I have seen a few pictures of antler traps and I have a few questions about them. Does anyone here use them? and how good do they actually work? I have some concern over some of the designs, some of them look to me like the deer could become easily tangled in them if their antlers were not ready to be shed. I was thinking about building some but I wanted to get some info from you guys. So any experience or opinions would be greatly appreciated. Anyone strongly for or against them? Hopefully this will lead to a good discussion!
I have never heard of them before now, they look like they could cause some trouble if the deer wasnt ready to shed yet?
I'm pretty certain they are illegal here in Illinois. However, even if we were allowed to use them I wouldn't. A lot of them seem to cause trouble for bucks if they get their racks stuck in the trap and they aren't ready to shed them yet.
I read somewhere that you can put corn or some other source of food under a log that has fallen assuming that there is room under it for the food. As the buck tries to get to the food his rack might get knocked loose by the log. I would use this method before trying to use any type of trap that the deer could get tangled up in.
I've read about them but would never use them, if things go wrong it could get pretty ugly for the buck
Anyone here actually have one that a deer can't get tangled up in? I have seen some designs that don't use the chicken wire design.
I have read about some where they just nail some 2x4's near the base of trees in a triangle shape and put the food in the middle. I think this would be one of the better ideas. Lots of them talk about using barbed wire or things like that where it just sounds like it could cause a lot of problems. I have been putting out a little bit of grain here and there underneath some logs or in areas where they are more likely to be hitting their antlers on things trying to get at the food. I haven't collected any antlers from it yet but haven't really done it a whole bunch of times and am sure that half the time it is does that get to the food before the bucks can.
Here are some of the more dangerous ideas. They pound in 3 or 4 stakes in the ground and use chicken wire, barbed wire, or anything similar to tangle the antlers in. these ideas seem a little better.
I like the idea of the 2X4, Sounds as if the deer would be able to get out, but at the same time it might be just enough to knock the loose ones off.
Yeah I don't think that you need them to tangle their antlers in them, just have them bump their antlers on them enough times while trying to eat the food that they come loose and fall off.
I would think that if feeding wildlife in PA is legal, than you could find a natural antler trap to use, such as logs laying on the ground, or even stack some fallen trees just right so that you can put your feed in the middle and make a trap that way.
I was more worried about the possession of the antler. I think we are ok with the shed but in ans instance of a road kill we are not allowed to take the antlers legally unless the WCO is called and you have to pay 10 dollars a point I believe. ANYONE in PA know the answer?
I've never had any experience with them. I have put corn under bushes and the like to try for the same effect, it just hasn't worked. Admittedly, I haven't given it much time.
I haven't tried to make anything. I did go out one day and put some oats out under some laid down logs to see if I would be able to get some antlers that way. I went out a week later and didn't find anything. But that doesn't mean that it won't work as I haven't found any sheds from this year yet anywhere. Just old sheds from previous years. I will probably go out a few more times and do the same thing hoping to get some sheds out of it. I was debating on just nailing some 2x4's near the bases of a couple trees and see if I can get that to work. If I do try that, I will post up some pictures and share my success/failure with everyone.
