As a kid I remember my dad having an old wooden box trap for rabbits. It was made in Germany by work buddy of his. I thought it was the coolest thing ever to be able to catch animals in there alive and then I could let them go or harvest them. Looking back this big wood trap must have been an interesting thing to import to the USA?

It was not long after using this trap every day, that I saw the adds in Outdoor life for the Mustang and the Havahart brands of traps. I would have done anything as a kid to get one of those Havahart traps! Eventually I did save enough money from mowing lawns and shoveling snow to buy one, I think I was about 10-12 years old. I still have that trap to this day. Mine was a #3 which was 3 feet long and about a foot square. Unfortunately it got beat up badly from Raccoons, they chewed the mesh sides so badly that it was just an eye sore. Although it still works it was a tough life with all the coons.

I eventually bought a Tomahawk brand which was a step up from Havahart. However that Havahart design was, and is still the vision of what a live trap looks like.

I have caught so many things in those traps, things I never intended or imagined getting in there. Coyotes and fox were targeted and captured. They are probably the apex catch for a live trap. I caught turtles, and owls in them too, actually countless species of birds. The challenges with a live trap are huge compared to foot traps or snares. I made one 4' long by 16" square with a single door using the trigger design of the tomahawk. All stainless steel and aluminum.

It's made with a solid metal bait box in the back 12" The mesh sides top and bottom are also expanded aluminum. I've had this big one for 30 years now and it still looks like new. Being aluminum with the expanded metal mesh prevents the problems with coons chewing it up too.

I've been trying to thin down some problem animals here on the ranch, so it's been set and checked every day for the last year. I have captured an amazing amount of birds, but last night I caught a first..... I have a huge porcupine in there! Using dry dog food for bait, I wonder what this Porcupine wanted in there? They can't possibly eat dry dog food as a pure vegetarian?

Anyway, I thought I would share this. A life time of trying to catch stuff in live traps and I still manage to catch another first!

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