The figure-4 deadfall is named for the numeral 4 shape of its three-stick trigger system when assembled. It requires no manufactured materials — three sticks and a heavy rock. It catches any small game that attempts to reach the bait: squirrel, rabbit, marmot, and ground-dwelling birds. This is one of eight trap types covered in trapping and snaring: 8 traps that produce consistent small game.
Materials and Wood Selection
Three sticks and one weight. The sticks must be:
- Straight — bent sticks change the geometry of the trigger and make consistent notch mating impossible
- Dry, not green — green wood compresses at the notch joints under the weight, causing the trigger to slip or jam. Dry hardwood or dry softwood both work; avoid wood that bends or compresses under moderate hand pressure.
- Thumb-diameter or slightly thicker — finger-diameter sticks split at the notch under the weight of a stone heavy enough to kill; wrist-diameter sticks are too heavy to adjust and make notch carving difficult.
Good wood sources: dead branches still attached to standing hardwood trees (hard and dry), lower dead branches on mature pines, or dead wood from the previous season’s falls. Do not use rotted wood (crumbles under the weight), or green wood (compresses at notches).
Stick Dimensions
These dimensions produce a stable trigger for squirrel-to-rabbit-sized targets. Scale up 20–25% for larger targets.
- Upright stick (vertical): 12 inches long. One end sharpened to a stake point for pushing into soft ground. The notch is cut near the top — a square horizontal cut 1 inch from the top, 1/4 inch deep. This notch receives the horizontal shelf of the diagonal stick. The cut must be perpendicular to the stick’s long axis.
- Diagonal stick (the “4” shape element): 14–16 inches long. Two notches. First notch near the top (2 inches from the top end): a diagonal cut at approximately 45° that rests on top of the upright stick notch — these two notches lock together. Second notch in the middle (6–7 inches from the bait end): a square cut perpendicular to the stick, 1/4 inch deep, that holds the bait stick in position.
- Bait stick (horizontal): 8–10 inches long. One notch at one end: a shallow square cut that locks into the diagonal stick’s middle notch. The other end projects out under the weight, carrying the bait. Slightly thinner than the upright and diagonal sticks.
Assembly Sequence
Assemble the trap without the weight first to verify the trigger holds and releases cleanly.
- Step 1: Drive the upright stick into soft ground at the edge of a flat area, angled very slightly away from where the weight will fall — approximately 3–5° from vertical.
- Step 2: Rest the diagonal stick’s top notch against the upright stick’s notch. The diagonal stick will lean at approximately 40–50° from horizontal away from the upright. One end rests on the ground under the weight position.
- Step 3: Insert the bait stick’s notched end into the diagonal stick’s middle notch. The bait stick should point horizontally outward from the upright stick, roughly perpendicular to the diagonal stick’s lean direction.
- Step 4: Lower the weight onto the diagonal stick’s lower end, between the diagonal stick and the bait stick end. The weight must rest on both the diagonal stick end and be positioned so it will fall over the bait area when the trigger releases.
Weight Requirements
The weight is the most commonly underestimated component. Required weight by target species:
- Chipmunk and small mouse: minimum 1.5 kg (3 lbs)
- Gray squirrel (600g average): minimum 2 kg (4.5 lbs)
- Eastern cottontail rabbit (1.2–1.8 kg): minimum 5 kg (11 lbs)
A flat sandstone or slate slab is ideal — flat, heavy, and positioned easily. A heavy log works but must be positioned so it falls cleanly without rolling. Test the weight: hold it at the same height it will fall from and drop it onto a cushioned surface. If it bounces, it may be sufficient; if it thumps solidly, it’s adequate weight. Verify the weight doesn’t bind on the sticks when falling — the drop path must be clear.
Trigger Sensitivity Adjustment
Trigger sensitivity is controlled by the depth of the notch engagement between the upright and diagonal sticks. Deeper notch engagement = harder to trigger (too little sensitivity); shallower notch engagement = easier to trigger (too sensitive, collapses in wind).
Target sensitivity: the trigger should release with a lateral force of 100–200 grams applied to the bait stick — about the force of a squirrel pushing against the bait stick with its nose or front paws. Test by pressing on the bait stick end with one finger — if the trap collapses with the weight of one finger, it’s too sensitive. If it requires significant pushing force to collapse, it’s too stiff.
To reduce sensitivity: deepen the notch engagement slightly by carving a small flat platform where the diagonal stick rests on the upright notch. To increase sensitivity: reduce the flat contact area between the two notches.
Bait and Placement
Bait selection by target species:
- Squirrel: peanut butter, dried corn, acorn fragment, or walnut piece applied to the end of the bait stick. Peanut butter requires the animal to work to remove it, increasing contact time with the trigger.
- Rabbit: apple slice, carrot, dried corn, fresh clover cluster. Rabbits approach bait cautiously — place the bait slightly further under the weight’s fall zone than squirrel bait, requiring the animal’s head and shoulders to be under the weight.
Placement: identify a run (narrow compressed path) and place the trap across or adjacent to it so the animal encounters the bait while following the run. The edge of the weight should align with the run path, not be set off to the side. Do not place in open areas without nearby cover — animals do not approach bait in exposed locations.
Three Most Common Failure Modes
- Wrong notch angle: The upright stick’s notch must be a flat horizontal shelf. If it’s angled downward, the diagonal stick slides forward under weight pressure rather than holding. Recut the notch with a flat bottom.
- Insufficient weight: The most common failure — the trap fires but doesn’t kill the animal cleanly. It escapes injured and the trap is reset with a spooked animal now avoiding the area. Use significantly more weight than you think is necessary.
- Bait too close to the weight edge: The animal can reach the bait without fully entering the fall zone. Bait must be positioned so the animal’s shoulders or chest are under the center of the weight when their head reaches the bait.
Where to Go Next
The complete 8-trap overview including legal status, target species, and return-per-effort comparisons is in trapping and snaring: 8 traps that produce consistent small game. Wire snare construction — the highest-return trap per setup minute on active rabbit and squirrel runs — is in wire snare trapping: legal overview, setup, and animal targeting. Finding where to place traps based on runs, tracks, and feeding sign is in reading animal sign to find trap and snare locations.
