what am i doing wrong?

[model 70]

targeting skunk in a backyard. first attempt, bait stolen. second time, trapped tripped but no animal. using a havahart live trap. any suggestions?

[multibeard]

If it is one of the older havahart traps, the locking system stinks. The door had to come all the way down before the locking wire would egage.If the critter wasn't all the way in. It would just back up and the door would open up and let it out.

I haven't looked at the newer ones to see if the locks have been improved.

The ones I have use a washer that slides down when the door trips and will not allow the door to be opened back up even if a tail is in the way.

[model 70]

i see. are there any ways to modify this system?

[justwannano]

Our neighbor has an old livetrap and was having problems like you.
The trip mechanism was on the outside of the cage.
Coons were tripping the trap trying to get the bait without going inside.
He moved the bait to the side opposite the trip mech and the problem was solved.

[multibeard]

I don't know as have bought all my live traps from a guy in Indiana after I found out about the problem with Havaheart.

The guy makes a real solid trap with all the triger mechanism being made out of rod. Another guy tried to copy them but used chain in the link down to the trigger. That allowed the pan to flip up and block a critter when you tried to dump it out.