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Post by Earl8656 on Jul 29, 2007 23:51:43 GMT -5
Who on here night latches and why? I have some that are and am thinking about doing em all. Give me your pros and cons!
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Post by tctrppr on Jul 30, 2007 7:33:25 GMT -5
All of mine are nightlatched. I think it makes for a crisper, quicker trigger.JMHO. ;D
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Post by Earl8656 on Jul 30, 2007 8:39:17 GMT -5
And I also meant to add.....How much pan pressure do you runf or foxes when night-latched....and how much for bobcats?
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Post by tctrppr on Jul 30, 2007 9:37:52 GMT -5
1.5 to 2 lbs. I like my trap trigger to break like a "glass rod." Kind of like a target trigger on a firearm. With 1.5 to 2 lbs., I rarely get a toe catch. I cover w/1/4' of sifted dirt. I never did like a heavy covering of dirt. Our soil is clay based. Loamy soil, I might cover a smidge heavier. But, our clay soil up here is heavy enough that a 1/4' usually does the trick without worrying about it washing off in the rain.
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Post by mtbadger on Jul 30, 2007 13:25:38 GMT -5
I agree with Tctrppr with the 1.5-2lbs. You might go just a little heavier to try and avoid non-target. I am willing to take anything so I just leave it like that. I also nite latch all my footholds for that crisp trigger.
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Post by blakcoyote on Jul 30, 2007 16:25:14 GMT -5
I use the nite latch myself,I like the click and you know your set.I run around 3# of pan tension,it helps avoid the skunks,and I've noticed more hind foot catches with the incidental coon,which is nicer when trapping with larger traps for coyotes.I think for me the hind foot caught coon is due to a couple things,the trap is set back a little bit more for coyote,and the light stepping front feet don't trip the trap,it's when his heavy hindend is moving around while his front feet are checking out the hole or backing.
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Post by bill1306 on Jul 30, 2007 18:45:17 GMT -5
I night latch everything I use except the double long springs. I set the pan tension at 2 1/2 to 3 lbs. When I hear the pan click, it sounds like money to me, music to the ears. I don't have to look at the pan to know it is level. Over 90% of my trap line running is done in the dark. Make sure you crush the dog or your night latching is just wasting your time. A good night latched trap needs pan tension. I do catch skunks, cats, fox, coyotes, badgers, coons, well about everything that weighs over two pounds, with the pan tension I use, but I don't have mice, rats, rabbits or other incidental miss fires. With the extra pan tension the animal has committed its foot on the pan and it can't jerk it's foot away fast enough, so there aren't toe catches.
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Post by offshoretrash on Jul 30, 2007 18:54:21 GMT -5
one word...consistency
every trap is tuned the same, just set and go no fiddling with he pan.
Now having said this there is another way to get the same type of consistency and that's by filing the notch down to around 3/32" or less. I like to night latch in case I mess up I have room for error. I still make mine hair triggers though.
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Post by offshoretrash on Jul 30, 2007 19:34:29 GMT -5
Here's a couple pictures for those who want to see what a nightlatch looks like.
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Post by bill1306 on Jul 30, 2007 19:50:49 GMT -5
OS, nice pictures. I personally like to make a lot smaller notch. I only use a couple of strokes with a file and you really have to look to see the notch. By placing it closer to the big notch the dog doesn't have to travel as far up into the smaller notch and the results are the same. It is just faster to do and it gives you a lot more room to error.
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Post by huckleberry on Jul 30, 2007 20:59:20 GMT -5
Not to start anything...but that is not a true night latch......that is how I set most of my traps but for fox and yotes I do use a real Night latch.........The difference is both the pan and dog are filed and at angles to sorta interlock with each other. Takes any wiggle out and when the trap fires it has all the weight of the critter on it. No pan creep with a true night latch. The crispest trigger there is. Draw back is it takes some doin to get it right with a file. As soon as I can get a puter going where I can draw it out or get a pic of one of my fox traps I will and ya can see the difference.
The notched pan (like the one shown) is a very good set up......I use it for most everything besides fox and yotes. And have used it many many times for them also. It is easy to make right and works very well. The only difference is there is still the same pan creep with it as without it. With a true night latch there is no pan creep at all........when the traps fires it is full blown whammy!!!!
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Post by bill1306 on Jul 30, 2007 21:14:17 GMT -5
If you crush the dog, you take out all of the pan creep. By crushing the dog, I mean to use a large set of pliers and crush the area where the dog is attached to the trap, that will take out all of the travel in the dog. The night latching where you use a file on both the pan and the dog takes a lot longer to do. I also file the dog to a chisel point, so it just touches the top of the dog to the notch I have made for it. That is why I had said that if you don't crush the dog, night latching is just wasting your time. For those trappers that don't want to night latch, crushing the dog will also help them with getting rid of the pan creep.
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Post by huckleberry on Jul 30, 2007 21:46:39 GMT -5
This is a really crude drawing what I was taught is a night latch. With the two parts filed at the angles there is no pan creep at all yet the tension can be adjusted same as with any other set up. What I was taught or told was with this set up, the critter is "loading" the trigger. It don't take any more pressure to fire the trap, but the pan sets totaly still untill all that pressure is applied. Without the angles and only a notch the pan starts moving at any pressure. It is lots less with the filed notch but it is still there. The reason for the name "night latch" was becuase of the "click" when ya set the trap. Bill I crush the eye as you are talkin about to, with either set up. I agree with the eye crushed shut and the filed notch thin where the dog rests in the notch most pan creep is gone. One set up is as good as the other, I just prefer the way I have drawn it out to get rid of all pan creep.
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Post by bill1306 on Jul 30, 2007 22:03:26 GMT -5
That's cool, I'm sure there are other ways that neither of us have seen that work well also. For years without the internet, tips didn't get passed along like they do now. It is always good to see new ways to do things.....
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Post by blakcoyote on Jul 31, 2007 1:11:46 GMT -5
Nice pics Offshore and Huck.
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Post by Earl8656 on Aug 1, 2007 11:41:48 GMT -5
good answers guys! Like I said I had my own ideas; but I was interested in hearing ya'lls....Thanks
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possumskinner
Grinner Skinner
POOP KING
What ya see is What ya get!!!
Posts: 319
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Post by possumskinner on Aug 1, 2007 12:49:15 GMT -5
i set mine up a couple ways i aint never really worried about what it's called or if it's the way someone else is doing it ... i just go with what works for me ;D i file a notch in the pan and square off the dog and bevel it to a sharp angle ... nice crisp fit ... i also close down the dog eye somewhat i also set some up by removing all but a shallow notch from the pan ... squaring off the dog and beveling it just as stated above ... works for me either way as far as pan tension goes i like to tighten down the pan at an elevated angle then slowly back it off ... until the pan just starts to fall under its own weight ... this is on average 1 1/2 to 2 pounds rabbits can be added to the list of critters that can thump a trap at those settings ... they get happy when they smell red fox pee and get heavy footed around here lol ;D huck - neat picture ... i'd asume that set up adds/increases pan tension? looks as if filing the dogs could be a challenge when it comes to consistency? always good to see different methods ... great info ... thanks ;D
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Post by huckleberry on Aug 1, 2007 13:17:42 GMT -5
It don't increase pan tension per say. what it does is holds everything still until the preferred weight is on the pan. Then it fires instantly.......thus the "loading" of the trigger. The angles I drew are off ...but I did the best I could ....I will get some pics of my traps with the proper angles and how I file them. Youar e right though....gettin the dog filed to the same angle is a pain. That is why I don't have alot of traps wet up this way. Most are as OST showed his. Once done right though....ya won't any yotes or fox gettin away once they step on the pan. They will be fully commited before the trap fires.
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Post by deerhunter65347 on Aug 1, 2007 14:03:56 GMT -5
Well ive never latched one like hucks but i will try one and see how it works in relation to the other method i use. which is as ost has said. And as the others have said i set the dog with as little side to side motion as is posible. I want that dog to go up and down and thats it. Thanks for the great info.
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Post by tctrppr on Aug 4, 2007 1:08:28 GMT -5
I forgot to add, I use an extra brass washer(one on each side) of the pan. When I can find them, I like to get the thin brass washers from electric supply companies and insert them on the inside of the pan posts, to remove extra side to side pan motion, if needed. They're getting hard to find though.
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Post by bill1306 on Aug 4, 2007 18:57:26 GMT -5
The pans are stamped out pieces of metal and one side has a rough edge, I use a file to get rid of the rough edges before placing the washer next to the pan and reinstalling it in the trap.
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Post by bill1306 on Aug 4, 2007 19:45:47 GMT -5
Here is a trap the I have tricked out for a guy. It is a #2 Bridger, base plated, center swiveled, inside laminated and night latched, my style. The first picture shows just how little steel I remove from the pan. The second picture shows it set. If you look close you can see how I crush the dog down to stop the travel also.
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Post by Earl8656 on Aug 6, 2007 8:55:46 GMT -5
Nice illustrations, guys. I'm sure everyone can learn a lot from ya'lls posts!
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Slate
Rat Trapper
Posts: 11
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Post by Slate on Aug 7, 2007 13:37:03 GMT -5
I just night latched my traps and I think it will work well, I'm excited to try it out!
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