Hand-held rodent trap setting devices with trap retainer

A method of setting a rodent trap, comprising:

• providing a hand-held rodent trap-setting device including:
• a base for supporting a platform of a rodent trap;
• a handle coupled to the base, for allowing a user to hold the trap-setting device;
• a clamping arm coupled to the base and configured to press down on a top surface of the rodent trap platform to secure the rodent trap to the base, for facilitating an arming of the rodent trap while the rodent trap is secured to the base, wherein the clamping arm comprises a vertical arm terminating in a rubber tip configured to contact and press down on a rear part of the platform of the rodent trap;
• and
• a safety catch mounted on or along the clamping arm such that the safety catch and clamping arm move jointly in response to a user operating an actuator coupled to the clamping arm and safety catch, the safety catch positioned to catch a kill bar of the rodent trap when the rodent trap is mounted on the base and the kill bar is in an armed position, thereby preventing the kill bar from snapping on a user's hand while the user sets the rodent trap;
• wherein the clamping arm and safety catch are positioned off-center relative to a central longitudinal axis of the base, to facilitate securing the kill bar using an arm bar of the rodent trap while the safety catch engages the kill bar;
• holding the handle of the hand-held rodent trap-setting device in a first hand;
• releasably securing the rodent trap to the base by sliding the rodent trap platform of the rodent trap onto the base, and employing the clamping arm coupled to the base to press down on the top surface of the rodent trap platform to secure the rodent trap to the base;
• arming the rodent trap while the rodent trap is secured to the base;
• employing the safety catch to catch the kill bar of the rodent trap when the rodent trap is mounted on the base and the kill bar is in the armed position;
• and
• releasing the rodent trap from the base for deployment at a deployment location.