Flagging trap sets

I had the idea to rig some sort of flagging system onto 110s or 120s for muskrat sets so I could see if the trap had fired from my vehicle. I was thinking of attaching a flag to one of the jaws at a 90 degree angle so once it fired it would be standing straight up. Was wondering if anyone else had done this before and if so, do you have any plans for making it? Do you think it would interfere at all with rats entering the trap?

Thanks

I never tried it cause I never thought of it. Sure sounds like its worth trying. I have done that with cat sets you have to climb up into rimrock or whatever cause the spot is just to likely not to. Stand up a pole and put your drag at the bottom of it so a catch knocks it down. Dont need to climb back up very often. I know that works and saves a lot of time.

There was a pair of brothers that would catch a bunch of rats in drainage ditches. They used a wooden wedge with a eye bolt and string attached to it so would float when made a catch. The wedge went through the eye of the spring and push against the stake that held the trap in position. They would have 3 to 5 freezers full of rats back then.

That sounds like a good idea. I may do something similar but tie off to the jaw of the coni to knock over the flag. I'd like to have the flag on the trap so I can carry it all as one unit, but I'm afraid of a flag on the trap making them not commit.

A flag on the trap would make it easier for everyone else to see. Like the wood wedge better.

Many years ago I watched a beaver demo Paul's dad gave at NTA. After demo I was standing off to the side asking charlie couple questions. The subject of checking underwater conibears came up. What he suggested for those places where you can't see the trap underwater. Didn't want climb down in water if didn't have to maybe looking over bridge rail. Was to tie a string around Jaws with small float on it. If trap is fired string breaks floats is up on top water. Even said if was in high traffic area like by bridge. Use pieces junk styrofoam. Some one else looks over bridge railing sees piece stryofoam floating. Probably won't be checking it out and steeling your trap and catch. So if your traps are under water the float trick might work.
There was a guy here on T-Man years ago. Was running small electric wire to his under ice 330 for beaver. Instead of chopping ice every time to check his traps. He put continuity tester on it. Which can be as simple as battery and light bulb. Light come on traps still set, don't come on is fired chop it out. I don't recall who that was or if he kept doing it. But I recall him posting about messing around with it.
I've also done like Danny said for land sets. Put some type marker that gets knocked down. I've used the little flags like they mark utilities with for that sometimes. Glass sets so don't have to walk in every day flags down somethings out whack.

Mac

Yep

The float idea is a great one, thanks for that. I trap mostly on private land so I am lucky not to have to worry about anyone stealing a trap. I wonder how he would rig the electrical wires on the 330. Seems like just by attaching to the trap it could close the circuit. I wonder if he had the sprung jaws disconnect the circuit.

I'd also like to incorporate the idea on mink boxes. Having the trap knock over a flag may be the best for that.

If I recall correctly he was just twisting the wire ends together. Had it rigged so when trap fired pulled the twist apart. Then open circuit meant trap was fired. Only need like piece lamp cord or speaker wire to rig that.

Mac

X3 if you are not in your own little private area you are advertising your presence. The only flagging I have done is spring beaver on private land.

Like others have said, unless private your inviting trouble. There are some good apps if you have a smart phone to help pin point your sets and you can also make notes for later. Even an inexpensive GPS will work to mark and locate your sets.

I have used a simple system a few times for beaver, so I didn't have to walk back to the set and cross the creek. I used it at bank dens with a 330. I had the trap wired to large limb from one of the spring rings... would then take two regular pieces of lath with the tops painted white... I used them as very loose stabilizers... only shoved into the bottom far enough to keep them erect. The one time I caught 6 beavers and 3 muskrats from this one den in 2 weeks... each time at least one of the lath was knocked down. Five of the beaver and 1 of the rats took both down. I have used it several other places other than this one den and it always worked for me.

I never use stands of any kind. I use a good wire to fasten it to something on the bank and never needed much support from anything else and I have caught beaver up to 63 pounds using this system. I only ever trapped in streams for beaver, never a marsh or through the ice.

Garry-

Garry, thanks for the advice! Sounds like a good plan

When I was running a much smaller line than I did in later years, I would rather goldenrod galls and paint them white. With a foot of stem on them, I would push them gently through one of the links of the trap chain. When I made a catch it would pull the gall and be gone. Worked pretty good until my line was too big to have the time to fool with it. Then I only did it when the spots were hard to get to but too good to pass up.

There was one set one time that was on the other side of a deep muck hole. I set up a beautiful blind set and could see the trap from the other side of the muck hole. All season I checked that trap with no catch. When the day came to pull the line, there was a rotten mink in the trap and the trap was still sitting in the same spot. Turns out that the trap I was checking was a small piece of grape vine that had formed in a circle and had settled next to the trap.