Dental Floss Trap

[Lil K]

This is my first post, so please bare with me.

You may or may not have heard of this trick, but it is one that involves ordinary dental floss and some kind of small nut or seed. What you do is basically thread the dental floss through the seed with a needle and then you tie it down to the ground or to a tree. You may want to string a lot of seeds to provide more of an opportunity for a bird to come find it.

What happens is, when the bird or small animal eats the seed, it then goes down into the stomach along with the dental floss until it gets caught or stopped in the digestive system. Typically the bird wouldn't notice the dental floss let alone be able to bite through it. To find it, you go to the spot where you tied up the dental floss and follow the string until you find what you are looking for.

I have never tried this, and will never try it unless in a very serious survival situation when I need food, but I wanted to post so you guys/gals could share your opinions on it. Honestly, I don't even know if it would work unless the bird swallowed the seed whole or something. I really don't think this is humane at all either, because it could cause chocking or suffocation which is causing a lot of harm to the bird. I would much rather put it to instant and painless death.

Post what you think about this "trapping" technical, thank you for reading.

Lil K

[welderguy]

I dont know if that would work or not, I'm thinking unless there was some sort of babr on the dental floss that when the bird went to fly away it would just pull out of his stomach, I can't think of anything that would prevent it from happening seeing as how most birds regurgitate food to feed to their young. Maybe someone with some more bird knowledge than I have can shed more light on this for you.
I understand your feelings towards a human kill but in a real SHTF TEOTWAWKI setting, if its an animal dying to feed me and mine in a less than quick amd painless way well I am sorry but I am eating.
And Welcome aboard, when ya get a minute stop by the intro section and say howdy !!

[randyt]

you would be better off using a gorge hook. To make a gorge hook for a small bird take a small thorn and sharpen the blunt end. Tie the dental floss to the middle of the thorn, make a shallow groove in this thorn to keep the floss from slipping. Then put a wad of bait around the thorn. When the bird swallows the gorge hook it will flip sideways and become lodged and keep the bird from flying away. Other materials can be used to make gorge hooks such as horn, bone, antler, stiff wire, nails, hard wood.

[Lil K]

I like the idea of using a hook on the bird so it'll stick into it and keep it with the line. If it was a real SHTF scenario like you suggested also, I would definitely do anything for food, too.

I'll drop a post in the Introductions about myself, thank you for the welcome and replies.

[aktrekker]

You can also use a fishing hook. One of those last resort things.

[crashdive123]

I think you would be much more assured of a meal using this method. http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ight=bird+trap

[aktrekker]

How about a spring triggered net?

[hunter63]

How about a spring triggered net?

Seems like a lot to carry around......unless you plan for it.

The live bird trap has merit as it uses natural found material,.

Bait on the string I have seen tried but some older guys from the "old country" .....on pigeons, out back in the factory days....they used a small fish hook and bait.

Also was told, never seen, By the same guys.... about tying a string on to a piece of bacon, feed it to a goose, then wait till it p00ps and do it again.....Till you have a whole string of them. ....that way you can lead them around.
They were know to pull your leg some........

[randyt]

to be honest Hunter, I don't think I ever saw anything solid come through a goose. LOL

[Lil K]

Thanks for the link crashdive. A fish hook or thorn with a barb would work great also.

I wouldn't want to carry around a net though. The more you know the less you carry haha, that's why you could use this method by just carrying dental floss (which is multi-purpose of course) and then find your seeds/bait/thorns. Maybe borrow a fish hook from your fishing kit also.

[hunter63]

to be honest Hunter, I don't think I ever saw anything solid come through a goose. LOL

No, I haven't either, ...even #2 and T shot seem to stick.....Like I said, they had been known to pull tour leg.

[randyt]

ever once in a coons age there is some leg pulling around here too, LOL.

[aktrekker]

A net can also be used for fishing, can be thrown into a flock of birds, can be used to catch rabbits, and can be used as a bag to carry foraged items. Very useful item to have.
It doesn't have to be a heavy cargo net. Something as simple as a piece of volleyball net would work, or a fish net.

[randyt]

It's all about options, here is a link to a gill net, it probably don't weigh much.

http://www.bestglide.com/deluxe_gill_net.html

[ninjasurvivor]

I've heard of this working with a larger bird, like a pheasant. Smaller birds, probably not. Also keep in mind that animals will generally fight vigorously to extricate themselves from a trap.

Another trap that works with dental floss is just making simple snare loops and laying them on the ground tied to a stick. Sprinkle bait around and the birds will walk through and their feet will get snagged and they don't have teeth to chew themselves out. I've caught several using this technique. One time the bird was dead when I got to it. Other times the birds broke their own legs and blood was coming out. But they were still in the trap. Paracord inner strands is what I used instead of dental floss, but it will work too, fishing line as well.

[randyt]

Years ago in a place far, far away. I used a wimped out old #1 muskrat trap to catch pats and such. Set the trap and sprinkle some grain around and over it. Make sure the trap is anchored well. Now days this method would be highly illegal.

[ottawafm]

I don't think this will work, and ill tell ya why.
Birds aren't like fish. They don't swallow their food and run. They will pick it up and walk with it as they fight with it. When they're convinced it's dead then they'll swallow it.
I tried this technique with worms and fishing line and it didn't work. Now you might try this to get them to trigger a trap but won't work like with fishing.

[Batch]

I don't think this will work, and ill tell ya why.
Birds aren't like fish. They don't swallow their food and run. They will pick it up and walk with it as they fight with it. When they're convinced it's dead then they'll swallow it.
I tried this technique with worms and fishing line and it didn't work. Now you might try this to get them to trigger a trap but won't work like with fishing.

I have caught birds while fishing. You'll get the occasional Anhinga take your bait. Lots of fun trying to unhook them with that pointed little beak coming at your hand. Pelicans are also bad. Cormorants as well.

I was casting across a canal and I had a bird catch the rubber worm mid-air.

Our ducks will go for your bait and foul their legs in the line.

[Rick]

Anhinga and Pelican are good BBQ'd, right?

[crashdive123]

Not as good as bald eagle.