A hand-held rodent trap setting device includes a base supporting a rodent trap, a handle, and a releasable trap retainer that user-releasably secures the rodent trap to the platform. The device allows a user to arm the trap near a delivery location, and place the trap even in relatively inaccessible locations. The retainer may include a clamping arm that presses down on the top surface of the trap base, a spring-loaded ball that presses up on the underside of the trap base, and/or a magnet that attaches to a metallic part of the rodent trap such as the arm bar hinge. A trap release such as a clamping arm actuator, a longitudinal plunger, and/or a slidable magnet support allows detaching the rodent trap after arming. A spring-loaded safety catch allows automatically securing the kill bar of the trap when the trap is being armed while secured to the platform.

A hand-held rodent trap setting device, or rat trap scoop, includes a base supporting a rodent trap, a handle extending generally in or above a major plane of the base, a clamping arm that clamps down the rodent trap to the platform when engaged, and an actuator coupled to clamping arm and configured to clamp down and release the clamping arm. An elongated handle facilitates placing the rodent trap in relatively inaccessible locations. An elongated rearward linking arm assembly couples the actuator to the clamping arm, and facilitates engaging/releasing the clamping arm from a distance, further facilitating placing the rodent trap in inaccessible locations.

In some embodiments, a hand-held rodent trap setting device, or rat trap gun, includes a base supporting a rodent trap, a handle, a clamping arm that clamps down the rodent trap to the platform when engaged, and an actuator coupled to clamping arm and configured to clamp down and release the clamping arm. The clamping arm may be part of a toggle clamp that presses down directly on the trap platform. A pulling arm may be used to pull a kill bar of the rodent trap into an armed/set position. A safety catch, which moves jointly with the clamping arm, engages the kill bar to prevent the kill bar from snapping. A cocking actuator operated by a thumb and/or a trigger actuator operated by fingers may be used to clamp/release the clamping arm. A device sized for rat traps may be used to set mouse traps via an appropriately-sized adapter.

A hand-held rodent trap setting device includes a base supporting a rodent trap, a handle, and a releasable trap retainer that user-releasably secures the rodent trap to the platform. The device allows a user to arm the trap near a delivery location, and place the trap even in relatively inaccessible locations. The retainer may include a clamping arm that presses down on the top surface of the trap base, a spring-loaded ball that presses up on the underside of the trap base, and/or a magnet that attaches to a metallic part of the rodent trap such as the arm bar hinge. A trap release such as a clamping arm actuator, a longitudinal plunger, and/or a slidable magnet support allows detaching the rodent trap after arming. A spring-loaded safety catch allows automatically securing the kill bar of the trap when the trap is being armed while secured to the platform.