Anybody forged a BEAR TRAP ?

[Oak Hill Forge]

Has anybody forged a bear trap ? If so do you have any picyures, notes, drawings ? I saw a blacksmith forged trap at an auction today.... it was impressive !

[brucegodlesky]

IIRC, some of the guys over at Forgemagic were forging spring traps. Y amight check there

[Mark Aspery]

There is a smith out of Utah (between Salt lake and Spanish fork) that makes them.
He has an automated (almost) station that he takes around to mountain man rendezvous and makes small traps.
He also has on (that works) that is about 6 (SIX) feet across the jaws - by way of advertising.
Eli is a name that comes to mind, but don't quote me on that.
A very clever man.

[781]

In one of the UMBA DVDs at UMBA Online there is a demo of making a beaver trap which is a large trap but smaller than a bear trap.
The hand forged traps ussually had square bolts holing the jaw post to the frame but some were pined with a wedge.
This post ussually had two pins in each one but occassinally the jaws overlapped and had one pin through both jaws.
I have a bunch of pictures of old orriginal traps somewhere

[Ted T]

I believe Mark was speaking about “DeLoy Larson” of Larson’s Ornamental Iron in Pleasant Grove, Utah
Those of us who are in the trade that know DeLoy, consider DeLoy Larson to be a genius at what he does with steel. I have not seen DeLoy for several years, but I called and talked to his son (Doug) who gave me permission to post some photo’s that I took while visiting with them.
DeLoy had the “Big Foot Trap Line Company”. He made a large Bear Trap that could only be transported on a trailer. He also constructed small traps. He sent me a gift several years ago. It was a small (working) souvenir trap #416. I felt honored!
DeLoy also has constructed some other ingenious machines and tools.
I will include a few photos of his giant twister that will twist 2’ square stock "cold".
But he has done one better than that now. Now he has built one that will twist 4” square stock “Cold”. I only have a couple of photos of when it was under construction about 9 years ago.
Ted Throckmorton
Oops. I forgot! I tried to use the Gallery and it is not functioning at this time. I will post the photos when it is working again. They are worth waiting for!

Edited January 18, 2009 by Ted T

[Avadon]

Why do people make these things? For artistic use? I'm pretty sure it's illegal in most states to use them.

[philip in china]

A beaver trap. What do you use as bait. I have my own methods but am not going to divulge them to anybody.

[GobblerForge]

I've forged a couple traps. If you have a small trap, it's simple to copy the parts. Just scale up. Word of warning. These things work. My bear trap will bite off a 1x2. The long springs are from an International semi.
Gobbler

[oakwoodironworks]

Most of the bear traps you see today are used as decorations in restaurants, sporting good stores, etc. I don't know if they were ever used here in the South, but do know that they were used out West to trap grizzly bears. Remember this was in the 1800's when the West was being settled. They are illegal to use today.

[Oak Hill Forge]

Yes, it's a part of American history, not in use today (I'm sure in most states they are illegal to use) but they are also highly collectable and make an interesting display on the wall of your log house or camp. Most people have them welded in the open position for safety reasons. many have springs so strong that you have to use C-clamp looking affairs to collapse the springs to set them. I've seen them bring as much as a nice anvil at auctions. It doesn't look like it would a real difficult blacksmithing project, although I'm just a beginner. Thanks for all the support on the thread and I'm looking forward to the pictures Ted.

[KYBOY]

Bear traps were only banned about two seasons ago in Maine..Now a foot snare is required to bear trap in Maine..Bear traps were used all over the US..My great,great grandfather used them here in the appalachias in the late 1800's..My family had one of his traps until it was stolen about 40 years ago. Ive got a good friend who I see at the trappers conventions every year who use to be a govt trapper that removed problem bear and lions..He does a killer demo on making bear and lion sets..
Ive made a few traps but always used existing springs..They are easily ordered from about any trapping supply..
On the trap collectors site there is a gentleman who makes bear traps so close to the originals he has to make his mark on the baseplate so people wont pass them off as originals..Almost any model Newhouse bear trap will fetch between $600-$5000 depending on the model..The dogless #31 may go for close to 10K last I heard..

Edited January 18, 2009 by KYBOY

[Trollhammer]

Is it just bear traps that are illegal in most states, or all leg traps? I know that they are kind of frowned upon, especially be animal rights groups, but I didn't think they were illegal. Where I grew up in Illinois, there was a bounty on muskrat and raccoons...good source of income for a kid that spent most of his time haunting the woods near a local lake. Never used bait, just looked for their holes in the water and put the traps nearby. I haven't trapped in over 15 years and recently tried to find some leg traps to get rid of a nuisance beaver; I couldn't find 'em locally and kept getting referred to a local 'live trap' business that traps 'em and removes 'em for a fee. I guess the legality might explain why I couldn't find 'em.
Mickey

[matt87]

In this country they are often known as 'man-traps'; gamekeepers would place them about the lord's land and camouflage them with leaf litter etc.; a broken leg is difficult for a poacher to hide... (As an important social point here, a poacher in the UK was/is traditionally a person (usually a man) who would take game and fish from the local landowner's property without permission. Rabbits, eels and other species considered unimportant were sometimes overlooked, but animals with a cash value (pheasants, salmon etc.) were certainly not. Since the Enclosures Act centuries ago there is no such thing as true public land or common land in the UK, this was to maximise profit for landowners and had the unfortunate consequence that the vast majority of the UK's population had no other legal option than labouring for cash, then buying food with this cash.)

[KYBOY]

No, not illegal at all..Im a trapper myself.I can point you to more than a dozen trapper supply houses where you can find anything you need..The fur market is still a multi million dollar industry..Every states DNR uses trapping as a way to relocate wildlife for restocking programs..Foothold traps are not the torture device that many make them out to be..All of Kentuckys Otter were re stocked from LA and they were all caught and released with foothold traps..Wolves are most often caught with footholds for re stocking programs..I myself release many free ranging "pets" every season and Ive never had one with a broken bone..
Traps are a tool and just like every other tool their is a right way and a wrong way to use them.

[Trollhammer]

There's definitely a right way and a wrong way! I knew a couple of fellows that wouldn't bother to check their lines but once a week...it always irritated me to no end, I checked mine daily. Thanks too, I'll do a google search for one of those supply houses tomorrow morning. That beaver is still around and still doing some serious damage.
Mickey

[Oak Hill Forge]

Yeah I think the springs would be the most difficult to make. I wonder how much "spring" that spring steel has after it's heated ? I have a lot of old buggy spring stock and a few old model "A" springs laying around. I looked at some trapping supply places and they seem to have all kinds of parts and mods for coil spring parts, but didn't find much for leaf spring stuff

[Ted T]

Bear Trap
As I read through this thread it seems as though several issues have surfaced.
Obviously one thought leads to other subsequent issues of concern and consideration.
The first issue seems to be about constructing a Bear Trap.
Another issue seems to be about the humane aspect of using a bear trap.
And the third issue seems to be the legal aspects of using a Bear Trap.
My brother is a state trapper. He has trapped all of his life. He has passed the

[oakwoodironworks]

I have always wanted one to hang on the wall as a conversation piece but have been unwilling to pay the $500-700 that I've seen them selling for. After reading this thread, maybe I'll try to make myself one. Sounds like an interesting project!

[David Einhorn]

A few years ago a cat that we had dragged home an iron spring trap on her leg. We own most of the woods behind us but poachers put traps out there anyway. The cat died from the trap. My wife loved that cat.

[Paul B]

Why do people make these things? For artistic use? I'm pretty sure it's illegal in most states to use them.

Bear traps are mostly wall hangers for game rooms and club houses. Seven and a half inch traps are very common for beaver and are legal in most states.