Rack Traps

[Mike Belt]

With the shed contest going on I just wondered....anyone using rack traps this year?

 

[Hollar Hunter]

I don't like the idea of them although I've considered them a couple times. Seems like it would be best to fall off natural. I don't know but you might could cause damage if they get hung up in wire and ripped off. Plus I do enjoy the hiking and helps me learn the land and terrain features you can only really see this time of year. Amazing the things you can learn this time of year about your deer herd.

 

[Football Hunter]

Yep,good way to injure one.

 

[Shed Hunter]

I thought about it. The ones that knock them off by bumping rather than tangling won't hurt the deer.

 

[BSK]

The best rack traps I've ever seen were not designed as rack traps. They were designed to keep wild hogs out of feeding areas. These "rack traps" were simply hog-wire fences about 3 feet tall surrounding feeders and food plots. These fences were low enough that even fawns could easily jump them, but hogs could not. The "jolt" of hitting the ground as bucks jumped the low-fence was just enough to knock off antlers ready to fall off. All a person had to do was walk the fences and find all the dropped antlers.

Examination of these antlers showed almost none had pedicle material attached, suggesting the "jolt" that knocks them off is not enough to tear away antlers not ready to fall off naturally.

 

[Hollar Hunter]

I like that idea^^^. As many times as some of these bucks come and go during the night to get a nibble that would be a lot of jumping...might have to try one out next year.

 

[JSPAL270]

I have seen some made by stacking logs around a corn pile no wire fence or rope just a pile of sticks and logs

 

[BlountArrow]

The best rack traps I've ever seen were not designed as rack traps. They were designed to keep wild hogs out of feeding areas. These "rack traps" were simply hog-wire fences about 3 feet tall surrounding feeders and food plots. These fences were low enough that even fawns could easily jump them, but hogs could not. The "jolt" of hitting the ground as bucks jumped the low-fence was just enough to knock off antlers ready to fall off. All a person had to do was walk the fences and find all the dropped antlers.

Examination of these antlers showed almost none had pedicle material attached, suggesting the "jolt" that knocks them off is not enough to tear away antlers not ready to fall off naturally.

Wow, that does sound like a great idea. The bucks I'm filming are still holding them. If I can get time I'm going to try this in the next few weeks. Like someone else said, the other square/wire fencing always seemed a little risky to me.