What a shock if it would have sprung

[mr-dig-it]

I was detecting a short distance from some hunting camps and got a signal. A couple swings from my digger uncovered the jaw from a trap. I grabbed hold of the jaw and kept swinging to uncover the rest of it. Up popped a still set #2 coil spring trap. The dog was at the very end of the pan. It been buried so long it had rusted open and didn't set off when I was uncovering it.

 

[Glasya]

Cool find, keep on digging.

 

[caleb]

get lucky on that one

 

[TooManyHobbies]

Nice find. A long line trapper could easily have over a 100 traps set. If he didn't have good notes or a good memory, it would be easy to overlook a trap. Glad an animal missed that one, since it obviously wasn't checked. They aren't too bad on the digits though, I snap one on my hand now and then to show people that they don't snap bones off. If used appropriately, they are a great tool.

 

[kuger]

He didnt say it was staked down?Was it?

 

[flakefinder]

I him sure there are a lot of traps out there like that, you didn't want to mark them so that they could be stolen, I used lots of traps like that when I was young for fox and coyote and had to remember where they were set good think my memory was better back then, then now. It wouldn't have broke anything but would have got your attention

 

[mr-dig-it]

that trap probably isn't over a year or two old. I trap and they can look like this within a month or two if the weather conditions are "right" (or wrong, however you look at it) and you let them sit that long without a catch.

This trap is way older then a year or two. I have found traps that were lost by trappers in the 70's and are in much better shape then this one. I have never heard of a Bridger trap. I knew it wasn't a Victor as they have a V on the pan. The trap wasn't staked down, so I'm assuming it was a wooden stake and it rotted away.

 

[kuger]

that trap probably isn't over a year or two old. I trap and they can look like this within a month or two if the weather conditions are "right" (or wrong, however you look at it) and you let them sit that long without a catch.

This trap is way older then a year or two. I have found traps that were lost by trappers in the 70's and are in much better shape then this one. I have never heard of a Bridger trap. I knew it wasn't a Victor as they have a V on the pan. The trap wasn't staked down, so I'm assuming it was a wooden stake and it rotted away.

With all do respect given the style and the chain type,it isnt as old as you seem to think it is?Not positive when the first coil springs came into play?My gut tells me it may be a Woodstream Brand,although it looks like a Victor Oneida,which yes stock do have a "V",in the pan,but I modify all of my traps and change out the pans,although the pan on this example does appear to be stock

 

[mr-dig-it]

I know it's not a really old trap, maybe 20-30 years. But it was under 2" of dirt. No trapper would cover their trap with dirt that thick as it wouldn't spring. It takes quite a few autumns for leaves to rot down to make that much dirt. Surprising how many traps I find. A couple years ago, two miles out in the woods I found a pile of 6 single spring traps someone had left. They were only buried about a inch.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Eeeeks

 

[kuger]

I know it's not a really old trap, maybe 20-30 years. But it was under 2" of dirt. No trapper would cover their trap with dirt that thick as it wouldn't spring. It takes quite a few autumns for leaves to rot down to make that much dirt. Surprising how many traps I find. A couple years ago, two miles out in the woods I found a pile of 6 single spring traps someone had left. They were only buried about a inch.

Thats the time frame I was thinking as well.Odd to find them set,with no evidence of a stake