"Log Cabin" Type Cage Trap.

[WI_Woodsman]

Last spring I made a "Log Cabin" type cage trap that is illustrated in the SAS Survival Handbook by John Wiseman.  Here's my attempt at it.



I underestimated the amount of time I thought this would take and I was beginning to develop a blister on my index finger from pulling the lashings tight.



A LOT OF STINKIN' LASHINGS! ...and they gotta be tight otherwise the cage will not be rigid.



Now all I gotta do is put a roof on this cage and I'll be ready to catch some critters!



Man, I'm glad I brought my FAK I put a strip of mole skin on my index finger that blister was screaming. The roof is half done and can almost taste the succotash I'ma be make out of those critters I'm gunna be catching with this here rig!



Finally it's done!



The figure 4 trigger.



I bated it with a Frito!



Look's like I got all the right components necessary. All in all it took me a littler under 5 hours from start to finnish.



Thanks for checkin' out my attempt at the Log Cabin style cage trap!

[Bearhunter]

That's awesome and yes... It defiantly looks like a lot of lashing.

I bet it won't hold a bear though

5 hours... That crazy. It would prolly take me all day and then it would fall apart when I tested it

Nice work

[WI_Woodsman]

That's awesome and yes... It defiantly looks like a lot of lashing.

I bet it won't hold a bear though

5 hours... That crazy. It would prolly take me all day and then it would fall apart when I tested it

Nice work

Hey, it'l hold a teddy bear!  Thanks man!

[MnSportsman]

Nice work!
 


If ya need to do something like this again.( I.E. - pullin lots of lashings that need to be pulled tight). Ya might try taking a stick (like 1/2" - 1" diameter, about 3"- 4" long) & wrapping the cordage around the stick a turn or two, & then using that wrapped stick to pull the cordage tight. Think... lawnmower/chainsaw/ice auger/boat motor type pull cord, & the handle at the end. Like that principle...
 Be a lot easier on your hands & fingers.
 


Thanks for sharing your trap project!
 

[wolfy]

Nice work!
 


If ya need to do something like this again.( I.E. - pullin lots of lashings that need to be pulled tight). Ya might try taking a stick (like 1/2" - 1" diameter, about 3"- 4" long) & wrapping the cordage around the stick a turn or two, & then using that wrapped stick to pull the cordage tight. Think... lawnmower/chainsaw/ice auger/boat motor type pull cord, & the handle at the end. Like that principle...
 Be a lot easier on your hands & fingers.
 


Thanks for sharing your trap project!
 

You beat me to it, JB! .   That works really well and is almost a necessity when doing larger lashing projects like towers, bridges, flag poles, etc.  In those instances a wrist-sized club about 1 1/2 feet long really let's you bear down and really make those ropes creak!  The difference in lashing tightness is amazing.....makes the construction rock-solid!

Thanks for the pictures of the awesome trap project Wi-Woodsman.....ya' done good!   Now bring that merit badge card over here and I'll sign it for ya'!

[OutdoorEnvy]

That's hands down the nicest one of those I've seen.  Nice

[WoodsWoman]

Now that is way cool!    Have you caught anything in it ?    I could have used that last spring when I had a cranky muskrat in the yard here.
 
 
Thanks for showing your projects. 
 
WW.
 

[MnSportsman]

LOL Wolfy.. no reason for the angry face...    We are all here to try & help out one another, when we can, right?

Unless you are kinda just grumpy today.. I get that way sometimes too...


   BTW, looks like another good project to consider for the folks who want to do the B&B Monthly projects too. The fig. 4 was an old project, but the cage trap is a good candidate to put in the line-up. Maybe use the Paiute setup for it.
 



Thnx again Wi_woodsman for showing us your trap.
 
   

[04man]

I'd like to know what you catch with it! Frito is generic bait for what animals?

Please let us know.

[WI_Woodsman]

Nice work!
 


If ya need to do something like this again.( I.E. - pullin lots of lashings that need to be pulled tight). Ya might try taking a stick (like 1/2" - 1" diameter, about 3"- 4" long) & wrapping the cordage around the stick a turn or two, & then using that wrapped stick to pull the cordage tight. Think... lawnmower/chainsaw/ice auger/boat motor type pull cord, & the handle at the end. Like that principle...
 Be a lot easier on your hands & fingers.
 


Thanks for sharing your trap project!
 

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind!

[WI_Woodsman]

Now that is way cool!    Have you caught anything in it ?    I could have used that last spring when I had a cranky muskrat in the yard here.
 
 
Thanks for showing your projects. 
 
WW.

I don't have my small game license so I haven't been able to employ it legally...   

[WI_Woodsman]

I'd like to know what you catch with it! Frito is generic bait for what animals?

Please let us know.

Raccoons maybe squirrels?  Yeah, I agree the Frito was generic bait but that's all I had on me that day, ya gotta use what you have in survival situations.   

[WI_Woodsman]

You beat me to it, JB! .   That works really well and is almost a necessity when doing larger lashing projects like towers, bridges, flag poles, etc.  In those instances a wrist-sized club about 1 1/2 feet long really let's you bear down and really make those ropes creak!  The difference in lashing tightness is amazing.....makes the construction rock-solid!

Thanks for the pictures of the awesome trap project Wi-Woodsman.....ya' done good!   Now bring that merit badge card over here and I'll sign it for ya'!

I never got a merit badge...  Thanks Wolfy!

[WoodsWoman]

I know squirrels like Fritos   So do seagulls and geese.
 
I wonder how that kind of trap would work for snapping turtles?  It would have to be staked down I think so the snapper couldnt walk off with it? 
 
WW.
 
 

[WI_Woodsman]

I know squirrels like Fritos   So do seagulls and geese.
 
I wonder how that kind of trap would work for snapping turtles?  It would have to be staked down I think so the snapper couldnt walk off with it? 
 
WW.

You could put a heavy rock on the top to keep it down.

[Old Philosopher]

That's the best looking arapuca trap I've seen on the web for a long while! Good job!

[WI_Woodsman]

That's the best looking arapuca trap I've seen on the web for a long while! Good job!

Well it's not quite and Arapuca trap (like the kind that Colhane makes).  I do plan to make one though with a Arapuca style trigger, they are much more sensitive.

[Old Philosopher]

That's the best looking arapuca trap I've seen on the web for a long while! Good job!

Well it's not quite and Arapuca trap (like the kind that Colhane makes).  I do plan to make one though with a Arapuca style trigger, they are much more sensitive.

I always thought the "arapuca" tag referred to the cage design, and the trigger was incidental. I guess I was mis-educated. I've seen traps like that labeled "arapuca" that used different triggers, including the figure 4, and even a simple stick with a string that was pulled by the trapper hiding a short distance away. My mistake....

[Dano]

That looks great, and man do you have patience!     I think that's something I would have to put down and take a break from a few times...

[WI_Woodsman]

That's the best looking arapuca trap I've seen on the web for a long while! Good job!

Well it's not quite and Arapuca trap (like the kind that Colhane makes).  I do plan to make one though with a Arapuca style trigger, they are much more sensitive.

I always thought the "arapuca" tag referred to the cage design, and the trigger was incidental. I guess I was mis-educated. I've seen traps like that labeled "arapuca" that used different triggers, including the figure 4, and even a simple stick with a string that was pulled by the trapper hiding a short distance away. My mistake....

I got the name of the trap from John (Lofty) Wiseman (of whom I copied this particular design) who referred to it as a "Log Cabin" type cage trap on page 104 of the SAS Survival Handbook.

As far as the arapuca design goes I was under the understanding that it is held together by the tension of two cords rather than lashings and meant for small game and birds.  If I'm mistaken I do apologies.

[PetrifiedWood]

I guess the difference is this is a live trap vs. a dead fall. So the extra work involved in building it might be worthwhile if you are trapping animals with the intent to keep them alive.

[Old Philosopher]

I guess the difference is this is a live trap vs. a dead fall. So the extra work involved in building it might be worthwhile if you are trapping animals with the intent to keep them alive.

Another factor with live traps is trapping non-target species. A dead-fall is indiscriminate. It doesn't care if it's a pesky 'possum, or the neighbor's cat.
Case in point was the last episode of Yukon Men where the martin traps killed a half dozen or more Canada jays.
If you're trapping quail, and don't want to kill songbirds, these live traps are just the ticket. I've seen these cage traps lashed together big enough to take wild turkey.

[shane]

I have one of these made from left over wood slates. We used it to catch quail  once. We dug a hole similar to a dakota fire pit with the other side inside the trap with the seed bait. the Quail would go in the tunnel to get inside and never come out when you went to get them. I still have it hanging on the garage wall I think.

 Blue jays and cardinals are easy prey and so are the squirrels. We would set for hours at times in our room looking outside and waiting for the prey to go to the bait then we would trip it. Once we had caught this large bluejay so we tied some thread to its leg and let him fly into our bed room. It was all good and fun till it began to crap everywhere and dad wanted to know why the boys were so quite!

[04man]

I just put my palm to my forehead! Quail! I think I may have to make a big one with chicken wire.

I wonder if its allowed in California?

[WI_Woodsman]

I have one of these made from left over wood slates. We used it to catch quail  once. We dug a hole similar to a dakota fire pit with the other side inside the trap with the seed bait. the Quail would go in the tunnel to get inside and never come out when you went to get them. I still have it hanging on the garage wall I think.

 Blue jays and cardinals are easy prey and so are the squirrels. We would set for hours at times in our room looking outside and waiting for the prey to go to the bait then we would trip it. Once we had caught this large bluejay so we tied some thread to its leg and let him fly into our bed room. It was all good and fun till it began to crap everywhere and dad wanted to know why the boys were so quite!

I'd love to see a picture of your trap!

[Barbarossa Bushman]

Nice work!

[shane]

I will get a pic this weekend and post it for ya.

[WI_Woodsman]

I will get a pic this weekend and post it for ya.

Cool, cool!

[shane]

Hey WI I apologize for not getting the pic yet as the trap is at my dads. I worked a 48 hr shift unexpectedly this weekend so i am playing catch up on everything.

[WI_Woodsman]

Hey WI I apologize for not getting the pic yet as the trap is at my dads. I worked a 48 hr shift unexpectedly this weekend so i am playing catch up on everything.

Hey man, no pressure here...  You get to it when ya get to it.   

[rlh2]

That's awesome work there Woodsman!

[RoadLessTraveled]

Another excellent project!  Thanks for sharing this one!