Trapping....Man?

canadian hunter312

canadian hunter312

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Recently subscribed to Fur Fish Game magazine and in the first issue I received there's a very interesting article on the topic of leg hold traps designed for catching poachers who'd target game on estates in England during the 1700 and 1800's. Apparently the early models were strong enough to crush a persons leg and in the 1820's these were outlawed and a more humane trap which left a 2" gap between the jaws was required to prevent breaking bones. During the 1860's a complete ban on the use of leg holds for humans came about so they started using 12' deep pit traps and spring guns for the poachers.

As the people setting these traps grew tired of poachers escaping they started adding spikes to the jaws and even started using traps that needed a key in order to open the trap to prevent the poacher from removing the trap. The poachers defended themselves against these traps, which the jaws would come up 10" off the ground, by strapping boards on either sides of their legs.



I tried finding the article online to post it, but had no luck. I've never heard of this before and it's possibly one of the most intriguing articles I have ever read while sitting on the throne. They really didn't like people stealing game from their estates...
 
Things like that are one of the reasons it took so long to bring in game laws in this country.
 
Check in the United States, I would be willing to bet that the slave owners in the south had lots of human traps. But kind of a taboo subject, good luck
 
They used some type of trip guns for coyotes in the lower states that shot a cyanide laced projectile. Did not bother the coyote that much but the practice was discontinued as some people ended up dead. Poaching in England was a survival technique for the masses, they were often starving.
 
Grizzly Adams said:
Don't forget set guns, be a bummer to encounter one of those. :d different values in those days.

Grizz
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Griz,
At one time I did considerable wilderness travel with an old time trapper. We looked in many old, abandoned cabins, with the old trapper always taking great pains to counter any set gun that may have been used. He always got a long pole, we stayed way off to the side and pushed the door open.
Bruce
 
Bland said:
They used some type of trip guns for coyotes in the lower states that shot a cyanide laced projectile. Did not bother the coyote that much but the practice was discontinued as some people ended up dead. Poaching in England was a survival technique for the masses, they were often starving.
Click to expand...
The gun shot a .32 round with a piece of sheep wool scented backed up with a cyanide capsule. It did bother coyotes briefly till they dropped dead. Set guns with the triggers rigged backwards were used for polar bear in a buried frozen bait box.Harold
 
H4831 said:
Griz,
At one time I did considerable wilderness travel with an old time trapper. We looked in many old, abandoned cabins, with the old trapper always taking great pains to counter any set gun that may have been used. He always got a long pole, we stayed way off to the side and pushed the door open.
Bruce
Click to expand...

Well...did you ever encounter any?
 
Just read an article about these cyanide traps. Still in use but no longer a projectile, they spray cyanide when tripped.

mbogo3 said:
The gun shot a .32 round with a piece of sheep wool scented backed up with a cyanide capsule. It did bother coyotes briefly till they dropped dead. Set guns with the triggers rigged backwards were used for polar bear in a buried frozen bait box.Harold
Click to expand...
 
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