Survival Trapping: Primitive Paiute Deadfall Trap

The video below shows us how to make a primitive trap to kill mice and rats. Heck, the guy didn’t even use a knife. He just flaked off a sharp hunk of flint and went to work.

The idea is simple: Prop up a flat rock of appropriate size for your quarry. In this case, he was after mice and rats. I’m sure this same method would work for larger critters too.

With a simple system of four sticks and some cordage to hold up the rock and trigger it to fall, you too can create mouse pancakes!

Russ Chastain

Editor & Contributing Writer Russ Chastain is a lifelong hunter and shooter who has spent his life learning about hunting, shooting, guns, ammunition, gunsmithing, reloading, and bullet casting. He started toting his own gun in the woods at age nine and he's pursued deer with rifles since 1982, so his hunting knowledge has been growing for more than three and a half decades. His desire and ability to share this knowledge with others has also grown, and Russ has been professionally writing and editing original hunting & shooting content since 1998. Russ Chastain has a passion for sharing accurate, honest, interesting hunting & shooting knowledge and stories with people of all skill levels.