Question about a Victor #2 double long spring.

[Redneck 7]

Good evening trappers. I bought a wack load of traps and parts for foot holds used last year. I want to target muskrat mainly this spring with float sets. I think it will be a good place to start trapping and gaining experience and etc. considering where I live and I know a lot of farmers with lots of rats.

Question is will the Victor #2 double long spring (I could be calling it wrong) be used on a float set or is it just overkill having both springs. My design for the float set is simple and it will work size wise but just for easy use of setting and working with it, would I be better off making it a single spring? Not sure if that's frowned upon or not. I have 26 traps ready to be dyed for spring, if one has to sit out not a big deal.

Looking for some advice on that topic or if I should save it for another style of set for say beaver or another fur bearer I can't think of.

Thanks again.

[gordfishing]

i vote #1 victor for rats growing up we used 2 x12 planks cut up with orange peels , I believe #2 is more for foxes and coyotes

[Redneck 7]

Sounds good. Thanks for commenting. I have bridger #1's and a bunch of used victors from 0-2. Easy enough just one less float to make haha. Thanks again.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Redneck 7

Good evening trappers. I bought a wack load of traps and parts for foot holds used last year. I want to target muskrat mainly this spring with float sets. I think it will be a good place to start trapping and gaining experience and etc. considering where I live and I know a lot of farmers with lots of rats.

Question is will the Victor #2 double long spring (I could be calling it wrong) be used on a float set or is it just overkill having both springs. My design for the float set is simple and it will work size wise but just for easy use of setting and working with it, would I be better off making it a single spring? Not sure if that's frowned upon or not. I have 26 traps ready to be dyed for spring, if one has to sit out not a big deal.

Looking for some advice on that topic or if I should save it for another style of set for say beaver or another fur bearer I can't think of.

Thanks again.

A #2 would be overkill but it should work.

The #2 was meant for Mink and Marten sized animals.

#1 would be a more appropriate size for Muskrat.

You could remove one spring if you like, That would make a #2 into a #1.
Nothing saying you can't do it, the manufactures do it all the time.

BTW, there are no leg hold traps approved for use on Beaver.

When there were, #4 were about as small as one wanted to go.

You can take Fox with a #2 but it wouldn't be legal without padded or offset jaws. And it's on the small side for Fox.

#2 used to be a favorite for Lynx but are not approved for them now.

[Redneck 7]

I thought you could use foot holds on beaver as drowning sets? Thanks for more info.

[Marty S]

The very best longspring rat traps are 1 1/2's. The #2 longspring is a 1 1/2 with two springs instead of one and would be a horrible choice for fox and coyotes, really its purpose was a coon trap and it wasn't real good for that either. I'm not a big fan of #1's because it often is too light to drown a rat outright.

Cut the extra spring off and have at it. I prefer the old ones to the newer Sleepy Creeks. Make sure you don't cut a spring off that has the chain attached by accident!

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by Marty S

The very best longspring rat traps are 1 1/2's. The #2 longspring is a 1 1/2 with two springs instead of one and would be a horrible choice for fox and coyotes, really its purpose was a coon trap and it wasn't real good for that either. I'm not a big fan of #1's because it often is too light to drown a rat outright.

Cut the extra spring off and have at it. I prefer the old ones to the newer Sleepy Creeks. Make sure you don't cut a spring off that has the chain attached by accident!

No need to cut it off, free one end of the jaws by pressing them out of their hinge holes and lift the spring off, then press the jaws back into their holes.

Totally agree with you on the Coyote versus #2 but not on Fox.
A raccoon is a more powerful animal then a Fox any day of the week.

[Redneck 7]

Sounds great. I won't be using it for anything other then rats so I'll just take the trap apart and remove the one spring for a spare or for another trap.

I'm adding weights to my #0 and 1's so I shouldn't have any issues there.

[Marty S]

The only reason I would use a longspring trap is in a water set whereby the animal can be drowned. Longspring traps are too cumbersome for a land animal to battle and there is a high potential for excess injury in such traps. So, let me rephrase then, a #2 longspring would be sufficient for fox if you could use them in a drowning set. Outside of that, I have no use for longspring traps on upland animals.