Marten box ideas

[nube]

Hey guys I just made up another 35 boxes and put 25 of them up the other day. I found a new area to build my cabin and the request is in so I hope things go smoothly. It is an area I can access a ton of good area to trap. I think I can put a couple hundred boxes out if I wanted to and had the time.
I am looking for some marten box ideas that won't take up much time to build and are cheap. Any thoughts? I checked out the newspaper tube thing and they will be about $7.50 each. That might be the cheapest route but wondered if there were any other ideas out there?

The last batch I went around to some areas here where they were building houses and scrounged up some wood from the junk piles when they were done framing. It worked well but it take a lot of time nailing them all together and a lot of the tops I had were the partical board and might not last more than a couple years.

[Torkdiesel]

I like the plastic ones myself. They seem to hold up extremely well and I'm sure getting 20 years out of them is not going to be a problem. The Bears can pull them off the trees and play with them without damaging them more then the odd tooth mark.
They are a little pricey for the "budget minded consumer" but over their lifespan it would still only work out to 75 cents a year. The best part to me is I can put 70 of them in the box of my ranger or 30-40 in my sleigh when setting them up.

[kingrat]

ya I agree bite the bullet its an investment for sure and years from now you wont be building new ones cause you cheaped out off the start. In the end youll be happy.

[nube]

Tork your meaning the big green ones that are fiberglass or plastic at Halfords like for $20 a piece?
Anyone try using the newspaper plastic tubes?

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by nube

Tork your meaning the big green ones that are fiberglass or plastic at Halfords like for $20 a piece?
Anyone try using the newspaper plastic tubes?

I think I paid $15-16 a piece for them. If you order a 100 at a time I'm sure you could knock a couple bucks a piece off as well. They are moulded plastic, very strong. They come in two sizes, the smaller ones are good for up to a 160 I believe.
And Ya I think Halfords sells them too, I bought mine at Gordy's

[mark-edmonton]

Nube, I have been keeping an eye out for the mail tubes as well!! They seem to be hard to find up here! Let me know if you find any

[braggadoe]

i've got alot of the moulded plastic ones and newspaper tubes on the line.

the tubes are about half the price of the moulded ones. they are both great and stand up to bears.

depends on what type of traps your using on what size of tube to get. the standard tube will fight ruby 120's perfect. but need to be modded to fit the belsile 120's. they have a medium size that wouldn't require slicing.



they stand up to bears just aswell as the moulded cubbys.
just have to nail them back up.


one draw back for me, is i hate leaving plastic out in the bush. over the summer. don't like littering.


the most durable cubby is made from plunging your saw into a tree. theres some on my line that are 35+ years old that are still usable.





dammit, 3 feet of snow here today. can't got check rat traps. bummed!!

[nube]

Just got back form Halfords. Took a look at the boxes. They have both the tubes as well as the plastic box Tork has. The standard plastic tube does not fit the 120 like Brag said previously. The lady I talked to today can get the one size bigger that will fit perfectly. Had another thought as well. I see a lot of traffic cones laying around the streets that are either left there or are damaged and left there. I helped myself to a damaged one laying in the ditch today that nobody was missing and might cut the cone off and see how it fits lol Can tack the one end of the cone with a nail to the horizontal pole and one in the front and I bet she works. Might have to keep my eye out for discarded cones. I bet they would last a while.

[PCP_ECOM]

Just a thought why not use colony trap,same thing no doors,cut out slots for springs,you could wrap middle as to hide bait or place bows over top,trap on either end kinda thing,metal, durable,light sure HunterDave could make some up for ya NUBE,bet he could even make some same shape as plastic ones,then you could stack inside each other,cheers Peter

[PCP_ECOM]

You could put metal tang on back end with hole for putting nail or screw into tree,don't have any marten to trap here,but pretty sure they would do the job and be durable and a reasonable price range as well IMO

[braggadoe]

the next marten cubby i'ld like to try. once they have 3-4 high(very near 100% clearances on marten at nafa. back to back. and the coyote market crashes.

will be the sheet metal cones that fit over a wooden bracket that holds the trap and and bait.

i think a guy from alberta came up with idea. and they would be super easy and cheap to make. and stack well(easy to transport)

[nube]

Basically the Donahue system ?

Just got a quote from a newspaper tube place and may be buying them out of the States. Sorry Brag lol They are cheap down there. I might get a bulk order as well going if guys are interested but it might be more pain to deal with it than it is worth

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by nube

Any thoughts? I checked out the newspaper tube thing and they will be about $7.50 each. That might be the cheapest route but wondered if there were any other ideas out there?

IMO $7.50 is cheap if it works. I don't think that I could manufacture anything for that price and still get paid for my time. If you are making boxes for yourself I still don't think that you would save much in comparison.

As for another thought, have you priced out what ABS pipe costs and cut sections of that to use. It's not cheap, I know, but maybe worth a look to see if you can salvage small (garbage) lengths somewhere. PVC is too brittle and breaks easily.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by PCP_ECOM

Just a thought why not use colony trap,same thing no doors,cut out slots for springs,you could wrap middle as to hide bait or place bows over top,trap on either end kinda thing,metal, durable,light sure HunterDave could make some up for ya NUBE,bet he could even make some same shape as plastic ones,then you could stack inside each other,cheers Peter

The only problem with these mesh ones is the bait and trap still sees all the weather. I think others have tried before and been less then impressed with the results.

[Torkdiesel]

Why am I not surprised you would be rummaging around in a ditch to save $7.50 lol

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

Why am I not surprised you would be rummaging around in a ditch to save $7.50 lol

LOL......Lots of time on my hands, Tork.

For me a trip to the dump sometimes turns into a shopping trip. Oh, I could use that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRSYrdXNtfQ

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by HunterDave

LOL......Lots of time on my hands, Tork.

For me a trip to the dump sometimes turns into a shopping trip. Oh, I could use that!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRSYrdXNtfQ

I was actually talking about nube HD lol

[HunterDave]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

I was actually talking about nube HD lol

We're both cheap as hell.

[nube]

Not that I was rumaging around bud lol I was coming back from puting a deposit on my skidoo and as always I am looking for this and that and ideas for the trapline. There is a lot of stuff people toss that could be used at the line. Maybe my mind likes to think too much is all of a different way to do things. In the end I think I will go with the plastic boxes as building a couple hundred is a pain lol Still will pick up the odd traffic cone though if I get a chance lol

[pikeslayer22]

Hey Nube talk with your local oil companies and see if they could spare some pipe stands...these are used when they are laying the pipline out...they are basically the same as the pylon/traffic cone you picked up just alot heavier and more durable

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by nube

Not that I was rumaging around bud lol I was coming back from puting a deposit on my skidoo and as always I am looking for this and that and ideas for the trapline. There is a lot of stuff people toss that could be used at the line. Maybe my mind likes to think too much is all of a different way to do things. In the end I think I will go with the plastic boxes as building a couple hundred is a pain lol Still will pick up the odd traffic cone though if I get a chance lol

I just like bugging you is all Phil lol

So you put your deposit down eh ? Are you sharing with the class or are you keeping your new purchase a secret ???

[nube]

Originally Posted by Torkdiesel

I just like bugging you is all Phil lol

So you put your deposit down eh ? Are you sharing with the class or are you keeping your new purchase a secret ???

I was going in to get the Expedition Sport but the last week after talking to you , Luke and a couple others I went in and said the words Skandic WT 600 ACE to the guy before I knew what I was saying
Might need a trailer now as the thing is the size of the truck. Hope it works out well.

[Torkdiesel]

Originally Posted by nube

I was going in to get the Expedition Sport but the last week after talking to you , Luke and a couple others I went in and said the words Skandic WT 600 ACE to the guy before I knew what I was saying
Might need a trailer now as the thing is the size of the truck. Hope it works out well.

Smart move sir, you won't be disappointed.

[mark-edmonton]

Won't go wrong with a wide track

[jim summit]

Originally Posted by nube

I was going in to get the Expedition Sport but the last week after talking to you , Luke and a couple others I went in and said the words Skandic WT 600 ACE to the guy before I knew what I was saying
Might need a trailer now as the thing is the size of the truck. Hope it works out well.

What? changed your mind again? gonna regret it..


Lol, just havin fun.
I kinda would like to get a widetrack for the heavy work and my tundra for checking the line.

Oh ya, classic derail, i like the wooden boxes better as i build me to fit the 120X, plastic boxes are bit big for a nice fit.

[braggadoe]

Originally Posted by nube

Basically the Donahue system ?

Just got a quote from a newspaper tube place and may be buying them out of the States. Sorry Brag lol They are cheap down there. I might get a bulk order as well going if guys are interested but it might be more pain to deal with it than it is worth

yeah, the donahue system. looks like light weight, and a good idea. makeing a cone out of light guage sheet metal would be very easy and cost less than 1$ for material/cone.

i ordered 120 of them from continental plastics. picked them up in great falls. another member from here went in on it with me.

if someone here in canada made them. i would of bought here. halfords didn't carry them at the time. couldn't find anyone else. i buy lots of stuff from the states. but not, knock-off stuff. and not very much trapping stuff if i can get it here.

if you order from continental, ask them not to include the metal mounting bracket that comes with each tube. you'll save alot of weight.

[mark-edmonton]

What 120's fit

[nube]

I think if you cut them like Brag did in a previous post I think you can fit any 120.
I am getting a tube that is slightly larger than these by about an inch on side and length and they will fit any 120 without cutting. I think all you need is to nail a surveyor stake on a tree and slide the box under it to hold it in place. Maybe drill some holes at the end to let some air get in and out for scent dispersal

[Mikkwa River Trapping LTD]

Nube we make boxes out of 1x6 and 3/8 ply wood and it costs us about 2$ a piece and if you pm me I could show you how we make them. I can make 20-25 an hour when the pieces are cut and I can make the pieces for 70 in an hour.

[jim summit]

Nube, here is a plywood box, cost is couple bucks.
1x6 top and bottom, plywood sides, build 20 an hour.
Top is 12", bottom 14" long, sides 9" tall.
Fits the 120 Belilse like a glove.
Oh ya, marten is not included