Totally agree with what you said about 2:35 into vid about ppl running into the woods if "things go bad". I myself have had ppl argue with me that if that happens, EVERYBODY is going to run into the woods "looking for animals to eat". I keep telling them, if your used to Denny's, Safeway, and McDonald's, you're NOT going to go into the woods and turn into "Davy Crockett"! Glad to hear someone else having the same mindset. Like you (and others) say; if you don't practice the skill now, you won't have it later.

I was taught by an old trapper that you should start out with 1-330, 2-220 and 3-110s per person the you need to feed as a rule of thumb. With these traps you can keep your family in meat for a long long time.

You are a good man, Dave. Thank you for continuing to teach us instead of simply asking people to attend the classes (which I'd like to eventually do). I'm sure many have learned and thought about a lot from your videos.

Dave, I hope you don't get discouraged by some of the less polite comments you get on KZfaq. These videos are great, and very helpful to guys like me who don't always think about every aspect of long term issues. For everyone who argues with you about brands or nitpicks details about efficiency or criticizes the video itself, there are 5 others who learned something useful, or can now think about the problem in a different way. On their behalf, I'd like to say, Thanks!

I just took my Trapper Ed class this past Saturday, and joined the FTA. Thanks for your videos...lots of good info for a beginner trapper like me.

Good work. The most rewarding thing in watching you Dave is your base of knowledge and the fact that you update and voice your thoughts on various subjects from different paradigms. Talking is easy........ communication is very hard. Hope you never stop making them, they keep me looking at the same problems from different angles..

Dave, I just wanted to let you know that I think this is an awesome series. By far the most comprehensive online trap tuitor I have come across. Thx man

Dave i was just wondering if you could throw some primitive trapping and crafting back into the channel. Your the one that got me very into primitive things such as shelter and making things like traps and bows. I love all your videos and will continue to watch whatever you put up but i am really hoping to see you get back into the primitive things again. God bless man and take care

bought myself half a dozen sleepy creek double jaw 1 1/2's, and they were tougher to set than i had thought. they scare me sometimes, lol.

man i could listen to you talk all day

Awesome stuff! Thanks for your effort and most of all thanks fir saying it like it is! I like your straight forward no B.S. Approach. I just bought 3 110s 2 160s and still need 1 330. I was taught by a mountain man that with 3 110s 2 220s and one 330 you can keep yourself I'm meat for a long long time.

dave i just want to thank you for all of the free knowlege you have shown me dave you help out so many people i never had that father figure and guys like you go un thanked all the time i love how ure such a family man and how ure family embraces ure dream its all inspiring i been wathching ure videos since you started i live in the city of pittsburgh and when you do ure videos its like im right there with you i hope we cross paths some day thanks for everything bro i cant stress that enough

i really respect your stance and practicality when dealing with non-us products. its very open-minded. i wish more people were like that

dave, I just got in my MB650's and am very pleased. they are ready out of the box, where as a dozen duke #3's takes all day welding to get them ready. and MB's are made in the US and dukes are made in korea. I like keeping money at home, especially when the quality is so much better.

it's all a matter of doing things wisely and respectfully. If you eat everything in nature, you will perish rather quickly.. there is much nutrition in wild food, but also much danger. Educate yourself with trusted experience, and you will prosper. Dave teaches trapping through his collection of trusted experience. Listen to what he says.. he does what he does for specific reasons... and he shares this knowledge for our benefit... what better karma is there?

We total agree with you Dave. We appreciate what you do for trapping, keep it up!

Can't wait for that blacksmithing series.

Thank you very much, Dave! This was the video I most wanted to see! I was just getting ready to buy some traps for long term use and to use on my property now (I have 40 acres that are coyote central; its on a travel route from a nearby canyon to farm land.)

living on the edge of one of ozs' largest remaining highland rainforest wildernesses as i do i find your contributions invaluable, ta cobber! good on ya, spot on.

Blacksmithing series sounds great. Thanks for continuing the trapping videos.

Dave your opinions are pretty spot on brother!!!

SOOO stoked for the blacksmithing videos !!

So exited over the forge series coming up! Thank's again Dave!

Thank you very much for the info. I am hoping to get into trapping next hunting/trapping season and your video's are extremely helpful.

your videos have become very clearly shot and informative, bravo!

this video was very helpful! i've seen most of your series, and i'm currently watching the modern trapping series, and i love them. keep up the great work!

I own a knife made out a long spring, and its sharp and holds a good edge,they make nice knives, and I read one time that the mad trapper carried one.

Great videos Dave! Just got a job Trapping and your videos and opinions will be very valuable! Thanks

Another great video! I have learned so much about trapping in this series Dave, thank you! I can't wait for the blacksmithing series!

hey dave I think it would be helpful for all the folks really interested in trapping you might do a couple of vids about repairing and maintaining all the different kinds of traps you have. That would be something to think about in a long term surivival situation.

No matter the product if it doesn't work it doesn't work..... field test is the best way......to test the team's...I promote American team's well cause I'm an American but also own those 110s dukes LOL great video Dave

Dave because of your traping series it deff. made me rethink im must haves. i would deff be adding 10-12 110's.220's

Mr. Canterbury! Excellent video. Best of yours I've seen in a long time.

Hey Dave! It occurs to me, since longevity of service is wanted, why not replace the screws with stainless steel hex head bolt and nut before even using your trap? That looks like a #12 pan head machine screw. A #12 hex head would be a 5/16" head and nut which is a common size for many other mechanicals, so this would hold with the two is one ideology. Flat heads and even Phillips head screws are notorious for stripping and so are much less reliable.

Man I wish I could come up with the money to go through your whole course.I have gone to one survival school/ learned the basic's but that's not enough.I working on learning long term wilderness self reliance not just survival

Hi Dave great video I just got a pellet gun I was surprised to find that it can shoot plastic barrel and I was wondering how effective it would be at dispatching animals in a trap at point blank range the point 177 pellet is very cheap and would save a lot of more useful hunting amunition I can't test this myself trapping is illegal in California

He has a good point cause there are thousands of home less folk in these major cites and they don't go live off the wilderness.

The shipping time from them is not bad at all I ordered the necker 600 fleshing knife and got it maybe 4 or 5 days later by mail.. not ups or fed ex unless you used to over night shipping thats not to bad in my book :)

Great explanation of the different traps, especially for us that don't really know traps at all. . Merrie-Merrie

All good Dave!! Many thanks. Have a great Christmas.

looking forward to the knife and blacksmithing series

hey dave, i love your videos, i learn alot from them, i actually had a frien bring me an old trap he found and i said "oh thats an old 110 conibear",, he was like huh how u know that,,,i just laughed,, things you remember,,, love what ur doing showing people how to survive,,things u do and say are just so practical and make sense,,,,,your a guy id love to hunt with,, id love to learn more of whats in your head,, keep up the great work

very informative video, Ive been thinking about getting some coil spring traps and after the comparison you did i'm not going with Duke

Dave, if a spring on a double long spring, or even on a coil spring looses tension over time and use, is it possible with black-smithing techniques to slowly and evenly heat the spring just below orange hot, then slowly cooling it in boiling water to restore original spring tension on those types of traps, and will you be discussing and showing that on your black-smithing series?

Dave, great videos! Miss seeing you on the boobtube, but happy that I get a better education from you on surviving on youtube! Thank you Sir.

you rock sir !! thanks so much for all the great info !! Blessings.

I like all your videos and talks but most of all I like the idea you are going to help save someones life when things go bad and we both know they are but hey from a Brit these are great videos GOD BLESS YA

this is bad ass, best sub of the year

Cant wait for the Blacksmithing series, as always well done brother! I've been saving up for a course a little at a time be a few more months but really looking forward to it!

Great series, I appreciate your commitment to testing your skillsets. My question, even with all the acres you have available to you, in a long term situation, would you worry about over trapping/hunting your area to feed you family off of only your land?

Dave, I respectfully disagree. People used traps for quite a bit of different game animals for a long time before steel traps. I'm not saying I have that level of ability, myself- but it does happen. A few of these are fairly elaborate, I admit. As for this video- great vid & look foward to the next series. What's your opinion on Northwoods traps?

as usual i am better educated i thank you 4 the information i am looking forward to the blacksmithing videos

very helpful from your opinion sir for people buying in bunch and long term trap thank you

Dave thanks for this series. I got a couple live traps off craigslist cheap and caught my first racoon last night. Git him brineing in the fridge and gonna try my hand at brain tannib. Thanks for the inspiration! Cb75

Dave long time subscriber and have learned way more then I did in the Army watching your channel. Sort of a request/or info or your opinion on longer term shelter from natural resources, I have an old Soldiers manual that shows a primitive log cabin using saplings etc. but not much wood on the plains. and snow flys early and long (6mos plus) temps reach -40F what to do? Survival Problems, Must get shelter built in extreme cold with high winds and wind chill, digging frozen ground pretty futile

I once had a 220 body grip close on my hand, luckily I was wearing heavy gloves and was able to get my hand out but it nearly broke my thumb

Thank you for all the hard work.

Very nice overview. Thks.

You have to be careful not to harden them too much or they'll become brittle. Hardening springs is a tricky business, much more so than, say, a knife blade because of the amount it has to be able to flex. It takes experience and sometimes luck to get it right. Read up on tempering spring steel and experiment, but be forewarned that it can fracture into shrapnel in your face.

Thank you Dave.

Good video bro...I caught my 2 thumbs in a Duke 110 the other day, good thing it was a 110 and not something bigger, it happen when I was setting it trying to get the trigger where I wanted it, Not that it hurt but I wasnt sure if I could get it off of them, I did within the minute...I just bought some coils to add to my Bridger #3 double coils to make them into 4 coils, I can't figure how to get them on and there is no videos on it, could you help me out please...

Brother Dave, somehow I find it difficult to believe you gained all this knowledge just from attending the Trappers College recently. I'm thinking you used the TC to "hone" the trapping skills you already acquired from years of practice. Whichever the case may be, you're a damn good teacher.

Since you mentioned rat traps, do you think that a plain ordinay rat trap that can be purched at any hardware store would hold a tree squirrel?

Dave I was looking at your web site at the traps and their are not manufacturer listed do you have them custom made? or how makes them? I am assuming made in USA

Dave I noticed on the one sleep creek the jaw has a gap in them why is that, when the duke trap you compared to it is close tightly/on that duke why couldn't you change those spring out

Dave great video

I dont know if anyone have ever offered or asked, so this might sound a lil dumb, but would it be possible to come work for u for free. Im not interested being on t.v. so thats not why im asking. I just figured it would b awesome 2 follow u and learn from u. To me, the knowledge I would gain watching and learning from u is worth its weight in Gold. Im green to most of this. I only have military infantry experience, not hunting or trapping, so this to me is huge. Thx for reading. RLTW!

I assume you're sharing information you have gained personally, and /or during the trapping conventions you have recently attended. Either way, great info.

i wanted to ask for a vid like this. Now, can youplease film a comparison video about tanning methods? When it comes to the screws of traps, nothing to worry about. Just add one more nut in the end and then tighten the two nuts against each other. They won't be able to move either direction without untightening them again.

IMO !!! Single Minded_ly the BEST Video Series on the Net !!! Now where's #1 again ???

Hey brother what about jump traps it's like a Coral spring trap but they're just like one spring on one side and it's like a miniature sing along I believe they're called jump traps what do you think about them

You can what if until the cows come home. The reality of this situation is not one you can understand unless you live it. Try growing up poor and living off of what your father brings home from the woods. Being responsible does not mean banning hunting and trapping. Its becoming knowledgeable, respect what you kill and respect how you live among it. No one is saying go trap everything until its all gone. Just keep food on the table. Its a game of balance. No rancher slaughters all his stock.

I appreciate your videos and knowledge now more then ever, thanks for the videos.

Well said brother

It looks like somebody just barely didn't make it to the crapper bucket beside your tent in time.

Excellent sound, solid advice! Right on man

Live traps work well in my opinon but i also like using the duke 1/2..

Great job.

Well said,well explained,awesome. Cheers Kim...n

Great video.

Could you go over what has been the best kind of traps in relation to which species of animals you want to trap?

That will work to catch squirrels. What I do it just screw them to the side of a tree and bait them with peanut butter. Those rat traps are also very good at catching weasels.

hey i have a raccoon skin and it dried out after i salted its now raw hide can i save that hide or is it gone

What's your feelings on sleepy creek long spring traps or even bridger traps. Just your opinion, thanks

Nice work. Could you tell us what a mink pelt like that would bring from a fur buyer?

You can call or wright Duke and they'll send you some new springs. Those are messed up for sure.

Dave.. I live on the outskirts of a major city and a wild pig has just come onto my land. it is a good size 50lbs maybe. Budget is tight, but I want to trap it and put some grain through it before I kill it. Any thoughts?

Well Dave, I think if the city dweller flood the bush, it wont matter that they never had any experience in hunting or trapping, there will simply be so many of them stalking the same place that enough of them are simply going to get lucky, and over enough time of that many people getting lucky that they will deplete the stock. Fortunately, the thought of leaving the city wont occur to them until after most of them have killed each other.

great video

Nice thoughts..i think the biggest reason people use dukes is because they are dirt cheap..but you get what u pay for..more expensive trap, better built trap..

I have gotten my hand caught in a # 110 and it hurt like B.I do not even want to think what it'll feel like get my hand caught in a 330

Hey Dave I know this is a bit off topic but I was on your website and your Facebook Fan Page a little bit ago and I saw that the Basic Class for March 1st - 4th is going to be $100 more than it is for the December Basic Class (now canceled). I was just wondering why because I was planning to go with my brother to one of your classes.

I don't understand how an older traps springs would go weak over time unless maybe if they were under pressure by being left set for a very long extended time. Sure making a knife from a trap spring is Neato but plenty of good scrap steel out there that you could use so you won't have to cut up your traps

thanks dave

So what is the best trap/snare for rabbit? And the best bait for rabbit? Thanks.

Excellent video, thank you very much.

Merry Christmas! I got my traps I cant wait to try em!!!

I have at least one of every trap allowed in my state and honestly I have a few 330 s but the only reason it they fit in bigger runs easier without having to put guide sticks in which could spook beaver

Dave when is the bloody butchers knife coming out!?!? no pressure Jon

loved the video now i cant wit for the blacksmithing series