How to Make an Animal Trap From Natural Materials
Making an animal trap can be the difference between survival in a wilderness situation or dying of starvation before help is able to arrive. Even if learning to make a trap is done only out of personal interest, it is a good skill to learn and can be done with nothing more than a knife and items found in any wilderness situation. A small game trap is easy to set up and can catch animals from rabbits to birds.
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Instructions
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Find a large, fairly heavy rock. The rock should be easily lifted, but heavy enough to crush a small animal. The size of the rock will determine which type of animal can be caught in the trap.
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2
Find a second rock that is approximately the size of a fist and has a fairly flat surface on two sides. The second rock is meant to help distribute the weight of the first rock evenly to avoid having the trap fall without an animal.
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Find two medium-sized sticks. Cut down the sticks so that when the large rock is balanced on them, the rock will not fall backward.
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Cut one of the sticks approximately two to three inches from the bottom. The cuts should form a groove that can fit the second stick in it so that the two sticks form a cross.
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Place the stick that has the groove cut into it so that the shorter side is down on the small rock and the longer side is balancing the large rock. The second stick should be perpendicular to the first and will act as the trigger for the large rock to fall. When an animal bumps into the second stick, it will cause the trap to fall and catch it.
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Make sure the trap will not fall on its own. If it seems like it can fall too easily and might miss the animal, find slightly thicker sticks for better stability.
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Tips & Warnings
The second piece of wood can be sharpened and bait can be added to the end of it to attract animals.
References
- Photo Credit rabbit on the grass image by Piter Pkruger from Fotolia.com
