How to Make a Trip Wire for a Whip Trap
A whip trap is one of the easiest traps to build and set. It operates by placing a noose attached to a long stick called the whip. The whip is bent down toward the ground to provide tension on the trap. A trip wire and noose are attached to the whip and holds the trap in place until set off. The trap is usually placed along a game trail, where rats, rabbits, squirrels or other animals are prone to travel. When an animal tries to run through the noose, the trip wire is pulled and the trap is sprung.
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Things You'll Need
- Six inch length of 18-gauge wire
- 12-inch wooden stake
- Finishing nail
- 50-pound monofilament fishing line
- 5-foot-long stick around 1 inch at the base
- Hammer
- Knife
- Needle nose pliers
Instructions
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1
Use the needle nose pliers to bend the center of the 6-inch length of wire into a loop. Continue to bend the loop, halfway around again, then back at an angle, so the loop forms a circle directly in the center of the wire. Turn the wire 90 degrees and bend a closed loop in each end of the wire.
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2
Tie a small loop in the end of a 12- to 14-inch length of fishing line. Thread the end of the fishing line through the loop to form a noose. Tie the free end of the noose to one of the loops in the wire. Tie a 12-inch length of fishing line to the loop on the other end of the wire.
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3
Hammer the finishing nail into the wooden stake about about 2 inches from the blunt end so that the head of the nail sticks out just enough for the wire circle to catch on.
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4
Prepare the whip by obtaining a 5-foot-long stick that is flexible. A sapling is a good choice. Cut the branches of the stick and sharpen the large end.
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Locate a game trail. Insert the large end of the stick into the ground, at a 45-degree angle, so that the small end of the stick is over the trail when bent down. Tie the 12-inch length of fishing line on the trip wire to the small end of the stick.
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6
Insert the stake into the ground so the nail is about 2 inches above ground level. Bend the stick down and lightly hook the center circle on the finishing nail. Hold the wire in place and position the noose along the trail so that an animal will have to pass through it. When the animal tries to pass through the noose, the trip wire will come loose from the nail, and the whip will snap up to snare it.
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References
- Photo Credit urban rabbit image by jesse welter from Fotolia.com
