Does This Work

Ok well in the actual movie the edge they would dig a hole stick sharp sticks face up and put food on it i think then put leaves over it and the animal would be killed is this a good idea?

In what manner do you mean good idea? Does the trap work? Yes. Its a very old trap and you can even find it somewhere on this site I believe. It is called a deadfall trap. It works best on larger animals, because it uses their own mass and the force of gravity acting on that mass to kill them. However, I would not recommend using these in a non-survival situation for the same reason as in the movie: People are large animals. Moreover, they are large careless animals with a lot of curiosity and they kill people just as readily as other things.

By that I mean, the deadfall traps kill people just as easily as other things.

To help it work you'll want to place it on a game trail, try to funnel the animal towards it, and do your best to mask your scent or presence.

I would agree that's a very dangerous type of trap, that being said, if you were starving I would understand the use of such drastic measures.

It doesn't seem like a practical type of trap, digging a big enough hole could range from difficult to impossible, finding the right 'bottleneck' on a game trail could be hard, and I think that much disturbance would leave your scent lingering for days.

But hey, if a person is hungry enough, and you have a good spot to try it, I wouldn't blame you for trying...

If you were starving, I don't know if you'd want to expend that much energy when there are easier methods of catching prey. I think it would be an absolute last choice.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mamab

If you were starving, I don't know if you'd want to expend that much energy when there are easier methods of catching prey. I think it would be an absolute last choice.

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Very well put.
If you were starving, it would be MUCH simpler and less energy consuming to rely on smaller and more easily-caught game. But this also goes into the discussion of the tools you may have to work with at the time.

I had not thought about that trap in years. But yes, I have read about it in the past and it does work. I don't think I would be able to dig the hole big enough though if in a situation where it would be needed.

I imagine it works just fine. However, in a survival situation, I'd probably be disinclined to use it as anything other than a security measure. The size of animal it is most likely to be effective with would require preservation measures to avoid waste and attracting trouble.

They are dangerous since they can kill others so I wouldn't reccomend using them unless it was very very necessary, and if you can make one of those you could easily make a better trap so you shouldn't ever really use one. They take a lot of effort to dig such a big whole and waste a lot of energy. There are some variations of it that are meant to break the animals leg and then you kill it which are safer and more effected.

I agree to that. Unless in a must situaion it should not be used. At the same time I think we are talking about must situations only.

Of all the traps one can make this one takes the longest for sure. Snares for a smaller game take less time and will more productive. If you must use make a trip wire about a foot high a few feet away from trap to keep bigger game out of trap. A easier way it to place a big stick foot and half long in tree balanced about as you can reach a put bait on one end and spikes underneath takes alot less time get better results. If you got time cage the bottom part in a little if it does not hit the spikes good.

wow thanks guys

There are crazy SOB's that put deadfall traps on their property to discourage trespassing and snowmobilers. Illegal, I know. But it is still done. Old mine shafts that aren't filled in or covered often act as deadfalls as well, and can be just as deadly.
BSM

Ok first off this type of trap is not called a deadfall. A deadfall uses a trigger that when it is triggered drops a weighted object on the head/body of the animal to kill it (such as a figure 4 deadfall).

The trap you are refering to is know during the Vietnam War as a Punji pit and as for it working yes it does almost to well. It took many american lives trough out the war.

Fill free to correct me if im wrong but this is the trap i think you are talking about.

http://www.pbase.com/kepha/image/38061593

My bad, I just used the term already being used. I've always heard all of them referred as pit traps in general.
BSM

hook n bull is correct ,,,i think pitfall is the american name for it

It’s called a deadfall all over this site but I can’t blame the use it would be a good name for it if it wasn't already taken. What I do want to point out is what kind of traps the American soldiers had to deal with for about a year if they made it that long. I’ll start with the punji pit because it’s in question. The wild thing about it was that the VC went all out in constructing them. If you look at the picture I posted its not just a pit covered with leaves it is actually a revolving trap door were no matter what falls in it will reset its self. Here are a few sites that have a few different illustrations of traps used to hunt people. As you look at the different traps realize the Viet Cong were rural hunters before they were soldiers and you can see it in there traps.

http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-weapons/mines06.htm

http://www.hotkey.net.au/~marshalle/booby/booby.htm

Hook-n-Bull is right, it's not a deadfall trap and is refered to by that term over hte site, but it's not far off. But it is not practical at all when it expends too much energy, you msot liekly do not ahve a large enough shovel to do it efficiently, and it mostly only works on large animals becasue of the mass, a smaller animal could be killed by it but most liely will jsut fall onto the spikes maybe get hurt but will msotly only have a hard time geting out. I am very fond of a bow trap, it worsk well, and it is ratehr fun I mus admit too. It takes some practice to get the trap to aim correctly and not have the arrow fly into the air and not at the animal but it does work. So will a rock deadfall, probably the msot easily made trap and very effective.

this type of trap is not called a deadfall. A deadfall uses a heavy object dropped on the animal to kill it. ill correct you Hook n bull lol this is a PITFALL trap , used by many native cultres for most of there existance, though some would make them without the spikes so they could catch the animal. and Yes it works awsome (because after the firs animal died you can use the scent of blood to catch carnivores) but it recks the skin of the animal and is impossible to catch small game with. for medium game the pit should be 4 (so bring a shovel i personally love the military issue folding shovel) feet deep with 2 foot wood spiked spaced evenly 1/2 a foot from eachother. im planning on making one atleast 6 feet by 6 feet and 9 feet deep to see if i can kill a bear lol , ill use some dead fish as bait lol, then i can put the bear on the dround take a pic and pretend i killed it commando style lol.

This may be a dangerous trap for people and pets. Plus you are likely to only injure any animal - and then it may very well escape.

well it depends on how deep / how you made the spikes. iv had alot of animals just walk over em without setting em off so its not that effective of a trap..

It does work but it takes time and hard to prepare and if there is other food then i suggest you use that

Remember: The more you work the more you sweat and the more you need to drink and eat

This trap is not so much work as you may think. Your not digging a hole big enough for a large animal to fall in, rather your creating the impression of higher ground. Naturally you still need something of a hole, but it doesn't have to fit a moose to mortally wound it. your hole just makes it so your spikes are really higher than they appear, and the animal falls enough to skewer itself soundly. and it's not as dangerous to yourself and others as a true pitfall on account of how it relies on the four legged body type of the game to find its mark. I still wouldn't play night games in it though. that said i would only build it if I had an ideal spot, and little other options.

thanks for the help

Quote:

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Originally Posted by marcraft

this type of trap is not called a deadfall. A deadfall uses a heavy object dropped on the animal to kill it. ill correct you Hook n bull lol this is a PITFALL trap

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I don’t see how I was corrected on any of this. If the picture I posted was of the trap in question, then as I said it was known as a punji pit during Vietnam. I Also said it was NOT called a dead fall. I guess you didn't read my first post on this subject.

Okay everyone! i think we've decided the gapeing hole in the earth with sharp sticks at the bottom is named incorrectly or being called the wrong name. the edge, it would work but it would take HOURS to make, possibly days. So not a good idea at all.

Oh and marcraft, I'm afraid to tell you this, but the bear idea you've had has led me to conclude that you are a dork. sorry. and good luck getting a bear out of a 9 ft. deep hole.lol

Just let us all know where ya'll are going to put your little pits with stakes sticking up.

I'm not as lucky as Hildalgo.

Thanks For This Info :)

lol wildernessgrrrl4. ill tie it to my car and pull it out of the pit. and i have no idea whether im a dork or not so w/e. and evn if i didnt use a car i could use levers ,weights and ropes to pull it out. And a pitfall trap for small - medium game such as foxes , badgers ,raccoons or similarly sized game would only take 20 - 40 min to make depending on what you use to dig it , i always carry a military issue folding shovel so it wouldnt take me that long. however if you tried to use your hands to other ineffective measures to dig it i can see it taking several hours. though if you didnt have a shovel wouldnt it make more sence to make cordage out of a sapling and set some snares?

it would probably be easier to just dress it in the pit with a rope to climb or something, but imagine the smell as your sitting on Mr. Bear and his guts are all over the place

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