Treating conibears

N

NC Outlaw

New member
Hello,
This is my first post but I have been reading from this board for quiet some time and have gotten some great information from here. I have hunted and fished all my life and have done a lot of trapping. But it has been mostly live trapping. I recently bought some 330's to start trapping beavers with. My question is about keeping them from rusting. What are the best techniques and where to I buy the stuff to do it with? Thanks for the help.
Outlaw
 
I'm farly new to trapping , but I visit other sites. Most of them say just to spray paint them.Others say speed dip or just wax them. The dip and wax can be found at any trapping supply house.
 
Avoid Waxing or speed dipping your conibears if at all possible!!

If you wax them, be sure to take a torch and clear the wax out of the dog and the bar where it will connect. If you dip them, you will want to scrape it off real well with a knife.

Speed dip and wax both turn slicker than snot when they get wet. 330's have a hard time staying set long enough for you to get you fingers away once they get slick.

I've tried them both and hated myself for doing it.

I always boil mine in walnut hulls. Logwood crystals work just as well, but I grew up with an unlimited supply of walnuts, for free.

I've never tried to paint them, but if I did, I would sure try to avoid any oil based paints. Just to protect my fingers.

[This message has been edited by Tim Behle (edited 12-28-2001).]
 
Howdy,

Thanks for the responses.I believe I will try
the walnut hulls. Alaskan Yoter you are right
these 330's deserve lots of respect. Any
other suggestions will be appreciated.
Thanks,
Outlaw
 
NC Outlaw...
330's are the kings of the conibears and will absolutely ruin your day if you get in where the animal should be. Heck, a 110 is bad enough - be careful!!!
I never wax conibears - only dye them with logwood (available from all trapping supply places) or walnut hulls. I have never painted traps and really don't like the idea of that... some may, so go ahead if you like.
There should be safety catches on the springs. If not, you may want to use some wire through the spring holes that surround the jaws to provide a margin of safety while you set the thing. Also, they will kill about anything that gets into them so watch where you make the sets. My neighbor's son caught his sister's dog a couple of years ago. She was not pleased with his trapping skills...
 
NC Outlaw, you will never want to wax conibears if you like your fingers. If you paint them, mask off the dog and bar, spring catches and springs; the paint makes these areas slick also. When setting conibears, especially the big 330s, always have a safety rope handy to compress the springs for when you do get caught. A conibear safety gripper is great to have when you're handling loaded traps as well.
Good luck!

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Very good advice on the 330's. I remember setting them when it took two of us to get the spring compressed and the hook latched. I never did anything to prevent rust. Got some surface rust on them, but a beaver don't much care about that. You may have a much more agressive enviroment for rusting problems than I did in Colorado such as humidity, etc. Sounds like the walnut shells would be the way to go if you wanted to keep all rust off. Good luck with the trapline.
 
I don't boil my traps anymore.Now I dip them and yes it makes them alittle slick.I rough up the bar area that the dog sits on with sand paper.This makes the trap safe for misfires while leaving the rest of the trap with a lighting fast surface.Works for me!
God Bless
 
I remember reading years ago that the preident of the NTA used an acrylic floor "wax" on his coni's (110's). I would assume that if you were looking to do something more then just dyeing them that this might work. By the way, he did say that he tried not to get any on the areas that the trigger would go.
 
The other fellas gave great advice. I've used both logwood and spraypaint. Both worked well. Not to dwell on the safety thing but the rope in the back pockect is a important thing to remember. I know an old farmer that was trying to set a 330 under a fence for coyotes. (finally got him switched to snares) He set it off somehow and it was holding on to his foresrm and elbow. He was helpless. Had to drive 5 miles with the Coni on his arm, then used a vice to get it off. People have died getting caught in a river I've heard. Another setting tool I have been using the last couple years is a Gemsetter. It is about 10" long and 2" wide and is by far the easiest setting tool I have used.
 


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