Pictorial Demo -- Enlarged Trap Pans

OK, I don't know why I do these things but here goes sort of a photo essay on how to install/finish enlarged pans on your cat traps. Now, don't yell at me if you like to bury your traps, or you already have a great pan cover system you are real happy with. If it works for you, more power to you . . . just keep on using it. Most guys on here catch cats just fine with what they are using and many feel like if they are going to spend time on trap-related stuff, they would be better served with spending that time in the field scouting new country. After all, as one trapper recently schooled me on another website, "Cats aren't the brightest bulb in the shed . . ." Or some such analogy.

However, I offer some insights for those interested in a change. The system I am about to show you has the following advantages (in my humble opinion):

* No more pan covers . . . that means
* no more cutting pan covers
* no more attaching pan covers
*no more losing or forgetting pan covers
*no more rounding up pan covers after a catch
*no more having rodents steal pan covers or tripping your trap trying to steal a pan cover
*This pan cover works every time
*Enlarges the area of the pan so a cat will feel more comfortable stepping on the pan
* . . . and, I submit, when you factor in your time and the cost of materials spent on pan covers EVERY year, I believe this system is cheaper. You do it once, and its done!

Mike Kelly, an enterprising young fellow from Minnesoooooota came up with this design. Mike markets and sells the pans I am showing you here. The pans for MB 450 and 550 sell for $15 per dozen and the ones for #3/#4 longsprings are $20 per dozen. I don't have any financial interest in Mike's deal at all. I just like the pans and use them ON EVERY SINGLE CAT TRAP I OWN. It only takes a few minutes per trap to complete the installation. Mike came up with a genius idea on the coilspring pans to allow a huge pan that won't interfere with the jaws or levers. I have filmed the traps firing with a slow motion camera to verify that a cat's foot won't ride up the levers on the pan.

So here you go.

Here is an MB 550 without Mike's pan and one with the pan.


The first step is to attach the pan in the right place with a pair of vice grips.



Now I weld the pan on in about three places. No critiques of my welding . . . or as Bucks&Bows calls it, "Left Handed Lawyer Bird Droppings."



Now that the pan is permanently attached, its time for some camo. I first wipe off the pan with some rubbing alcohol to take off any dirt or oil . . .



. . . then apply a good gob of industrial glue that you can get at HomeDepot or Lowes for a couple bucks per tube. A tube will do 3-4 dozen traps.



Smear the glue around with a gloved finger. You want it as thin as possible.



Now you can apply your choice of ground covering. Personally, I prefer corn cob grit because its more coarse and I can add native dirt at the set and it will all blend in. However, for this demo I chose real live, honest to goodness dirt.



There you have it. Longsprings are done the same way. Here are three traps I finished last night. An MB 450, MB 550, and a Sleepy Creek #4 longspring. Forgot an important step. After you apply the glue and dirt (and it has dried), wax your trap and it will seal in the dirt and make it adhere better.

I love that Idea. Soo tired of cutting pan covers and fixing them after a catch if you can find them. I think this will be the ticket for sure! You can even put different types of dirt and duff and etc. on the pan. They look awesome on the MB traps!!! Sign me up!!!!!!

  Now to find a cat !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks Bucks. I'm bringing a bunch to Fallon so if anyone wants to check them out there.

I big-panned my 3 and 4 long-springs with junction box covers on pit pans and like them a lot. But I didn't know how to big pan my MB's. Now I do! Thanks Cameron.

I actually like the contrast of an exposed bare metal (dyed) pan with the rest of the trap buried for cat sets. I think they just see it as a smooth, flat solid place to step. And I'm only speaking of my personal setting style for cats, so please don't take offense. But I get fewer rejections than when I used a completely exposed trap (with stock pans). And I pretty consistently get the foot buried in the trap. Don't know if I'm right or not, but I wondered if sometimes they saw the pan with the shadowed void underneath and perceived it like we would a thin stone with a void underneath that might tip or break underfoot.

That said. I think I'll do this to my MB's anyway because I like a larger kill area for canine sets.

And Cameron, I'd say your welding sucks if mine wasn't worse

Haven't used pan covers for years. Switched to polyfil under the pan. Never going back!

Cameron 2 had a nice display set up at the sale this weekend. I bought pans for all my 450's. Going to work on those this week.

Man bucks I like your style. I need to get some of that motivation you have.

I am the biggest procrastinator in the world! So I like to set some goals that I can fail on!

Hey, it was great to meet everyone at the sale. I don't remember anyone's names . . . I just remember their internet handles. Well, except for BucksNBows. He was gracious enough to invite a couple of wandering trappers for a delicious dinner of pizza on Friday night, and then for dessert we got a private fur put up demo using his exclusive system. Now I have to revamp my stretchers, my tools and my put up. Oh well.

For those of you that were interested in the new pan system I was showing, I still have a few dozen pans so if you want some before I ship them back to Minnesoooooooota, just let me know. I have pans for longsprings and the MB 450's and 550's.

Wasn't that a wild sale?? Friday was moving pretty slow with prices being about what everyone sort of expected, and then at Saturday's sale Michael Pappas made a move and blew the doors off the high end stuff. High cat that night was $1,091 if I remember right. When the Sunday sale rolled around, the rest of the buyers realized that if they were going to fill any orders, they were going to have to bump up their bids and that's exactly what happened. I think the high cat was $1377 and there were a fair number of $1,200 cats that went out the door.

One observation is that there is no middle ground on cat grading anymore. The buyers only want the best of the bright white bellies. Everything else is practically worthless. I had a friend with three White Pine County cats that were decent cats and was offered a $66 average. I think you will see that reflected in the averages. When you see the Fallon average, it probably won't impress you much but the high end market still has some pop.

Cameron2 your too kind. I enjoyed the company and the trapper talk for sure. I love to share how I do stuff whether its the right way or not. That's why its good to share and you can get input from the other side. Don't let Cameron2 fool ya he told and showed me stuff too!! We are making a plan to meet up soon and walk the mnts together to share more info.
On the cat market it was crazy!!!! They REALLY loved those southern cats for sure. I am glad I got what I did for mine after seeing some prices of similar cats!!! Its a shame there was not a middle ground for sure. I also like seeing those 1200$ cats too but not when there not mine! haha.
It was a good time for sure.

Cameron2, When you say corn cob media .. Do you mean the corn cob media used in cleaning brass ?

prariewolf wrote:

Cameron2, When you say corn cob media .. Do you mean the corn cob media used in cleaning brass ?

Yes

But not the kind with the polishing compound in it that looks orange/redish brown.

BUCKSNBOWS wrote:

But not the kind with the polishing compound in it that looks orange/redish brown.

I heard about a guy that used the red/brown stuff and it turned all his gray fox into red fox. All he needed was to change the black tipped tail to a white tipped tail.

Always one uping me Cameron2!!

Never! Just supporting you, Brutha. I figured the next question would be "why not use the orange/redish stuff?" Just wanted to save you the trouble of having to worry your pretty head about responding. Didn't want you to be distracted. Now go back to finding me some good cat spots for next year.

Thanks for the info.. Cameron2

Haha always thinking of others huh!!! Got you some goodies in today. Smarty pants!!