Animal Trap?

[JohnInPA]

Found this near a large creek in about 6 inches of mud. Heavy iron. It is about the size of my hand.

 

[DigginThePast]

No doubt, an old trap. No idea on manufacturer.

Welcome to T-Net John.

 

[JohnInPA]

Sweet! Thanks for the confirmation! This was the only thing that I was able to pull out of a jungle of aluminum cans, pull tabs, and foil.

If anyone has a friend who collects crumpled up aluminum beer cans, I have a good lead for them.

 

[deepskyal]

Welcome to Tnet John.
Cool find...old. Back years ago when my daughter was only 8, I was detecting and she found one in the loaded position and in workable condition. Really put a bad taste in my mouth for such things. Coulda been a nightmare if she had tried to pick it up. No name tags on it or any kind of ID.
I sprung it and tossed it as far as I could.
That size looks like a muskrat or coon trap.

Al

 

[kuger]

Its called a Jump trap.Looks like a #1 or #2.In no way was it ever any danger to a human

 

[Bluegrassriver]

thanks for posting this find. It seems like these would be a little scarce considering the cost of one back in the day. Assets like these should have been retrieved. Perhaps the moonshine caused a memory lapse on the location of the trap?

Having your young daughter with you to spot one that could have harmed her gives me great pause. In Scouting we try to teach about these outdoor dangers. I hope you rewarded her for her good decision to point it out to you and not touch it. She deserves movie tickets with a friend!

 

[kuger]

If you could get that open to actually catch you you are doing something!!!?

 

[oldcoon]

It's a number 1 Victor jump trap. Been out of production for many years now, but in that condition worth absolutely nothing except possibly as a curio to the finder.

 

[JohnInPA]

Wow! Thanks for all of the great info and the ID!

I also have a daughter, 9 years old, who loves to go MDing with me. She was the one who talked mom into getting me the MD as a Christmas present. She was not with me on this short trip as it required a hike down a very steep muddy bank. About 300 feet verticle with large rocks, broken glass, and assorted stuff that people have decided to dump over the side. The area is a like a history of American beverage transport... apparently drinking cans of beer at this part of the creek/river is a tradition that is passed down from generation to generation.

That was the only really neat thing that i found in a few hours of hunting. But being outside on a spring day, hearing the water as it bubbled along, the ducks quacking at each other... that was the real treasure on that day.

Happy Hunting!