lifelong cumbrian

i used to make probes, i cant weld no more after having to have a pacemaker so cant do it no more. I made them from 10mm 304 stainless, 30mm tube handle capped off, i drilled a hole in the handle and let the bar in to the inside of the other side of tube before welding, i welded a bit off 16mm bar on the end and shaped up with the grinder to make a bulb, i did smaller ones out of 6mm bar with a 9mm bulb on for hard or stoney ground, it is easy to feel the give when it hits the tube with a bulb on, as you lift it you can feel it banging on the top of the tube.

the uk putange barrel traps are good value, i have them and flatpack but i dont use barrel traps often now. Putanges are the most versatile trap for me, i can use them anywhere, i designed my own triggers that work great and i make them in different sizes so i can fill the tube with the trap, for me standard sized triggers are on the small side, big way round.

I have flatpack ad uk putanges supplies flat bottomed traps, you will get at least 2 uk ones to a flatpack, the only plus faltpack have over the uk ones is they are stainless, the uk ones have a much stronger spring, catch the mole round the ribs, you can adjust the trigger on flatpack but you dont need touch the uk ones. I use putanges 90% of the time but if i had to buy more barrels i would be getting uk putange ones, they also do round loops.

anyone got one of those quads, thinking about trying one, opinions

Aye i agree, the mole has a far better chance of hitting the trap correctly if the jaws are tight to the tube wall, in big tubes it would be so easy for the mole to miss entering the Jaws. i used to get a few misses in big tubes so i would revert to tunnel traps but since making my own triggers my putanges are much more versatile, i am quite happy to only use putanges now, you can get so many more traps in a bucket or quad box. I made a few triggers at the weekend, put a few on ebay but no bids yet, i have gifted loads of these triggers for folk to try and the folk always come after more.

Putanges, push them right down the tube as far as possible, make sure tube has been cleaned out with a spoon. I make my own triggers for putanges, very kittle on rusty traps, good rusty trap and trigger has little chance of false firing. i make different sizes for different sized tubes, in my opinion you want the jaws of the trap hugging the tube wall, i have the triggers to do that. the shape also stops any tip backs of the trigger without firing, since i started making these a few years back my catch ratio with putanges has gone right up. i like the pipe trap as well for spooky moles and ha

not good that, i am looking at retiring and doing moles a lot more, to be honest a jimny commercial would be best for me but no way i am paying 25k for one. have a octavia scout at present, great motor, pulls trailer and quad great but although it can be all wheel drive and is pretty good on grass it hasnt the height clearance for getting in and out of some fields with the trailer. will keep the octavia whatever and my mrs can sell her fiesta and use the octavia.

what you reckon of Amaroc, seem expensive like

i have been doing great trapping travel runs on the dyke kests with the fields being saturated, putange in that situation for me, been getting loads of doubles

few Aluminium ones i made

i do great with the pipe traps, make them in aluminium and plastic pipe.

rabbit numbers been poor local to me for years, im out trapping moles and never hardly see a rabbit, bits we ferreted as kids in the 70's are barren and have been so for a few years.

i knew a fella in the 80's put his border dog on a whippet, fella rated the pups highly. They got plenty of work. I never saw them myself.

got some doing £5 a mole round my way. Be doing it on the fly though.

did a few more flatpack trigger loops, this time i made some stainless rings and soldered them on, stops them going through the loops