Hey McElroy I just started watching your videos and I honestly think you are probably one of the best TH-camr's for survival I have learned so much keep up the good work!!
I'm finding Tom Mcelroy's videos among some of the best for a week or two in the woods. I took two weeks of T. Brown's courses some 30 years ago, and the basic stuff was good, and useful. But I didn't manage good brain-tan until John and Geri of Prairie Wolf. And now there are an incredible amount of expert stone workers, both artists and actual archeologists. Better bowers, better pot makers, better basket makers, etc. We should thank the museums, anthropologists, archeologists, and the practitioners for this blossoming second stone age.
I recovered my long-lost TH-cam account JUST for the purpose of this video. This has to be one of the most resourceful, yet most simplest things I have ever seen. First being your pump-drill design. Regardless of whether or not these are your ideas, they are absolutely astonishing, and deserve many many more views and subscribes. Thank you for sharing this information.
That's what my grandfather's traps looked like. In Michigan, mink, otter, some raccoons. Used fish bait (we called it), made by putting hunks of fish in a Mason jar, cover top with a cheese cloth, and the meat would liquefy. His bottom sear was cut differently though, to release when pushed down. He set the bottom stick up only 2-3 inches from the bottom log (that was down almost all the way in soil). You probably don't remember, but I was your student, then worked under you, volunteer staff, and several times I showed up with beaver pelts, etc I was trading and selling, which you were cool with, over 20 years ago.
Instead of using a long bottom anvil log, use two shorter anvil logs side by side so that the hammer log falls into the "V" between them. This gives the hammer log more surface area to strike against. Partially sink the anvil log into the ground so that it is super stable for balancing the trigger stick upon.
Tom, this is brilliant mate, a real life saver & so simple when you know how. A Bear Gryls show on British TV where men and women are left on a desert Island and they end up on the point of starvation until, desperation makes them start to think. There is so much food all round them but!!! It has not been cooked by a chef , is not served hot or, on a plate. The day may well come when all your skills will be in great demand . I found rat has a taste much like chicken. I remember being told by an American that the N V A lived on it in the tunnels in Koo Che (please forgive spelling) in Vietnam. Thanks again son , it makes for a very interesting watch. Chris.
Very well demonstrated. I did a mini latch version of this dead fall for KnifeHQ on the winter video last Feb. We did a demonstration on the video without the two side holders so that it could be seen well. Ya it needs the side holders even when demonstrating. This was a great video. Very well explained and thought out.
The animals head is not far enough under the log when he trips the trap. His reaction speed will cause escape most ot the time. These kinds of traps need to have the bait somewhere on one side or the other and enclosed so the log falls on the animal and it only has one way to back out. These animals are lightning fast. I was bitten by a squrel once and didn't know it until I saw the blood. Yes, that fast.
You are exactly right for wired animals, like squirrels, etc. This will work for slower moving animals. Someone needs to make this trap with a blocked in cubby on one side, so the animal will come in further into the trap. The trigger needs to be in the cubby, not in the center of the two logs, so they get body slammed. In a survival mode, you can't afford to miss even one animal...
Real simple solution funnel the animal in and turn the figure 4 at a 45 degree angle it will push the bait further back and make it harder for the animal to get back out before it falls
Heavier top log, higher up too. I like to insure the "kill".... Hmmm.... Im thinking bigger than mice for sure. Overkill is best for survival mode. Ill be subscribing to your videos! Thank you.... Very informative survival training tips for the serious survivalist newbies, and a great refresher for those of us who have spent decades in "Survival Mode"!
I recommend a safety log laid between the logs, until all is set and your hands are no longer in danger. I'd drve staes at the other ends of the log, too and have "teeth" in the deadfall, created from sticcks. About the only animal slow enough to be caught by such a trap is a porcupine or a skunk. Porkies are somewhat "armored", so you need either another log atop the deadfall log or stakes in its bottom edge, to create blood loss and thus, kill the animal much sooner and hold it in the trap.
Crackin channel brotha, really enjoying your videos. Especially your remodeled version of the pump drill. The changeable heads and counterweight are great ideas. I'll try that next time I build one. Very effective deadfall too! Iv trapped many a squirrel with similar traps. I call them notch's, a steeple notch and a 7 notch. atb Andy
that made me jump cause I think the wind was picking up or a storm or something and then the trap was triggered. Also, I was thinking "What if a bear came by? Prob wouldn't stop the bear." .. yeah... jumpy >
Very good trap, that'll get you dinner. With as narrow as the killing surface is, the animal might have an opportunity to back out of the way, depending on how you've funneled him into it. If funneling alone won't get him deep enough into the trap, you might lash short logs on either side of these longer ones, making wider panels at the end, like a top swatter smacking a bottom one.
This seems like the go-to trap that I've heard called "Timber Traps". I'm not against snares or smaller traps, but while they get smaller game, like squirrels, small rabbits, etc., timber traps can get the mid-size stuff, like opossums and raccoons, which have much more meat, and, perhaps more importantly, fat.
Brilliant tutorial. Is there any reason why the bait cannot be tied to the bait stick before the trap is set up, so as to avoid touching the bait stick when the deadfall is primed and ready to fire?
I have seen quite a few of deadfall trap vids using logs and rocks. I have yet to see the results but I guess I just don't understand how a log or rock would kill a critter unless it had some serious weight to it
Good stuff,...I wonder if you could add "a door" or bluff 'one way in door' to stop the animal from backing up quickly....animals have fantastic reflexes,...much better than humans. If you ever get up to NYS in the Adirondacks...send me a message...we'll do some Kayaking.
Honestly, despite making this video, I prefer the Pauite for lighter weight deadfalls. It is more multi-directional and can be more sensitive. For heavy weighted deadfalls, I like the figure 4. It holds up better without triggering itself under heavy weight and, if done right can still be pretty sensitive.
Hey McElroy, thanks for the tips, they're very useful! Btw, if you dont mind me asking, what kind of cam are you using? It has a great DOF. Keep doing the good work!
tom--where'd you learn all this? ir ead on ur website that you lived off the land in ur 20s for a year. . .where did you learn how to do that? especially when the internet wasn't so prevalent? thx : ) (also, what would you recommend to someone fo r agood starting point on laerning how to survive int eh wilderness?. . .I feel like learning how to make tools first, t hen shelter, then fire)
+oopalonga Hey Oopalonga, Thanks for watching. I started getting into survival in 1992 when I was 15, I read a lot of books by Tom Brown and took his classes at his school. THen lived in the woods, then taught at his school from 1997-2002. During that time I talked with a lot of Native American elders and learned the old ways from them. After that I traveled the Amazon, visited and lived with tribes there and in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Mexico, and Peru. It would have been amazing to have internet back then, but in lieu of that I just read every book about it and surrounded myself with other people that were really into it. The way I learned was just to focus on one skill at a time and do it until I was good at it, then move to something else until it all came together. If you ever want, come take a class, Id be happy to work with you on anything you want to learn. Thanks for checking in. tom
I should go to TV show Survivor, so if I will be there I will mention you. :) I hope with such a knowledge I will rock there. Do you know some books/shows I should read/watch? I do read S.A.S handbook - Wiseman and 98.6 Degrees the art of keeping your ass alive - Lundin. thx
+TheSmiesko Hey, Tom Brown Jr has a good series of books...a litttle outdated looking but all the basics are in there. I have a bunch of other videos as well if you want to check them out. I also recommend JungleCrafty for TH-cam vids
Tom, please forgive me for my ignorance. Your surname reads McElroy. Is that not pronounced "Mic-El-Roy" with the accent being on the "El"? I cannot understand when you pronounce your name. Sorry.
detail to notching and set ,explaining how everything works, pointing out failed attempts and how to correct them (with the bait setting); great video Tom.
Anyone else jump at 4:15?
Alex TAKII-ZAMANI Yep
Yes!
Little bit of poo came out
Mouldy catSkin only a little?
me
Man, you made me jump at the end there. For a moment there, I really thought that top log came down on your fingers.
Excellent video, thanks!
haha So did I
I know that feeling....
I read this before I watched the video, and it still made me jump haha. Great video! Very interesting piece of knowledge
me too
Lol you made me jump when you triggered the trap lol
me too...and I was expecting it.
Yea he got me as well lol
Hey McElroy I just started watching your videos and I honestly think you are probably one of the best TH-camr's for survival I have learned so much keep up the good work!!
+ExpertSportsFilms Heck yeah man! Glad to put some of this out there. Thanks
@@wildsurvivalskills Scissor traps are so much better, don't you think?
I'm finding Tom Mcelroy's videos among some of the best for a week or two in the woods. I took two weeks of T. Brown's courses some 30 years ago, and the basic stuff was good, and useful. But I didn't manage good brain-tan until John and Geri of Prairie Wolf. And now there are an incredible amount of expert stone workers, both artists and actual archeologists. Better bowers, better pot makers, better basket makers, etc. We should thank the museums, anthropologists, archeologists, and the practitioners for this blossoming second stone age.
Best description of this trap setup on TH-cam. You did it fast with perfect detail. Consider me subscribed!
I loved that little chuckle.
I recovered my long-lost TH-cam account JUST for the purpose of this video. This has to be one of the most resourceful, yet most simplest things I have ever seen. First being your pump-drill design.
Regardless of whether or not these are your ideas, they are absolutely astonishing, and deserve many many more views and subscribes. Thank you for sharing this information.
Great explanation and demonstration. I very much like the idea of neutralized scent for the trap.
That's what my grandfather's traps looked like. In Michigan, mink, otter, some raccoons. Used fish bait (we called it), made by putting hunks of fish in a Mason jar, cover top with a cheese cloth, and the meat would liquefy. His bottom sear was cut differently though, to release when pushed down. He set the bottom stick up only 2-3 inches from the bottom log (that was down almost all the way in soil).
You probably don't remember, but I was your student, then worked under you, volunteer staff, and several times I showed up with beaver pelts, etc I was trading and selling, which you were cool with, over 20 years ago.
Being a great artisan and a great presenter are two different trades and Tom brings 'em together nicely.
Instead of using a long bottom anvil log, use two shorter anvil logs side by side so that the hammer log falls into the "V" between them.
This gives the hammer log more surface area to strike against.
Partially sink the anvil log into the ground so that it is super stable for balancing the trigger stick upon.
4:15 JESUS FUCK THAT SCARED ME
Oh good, I'm not the only one
me too because i was looking away then i looked BAM just FUCK ME
Kelly Katsimpardi XD
yeah life is like that
Kelly Katsimpardi XD
Tom, this is brilliant mate, a real life saver & so simple when you know how. A Bear Gryls show on British TV where men and women are left on a desert Island and they end up on the point of starvation until, desperation makes them start to think. There is so much food all round them but!!! It has not been cooked by a chef , is not served hot or, on a plate.
The day may well come when all your skills will be in great demand . I found rat has a taste much like chicken. I remember being told by an American that the N V A lived on it in the tunnels in Koo Che (please forgive spelling) in Vietnam. Thanks again son , it makes for a very interesting watch.
Chris.
LOL, with me knowing what was going to happen, when the log dropped the last time, it actually startled me
Great vid Tom, I keep coming back
one of my favorite survial channels
crazy how everyone including myself jumped so hard
Fabulous . I cant wait to try this. The great thing is once your sticks are notched, you can re use them over and over. Thank you .what a great video
Great Tom, got me at the end also. Ha.
Very well demonstrated. I did a mini latch version of this dead fall for KnifeHQ on the winter video last Feb. We did a demonstration on the video without the two side holders so that it could be seen well. Ya it needs the side holders even when demonstrating. This was a great video. Very well explained and thought out.
Am I the only person who flinched when tom sprung the trap Wow yhat was a rush😳😳😳😬😬😲😲
I just found your channel WOW watched your video on 1 week survival with only a pocket knife that was amazing.
I jumped at 4:16, thought Your hand is gonna crush :D
The animals head is not far enough under the log when he trips the trap. His reaction speed will cause escape most ot the time. These kinds of traps need to have the bait somewhere on one side or the other and enclosed so the log falls on the animal and it only has one way to back out. These animals are lightning fast. I was bitten by a squrel once and didn't know it until I saw the blood. Yes, that fast.
You are exactly right for wired animals, like squirrels, etc. This will work for slower moving animals. Someone needs to make this trap with a blocked in cubby on one side, so the animal will come in further into the trap. The trigger needs to be in the cubby, not in the center of the two logs, so they get body slammed. In a survival mode, you can't afford to miss even one animal...
Real simple solution funnel the animal in and turn the figure 4 at a 45 degree angle it will push the bait further back and make it harder for the animal to get back out before it falls
I wanna see this in action!!!!!!!!!! Also you scared the crap out of me at the end. XD
:34. Deodorize your hands: Probably better than a good trigger. Great information, that no other videos bother to stress.
Made me flinch at the end!😂😂😂
Very clear instructions and explanations. Great video; thanks for doing it for us.
Heavier top log, higher up too. I like to insure the "kill".... Hmmm.... Im thinking bigger than mice for sure. Overkill is best for survival mode. Ill be subscribing to your videos! Thank you.... Very informative survival training tips for the serious survivalist newbies, and a great refresher for those of us who have spent decades in "Survival Mode"!
Hi tom, thanks for your helpful videos. I'm from Vietnam.
Awsome video. Well exsplained. Thans
Thanks Tom, but when you sprung that trap I jumped 4" off my chair. Great channel.
Number one survival tip:
travel with Tom McElroy
I recommend a safety log laid between the logs, until all is set and your hands are no longer in danger. I'd drve staes at the other ends of the log, too and have "teeth" in the deadfall, created from sticcks. About the only animal slow enough to be caught by such a trap is a porcupine or a skunk. Porkies are somewhat "armored", so you need either another log atop the deadfall log or stakes in its bottom edge, to create blood loss and thus, kill the animal much sooner and hold it in the trap.
I like your shirt too.
Great video sweety :) my favorite part was the "man giggle" at the end :) super cute! Add more of that for more female views!
+Charlie Girl Haha, ...my demographic pie chart shows about 99% male viewers so, thanks for the tip :)
Crackin channel brotha, really enjoying your videos. Especially your remodeled version of the pump drill. The changeable heads and counterweight are great ideas. I'll try that next time I build one.
Very effective deadfall too!
Iv trapped many a squirrel with similar traps. I call them notch's, a steeple notch and a 7 notch.
atb
Andy
that made me jump cause I think the wind was picking up or a storm or something and then the trap was triggered. Also, I was thinking "What if a bear came by? Prob wouldn't stop the bear." .. yeah... jumpy >
Very helpful
NAUGHTY BOY!
Very good trap, that'll get you dinner. With as narrow as the killing surface is, the animal might have an opportunity to back out of the way, depending on how you've funneled him into it. If funneling alone won't get him deep enough into the trap, you might lash short logs on either side of these longer ones, making wider panels at the end, like a top swatter smacking a bottom one.
This seems like the go-to trap that I've heard called "Timber Traps". I'm not against snares or smaller traps, but while they get smaller game, like squirrels, small rabbits, etc., timber traps can get the mid-size stuff, like opossums and raccoons, which have much more meat, and, perhaps more importantly, fat.
love it, let's get building!
You need to “ fence in “ the side escapes. This will make this trap DEADLY !
Gold!
These are real handy in areas with lots of flat stone. Have taken skunk & cat with these. Kills quick.
Hello Salam 👍👍👍👍👍✌🇧🇷
Awesome 😊
Brilliant tutorial. Is there any reason why the bait cannot be tied to the bait stick before the trap is set up, so as to avoid touching the bait stick when the deadfall is primed and ready to fire?
Great info and presentation
Good deal. years ago my dad ran a mink line and he always used the figure 4 trigger.
Thats great, man I wish I could pick his brain on all the tips and tricks he knew for success.
It,s awesome
WOOW Fantastik you vork ,
do u know about the spring trap.using cord attached to a bent tree that can pull n trap the animal.its so effective.using stepping mechanism though
I have seen quite a few of deadfall trap vids using logs and rocks. I have yet to see the results but I guess I just don't understand how a log or rock would kill a critter unless it had some serious weight to it
Yup, I jumped...thought you mash u fingurz ,lol
Damn that was close for you Hand
i feel bad just thinking about it but hey you gotta eat to survive
You’re fkin awesome tom!
Any tips to avoid deer enter a trap that size? I’m building one for fox, but I do not dare set it before I am sure deer will not enter it.
I pissed my pants at the end
The most horrified vid on TH-cam. Thanks
bravo!
Good stuff,...I wonder if you could add "a door" or bluff 'one way in door' to stop the animal from backing up quickly....animals have fantastic reflexes,...much better than humans.
If you ever get up to NYS in the Adirondacks...send me a message...we'll do some Kayaking.
I caught something, but it got away. Only thing I saw was a Big Foot and a letter note that said, "the owner of this trap is a Gaint Dick!".
didn't know what you were making until late in video, maybe show finished setup at beginning?
Can you show us how to make a toilet?
Are you still around Tom? What are you doing these days? I would like to learn from you and I live pretty close to Santa Cruz. Anything in this area?
I wonder if the top log in this video actually has enough weight to kill a creature?
Yes i jumped it was so sudden
Hey Tom. Mammoth here. Preference over a basic fig. 4 trap Vs a paiute trap?
Honestly, despite making this video, I prefer the Pauite for lighter weight deadfalls. It is more multi-directional and can be more sensitive. For heavy weighted deadfalls, I like the figure 4. It holds up better without triggering itself under heavy weight and, if done right can still be pretty sensitive.
It’s a 7 notch
How quick is the death for the animal?
this wouldn't kill anything most likely... nice concept tho
Hey McElroy, thanks for the tips, they're very useful! Btw, if you dont mind me asking, what kind of cam are you using? It has a great DOF. Keep doing the good work!
+Roso Thanks Roso, I shoot with a Canon 5dm3 and the lens is an 85mm 1.2. It has a very narrow depth of field. Thanks for watching. t
Tom Mcelroy-Wild Survival
thanks!
tom--where'd you learn all this? ir ead on ur website that you lived off the land in ur 20s for a year. . .where did you learn how to do that? especially when the internet wasn't so prevalent? thx : )
(also, what would you recommend to someone fo r agood starting point on laerning how to survive int eh wilderness?. . .I feel like learning how to make tools first, t hen shelter, then fire)
+oopalonga Hey Oopalonga, Thanks for watching. I started getting into survival in 1992 when I was 15, I read a lot of books by Tom Brown and took his classes at his school. THen lived in the woods, then taught at his school from 1997-2002. During that time I talked with a lot of Native American elders and learned the old ways from them. After that I traveled the Amazon, visited and lived with tribes there and in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Mexico, and Peru. It would have been amazing to have internet back then, but in lieu of that I just read every book about it and surrounded myself with other people that were really into it. The way I learned was just to focus on one skill at a time and do it until I was good at it, then move to something else until it all came together. If you ever want, come take a class, Id be happy to work with you on anything you want to learn. Thanks for checking in. tom
Tom Mcelroy-Wild Survival incredible.
once i finish school and have some money, i will definitely come and take a class. thanks for ansewring
Sounds good. Until then Ill keep making vids!
Good to know. After all these years, I've never crushed an animal for food.
I jumped at 4:15
very good trap but i see much beter rusian version " kolijanka" in muve " happy people"
I should go to TV show Survivor, so if I will be there I will mention you. :) I hope with such a knowledge I will rock there. Do you know some books/shows I should read/watch? I do read S.A.S handbook - Wiseman and 98.6 Degrees the art of keeping your ass alive - Lundin. thx
+TheSmiesko Hey, Tom Brown Jr has a good series of books...a litttle outdated looking but all the basics are in there. I have a bunch of other videos as well if you want to check them out. I also recommend JungleCrafty for TH-cam vids
You look like an older version of Pewdiepie :D
That shit made me jump lol
i actually jumped at 4:13 XD
4:14 que susto cara....
Tom, please forgive me for my ignorance. Your surname reads McElroy. Is that not pronounced "Mic-El-Roy" with the accent being on the "El"? I cannot understand when you pronounce your name. Sorry.
What is the largest animal you have caught in a typical LOG dead fall trap???
Eegads, at 3:12 you insert your arm UNDER the top log. No, no, no. Not unless you want to practice setting a broken arm in a survival setting.
Crushed innards, tainted meat?
Yum!! Delicious!!
Some people would reach their hand into it and kill themselves.
TOM THE VIDEO WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU WERE ACTUALLY IN THE PICTURE.
Jump two time
Bait that sucker with some fish guts and you could easily kill a raccoon or possum on that. Nice.
wtf u scared me i thought your hand get hurt
to high
The teeny wealth proportionately wrap because color preferentially earn excluding a prickly desire. useful, dazzling atm
detail to notching and set ,explaining how everything works, pointing out failed attempts and how to correct them (with the bait setting); great video Tom.
Great video my friend. Love from Greece. Thank you very much.
Tried this on my little brother, did not go as planned.
Maybe it was your choice of bait.
Ur giving me heart attack by releasing the trigger w/o warning..
Crushing the animals head. If you like this.... bahahahhaa awesome!! Thank you for your time and dedication sir! A scholar and a Gentleman!!!