What is the best brand of cage trap?

All mammals – including, but not limited to humans – hate being stuck in a cage. It’s extremely difficult to lure them into one, and harder still to keep them there. Whether you’re a humane homeowner or a professional trapper, catching a live Fairfield County animal requires a sophisticated cage. The sheer volume and variety of available cage traps can intimidate a beginner – features, sizes, weights, and locks make for a long list of potential traps to pick from.





Luckily, we’ve done some work to narrow your choices down. Consider, first, that choosing a cage trap is a lot like choosing a vehicle – what you get depends on what you actually need. It’s one thing to trap a rat, and another thing entirely to trap a bobcat. Knowing your target goes a long way to picking your trap.

Second, knowing what you’re keeping out is just as important as knowing what you’re keeping in. Traps that keep away dogs, and raccoons (from grabbing the bait/food inside the cage) are worth it if you’re trying to keep your target animal safe.

Third, know what you’re going to do with your target Fairfield County animal once you have it. Turning it in to a veterinarian? It might be useful to pick a trap with wheels. Releasing it into the wild? It might be worthwhile to spend extra for a reinforced, chew-resistant cage. Worried about people stealing or releasing your catch? Spend some extra money on a good lock.

Knowing your needs beforehand narrows down your search considerably. Once there, you still have several brands to choose from – and, as always, we recommend listening to the experts. Those in Fairfield County Animal Control recommended Duke Standard and Freedom Brand. Both brands sell traps at prices from $10 to $100, depending on the size needed. Given the variety of animals you might encounter – armadillos, minks, cats, squirrels, badgers, Connecticut chipmunks and mice and rats, porcupines, weasels, raccoons, rabbits, opossums, skunks, woodchucks, voles and voles – you can probably see the need for varying sizes. Know your prey, and pick your cage.

Havahart traps are just as cheap, but didn’t appear to be used by professionals. Duke Standard and Freedom Brand were not mentioned much by professional Connecticut trappers, however. Trapping for a living requires much more durable cage traps. Both Comstock and Tomahawk traps came highly recommended, but their extra strength is reflected in their price – some of the traps sold by these brands cost well over $200. Of the two brands, Comstock had the fewest complaints of breaking down over several years, but both brands are clearly built to last.

All trappers, however, universally recommended Advanced Traps, built by professional trapper Kirk Dekalb. His traps cost around the same as Comstock and Tomahawk, but come with several innovations he’s developed after years as a professional volume trapper – meaning, put bluntly, that he’s made his living trapping as many animals as possible. His cages are built for that need. Your needs, however, might not be that intense. Know your target, and make your choice accordingly.

Visit our Fairfield County wildlife trapping home page to learn more about us.