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HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
#7907732
07/17/23 11:45 AM
07/17/23 11:45 AM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,179 Rochester, MN
Teacher
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,179
Rochester, MN
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I spent the better part of a day making a dozen rat floats and then I saw a video put out by Trapping, Inc out of Canada. It got me thinking the HAGs brackets serve the same function as a float and don’t take a day to build. For those of you who use both (assuming no fluctuations of water depth) which works better for fall ‘rats?
Never too old to learn
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Teacher]
#7907737
07/17/23 11:53 AM
07/17/23 11:53 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884
Wisconsin
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So are you talking about a baited BG with the bait just out of the water?
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Teacher]
#7907746
07/17/23 12:21 PM
07/17/23 12:21 PM
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Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,179 Rochester, MN
Teacher
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 2,179
Rochester, MN
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I was thinking of a carrot or some corn above a 1 1/2 coil on a HAGs bracket. Or a pipe cleaner wrapped around the support rod dipped in Hudson Seal.
Never too old to learn
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Teacher]
#7907869
07/17/23 04:03 PM
07/17/23 04:03 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884
Wisconsin
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Might work better then a float. Floats and stools worked great in ND but you could hardly catch a rat on them In WI. And I used the Hags brackets with 1 1/2 coil just under water In ND and yes they worked. But you would think that If a Hags bracket would work why wouldn't a stool work. The platform and the trap Is under water just like the Hags bracket system. The hags bracket Is pretty easy so you might as well give them a shot. Another thing Is using a baited 160 with the bait just out of the water. They worked just great In ND I tried them at home they were a complete flop. I made 28 sets and I set them right next to feed beds and rat stools and In 3 checks I never had a set off trap or any of the bait touched. We can't use a jaw type trap In the city parks.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Teacher]
#7908312
07/18/23 10:04 AM
07/18/23 10:04 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884
Wisconsin
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If you have rat huts and you can trap on them that's what you should do. Make a small disturbance on several spots on the hut and place your trap about 1" under water at these spots. A little lure will seal the deal. And of course set all the natural pull outs. Never make just ONE set on a hut. Forget about floats and stools and Hags brackets.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: backroadsarcher]
#7908313
07/18/23 10:05 AM
07/18/23 10:05 AM
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Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 698 Ontario
Saskfly
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2018
Posts: 698
Ontario
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I have caught them both ways but still don't know what works better. Some years floats work and some years not. Same with the brackets. Found the same thing. Catch about the same number with both but the hagz system are easier to carry than a truckload of floats.
Last edited by Saskfly; 07/18/23 10:05 AM.
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Teacher]
#7908379
07/18/23 12:00 PM
07/18/23 12:00 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884
Wisconsin
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WE used floats and stools In ND but In both situations we wired a section of poplar to the stake. Those sections of poplar were chewed up as high as the rats could chew. A little smear of Lennons rat all call worked. And some poplar bud oil worked magic. I think the reason all this stuff worked so well In ND Is that we were dealing with a huge rat population.
I even made a holder that would support a 160 In the horizontal position. Put a 3X3 pan on the trigger wires and that device would slide up and down my stake. With the trap about 1" under water we killed the rats with that set up. But In WI it was a complete wash out.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Saskfly]
#7908431
07/18/23 01:32 PM
07/18/23 01:32 PM
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Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,292 Manitoba Canada
MB Coonguy
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 1,292
Manitoba Canada
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I have caught them both ways but still don't know what works better. Some years floats work and some years not. Same with the brackets. Found the same thing. Catch about the same number with both but the hagz system are easier to carry than a truckload of floats. Betcha I can set 3 times as many traps with floats than anyone can with the hagz brackets in the same amount of time. I have set well over 500+ traps in a single day- have used Hagz and yes they work and are smaller to carry around but if you're looking at easy peezy-floats are easier to set out pure numbers of traps-period! Its all about being organized. But what do I know.JMHO
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Teacher]
#7909836
07/20/23 10:39 AM
07/20/23 10:39 AM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884 Wisconsin
The Beav
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 23,884
Wisconsin
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No mater what type of system you use make sure your bait or lure Is high enough so the rat has to stand up to reach It. This Is specialty true for hagzs brackets. The rat needs to have to stand on the trap to get caught. While the Hagz brackets work I never liked to see the rat having to cross over the dog. Short legged critters like rats can be thrown out of the trap.Well that's what I have always been told. And when using the Hagz brackets I did have a fair amount of sprung and empty traps. So what I did was I welded a price of flat stock under the trap frame on the dog side of the trap. It did seem to help some, well at least It made me feel better. I still had some sprung traps but not as many.
The forum Know It All according to Muskrat
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Teacher]
#7912888
07/25/23 03:15 PM
07/25/23 03:15 PM
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Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,337 SE MN
2cylinder
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 1,337
SE MN
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In Southern MN I haven’t had great luck using floats or hagz brackets on sticks. As the beav has said imo you’re better off setting huts or feed dens
Rebuilding john deere and international/farmall carburetors
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Re: HAGs Brackets vs floats for ‘Rats
[Re: Northernbeaver]
#7913988
07/26/23 11:53 PM
07/26/23 11:53 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,701 Rodney,Ohio
SNIPERBBB
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 17,701
Rodney,Ohio
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Why wouldn't you just set blind sets?
If you want floats I have 80 of them I'll sell you in Litchfield. Location dependent. Around here on flowing water, I almost never set blind sets outside of slides or the rare den. Still water is almost the opposite.
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