anything over a #4 scares me a little

Caught in a 330 belisle had to unwire take to dry ground and use my setter to get out , glad I had a rubber glove on. It hurt for a year.

Like the one it comes with?…lol. It was too short so I took it off, but any longer and I’m tripping on the dang thing. The savague works on Belisle but a bit of a pain. On the ice or near a road/trail there’s always setters close by, but I always a looped rope in one of the pockets of the trapping cloths I might wear. The old saying “safety first on and last off” holds true, but you still forget. Then there’s the flip safeties, the beaver educators….lol

Good thing you had a Conibear "setting" rope with you for that Conibear mishap? A 4-foot-long rope with a Large Foot sized loop on one end is much Better than "Tongs" in my opinion? When the ropes Not in use, I just Tie the Rope around my Waist, out of the way. Walaa! LOL. All you Beginning Trappers out there "NEED to KNOW" about Setting the Larger Conibears with a Rope, instead of Tongs? YouTube should have a Video showing the Technique? And Always, Always Remember....To Work Under/Behind the Loose Jaw (usually the jaw of the trap closest to you while being set?) of a Leg-Hold Trap, while Holding the Base of the Trap Frame while Setting/Adjusting the Trap Pan......And you'll NEVER Pinch your Fingers in a Leg Hold style Trap! Nearly Impossible? Your Finger are NEVER Between the Jaws of the Trap. How Could you Possibly Pinch them? It's NOT Rocket Science? LOL.

Here's what you do 14 years young dude........Always Work Under and Behind the Loose jaw of your Leghold Traps when Setting them, and you'll NEVER, EVER, Snap and Pinch your Fingers in a Leghold Trap! Impossible? How can you "Snap" your Fingers in a Trap, when your Fingers are NEVER Between the Jaws of your Trap! (Nothing is Impossible, I figure, But?). Listen, if "You" aren't already doing THIS on your Trapline(s), 14-years old dude?..........Start using more Trail/Blind Sets. A #1 1/2, a # 1 3/4 or a #2 trap (I prefer Double Coil Springs, myself), with 3 feet total of chain (Check your Ohio Trapping Regulations on that Chain Length, OK?), with 2 good quality swivels in the chain. (1 swivel connected to the trap, and 1 swivel about a foot away from the trap, in the chain. Use strong J-hooks with the swivels to make the connections, dude.). Then using a tree branch for a Drag, will Catch most Every Red or Grey fox, Racoon, Mink, Muskrat and Maybe even a Coyote traveling down that Trail! Place a "pool-cue" size stick or tree branch across the trail on either side of your trap placed in the trail, so the Animal has to step over the "obstacle" across his trail while traveling down it........and Whammm! You'll have an Animal in the Morning. What kind of Animal? (A Grey fox or a Mink, when it should've been a coon?) Who Knows? That's part of the Thrill of Trapping, dude. No Bait! No Lure! 2 less EXPENSES for your Trapper's Budget! (Go down to your local waterway, pond or lake and catch yourself some Suckers, Carp and Chub minnows, chop them up into chunks and freeze them for Bait if you need bait for some Dirt Hole sets. They're Free and Work for any furbearer, Right!). Purchase a few more traps with that Money Saved? A couple of #330 Conibears for those Pesky Beavers though the ice, that are pretty Good Money, RIGHT NOW January 2025, 14-year-old dude! OR, take that Saved money OR go out and Shovel the Snow from a few Driveways or Sidewalks for your Neighbors and buy yourself a Good, Rabbit Distress Predator Call (about $20.00) and buy yourself a 5-shotshell box of 12 gauge, #1 or #4 Buckshot shotgun shells (about $15.00. Your Parents might have to purchase those shotgun shells over the Internet for you? You must be 18 years old or older to buy ammo over the Internet?) and find yourself a good spot "Down-Wind" from, or, in brushy, woodsy or a wetland areas and Waste yourself some Unwanted Coyotes with that 12 gauge! Oh yaa. LOL.

West Oak, foothold not leghold

Do you want a sense of Humor? How about you take that extra "Spare Tire" you've got circling around your waist and make one of those new-fangled, "Spare-Tire" step-down Hay sets for Predators, and put that "Spare-Tire" of yours to some Good Use! LOL. How's that for Humor? LOL!

WOW! Your so correct, Turtledale from W NY. LOL. I'm embarrassed I missed that.

To Cookie1125. I was so Happy you mentioned spending Quality Time with your Children in your post. Herrah....Good for you! Off the Couch with the Children and Out the Door! Fresh air, Runny noses and Rosy cheeks......That's what I Remember of my Childhood from what seems like a "Lifetime" ago?

Me too. That's a Handful, for sure. Just Remember to Always Work, "BEHIND and UNDER the LOOSE" Jaw of the Trap, and you'll Never "Pinch" your Fingers. Your Trap may Snap in your Face, or in your Hands, but your Fingers will NOT be "In-Between" the Jaws of the Trap when it "Suddenly Surprises" you! LOL!

To Coyote Addict. Ouch!

I did with a 110 once that hurt bad enough that I've been careful since. It hit right on 2 knuckles.

couldnt be more true, i have 110s that i know wont stay set but i try them anyway and they smack me. i always think i can fix them. never do tho

i cant tell if your giving me advice or if your annoyed at me. i use those blind sets with no bs 1.5 dbj and they work great for coons. when setting my traps i have learned to hold it by around the baseplate so the levers wont pinch me and the jaws wont get me like you said. good buisness plan too

Gotten bit by traps before but my worse was setting 220 springs on my bench before season and lost the grip on the setters. Ended up with 2 black eyes and 10 stitches between my eyes.

Haven't caught myself today.

I caught myself twice this year. Once in a 330 and once in an MB750. The MB750 is by far the one that you won't get caught in again. Takes weeks to get over it!

A deep catch on my thumb from a 14 jump

Caught my thumb in a 280. Have always wondered if a 330 hitting someone the wrong way would fracture bone

Caught myself twice in one week in an ALPA #3. My thumb is still black and blue!