# Building foothold stakes.



## Rugergundog (May 21, 2008)

How are you guys building your trapping stakes for canines?

I put a few coyote sets out and used a small length of chain that I buried in a trench and ran it to a tree. :sad: Yea i know prob pretty rookie noobie thing. The more reading im doing i see everyone using 24" or so stakes.

I have a good deal of the steel material available to me so i can make stakes.

Few questions:
Is there a benefit to staking the trap at the base of the dirt hole?

What do you use on the end of the trap small chain to make a larger ring so a stake will fit through it.? The trap im using has a smaller D shaped ring with a small hole in it that worked great to hook my chain to.

When making the stake how are you guys anchoring a washer or such on the top of the pole?

Bob


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## dpweurding (Nov 9, 2009)

I am very much a beginner at this too, but I had a little experience with stakes already. I had a set made up for raccoons and mink on the high bank edge of a drainage, not expecting anything larger(rookie error, but come on, it was my first set). I had it single staked and I lost a trap to a coyote. The stake wasnt the issue, it may have been later if the nut on the top had held. It was 1/2" rebar, 24" long, with a 5/8" nut on the top. It felt sturdy when I set it and from the mess he made getting loose, I dont think it was easy for him, but nonetheless I am a trap and coyote short:evil:. I had done some reading and people seemed to think this set-up really worked, and maybe it does for them, but from now on I am going to get that nut welded on, or just buy actual trapping stakes or cable anchors. Just not worth it to loose a trap and the animal that was in it. Hope this helps.


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## dpweurding (Nov 9, 2009)

Also, forgot to add, I now use double stakes criss-crossed with a swivel on all my sets except for my water sets. I think that should help with the issue. Time will tell.


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## SNAREMAN (Dec 10, 2006)

ALL sets made for coyote or in areas where coyotes are present,need to be at least cross-staked (cable staked would be better)no matter how long the stake or how hard/frozen the ground is.


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## r.rase78 (Feb 4, 2009)

dont know bout that it took me a good 10 min 2 pull 1 18inch stake out of clay 2 day.lol i should of known it was hard 2 pound it in. i was diggin and beatin it back n forward and everything else and i am far from bein weak.


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## FAAMECH (Jul 14, 2009)

Ruger,
I use the cross stake method and have had good luck till today. Coyote had both stakes up and ready to come out. After the dispatch, I pulled both stakes out with two fingers. I read somewhere that coyotes have 400 pounds of force when lunging against the trap and stakes...Next year I'm starting to convert my coyote traps to a MB chain stake that driven in the ground....I DONT LIKE BROKEN TRAPS OR MISSING TRAPS.... so to me its money well spent.....


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## Rugergundog (May 21, 2008)

Okay so all that said...how are you guys making stakes?

Better yet in depth is a x stake method just what it sounds like? Two in the ground crossed?

My traps don't have a huge ring on the end either.

So what about this set up?


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## Mister ED (Apr 3, 2006)

r.rase78 said:


> dont know bout that it took me a good 10 min 2 pull 1 18inch stake out of clay 2 day.lol i should of known it was hard 2 pound it in. i was diggin and beatin it back n forward and everything else and i am far from bein weak.


Good advice from Snareman ... you'd be surprised what a yote can do.

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10363_10880_12399-174841--,00.html

The following link is to the trapper's education manual. I believe in chapter #8 there is a few pics of how to set up the end of your trap chain to be able to cross stake.


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## allwaysgrinners (Nov 8, 2010)

you may want to look into getting some berkshire cable stakes i started useing them this season and wont go back only need to carry one rebar to drive them in and they hold solid. you can find them on ebay cheap they come premade or you can get just the steak ends and build them your self. At least thats how i did it anyway i used 3/32nd cable and aluminum furrels. good luck and let them traps fish and they will come.


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## SNAREMAN (Dec 10, 2006)

r.rase78 said:


> dont know bout that it took me a good 10 min 2 pull 1 18inch stake out of clay 2 day.lol i should of known it was hard 2 pound it in. i was diggin and beatin it back n forward and everything else and i am far from bein weak.


I am speaking from experience on this.Run a single stake on your k-9 sets and you will be re-placing missing traps.Worse yet,you will have animals running around with a trap on it's foot,which once found/seen is a HUGE "black-eye" for trapping,NOT what we trappers need/want.


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## Black Powder Trapper (Feb 15, 2008)

Good advise from Ed and Snareman I use cable stakes and love them. I used to use cross stakes and never had a problem with them except that they get very heavy if you carry many of them. Keep your eyes open for trapper ed classes there are not any set up now but watch to see when one is set up.


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## Black Powder Trapper (Feb 15, 2008)

Rugergundog said:


> How are you guys building your trapping stakes for canines?
> 
> I put a few coyote sets out and used a small length of chain that I buried in a trench and ran it to a tree. :sad: Yea i know prob pretty rookie noobie thing. The more reading im doing i see everyone using 24" or so stakes.
> 
> ...


 
Most of my stakes were 24" long with a rounded point on one end and a welded washer or nut on the other end. I bought and made plates with two holes for the stakes and a J hook in between the two holes. There is a picture of the plate in the trapper ed manual chapter 12 page 2


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## Mister ED (Apr 3, 2006)

Dale is correct ... I had the wrong chapter. I should have written chapter #12. The pics show a couple diff ways. For rebar I like the plate type as well. I do not use them too much (at all) I use POGO cable stakes.


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## Black Powder Trapper (Feb 15, 2008)

One thing I forgot to mention is that the length of the stake requirements will depend on your soil type and if the soil has been plowed or not. You may need stakes 30 or 36" long in some instances. The X also looks more like an upside down V with a little crossover at the top. If you have any more questions please post.


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## FREEPOP (Apr 11, 2002)

Pogos stakes for me too, around 15" seems to work good. Google it and you can make them cheap. I just use a hammer to close the ferrules. In the spring I go and dig them back out to reuse.


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Thanks guys for stressing the importance of using X staking or cable anchors. This is one issue where listening to and practicing what us old trappers tell you new trappers is critical.

So please take the advice to heart and save yourself a lot future grief.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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