Anybody have any advice on anchoring traps under concrete bridges? I have a few railroad plates but not enough and I’ve had coon drag those a good ways. Thought about running Tapcons into the bridge wall but that’s probably not the best idea. Would running a Tapcon into a solid concrete block be enough weight? Or maybe even a regular cinder block? Most of the bridges I have in my new area have concrete bottoms so rebar is basically out of the question. Thanks for any help

brake rotors

swivel up through a stud hole

could even run a cable through the center hole of several and stake it where you can up and down stream of the bridge

be heavy but they would only go so far on that cable

POP made up some concrete/cement block with old cut off trap ring sin the center he use like loaf size plastic pans on some he added 10 penny nails or 9 gauge wire to the tops at angles to create more drag, I know some are still out there in SE PA

farmer Dan mike traps2 has a great idea pour yourself some concrete blocks take the time to have a chain coming out of each one even could pour them with a handle make em heavy enough to pin the coon right where you set if you do em right you should be able to use them year after year

Snack nails or Hilti gun?

If the water is deep enough, run a drowner on a slider wire, tied to a grain sack full of sand or gravel in the deep water.

Keith

I've seen where you can use a cable stake in the seam between the pour joints and use that to anchor year after year.

Tapcon w washer. always sink in two through small piece of chain.

Set a cinder block against the wall, holes facing out. Put your bait in the top hole and set your trap in front.You have the set and the anchor all in one. I learned this one from a guy here many years ago. Drop your blocks off preseason and stash them by the culvert to use next year. Most of the time the coon tips the block over and is setting on it in the culvert when you arrive. Just use tie wire to attach the chain to the block.

ADC that’s a really slick idea. If I get some big heavy cinder block I probably won’t have to worry about them going anywhere. I’ll probably make up some cable extension to get a little length on the anchor too.

I do this myself on occasion. The only thing I do different is use cable instead of tie wire to fasten the trap to the block.

On small bridges I used to use a rebar stake outside the concrete with a 3/32'' cable to a rebar stake on the diagonal corner of the other side of the bridge. Put trap on slider to a stop in the middle of the cable. Have fairly tight stretch on the cable so a coon on one end won't be able to dislocate the trap on the other end.

How much weight do you think is needed to hold coon in place or real close to it?

Just your average cinder block is heavy enough. I've never had one moved very far. Like ADC said, they're usually sitting on it when you get there.

If that was addressed to me, why would you need any weight. You could put a couple lbs in the middle at the stop to wear him down causing him to drown quicker. If you put a big weight on it in shallow water that just gives him a place to sit out of the water. I'd rather have him in the water even if its shallow.

That's gonna depend a lot on the bottom of the creek. Won't take near as much in a mucky bottom as one that's all gravel. But, imo, everyone is overthinking this. Find a stout dead tree/limb nearby and wire/cable to it. I like longer ones.... I wouldn't go any shorter than 6' or so...longer is fine. I've trapped over a hundred coon I'm sure with that set up and can only think of twice that they weren't hung up within sight of the original trap bed and I think both of those times were caused by heavy rains rising the creek level and helping the coon downstream a bit. I trapped a lot of creeks with either soupy or sandy bottoms that it was hard to get stakes to hold in so was usually easier for me to just tie if off to a log. I have also used cinder blocks with the same result but only if they were nearby. I'm too lazy to be toting around concrete blocks to catch a danged ol coon, lol. I have also wrapped wire tightly around large rocks (think rip rap) that were on site (as though you were putting ribbon on a gift) and used those, but again, now you're getting into too much work for a coon lol.

I had a coon pull a cinder block a distance on cement bottom culvert

Coffee can filled with concrete (metal gallon) rebar bent like a u sticking out to tie chain a hole in concrete for a DP to fit snug. Baited and ready just sit under bridge.

Tie a wire to the to top of the bridge and run a one way ticket out to deep with a oneway slide. Anyone that that rides don’t come home.

My concrete "rocks" I use for anchors wherever stakes or drags don't work.