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Marten Trappers #7458718
01/12/22 07:06 PM
01/12/22 07:06 PM
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 487
Wyoming
E
E.J. Kelley Offline OP
trapper
E.J. Kelley  Offline OP
trapper
E

Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 487
Wyoming
Ok guys and gals, Marten is on my bucket list some day soon. What is you go to brand and size of body gripping traps. Thanks!!!!

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7458743
01/12/22 07:42 PM
01/12/22 07:42 PM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
Ryan McLeod Offline
trapper
Ryan McLeod  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
120 Belisle is my favorite. I have LDL, savageau, and duke traps and ill take the belisle over the rest any day.


If you take care of the land the land will take care of you
Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7458748
01/12/22 07:53 PM
01/12/22 07:53 PM
Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 42
AK
B
BillNye Offline
trapper
BillNye  Offline
trapper
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Joined: Nov 2021
Posts: 42
AK
I'll also vouch for the Belisles. They're the only brand I've found where the safeties don't tend to fall away when you compress the springs to set the trap. I've also tried using RBG 160s with 8" concrete forms and that seems to work fine as well

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7458792
01/12/22 08:30 PM
01/12/22 08:30 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5,514
juneau, alaska
A
alaska viking Offline
"Made it two years not being censored"
alaska viking  Offline
"Made it two years not being censored"
A

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5,514
juneau, alaska
Times 3, for the Belisle 120's, with wood pedals.


Made it almost 3 years without censor!

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7458830
01/12/22 09:02 PM
01/12/22 09:02 PM
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,153
Alaska and Washington State
W
waggler Offline
trapper
waggler  Offline
trapper
W

Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 9,153
Alaska and Washington State
I guess I'm the only one who hates Belisle spring safety latches. I want to be about to unhook the safety by giving the trap a flick of the wrist; not having to manually manipulate the safety.
Any good strong 120, or 120 magnums are just fine imo.


"My life is better than your vacation"
Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7458849
01/12/22 09:14 PM
01/12/22 09:14 PM
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska
D
drasselt Offline
trapper
drasselt  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: May 2010
Posts: 2,686
Alaska

[Linked Image]


I’ve used duke, BMI and belisle and belisle are my favorite. Dukes were well built and least expensive but did not have the magnum jaws and were not as efficient as I needed them to be. I don’t really care about the safeties bit I do like the flat dogs which cut down on fur damage and also lets you wax them so they don’t rust and also keeps fur clean.
Magnum jaws are what you want regardless of what you end up with. The tight fit dispatches much better.


you can vote your way into socialism, but you will have to shoot your way out.
Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7458944
01/12/22 10:19 PM
01/12/22 10:19 PM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 188
Southeast, Alaska
S
SE.Current Offline
trapper
SE.Current  Offline
trapper
S

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 188
Southeast, Alaska
10-20% of my marten total catch comes from bodygrippers. Savageaus and Belisle 160s, I connect the trigger with stainless downrigger wire and small ferrules.

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7458976
01/12/22 10:52 PM
01/12/22 10:52 PM
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,623
alaska
3
3 Fingers Online content
trapper
3 Fingers  Online Content
trapper
3

Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,623
alaska
Have used Victor Duke SC and BMI and like Belisle the most . I use trigger wire on mine

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7458990
01/12/22 10:59 PM
01/12/22 10:59 PM
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5,514
juneau, alaska
A
alaska viking Offline
"Made it two years not being censored"
alaska viking  Offline
"Made it two years not being censored"
A

Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 5,514
juneau, alaska
Belisle safeties are a plus, in my opinion. And with pans, they stay set while placing the trap. I honestly have no complaints with them.
Other brands, well, I have used most, other than Sav's, and can't recommend any over Belisle.


Made it almost 3 years without censor!

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7459070
01/13/22 12:35 AM
01/13/22 12:35 AM
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,263
james bay frontierOnt.
B
Boco Online content
trapper
Boco  Online Content
trapper
B

Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 45,263
james bay frontierOnt.
I use Belisle and LDL b 120 magnum.
LDL is the best marten trap.No dog or trigger ever touches the fur.


Forget that fear of gravity-get a little savagery in your life.
Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7459127
01/13/22 02:29 AM
01/13/22 02:29 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
M
martentrapper Offline
trapper
martentrapper  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
I'm still on the foothold boat. Prefer them.

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: martentrapper] #7459136
01/13/22 03:25 AM
01/13/22 03:25 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline
trapper
bfisch  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
Originally Posted by martentrapper
I'm still on the foothold boat. Prefer them.



Just curious as to why.

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: martentrapper] #7459258
01/13/22 09:27 AM
01/13/22 09:27 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
D
Dirt Offline
trapper
Dirt  Offline
trapper
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
Originally Posted by martentrapper
I'm still on the foothold boat. Prefer them.


and my bodygrips don't have safeties and are the lightest on the market and are really fast to set and easier to get critters out of.


Who is John Galt?
Re: Marten Trappers [Re: martentrapper] #7459349
01/13/22 11:06 AM
01/13/22 11:06 AM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,124
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
W

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,124
McGrath, AK
Originally Posted by martentrapper
I'm still on the foothold boat. Prefer them.



X3

But I do own less than a dozen Belisle 120's. Much better than the old Victor 110


Mean As Nails
Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7459388
01/13/22 11:44 AM
01/13/22 11:44 AM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
D
Dirt Offline
trapper
Dirt  Offline
trapper
D

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 11,135
Armpit, ak
I do not prefer footholds here. Too hard to weather proof. There are not the perfect size pole behind every bush and all the big spruce are dead falling over every wind storm.

MARTEN
120 BG/33%
110 BG/25%
1 LS/15%
220 BG/

2014-2015 most common trap used by trappers to trap marten in U.S. AFWA survey

Last edited by Dirt; 01/13/22 11:56 AM.

Who is John Galt?
Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7459688
01/13/22 04:11 PM
01/13/22 04:11 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
bctomcat Offline
trapper
bctomcat  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 2,794
100 Mile House, BC Can
120 Belisle with a pan trigger.


The only constant in trapping is change so keep learning.






Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7459835
01/13/22 07:29 PM
01/13/22 07:29 PM
Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 487
Wyoming
E
E.J. Kelley Offline OP
trapper
E.J. Kelley  Offline OP
trapper
E

Joined: Mar 2021
Posts: 487
Wyoming
Lots of good info guys! Thankyou much!

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7459952
01/13/22 09:17 PM
01/13/22 09:17 PM
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,417
Idaho
B
bearcat2 Offline
trapper
bearcat2  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 2,417
Idaho
I've got one Belisle, a bunch of Bridger 120 magnums and some various Duke, Victor and Northwoods 120s. I've caught quite a lot in the past in 110s and never had an issue, although some claim they can rub fur if they don't expire immediately. 120s are much easier to stabilize in a box with two springs however. I'm kind of on the fence about the Belisle safeties, they stay on which is very nice, but. . . I like to set the traps by hand without setters and the other brands I can squeeze the springs with my hand and then tilt the trap and the safety will fall into place and I can relax the spring. Can't do that with the Belisle safety, once it is on it is real nice, putting it on without setters, not so much. The Bridgers are a good trap at a good price, but, with the safeties on the jaws are still far enough apart that you can't hardly grab them with one hand and squeeze them together to set. And AT LEAST one safety will fall off while setting, guaranteed.

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: bfisch] #7460279
01/14/22 02:14 AM
01/14/22 02:14 AM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
M
martentrapper Offline
trapper
martentrapper  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 3,489
Moved to Fbks, Ak.
Originally Posted by bfisch
Originally Posted by martentrapper
I'm still on the foothold boat. Prefer them.

Just curious as to why.


I have used coni types in the past. Sometimes the marten struggles in the trap and gets fur damage. Other times the animal dies but if it stays in the coni the metal jaw freeze dries the hide where it touches. My experience has been it is easier to get the marten to step on the trap than to stick his head thru the coni. I am aware that conipans allow the coni to act somewhat like a trap that has to be stepped on. Marten caught in coni's die with the food still in their stomach. Without cold temps (early season, warm spell) you can get hair slippage on the stomach area.
There are ways to set footholds that can be weather proof. Some of you may remember Family Trappers sets with conis under a bucket, close to the ground, and a lift pole to swing the caught animal off the ground. Same idea works with footholds. I would say that a guy setting a serious marten line would be better off with both coni and foothold to meet whatever situation he finds.

Re: Marten Trappers [Re: E.J. Kelley] #7460291
01/14/22 03:13 AM
01/14/22 03:13 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline
trapper
bfisch  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
Good reasons! Thanks!

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