Footholds for muskrats

How do you minimize wring outs with longsprings? I've had 2 out of 3 rats wring out of longsprings yesterday. These are bank sets, #11's (coon and the occasional otter show up here) where the rats are coming out of a creek. Trap is set in about an inch of water, 3 feet of chain out to the center of the creek which is just over my knees.

The 1 rat that was held was almost a wring out also.

Thanks.

Double longs just aren't the greatest for them as it's not easy for the trap to swivel as the springs can drag in the bottom.

1.5 LS on a slide wire-no lock needed.
They obviously cant reach the deep water with your set-up-trap is too heavy or is tangling in grass before it gets to deeper water.

Thanks guys, that's kind of what I was suspecting. I was concerned about coon and otter getting in 1's or 1.5's

I'll replace them with single springs.

drowner rigs

#1 longspring stoploss or double jaw traps will keep them from wringing out and hold most 'coons that come along.

#11's I have found are just hard on rats no matter how to run them. Maybe center swiveled if they are not already. Sometimes you can get caught between a rock and a hard place and need to set the trap for the animal that could come in and it makes it harder on the target animal. #11's are a good choice for that i think butyou are getting adverse results. In a similar situation i have used #2 traps with light pan tension and catch rats like mink in old victor #2's and then have less to worry about coon and otter. My two cents. What traps you have at your disposal though dictates how you set and run though i know htat for sure.

The bigger traps are fine on floats.

Get yourself some 1.5 coil springs and don't look back.

Makes sense. Off the float and into the water.

Ive been meaning to ask if I'm setting 1.5 coils for rats but my area has a ton of coons using the same slides and runs can I get away with not using double jaws?

Or any other straight drop-off.

Its a steep bank here, but the sets are in little shallow nooks. Apparently the rat can't get the trap out of the shallow nook and into the deep water.

Definitely switching to smaller (single spring) traps, I'll just make double sure that they are staked well should something bigger happen into them.

A muskrats first reaction when caught is to jump in the water for safety, unless tangling in vegetation a foot of water is plenty. I use 1 1/2 coils for rats with laminated jaws and a M Kelly pan and 3 feet of chain. Rats can move it but can't swim with it, works for me.

1.5 coils have nabbed me otters twice and coons for years

I figured they'd work but is it worth spending the extra on double jaws to stop chewing. They'd be set on land and water and the water is only 12 to 18 in so not enough to drown a coon

When trapping for just rats I like the Blake and Lamb sure hold guard type trap in a #1 or 1-1/2 size long spring. The trap will pin the rat down to the spring so it wont twist off. They will drown in shallow water .Duke makes a #1 surehold trap that is similar to the B&L.

For coon double jaws are a good idea in non drowning sets.

12" is enough water to take care of coon if you keep him there.

I figured they'd work but is it worth spending the extra on double jaws to stop chewing. They'd be set on land and water and the water is only 12 to 18 in so not enough to drown a coon

If you keep the coon in the water, you'll end chewing. Make sure your trap can't reach dry ground.

In my opinion double jaws are a waste of money if you think they will stop a coon from chewing. Double jaws were created so that when the coon or skunk chewed off It's toes there would still be enough foot left In the trap to hold that animal.
Use a #2 sized trap for those rats get a high leg or shoulder catch and even If that rat can't get to deep water It will still be there. And the coon will go to deep water and drown.

I caught 11 coon In coyote sets this fall and not one of those coon chewed on It's foot.

Stoploss Traps

Put a stick into the water sticking out of the water so the muskrat will get tangled up before he has time to wring out

1 1/2 coil spring staked deep with second stake for tangle or same trap on slide set up is what I use now. I have caught lots and lots in #1 and #11s staking deep and tangle stake out deep.

If you trap bed is sticky mud sometimes a Muskrat cant pull the trap out of the mud and get to deep water. In this case I put a wad of grass under trap so it isn't stuck in the mud. I like at least 18" of water, deeper the better. If bottom is soft you can make it deeper around your tangle stick with your boot or shovel.

Good luck out there!

I have used almost totally 1 Victor stoploss for decades with very limited loss and have held more coon than I would like to and also had to release several otter as well. My other water trap for rats, mink and coon is and would be a 1.5 coil spring trap. I have almost no experience with double long spring traps. One of the reasons I like the stoploss is that many set locations do not allow the rat to get to deeper water and the guard spring really is a benefit in those locations. The one advantage with 1.5 coils s they would catch the rat further up on their leg and thus more bone and strength.

Bryce

Set a little deeper and catch the rats in hind leg, they rarely wring out of a hind foot catch.