Favorite way to use Sleepy Creek 4.5s

I'm switching to all Sleepy Creek 4.5 for beaver and otter (if he happens to get in one) Just wondering how people that use this beast prefer to rig it?
Long chain? On a slide rod? On a cable?
I've got the setters and been setting them, gotta measure what size wrench removes the nut on the bottom and make a necklace with it (Just in case)

Took 3 beaver with one last year... all on rods.

Mike

And FYI,

I think it was Dale Torma who told me this... The old Jiffy longspring trap setter will fit on, and set, the springs on a SC 4.5.

Mike

Man, those springs are STOUT!

I won some and sold them the next day. Those traps are way over powered for me. If I can't set them by hand I'm not going to own them.

MB750 for me easy to set and will hold any beaver that gets In them.

But If your comfortable with SC 4.5s they will make a fine beaver trap.

I have a 750 and don't like the way you have to put your fingers in the jaws to set it.

Love the 4.5 for beaver and otter.

Wish i had ten dozen of them. They will last for three lifetimes if taken care of. Best trap Sleepy creek makes IMO

I hope to have a dz by this year. Half way there. And more b4 next. Ive switched to all DBL. All SC.

Cannot catch enough beaver here to pay for a dozen . I use 330 on beaver and otter. 24 hour check with foot hold.

Cable slide
Gerald schmitt caries a longspring setter for them that locks if needed.

Haha. Agreed.

I just always wanted to be a mountain man.....

Seems like a lot of trap for a beaver or otter.

I have a couple that I'll try to catch a wolf with.

I also have a SC #5. I hope to be the first man on the planet to catch a wolf in one.

Never heard of anybody yet which is odd, especially since they are selling it as a wolf trap.

If I was lucky enough to be in Alaska they would definitely be my woof trap.

There is no season on Woofs. Anywhere.

Someone else used the jiffy setter, I use the sleepy creek setter. Sometimes, at home, I compress one spring, stick a nail through the jaw post to hold the sping set. Then, out in the field, I have only one spring to compress. Set the trap and pull out the nail with a pliers.

I have my offsets laminated for wolf, but use them on beaver. And nothing pulls out of those offsets.

Here's how the nail works
And here is how I laminate these, the weld bubbles are to keep beaver feet in.
These traps are every bit as good as a Newhouse ever was, and the pan tension is adjustable. I file a night latch in the thick dog.
They are a pain to set and to get off a beaver. I carry my sleepy creek setters always when beaver trapping. The wrench is a good idea, in case you have to take the post nuts off to release yourself. I'm very careful with these powerful traps.

Do you think that some LE might argue that those bubbles make "teeth"? I am not implying this, as I don't think they would constitute as such. Just asking.

Sorry about the confusion Dale. I checked my PM's and it was another trapper who told me about the Jiffy setter.

Mike

Rhino, I'm pretty sure MN allows toothed traps for water sets. Lucky dogs.

Mike

WI does too.

Rub it in Gary.

Mike

Dang, that would be helpful. Didn't realize you could use teeth in any state. Thanks for the info. BUT, in any other state, do you think a LE could have the argument about them being teeth?

Guys look at the tape in Dales photo....inside jaw spread 6 1 / 2 inches....more like a 4 Newhouse.

They are noticeably bigger than a #4 Newhouse.The SC's have a 7 1/2" jaw spread and the Newhouse is 6 1/2".

Yep. SC measures from the outside I believe. Theyvare smaller than the TS85 I had been using but I just don't think he will get out of that 4.5 if he sticks his foot in it.

Mine measured across the dog is a hair under 6.875" inside to inside.

And for those who might be interested...

Duke #5 takes the beaver longspring prize for largest inside jawspread at a full 7.5" measured inside the jaws across the dog. A Bridger #5 is about 1/4" smaller.

Mike

Not a long spring but my ts85s are bigger than that mike. I put 1.75 springs on to 4 coil em i also laminated prom pin to pin and now nothing slips or gets out of them

They are ground flat, so they are molars! Lol

Thats why I said beaver longspring prize... lol

Mike

A thought on where to measure on footholds....would jaw laminations add to a traps jaw spread?

depends if your regs state inside spread or outside spread but yes lams do change the legal spread measurement depending on if its inside or outside lams. Here in Mo we have no jaw spread restriction on land or water but snares can only be used under water and dry land body grips can only be 5x5 or smaller anything bigger must be totaly under water

I use the jiffy setter. I also cut off one side of the frame so i can break that spring over.
By the way, i caught myself in this trap when i was adjusting it. The thickness of the jaws contributed to very little felt pain.
I only weigh 200lbs. And was still able to stand on springs and get myself out.

I took a 16 penny nail and cut it about 2" down from the head. I then took a few links of #2 chain and tacked that to the frame. I slipped the nail through the end link and tacked that. Now I have "safeties" permanently attached to the trap. I just work one spring at a time.

Good idea!

Andrew a picture would help me visualize that better

X2

Ttt

If I can't set the trap by hand with out a setting devise !'m not using that trap.

I won some 4 1/2s one time and I sold them. In my opinion way more trap then you need.

If you compress the springs past the rivets You can insert a nail so the spring want fire. Do each spring one at a time.

Unhappy I have not been able to seek wolves with the dozen I have now. I used them this spring on beaver, almost exclusively in foothold sets. Off-set and I set it every which way and front and back foot targeted. Every trap set off had a beaver and many of those were front foot.

About half on drowners, and about half on long chains with no extra weight.Two my surprise I had all drowned beavers. No, mind you, I was in woody bottom near dams and the chains tangled up in the water at least some. But they are HEAVY traps. The real big female, high 70s, was tangled close to the trap and 4-5 ft down. In the scheme of things, this was only a few beavers though, nothing I could say is more than an observation for that time and place.

I use a tool just like a Jiffy. I am going to make a larger one to press the springs further. I hold the one spring with a U bent big nail.

They are great traps but I'm not going to struggle with a beaver In 4 1/2 IF I have to use a setter. I can still set a MB 750 with out help and It's a great beaver trap.
In my opinion the 4 1/2 is over powered.

I find it easier to remove a beaver out 4.5 with setter then removing a beaver from mb750 with my feet. Definitely when standing in waist deep water in December. But i have one of the hardest setting 750s You will ever set. Bought another 750 year's later that sets really easy. Seems the last one I looked at had better springs then mine. But was very hard to set. Ioften read people setting these by hand. I think they must have the easy setting one's. Lol

I only have one of them but I really like it for those body grip shy beavers.I set it on my thigh,compressed the springs and then finished setting it with the springs compressed with one against my chest.I did not find it all that difficult to set at all.The first time I used it on a dam break set and a drowning rod-next morning I had the trap shy big female from the colony-front foot catch at the end of the drowning rod.

The issue with the 4.5 is there is no leverage bc the springs will not cam over. So if you don't have the physical strength to set each spring fully you will not get it set. But i also think this is why the lockup is so good on these traps. Think I will buy couple more to run for otter.

Here is more info on setting:
https://trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/5860126/--can_you_set_a_4.5_newhouse_b

Ttt

I agree^^^
I have 6 MB750s that I cannot set by hand.

Used to have 18 other MB750s that I could set by hand....sold those.

These were bought over several years from different sources.

Some 750s have very, very strong springs.....I like those.

The more I use them the more I like them. Looks like a wolf season is likely this year in MN. i am up to 2 doz

I own one and it’s my go to trap when I afraid of being ripped off.Please someone steal it.I leave it set year around to try to weaken the springs.

They are a really well made trap. I have half a dozen to use for wolves, unfortunately I haven't caught a wolf in one yet. More trap than needed for beaver in my opinion and I wouldn't use them for beaver personally. They'll hold any beaver they grab, but I want a trap I can set over my knee when I'm standing knee deep in water in hip boots setting beaver traps. My preferred beaver trap is a Blake and Lamb or a Victor #4. Newhouses are five times the trap but they are a real pain to set over your knee because they won't break over like a B&L or Victor; plus who wants to set a Newhouse these days and risk it getting stolen? The SC 4 1/2 is built on the Newhouse design, thus its difficulty to set, plus the really stout, short springs. The SC 5 I can set over my knee just as easy as a Victor #4, but in my opinion it isn't half the trap of the 4 1/2 and costs 3 times the price.

Somebody stated they cut one end of the frame off so the springs would cam over? Any disadvantages to this? Maybe I'm slow so I never thought of doing that. All mine are in the ground right now so I can't look at one, but would there be any possible weakening or disadvantage if you cut the ends of the frame off that prevent the spring from breaking over? I think I would be able to break them over my knee then and set them by hand, which would be a huge advantage both for setting them and for releasing any nontarget catches (I'm dreading the day I have to release a cougar out of one of these, especially since I generally run the line by myself, or occasionally with the wife).

Have you guys considered removing one spring for strictly beaver trapping?

Schmitt enterprises make a pair of setters that are perfect for that trap SC 4.5 dls. But setting one over knee is possible once one learns how. might have bare down a bit lol but can be down by a 64.5 yr old .
But my favorite is a #4 sc with 4.5 springs on it. One of the fastest longsprings you will ever see imo.

Them are some heavy traps! I never played with one, but I see they are 4 1/2 lbs. Wow.