"Arapuca" Live Bird Trap

**Pict** · 05-10-2008, 04:25 PM

Hi,

I'm new here. I live in Central Brazil, but I am an American. I am pretty serious about wilderness survival and have recently been uploading some of the things I do down here on Youtube.

The Arapuca is the most common trap encountered here in Brazil. It is an old Indian design and it is so simple you can make it without any tools. All you need are sticks a bit of string. The trigger parts can be made without a knife, but a knife speeds it up. The guy who taught me how to make this trap used a sharp rock to grind the trigger notch.

Mac

**crashdive123** · 05-10-2008, 04:47 PM

Interesting. Is that you in the video?

**Pict** · 05-10-2008, 05:28 PM

Yes, those are my arms, etc. Mac

**hoosierarcher** · 05-10-2008, 05:29 PM

I subscribed to your vids. Thanks for the heads up.

**Rick** · 05-10-2008, 06:15 PM

That is pretty neat. Simple and effective. It doesn't get much better than that.

**Ole WV Coot** · 05-10-2008, 08:51 PM

Looks better than the old figure 4, will have to try it out.

**Pict** · 05-11-2008, 07:22 AM

Thanks for having a look and giving me some feedback. I'm new to this video making thing but I really enjoy it. The area I live in affords some great opportunities for wilderness survival and bushcraft. It is so unlike Pennsylvania.

I have a place here about 1.5 hours from home that covers about 150 square kilometers of lowland forest, mid elevation scrub, and a mountain range that reaches about 6000 feet. It is mostly foot travel only , thought there are a few dirts roads in the area around the edges. It is a great place to train as the elevation and seasonal cycles make it seem like everything from rainforest to desert.

I hope to get more how-to videos up as soon as I get my learn-how fixed. Mac

**Runs With Beer** · 10-14-2008, 07:48 AM

I tried Making one of these yesterday, and it keeped racking out of square while it was set. I made it out of river cane, And I think being round, that the sticks are rolling.I am going to try it again this afternoon. I will get it!

**sh4d0wm4573ri7** · 10-14-2008, 08:18 AM

Nice trap good vid man thx for the info

**Pict** · 10-14-2008, 10:05 PM

That video has been my most popular by far with 15,000+ hits so far. Once you build it a few times you'll have it down. It's an easy one to remember. Mac

**pgvoutdoors** · 10-15-2008, 01:47 PM

I like your video's, good stuff!

**Runs With Beer** · 10-17-2008, 09:50 PM

Still working on it, I WILL GET IT!

**crashdive123** · 10-17-2008, 09:52 PM

If you're still using the river cane, try using your knife to peel or split off an edge so that you have a flat surface.

**Runs With Beer** · 10-17-2008, 09:56 PM

HEY, I can dig it, Its funny how stupid I can beeeeeeeee!

**crashdive123** · 10-17-2008, 10:05 PM

Nah....sometimes you just need to step back and look at it a bit different.

**Pict** · 10-18-2008, 07:34 AM

I've run into problems making them with bamboo. Now I use thicker bamboo and split it into square sections that hold in place much better. If using other hardwood sticks leave the bark on to increase the friction of bark on bark. Smooth wood like river cane would be very slippery. The other thing you can do is to wind a length of string back and forth across the end stubs of the sticks poking out on the four corners to help hold them in place. Mac

**Runs With Beer** · 10-18-2008, 02:40 PM

Thanks for the info Pict.Im going to try it again this afternoon.

**Runs With Beer** · 10-18-2008, 09:15 PM

Hey, I got it. I made the trap from Dog Fennel. Worked like a charm. Kinda hard to set the trigger but that was the first time. I have it set , Hope tomarrow Ill have a catch, Ill let it go of course, Unless its something good to eat!