Hello to all. Guess I have nothing to do but think. Trapping a few ponds after deer season and might be iced over with couple or so inches. I was wondering if anyone has ever thought about attaching something like a 6-inch diameter auger or something to a drill to drill a hole, just big enough to set a 110 in a run or den. Am I thinking to much or just chop it out with an axe. Which I always did in the past. Thoughts.

A couple inches of ice? lol,just stomp a hole.

might be more than a couple.

Any thicker than I could chop / break out with an ax, I'd wait a bit ..... or pass.
It's likely to freeze back in, aint it ?

Chopping holes with an axe can be a wet experience. I do know someone who runs an auger in the winter. I'd go bigger than 6" though as you have to accommodate the spring and stake.

For a few inches, I just use a spud, though. Less water in your face than an axe.

I carry an ice chisel trapping even when I am not water trapping. About 6 whacks with a good chisel and you will have an 8 inch hole open. If you are lucky and the ice freezes clear you can just look down your hole each day to see if you made a catch.

An axe is faster IMO, and if your getting wet maybe it's the operator.

They make ice saws if that's the way you ever choose to go. I have a manual one.

An axe is OK for a few inches of ice,but when ice gets thicker and the water comes up in the hole you will get wet finishing the hole when your chopping through 6-8 inches of water.
A chisel is good for thicker ice.
If the ice is a couple feet thick a chainsaw is the ticket for trapping.
Some guys like an auger for trapping through ice and is likely good for rat trapping,but when beavet trapping through ice when the auger grabs a chunk of frozen in feed wood it sucks.