Foothold FLATTAILS

Early in the 1960s, a Canadian named Frank Conibear invented an instant kill trap that would close behind the neck and across the body of an animal, to dispatch it quickly and eliminate struggles and losses. The traps were made in various sizes and the largest, the 330, became the staple of beaver trappers everywhere because of its versatility in all kinds of beaver sets.

These traps were very well established by the time I started trapping in the mid-’70s. Much like the automatic transmission, many younger folks nowadays can’t drive a stick shift, nor set a foothold trap for beavers. Except when…

There are times when the foothold excels for beavers, especially when there are no slides or trails, and I have come across a few trap-shy beavers that will stear clear of conibears.

FRONT-FOOT SET

I was on a nuisance job for a lady near the Canadian border in North Idaho many years ago, and prior to hiring me she