Trapping, numbers game

R_Fonseca

Tenderfoot
Jul 6, 2021
84
65
38
Dublin
www.fonseca.ie
I've been watching the UK version of alone, and they're obviously struggling with food.

Now I see some of them have a gill net on a log set up and some of them have a random trap set. They also spend a bit of time fishing a hand line. Maybe they have more going on but it doesn't look like it.

I was wondering, if you were in this situation how many traps would you ideally be setting? 10, 30, more? Even more than 1 fishing line in the water at a time makes sense. They're probably doing better than I could, but I can't help but feel they're missing a passive food income trick.
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,410
1,698
Cumbria
I think they were given a certain amount of kit such as fishing line. I suspect they've not thought of more lines for fishing because of that. Mind you I've only watched part of one episode. In that there were a few Pike caught.
 

Kadushu

If Carlsberg made grumpy people...
Jul 29, 2014
944
1,024
Kent
I've only watched 1 season of Alone but the gill nets and rabbit snares were very effective. I'd be wary of the robustness of hand lines if your tackle is limited. Big game seems to be the golden ticket if you can procure it.
 
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Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
6,611
1,406
Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
I've been watching the UK version of alone, and they're obviously struggling with food.

Now I see some of them have a gill net on a log set up and some of them have a random trap set. They also spend a bit of time fishing a hand line. Maybe they have more going on but it doesn't look like it.

I was wondering, if you were in this situation how many traps would you ideally be setting? 10, 30, more? Even more than 1 fishing line in the water at a time makes sense. They're probably doing better than I could, but I can't help but feel they're missing a passive food income trick.
Yep, I’ve wondered this.

I know my weakness would be gathering food but I do know that the less effort needed to get it the better!

I realise it would be a fair bit of energy to set-up but alongside the gill nets, what about fishing weirs/funnels?
 

bushcraft gary

New Member
Aug 13, 2023
1
1
59
Hull
i have been watching channel 4 version of alone and i cant get enough of it , though it is a pity it is only on once a week . 12 traps is what dave canterbury suggests and i think that is a good number setting one it is common sense it doesnt give much chance to catch food . cheers
 
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Poacherman

Banned
Sep 25, 2023
437
213
31
Wigan
I've been watching the UK version of alone, and they're obviously struggling with food.

Now I see some of them have a gill net on a log set up and some of them have a random trap set. They also spend a bit of time fishing a hand line. Maybe they have more going on but it doesn't look like it.

I was wondering, if you were in this situation how many traps would you ideally be setting? 10, 30, more? Even more than 1 fishing line in the water at a time makes sense. They're probably doing better than I could, but I can't help but feel they're missing a passive food income trick.
20 very simple traps I won't mention here both brutal and illegal ,most primitive traps are a joke in the books they look cool but not much use in the real world some are good however usually the simplest ones and I'm not on about deadfalls iv tried 100s off primitive traps and I refined it down to 3 that work the best:fast to make :small :effective birds are very easy to trap there sense off smell is poor compared to land game.
 

just_john

Full Member
Mar 22, 2012
299
158
South Wales
20 very simple traps I won't mention here both brutal and illegal ,most primitive traps are a joke in the books they look cool but not much use in the real world some are good however usually the simplest ones and I'm not on about deadfalls iv tried 100s off primitive traps and I refined it down to 3 that work the best:fast to make :small :effective birds are very easy to trap there sense off smell is poor compared to land game.
I'd be very interested and grateful of your opinion of good traps
 

Athos

Full Member
Mar 12, 2021
257
197
East Sussex
Yes birds are easiest to trap fishing is a form of trapping active or inactive.
Apologies, I got called away so didn’t finish my previous post. Fishing is fishing, trapping is trapping. Both are art forms of their own and deserve to be recognized as such.

In terms of trapping, the more you have out the higher your percentage of success. It’s a simple equation, put in the hard work and let the traps do their thing. Once they’re out there, they’re working for you 24/7.

KISS principle massively applies here. Yes you can lovingly whittle away fancy triggers and what have you but simplicity is king. As long as you have a knife or an axe you can make a simple but effective deadfall. In the ”Alone” scenario the only thing you have an abundance of is time. A lot of people seem to do a lot of sitting about, writing songs, lounging about in sleeping bags etc. There’s really no excuse not to have a vast amount of traps out in your area.

The Trappers Bible by Livingston is worth a look for inspiration, focussed on American critters though.
 

Poacherman

Banned
Sep 25, 2023
437
213
31
Wigan
Apologies, I got called away so didn’t finish my previous post. Fishing is fishing, trapping is trapping. Both are art forms of their own and deserve to be recognized as such.

In terms of trapping, the more you have out the higher your percentage of success. It’s a simple equation, put in the hard work and let the traps do their thing. Once they’re out there, they’re working for you 24/7.

KISS principle massively applies here. Yes you can lovingly whittle away fancy triggers and what have you but simplicity is king. As long as you have a knife or an axe you can make a simple but effective deadfall. In the ”Alone” scenario the only thing you have an abundance of is time. A lot of people seem to do a lot of sitting about, writing songs, lounging about in sleeping bags etc. There’s really no excuse not to have a vast amount of traps out in your area.
In my experience KISS is best complicated traps are for YouTube views, id class trapping as a art and fishing as a skill .People call fishing a art but with over 20 years fishing experience id class it as a skill, location being most important part off fishing ,fish are very easy to catch I was catching them as a 8 yr old boy I don't see many good 8 yr old trappers though there is definitely more skill in trapping.
 

Poacherman

Banned
Sep 25, 2023
437
213
31
Wigan
Apologies, I got called away so didn’t finish my previous post. Fishing is fishing, trapping is trapping. Both are art forms of their own and deserve to be recognized as such.

In terms of trapping, the more you have out the higher your percentage of success. It’s a simple equation, put in the hard work and let the traps do their thing. Once they’re out there, they’re working for you 24/7.

KISS principle massively applies here. Yes you can lovingly whittle away fancy triggers and what have you but simplicity is king. As long as you have a knife or an axe you can make a simple but effective deadfall. In the ”Alone” scenario the only thing you have an abundance of is time. A lot of people seem to do a lot of sitting about, writing songs, lounging about in sleeping bags etc. There’s really no excuse not to have a vast amount of traps out in your area.

The Trappers Bible by Livingston is worth a look for inspiration, focussed on American critters though.
I used the have the trappers bible swapped it for better poaching books though.
 
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Poacherman

Banned
Sep 25, 2023
437
213
31
Wigan
Any recommendations for other books?
Old poaching books are good written by the poacher himself usually pre 1950s most are fictional romanticism written by townies "the poachers handbook" by Ian Niel is a fine example off this while absolutely beautifully written about the countryside the author is not a poacher .Be careful in your choosing off such books id recommend" the great game "by Harold wyman has a simplified no nonsense small chapter on trout tickling amongst other things trout tickling is very easy to do but mystified for some reason small snares on hiking poles under the banks do the tickling for u iff the water is to cold aha at least that's what George said.
 

Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
8,461
8,338
Mid Wales
www.mont-hmg.co.uk

Poacherman

Banned
Sep 25, 2023
437
213
31
Wigan
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