Marten Trappers

Ok guys and gals, Marten is on my bucket list some day soon. What is you go to brand and size of body gripping traps. Thanks!!!!

120 Belisle is my favorite. I have LDL, savageau, and duke traps and ill take the belisle over the rest any day.

I'll also vouch for the Belisles. They're the only brand I've found where the safeties don't tend to fall away when you compress the springs to set the trap. I've also tried using RBG 160s with 8" concrete forms and that seems to work fine as well

Times 3, for the Belisle 120's, with wood pedals.

I guess I'm the only one who hates Belisle spring safety latches. I want to be about to unhook the safety by giving the trap a flick of the wrist; not having to manually manipulate the safety.
Any good strong 120, or 120 magnums are just fine imo.

I’ve used duke, BMI and belisle and belisle are my favorite. Dukes were well built and least expensive but did not have the magnum jaws and were not as efficient as I needed them to be. I don’t really care about the safeties bit I do like the flat dogs which cut down on fur damage and also lets you wax them so they don’t rust and also keeps fur clean.
Magnum jaws are what you want regardless of what you end up with. The tight fit dispatches much better.

10-20% of my marten total catch comes from bodygrippers. Savageaus and Belisle 160s, I connect the trigger with stainless downrigger wire and small ferrules.

Have used Victor Duke SC and BMI and like Belisle the most . I use trigger wire on mine

Belisle safeties are a plus, in my opinion. And with pans, they stay set while placing the trap. I honestly have no complaints with them.
Other brands, well, I have used most, other than Sav's, and can't recommend any over Belisle.

I use Belisle and LDL b 120 magnum.
LDL is the best marten trap.No dog or trigger ever touches the fur.

I'm still on the foothold boat. Prefer them.

Just curious as to why.

and my bodygrips don't have safeties and are the lightest on the market and are really fast to set and easier to get critters out of.

X3

But I do own less than a dozen Belisle 120's. Much better than the old Victor 110

I do not prefer footholds here. Too hard to weather proof. There are not the perfect size pole behind every bush and all the big spruce are dead falling over every wind storm.

MARTEN
120 BG/33%
110 BG/25%
1 LS/15%
220 BG/

2014-2015 most common trap used by trappers to trap marten in U.S. AFWA survey

120 Belisle with a pan trigger.

Lots of good info guys! Thankyou much!

I've got one Belisle, a bunch of Bridger 120 magnums and some various Duke, Victor and Northwoods 120s. I've caught quite a lot in the past in 110s and never had an issue, although some claim they can rub fur if they don't expire immediately. 120s are much easier to stabilize in a box with two springs however. I'm kind of on the fence about the Belisle safeties, they stay on which is very nice, but. . . I like to set the traps by hand without setters and the other brands I can squeeze the springs with my hand and then tilt the trap and the safety will fall into place and I can relax the spring. Can't do that with the Belisle safety, once it is on it is real nice, putting it on without setters, not so much. The Bridgers are a good trap at a good price, but, with the safeties on the jaws are still far enough apart that you can't hardly grab them with one hand and squeeze them together to set. And AT LEAST one safety will fall off while setting, guaranteed.

I have used coni types in the past. Sometimes the marten struggles in the trap and gets fur damage. Other times the animal dies but if it stays in the coni the metal jaw freeze dries the hide where it touches. My experience has been it is easier to get the marten to step on the trap than to stick his head thru the coni. I am aware that conipans allow the coni to act somewhat like a trap that has to be stepped on. Marten caught in coni's die with the food still in their stomach. Without cold temps (early season, warm spell) you can get hair slippage on the stomach area.
There are ways to set footholds that can be weather proof. Some of you may remember Family Trappers sets with conis under a bucket, close to the ground, and a lift pole to swing the caught animal off the ground. Same idea works with footholds. I would say that a guy setting a serious marten line would be better off with both coni and foothold to meet whatever situation he finds.

Good reasons! Thanks!

X2 what Martentrapper said . I'll add, with a foothold you almost never have to pack the trap back to the cabin to get it off the critter

My main complaint re footholds is if you get a hind foot catch and the hanging marten defecates it can be quite messy. Takes a lot of water to wash it out and water is more precious when you are melting snow

I think they crap tar.

That is accurate.

Yeah that really is a down side. I usually put cold water in a coffee can and just make the marten sit in it for a while.. It's a mess, but the easiest way I have found to deal with it.

Then again, I'm not melting snow for water.

LDL 120 mag is the best for marten IMO,like boco said double bar jaw protect back of marten from trigger and dog, i never get damage hide by this trap since i use it, It also the better trap for kill area opening, easy to set with bare hand and you can safely defuse it , but i use tong after catch to avoid broken hair.I hate belisle trap safeties on side slot of box always stuck in or must remove if you forget release ....Bélisle,Sauvageau and Rudy trigger system often fire in later and result to hip catch , i think Belisle ,Sauvageau 2001-5, and Rudy have too much pressure with heavy spring on trigger and result of later fire trap.Also these over kill trap most of time cut or split the carcass , I hate skinning marten in 2 or 3 part....lol

ANyone ever try 160's with a pan? Before I buy a bunch of 120's, I'd rather pick up 160's if they'd do the same job.

if you dont have a lot of fisher why give more option to marten going Inside the box and risk hip catch for damage, dont forget 160's have more pressure with heavier spring on trigger, it's like 120's on mink, less you are pressure more fast fire.

120 are not the best trap for mink, Fergus? I been doing it wrong for 20 years.

muskrat411 your McKenzie river mink are hogs that have gone wild compared to Fergy's slim and trim mink, ever wonder why they call them "vison"

I think I will just follow this thread instead of offering an opinion.

Muskrat 411 #110 is more easy for sure trigger the trap but the mink will live longer if it does'nt get into water, #120 is more easy to set with 2 spring, just sure your trap is well treated and wax, yep eastern mink are smaller than your huge one on McKenzie river.Jim you dont agree when i said #160 add more pressure on trigger system, if i can i try to find shortage video showing marten and mink go Inside the box eat the bait and exit without fire trap many time, and what's brand of trap??? Sauvageau with fork trigger....lol

Are you going to use the 160's to trap something else? Last I looked 160's were more expensive than 120's. 160's should work. I have no idea why people are using pans? Seems like it would be a PIA.

Andy I have caught hundreds of martens in 2001-5 and never had them cut in two. Weasels yes, squirrels yes but it not a trap for squirrels or weasels.

The guys who use pans like the suitcase catch the pans give.

I don't ever thing I have had refusals from 160 traps due to pan tension, more refusals during certain times because of lack of climbing. Once they commit they don't seem to miss.

I always try and study why a trap is set off and no catch or why the targeted animal comes to set and does not commit to it. Makes you a better trapper. With a lot of fisher you will have animals that don't like the small openings on the ldl/rudy 120 size traps you will miss fisher. Marten not an issue.

Have not had issues with the 4 prong triggers.

I’ve tried them all over the years and by far prefer the Belisle design.