How-To · Trapping

How to Set a 110 Conibear for Muskrat

New Conibears are tight. Here's how I use a 3-foot piece of paracord to set a brand-new #110 without buying a setting tool, plus where to put it for muskrats.

By Dave Faxel · Faxel Outdoors

The paracord trick is in the video above. The full walk-through is below.

The problem with new 110s

Old Conibears that have been used for a few seasons are broken in and pretty easy to set. Brand-new ones are tight. Unless you have a grip like Andre the Giant, squeezing that spring down can take two hands and sometimes a second person.

They sell setting tools for this, but you don't need one. Every outdoorsman has paracord lying around. A piece about 36 inches long does the job.

What you need

  • A #110 Conibear (body-grip) trap, about 4.5 inches square
  • About 3 feet of paracord (the length isn't critical)
  • A safety gripper or a trap-setting tool is still a good idea for beginners
  • Gloves
  • A stake or wire to anchor the trap
  • A trap tag with your name and address or IDNR customer number

How to set it with paracord

  1. Thread the cord. Run the paracord through the eye of the spring, on one side and then through the other, so you have a loop that gets a solid grip on both spring arms.
  2. Pin the trap. Put the trap on the ground and step on it to hold it in place.
  3. Pull to compress. Pull up on the paracord. The spring squeezes down far easier than with your hands. Once it's compressed, it's easy to hold.
  4. Lock the spring. Slide the spring's safety clamp over the compressed arms so they stay down.
  5. Open and set the jaws. Pull the jaws apart and hook the trigger (the "dog") into the notch on the trigger wire.
  6. Pick your trigger setting. There are usually a few notches on the dog. The setting closest in has the most tension and is the hardest to trip. The setting farthest out trips the easiest.
  7. Pull the cord out and the trap is ready. Once the trap is placed and staked, release the safety clamp.

Safety first

A body-grip trap closes hard. Keep your hands and fingers outside the jaws once it's set, and use a safety gripper or clamp while you place it. Never set one where a dog, cat or kid could reach it.

Where to set a 110 for muskrat

Muskrats travel the same routes over and over, so look for the signs:

  • Runs and trails: narrow channels worn into the bottom of shallow water or through the bank vegetation.
  • Den entrances: holes in the bank at or just under the waterline.
  • Feeding areas: piles of cut cattail and other vegetation, and droppings on logs or rocks.

Set the trap in the run so the muskrat has to swim through it, and anchor it well. Muskrats are drowned or dispatched quickly in a properly set body-grip trap.

Illinois rules to know

  • Muskrat season in Illinois runs Nov 10, 2026 to Feb 15, 2027, with no bag limit.
  • You need a valid Illinois trapping license and habitat stamp. Trapper education is required if you were born on or after Jan 1, 1998.
  • All traps must be marked or tagged with your name and address or your IDNR customer number.
  • Check your traps and remove animals at least once every calendar day.
  • Illinois law requires a body-grip set for muskrat or mink to be completely submerged, except during the open raccoon season. The raccoon and muskrat seasons currently overlap, but read the current digest to be sure.
  • Don't set a trap inside a muskrat house or beaver lodge.
  • Get landowner permission on private ground. Many IDNR sites have their own rules, permits, and harvest reports.

This is a summary, not legal advice. Rules change, so always read the current Illinois Hunting and Trapping Digest before you set a trap.

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