A deadfall is a type of trap in which an animal is crushed by a heavy object and is dispatched rather quickly and effectively. The Paiute deadfall was used by the Paiute peoples of ancient North America to catch small game. It consists of three sticks and a piece of cordage. It can be made without a knife as there are no notches and has a hair trigger.
There are plenty of how-to videos on Youtube so I won’t go into great detail as to how to build the trap. Below are a couple of pictures of the components. The “Y” branch isn’t necessary however it can make the trap easier to set up.
Of course this type of trap should only be used in a survival situation. Most places have strict laws regarding how to trap animals and I’d recommend looking up the specific regulations in you area.
Below is a video from my Instagram account. I’ll be teaching some of these style traps this fall so look for a class sign up soon!!
Nees Bushcraft 
Wow, okay. Awesome post. So let me see if I get the gist:
– The deadfall should be set up so that the animal is crushed by the weight of the stick and not by the cordage.
– The hair trigger should be set so that the animal is killed when it falls.
– The stick can be any length but should be at least 12” long.
– The cordage can be any type but should be at least 16” long.
Did I get it? Hey, keep up the awesome content. Definitely going to be following along.
Rob @ NewAmericanWarrior.com
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