signal to your phone, you can actually watch the action if you answer right away, quite a thing !