Animal trap

xTATTEREDx  · +FINE+  · *SUPERIOR*  · ≡EXCEPTIONAL≡  · ☼MASTERWORK☼

v50.14 · v0.47.05 This article is about the current version of DF. Note that some content may still need to be updated. More Info · V

Animal traps are items used by a trapper to catch vermin. They are created at a carpenter's workshop or a metalsmith's forge (in Furniture menu) by a dwarf with the trapping labor enabled.

Animal traps can be used by ordering one of your trappers to capture a live land animal in the kennel or butcher's shop with q then a, or placing an order with the manager from a kennel to catch a live land animal, and can also be built by going into the build menu, and choosing m to place an animal trap anywhere. In order to catch small animals, after the trap is placed it must be baited (q to select bait type). Bait can be fish, meat, or a large gem (though gems are currently useless). There is a chance, depending on the quality of the trap, that it will not spring fast enough to catch the vermin, causing the bait to be lost, and the trap will need to be reset and rebaited, which a trapper dwarf will automatically do on his own. According to Toady, the formula for the chance that a trap quality gives you successfully trapping a creature (as opposed to being robbed) is 50/65/75/85/95/100; this means that masterwork traps will never be robbed.

When a vermin is caught in a trap, it will be brought to an animal stockpile which accepts vermin of that type by a dwarf with the animal hauling labor enabled. You can remove a vermin from a trap (thus freeing it for re-use) by assigning it to an installed cage; for doing this to hateable vermin you should have a separate cage in a far away place, so as to reduce the chance of dwarves getting unhappy thoughts.

Certain types of vermin can gnaw through wooden animal traps and wooden cages. This does not destroy the trap; instead, the vermin just escapes. When this happens the game pauses too. If this happens too often, you might be better off forbidding or getting rid of your wooden animal traps and making some metal ones.

Note that a caught vermin is treated as if it were an item; marking it for dumping releases it.

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Workshops • Furnaces
Furniture	Animal trap • Anvil • Armor stand • Bed • Blocks • Box (chest • coffer) • Bucket • Cabinet • Cage (aquarium • terrarium) • Coffin (casket • sarcophagus) • Restraint • Slab • Statue • Table • Throne (chair) • Weapon rack
Tools	Altar • Bookcase • Display (display case • pedestal) • Hive • Nest box
Access	Bars • Bridge • Door (portal) • Floodgate • Grate • Hatch • Road • Window
Constructions	Floor • Fortification • Ramp • Stairs • Wall
Machine and trap parts	Axle • Gear assembly • Lever • Mechanism • Millstone • Pipe section • Pressure plate • Roller • Screw pump • Support • Trap • Water wheel • Windmill
Other buildings	Archery target • Vermin catcher's shop • Siege engine • Trade depot • Wagon • Well
Related articles	Design strategies • Bedroom design • Furniture industry