# setting conibears



## Rumajz (Dec 29, 2005)

Hey NC, 

maybe I bought some cheap, worthless you know what, and now I am paying for it. (why do people always want a cadillac for a price of cavalier).

Maybe mine are just too short or something. I cannot even compress it far enough to set the safety hook. I am not the strongest guy but if I can set a 330 by hand and cannot compress it with the setting tool I don't know what's wrong then.

Roman


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## Rumajz (Dec 29, 2005)

Northcountry said:


> I hereby offer my barn as an approved disposal site for all the unwanted bodygrip setters, which are still in good condition :evil:


You not only know your trapping, you are also funny. 

Alex was faster, he messaged me before you posted


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## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

Rumajz said:


> Maybe mine are just too short or something.


Roman, I just went out and measured mine...they are 30" long.

Plenty of leverage to easily compress brand new Belisle 330's. I bought them at MTP for about $12 I think. Nothing fancy mind you...just simple 1/4" flat stock tongs.


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## Rumajz (Dec 29, 2005)

that's it, mine are not more than 18". Why do they put them in the same box with 330's on their shelves? They are probably for 220's, right?


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## alexsalmon (Feb 16, 2006)

I had a pair that latched shut so you didn't have to hold both ends with one hand, those were NICE, but some idiot stole them out of my dads truck in the wal-mart parking lot. 

Roman, if a 120lb.(of lean mean fighting machine ) 15 year old can close a 330 with tongs, you can!!!


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## Rumajz (Dec 29, 2005)

Very nice Alex, now you make a 34 year old look like a little girl


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

You guys are going to hate me for this!

But I have always set all my over four dozen 330's with my bare hands. Never have used any type of setting tool on them. Just too much trouble and just another thing to carry and potentially leave behind on the trapline.

Obviously you have to be carefull and constantly keep an eye on the safety latches that hold the springs compressed, while you are setting the 330. 

Using a setting tool is probably a good idea, as is using the safety device on the jaws, but for over thirty years I have been setting 330's my bare handed and only occasionally use a piece of wire for a temporary safety on the jaws, when I am making up an under ice beaver pole set.

In all this time I have never caught myself in a 330, while setting it. Call me lucky, very carefull, old school or maybe just plain stubborn.  

But what ever you do treat these 330's with great respect!!!!!


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## Bow Hunter Brandon (Jan 15, 2003)

You guys are funny.

Mine are 30 inches I just always felt like I could slip with them so I started using the rope.

I will give mine to a kid some day that wants to start trapping. Of course I will also show him how to use a rope so he doesnt need those silly setters. :lol:


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## alexsalmon (Feb 16, 2006)

BHB, hows about giving them to me, I could have the world only/ largest collection of coni setters!


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## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

In all seriousness and joking aside...I wonder how much of an effect our individual trap _spring strength_ has to do with our choice of setting method.

I can feel a huge difference in spring strength among the bodygrips I have handled....depending on age and brand. 

We may not be understanding each others opinion because we're not talking about the same traps. 

If anyone wants to try setting my Belisle's without tongs, youre welcome to come by and give it a try. Either they will learn something...or I will.


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## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

Bow Hunter Brandon said:


> I just always felt like I could slip with them so I started using the rope.


BHB, I just noticed this statement you made, and I'm wondering if youre using the tongs properly.

There is no potential for the tongs to "slip" if you engage your hooks into the spring *eyes*. It is the only location which will hold the tongs captive.

Now, if you engage your tongs on the spring *arms* (the straight runs of spring rod) then yes...they can slip! This is improper usage.

The process is.....

Lay trap on ground
Spread spring out and lay flat
Position the springs safety hook within a few inches of the spring eye
Engage tongs on spring eyes
Compress tongs until eyes approximately touch
Engage spring safety hook

This takes me about 5-seconds per spring.


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

NC,

Your are correct that different brands of traps have different spring strengths. I know that a Blake & Lamb longspring trap has a lot stronger spring than a Victor.

All my 330's are Victors.

Got some new Victor and Duke 220's this fall and they are actually more difficult to set bare handed than a 330. I think the smaller spring size of the 220's and the fact that where the jaws are welded together at the hing points causes the spring eye to get caught as I am compressing the spring.

At the National Trappers Convention that was held in Gaylord many years ago, we had a trap setting contest. One contest was to see how fast you could set a 330 bare handed.

I watched in amazement as a very strong young man place a brand new 330 on the ground in front of him, as he knelt on his knees. Then he reached front with a hand on each spring and compressed both spring at the same time. He won the contest with a time of just over 5 seconds!

Boy, he would be a good guy to take along on your beaver trapline!


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## Dave Lyons (Jun 28, 2002)

NC,

Ask MAllard I set his Belisle's by hand. 

I always thought setters were the way to go. But I had an older trapper that I was trapping beaver with show me the easy way. By hand is for myself the easy and faster way to set 330's

It more about leverage then spring strength. And anyone that owns BMI 160mags knows its about leverage. The BMI 160mag is by far one of the hardest traps to set by hand.

Dave


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## frostbite (Dec 22, 2004)

NC, I run a very few Duke 330's and mostly Belisle's. I have on many off occasion set them by hand, but I am one mountain of a man:lol: Just kidding, but I do set them by hand when I forget my setting tool. I have a short 18" tool I use for the smaller conni's, but have the longer heavy duty setters for the 330's. I have actually bent the smaller ones useing them on 330's. Gander mountain and some of those places have the short ones setting on the shelf with the 330's cause they don't know what they are doing. Just look at the trap selection. The longer, heavyer stock ones are for the 330's. I like to carry my setters for taking critters out also. It seems to be a little more difficult getting a 50 or 60 lbs' beaver out of a 330 when your chest deep in water on a steep bank without the setting tool. I do recomend setting several times with the rope method and carrying the rope with you for emergencies:yikes:


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Dave L.

Glad to hear that I am not the only trapper out here that does it bare handed.  

Dave, you are correct, it is all in the how you position the trap and leverage. Once you see it done and know it is possible, then it definitely makes it easier after that.


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## multibeard (Mar 3, 2002)

Dave 
Do you remember the young gal that used to speed set 330's at the MTA Zone 2 conventions. She did it faster than the men at around 5 seconds as well.

I guess we are all a bunch of pansies. 

I made a set of tongs when I first started trapping beaver. Problem with them was I left them on the ice next to a beaver ladder. Dang trap thief took them along with my 330.

I then went to the rope method. I always carried a rope in both my pockets so I could get to it if I had a memory lapse and got my self caught. I bought a safety but could never find it in the bottom of my basket. I just took a piece off wire and put it around the set jaws for a safety. LIke the safety you have to REMEMBER to take it off before you leave.:banghead3


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## David G Duncan (Mar 26, 2000)

Tom,



> I guess we are all a bunch of pansies.


To tell the truth, I don't remember the gal that put us to shame by setting those conibears bare handed. But I believe you.

Probably time for us to start planning our little trappers get together for this summer. Sounds like we will probably having conibear setting demonstration at our gathering for sure. :evil:


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## gunrod (Jan 16, 2001)

David G Duncan said:


> Tom,
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Or a weight lifting session.:lol:


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## Northcountry (Feb 4, 2004)

Dave Lyons said:


> NC,
> 
> Ask MAllard I set his Belisle's by hand.
> 
> ...


Dave, I believe most people could set a 330 by hand...that was never in question. I truly would like to see you set one of _my_ Bel's to see if its easier with your method. Not as a challenge...but for education. If I can learn it then maybe I'll switch to your way.

I personally want a method that I can use with cold, wet hands and not risk injury. I also want a method that allows me to remove critters from the trap. I have found it a big hassle to compress springs on a bodygrip when its holding a large beaver. Holding the trap over a knee isnt a practical option, sometimes. And if tongs are going to be taken afield to remove catches anyway...I'll use them for setting. I also have other uses for 30" steel tongs on the trapline....so its a multi-purpose tool for me.

It boils down to personal choice. For now, I'll risk looking like a pansy and stick to the easy, safe, quick, non-challenging method of tongs. As the old saying goes...work smarter, not harder.


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## alexsalmon (Feb 16, 2006)

Well, A couple days ago I decided to make a double spring 110 out of 2 crap 110s so I could run it on a stake to some deep water.

Today siting on a rat hut with fresh sign I was setting one side and the other side all ready was set with a small hand made safety on it. I get the trap about half way open and here a pop, my hand made safety BROKE:yikes:. Got my left thumb, had an indent in it for about 4 hours.:rant: Still hurts like a bi***. But it did get my a nice buck mink last night!

Well Rumajz said to not get caught by it, and look what happened!


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