Embarassed old beaver trapper

Today I had an experience I've never had before. I hear lots of stories about folks getting whacked with 330s, but of course no one that I know of can beat those whacks that Marty Harmon has told about over the years. If I recall correctly, Marty says the only place a 330 hasn't whacked him was his left testicle. My experience was tame compared to his many experiences.

I found a nice divot in the bank that would offer a great spot to put a 330. I got a tall 330 stabilizer all set with a 330 installed. I fastened a wire to the top of the stabilizer, and I secured the end to a small pine that was right there. I then tried to move closer to the edge to position the trap, and my right foot caught on a vine. Well, I saw it was just a small vine, so I yanked my foot back and slammed it forward to break the vine. The problem was that my foot, once it broke the vine, kept going forward into the set 330. Of course the trap was upside down in the stabilizer, and the safety hooks were dangling freely. It came as quite a shock when those jaws wrapped on my foot. I started laughing and hoping no one would come down the road while I was in this fix. It reminded me of the time that CDR caught my wallet when I fell on it. Anyway, I sat down to try to compress the springs. I was unable to compress them because of the awkwardness of how the trap had me. So, I took the wire off the top of the stabilizer and slid the stabilizer off of the trap. I then crawled on my hands and knees to my truck, which was only about 15 feet away. Culvert trappers don't get far from their trucks, you know. I was able to reach in the truck bed, get the setters to compress the springs, then remove the trap. I swear it was more embarrassing than painful. I reckon it's a good thing it wasn't a Belisle, or it may have been more painful. I have set 330s many thousands of times, and this was my first Marty Harmon experience.

Good story 😂

Oh but I would have given a lot for a photo op of that experience. Bet the photo would bring a good dollar at an NTA benefit auction.

Stepped it one the slap did not hurt but the ankle bone was sure feeling it every time I tried to move I told my buddy to pull up on the stake end of the cable extension he pulled up on the trap end. I do feel your pain.

If it had been a Belisle, the safeties would not have flipped down and your record would still be intact.

Now I can say..."It happened to the best of us!"

Moosetrot

No, the safeties would have been off even on a belisle, because I was placing the trap. I was three feet up on the bank and wouldn't be able to reach the safeties once placed.

Bahahaha
Hang in there PAUL

I wasn't as lucky as you Boss the first time my foot wore one of them 10"X10" torture devices. There was a witness.

Back in the early 80's I had waded across a rain swelled small creek looking for my submerged conibear. Found it with my boot and wore it back across the crick where NewHouse 114 was laughing so hard he couldn't even attempt to take it off for several minutes. He still reminds me of it every once an a while.

I wonder how the conversation would have went had Mr. Charles D. had been there with you?

R-E-S-P-E-C-T-Thats what we do with a 330. And we don't need any reminders from Aretha Franklin.
LOL getting whacked by one is something we never forget,
Tom

Why am i seeing Ned Beatty crawling around in his underware? lol

When one of those traps fires underwater, does the water slow it down such that it would do any less damage than if it got you in the dry?

Water won't slow it down much--just ask any beaver that has encountered one.
The couple times I did it -one I was getting ready to place it,so no water . The other was half submerged.They both got my attention and kept it.
Tom

just a reminder on"it would never happen to me"always be careful setting traps and working with power tools

welcome to the club ,

I am still wondering about the poor fellas right nut, and the story behind that? Whew!

Good story, I am glad you weren't hurt.

Welcome to the club many years ago a 330 caught both arms kinda a sticky situation very cold out and already wired off but I think the only time my wife ever went with me. she learned to use the setters that day

Thats great Paul. And where you crawled up from the location you made a nice visible fake slide to enhance the set appearance, way to go. Cant beat that for eye appeal!
Jim

I just sent Trapset a Thankyou PM the other day for making the One Hand setter. I joined the 330 Belisle club a couple weeks ago, While in a rush I didn't have my safety or my setter trying to clean fragmighty out of the trigger,I slipped on the icy log and it bite me just above the wrist, luckily my wife was within ears distance to bring me the RTS setter. I'm glad she was there to help but if she wasn't I never would have told her what happened.

The more experienced you get the less cautious you become i find! I think getting caught by the wallet would be funnier to see lol.

It's about time you joined the club. I don't know why you waited all these years to do it.

Haha Jim!

And its a good thing an aggressive snake didn't show up also!

Sorry Paul

If only the google Earth vehicle was cruising down that road at that time!

He’s right. Had it been a Belisle, you wouldn’t have been in the same situation. Belisles are the safest trap I own.


Glad you made it out though.

No, the safeties would have been off even on a belisle, because I was in the process of placing the trap. I was three feet up on the bank and wouldn't be able to reach the safeties once placed.

Paul...Any pain today with the hit area......just not your pride being hurt.

If that was me with my luck at the exact time I'm crawling across the ground a school bus full of teenagers would have rolled by with them all taking pictures on their phones, the local volunteer fire department would of been out on a training day and PETA would of showed up to take pictures on how dangerous traps are!!

Glad your okay

No pics Boss ...??

I too have been a recipient of a 330 on the foot. ALWAYS when I am using the tall stands in deeper runs. I set the 330 with the trigger on the bottom and I will put my foot on the top jaw to push the stabilizer down. I guess call me graceful!!!!!!!!! Always glad they weren't magnums or Belisles. Nonetheless it still hurt!

Thanks for the confession. Yours was a accident, most of mine resulted from stupidity.

I used to be like that when I first started too...

Glad you were ok!!

But, not as good as when the CDR caught you by the wallet.

of boy glad your ok!

Good story! Did it wreck your hippers?

What no pictures

Lol glad you are OK.

Well now you’re going to have to fill out an incident report and come up with corrective actions to prevent it from happening again.

You probably invented a new lure/scent combination,, Back-pooper

Rickey

Well did the trap catch anything after you going through all that misery? lol

Being a novice beaver trapper I ALWAYS leave the safety device on the jaws until I'm ready to walk away!!!!!!!