Deadfall Traps
Part of Hunting and Trapping
A deadfall is the simplest lethal trap — a heavy weight, a trigger, gravity. No cordage required, no moving parts to fail, and it kills instantly when built correctly.
How Deadfalls Work
The principle is mechanical simplicity: a weight (rock, log, or slab) is propped up at an angle by a trigger mechanism. An animal disturbs the trigger while reaching for bait, the support collapses, and the weight falls directly onto the animal. Death is immediate from crushing force.
This matters ethically and practically. A trap that kills instantly means no suffering, no noise to alert other animals, no struggling that damages the trap, and no half-dead animal that drags your mechanism away. A deadfall either works perfectly or misses entirely.
Weight Selection
The weight is the most critical component. Get this wrong and everything else is irrelevant.
Step 1: Choose the Right Stone or Log
The weight must be at least 5 times the body weight of the target animal:
| Target Animal | Animal Weight | Minimum Deadfall Weight | Recommended Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mouse | 20-40 g | 100-200 g | 300-500 g |
| Chipmunk | 70-100 g | 350-500 g | 750 g - 1 kg |
| Squirrel | 300-700 g | 1.5-3.5 kg | 4-5 kg |
| Rat | 200-500 g | 1-2.5 kg | 3-4 kg |
| Rabbit | 1-2.5 kg | 5-12 kg | 15-20 kg |
| Raccoon | 4-9 kg | 20-45 kg | 50+ kg |
| Marmot / Groundhog | 3-6 kg | 15-30 kg | 35-45 kg |
Step 2: Verify the Shape
- Flat bottom surface: The weight must land flat to distribute force across the animal’s body. A rounded stone rolls off or pins only a limb.
- Uniform thickness: Prevents wobbling and ensures predictable fall trajectory.
- Test the fall: Prop the weight up with a temporary stick and push it. Does it land flat? Does it land where the bait will be? Adjust position until the answer to both is yes.
Handling Heavy Stones
A 20+ kg stone dropped on your hand or foot will break bones. Always position the weight from the side, never reach under a propped stone, and keep your fingers clear of the fall zone. If the trigger collapses during setup, let the stone fall — do not try to catch it.
Deadfall Configurations
Configuration 1: Figure-4 Deadfall
The most versatile and widely taught design. Uses three carved sticks that interlock to form a “4” shape. Covered in full detail in Figure-4 Trigger.
Best for: All-purpose use, any weight from 500 g to 50+ kg. Adjustable sensitivity.
Configuration 2: Paiute Deadfall
Uses a toggle-and-cordage system instead of interlocking notches. Faster to build and more sensitive than the figure-4, but requires a short length of cordage or string.
Step 3. Components:
- Upright stick: 15-20 cm long, flat on both ends
- Lever stick: 25-30 cm long, extends under the weight to support it
- Toggle: Short stick (5-8 cm), tied to a thin cord
- Cord: 15-20 cm of string, sinew, or thin plant fiber
- Bait stick: Thin twig with bait on the end
Step 4. Assembly:
- Stand the upright stick vertically on a flat base surface (a small flat stone works well to prevent sinking into soil).
- Rest the lever stick horizontally on top of the upright, extending under the weight. The weight rests on the far end of the lever.
- Tie the cord to the far end of the lever stick (the end away from the weight). Tie the toggle to the other end of the cord.
- Wrap the toggle around the upright stick so the cord tension holds the lever in place.
- Place the bait stick against the toggle. The bait stick leans against the toggle at an angle — when the animal pulls the bait, the bait stick moves, releasing the toggle, which releases the cord tension, which drops the lever and the weight.
Advantage: Extremely sensitive. Even a mouse pulling on the bait can trigger it. The cord-and-toggle system amplifies small forces.
Configuration 3: Split-Stick Deadfall
The simplest deadfall — requires no carving at all. Useful when you lack a knife or time.
Step 5. Find a forked stick (Y-shape). Press the fork into the ground at an angle. Prop the weight on the upper arm of the Y. Place bait on the lower arm, which extends under the weight. When the animal disturbs the lower arm, the weight slides off and falls.
Limitation: Low sensitivity. Works best for bold, clumsy feeders like rats and raccoons. Not reliable for cautious species.
Configuration 4: Box Deadfall (Samson Post)
A weight supported by a single vertical post in the center, with bait attached to the post.
Step 6. Stand a straight stick vertically under the center of the weight. Carve a slight notch in the top to prevent the weight from sliding off. Attach a bait stick horizontally through or tied to the base of the vertical post. When the animal pulls the bait, it tilts the post, which falls, dropping the weight.
Best for: Narrow spaces like burrow entrances and wall edges where you can predict the animal’s approach direction.
Bait Selection
Bait must match the target species’ diet and be compelling enough to risk approaching the trap.
| Target | Effective Baits | Poor Baits |
|---|---|---|
| Squirrel | Nuts (especially acorns, walnuts), peanut butter, seeds | Meat, fish |
| Rabbit | Apple, carrot, leafy greens, clover | Meat, nuts |
| Rat | Anything — grain, meat scraps, fat, cheese, fish | Very few; rats eat almost anything |
| Raccoon | Fish, crayfish, sweet fruit, corn, eggs | Dry seeds |
| Mouse | Seeds, grain, peanut butter, chocolate | Large bait items |
| Marmot | Fresh greens, clover, dandelion, garden vegetables | Meat, fish |
Bait Placement
The bait must be positioned so the animal is directly under the center of the falling weight when it takes the bait. If the bait is too far forward, the animal reaches in without being under the stone. If too far back, it cannot reach the bait at all. Test by placing a leaf where the bait sits, then dropping the weight — the leaf should be fully covered.
Kill Zone Optimization
Step 7: Create a Backstop
Place a flat stone, log, or hard surface under the kill zone. The deadfall weight crushes the animal between itself and this hard base. Without a backstop, soft ground absorbs some of the impact, and the animal may survive injured — which means it escapes, suffers, and you lose your catch.
Step 8: Build Guide Walls
Use small stones, sticks, or debris to create walls on three sides of the trap, leaving only one opening — the direction from which the animal will approach the bait. This forces the animal into the kill zone and prevents it from reaching the bait from a safe angle.
Guide wall layout (top view):
[WEIGHT propped above]
+-----------+
| |
| KILL ZONE |
| [BAIT] |
+----- ----+
^^
OPENING
(animal enters here)
Step 9: Test Before Leaving
- Use a long twig to gently touch the bait from the approach direction
- The weight must fall within 1 second of contact
- The weight must land flat and cover the bait position completely
- Reset and test twice more to confirm reliability
Placement Strategy
The best deadfall in the world catches nothing if placed wrong.
Best locations:
- Against walls, fences, rock faces, or fallen logs (animals travel along edges)
- Near nut trees with evidence of feeding (shell middens, scratched bark)
- At burrow entrances (place the opening facing the hole)
- Along runs visible in grass or leaf litter
Poor locations:
- Open ground with no cover (animals feel exposed and avoid)
- Near strong human scent (camp, latrine, fire pit)
- On slopes (weight slides instead of falling straight down)
- In windy areas (wind can trigger the trap or blow away bait scent)
Maintenance and Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Trap not triggered, bait gone | Trigger too stiff | Recarve notches shallower; use lighter bait stick |
| Trap triggered, no animal | Animal too fast or approached from side | Add guide walls; make trigger more sensitive |
| Weight fell but animal escaped | Weight too light or not flat | Use heavier stone; ensure flat base |
| Trigger collapsed during setup | Notches too shallow | Deepen notch cuts; practice assembly technique |
| Rain or wind triggering trap | Trigger too sensitive | Slightly deepen notch engagement |
| Bait dried out or rotted | Too long between checks | Refresh bait daily; use durable baits (nuts) |
Common Mistakes
- Weight too light. This is the most common failure. If in doubt, go heavier. A 10 kg stone for a squirrel seems excessive, but it guarantees a clean kill.
- No backstop. Soft ground absorbs killing force. Always place a hard surface under the trap.
- Bait outside the kill zone. The animal takes the bait without ever being under the weight. Verify alignment by dropping the weight onto the bait position.
- Overcomplicated triggers. The best trigger is the simplest one that works reliably. A Paiute deadfall with 6 components is worse than a figure-4 with 3 if you can’t assemble it consistently.
- Leaving traps unchecked. A crushed animal left for 24+ hours in warm weather will be decomposed, fly-blown, and unsafe to eat. Check twice daily.
Key Takeaways
- The weight must be at least 5x the target animal’s body weight and have a flat bottom surface
- Always provide a hard backstop surface under the kill zone — soft ground absorbs lethal force
- Build guide walls to funnel the animal into the kill zone from one direction
- Test every deadfall before leaving: touch the bait gently with a long twig and verify the weight falls flat and covers the bait position
- The Paiute deadfall is faster to build and more sensitive than the figure-4, but requires a short length of cordage
- Location matters more than design — set deadfalls against edges, near feeding sign, or at burrow entrances