Is The Btmr And Guilds Influence, Ruining The Molecatching Game ?

[earth-thrower 490]

Recently, a farm manager,asks me to tackle some silage fields.Went along today ,and noticed some ' markers ' on the ground.Turns out a lady relative,from a neighbouring farm,is having a go with some traps. (free of charge,of course ! )The FM wasnt aware,but it turns out,she was given some instruction,and supplied with traps, from a local business man, (with too much time on his hands,apparently !) Surprise Surprise ! , he attended the BTMR course at some point,so it seems hes some sort of authority on moles now ! Someone else from the farm suggests,that there is plenty of ground to go at,but i dont feel like bothering now..........Another farm i started , the farmer comes out with,how someone is advertising in the " scottish farmer " at £5 per mole, " but your charging £10 !! ".............Is this someone else thats just completed one of these courses, and is trying to muscle in , by undercutting others ,i wonder ? I feel these courses are like a magnet, to retired (semi - retired ) individuals,with time on their hands,etc.This is all to the detriment of true professional mole catchers................To cap it all,i was reflecting on a conversation i had , with the founder of one of these organisations. (about a year ago) Tells me straight ,that he believes there still arent enough, mole catchers !!!

Edited April 21, 2014 by earth-thrower

[MR TEA POT 1,287]

Bit of healthy compition keep you on your toes ??

[Mr Muddy 141]

The only thing you can to is keep stating the simple fact ‘there is absolutely no shortage of molecatchers’ over and over again until everyone hears it.

 

It seems there are only a couple of people peddling the ‘shortage of molecatchers’ lie.

The rest of us just need to get the facts out there.

 

Right: I’m off to catch some now; in the back-to-school traffic and the pissing rain.

If you think that’s an easy, romantic way to make a living; think again!

[MR TEA POT 1,287]

 

in the back-to-school traffic and the pissing rain.

 

Get stuck in it everyday and in the rain driving HGV hardly a hardship is it?

 

Surely if you guys have built up a good customer base then it won't be a problem,you will still have a income coming in,no matter how many newbies start up

[Phil Lloyd 10,736]

Fully understand your predicament Earth -Thrower,...

Not much can be done ,..we just got to keep on,.keepin on....

[Mr Muddy 141]

 

 

in the back-to-school traffic and the pissing rain.

Get stuck in it everyday and in the rain driving HGV hardly a hardship is it

 

 

Oh yeah, get a lot of rain falling in the cab of your HGV do you mate?....you should probably look into that .

[MR TEA POT 1,287]

No but when I'm rope and sheeting I do ?

[Mr Muddy 141]

Fair enough. But, in that case, a lot of people would probably consider that as quite a hardship.

I very much doubt some of the people e’thrower is talking about –doing the Guild’s ‘earn £££s as a mole catcher’ bullshit courses- would be up for it. Especially in their retirement years.

[MR TEA POT 1,287]

Fair point mr muddy i see where your coming from,I'm a young sprig so it don't affect me much but yes your right somebody who is older it might.

 

Serious question to you mr muddy or any other mole trapper....does this course and the amount of people it trains really affects your income,I'm sure though I don't know but I would of thought that you molers have built up a good customer base over the years through trust etc

[earth-thrower 490]

I know im moaning about it all....LOL.About 10 to 15 year ago, a mole trapper (like myself) round here,was as rare as hens teeth ! I just didnt expect the current level of interest, in the game,that there is now....with all the 'newbies' coming out the woodwork.The BTMR claim to be for professional molecatchers,and encourage you to join.The trouble is ,that they are also MORE than happy, to train up the molecatchers clients/ potential clients !!! on these courses..........and the GBM,are much the same........

[earth-thrower 490]

Fair point mr muddy i see where your coming from,I'm a young sprig so it don't affect me much but yes your right somebody who is older it might.

 

Serious question to you mr muddy or any other mole trapper....does this course and the amount of people it trains really affects your income,I'm sure though I don't know but I would of thought that you molers have built up a good customer base over the years through trust etc

These 'organisations' are encouraging people with 'mole problems', to learn to do it themselves.Rather, than to pay a professional molecatcher.... Dont get me wrong,this ' type' ( who are usually not short of cash), dont want to pay,a moleman anyway.With all the 'training' available nowadays,they now have the option...........Also how 'sustainable' is it really going to be for everyone whos interested,in the long run, with the amount of people being ' churned ' out , who want to start up ?

[Mr Muddy 141]

 

Fair point mr muddy i see where your coming from,I'm a young sprig so it don't affect me much but yes your right somebody who is older it might.

 

Serious question to you mr muddy or any other mole trapper....does this course and the amount of people it trains really affects your income,I'm sure though I don't know but I would of thought that you molers have built up a good customer base over the years through trust etc

These 'organisations' are encouraging people with 'mole problems', to learn to do it themselves.Rather, than to pay a professional molecatcher.... Dont get me wrong,this ' type' ( who are usually not short of cash), dont want to pay,a moleman anyway.With all the 'training' available nowadays,they now have the option...........Also how 'sustainable' is it really going to be for everyone whos interested,in the long run, with the amount of people being ' churned ' out , who want to start up ?

 

 

I can’t believe it doesn’t affect us.

For an example; I saw a website (can’t find it again- it’s probably already gone down) a bloke was offering mole catching anywhere in Kent, Sussex and Surrey for something stupid, 60 quid or something. Well, there’s absolutely no way he’ll be around next winter, but expect he’ll have stolen a few peoples customers, f****d them around, then gone back to his office job or whatever.

Not necessarily his fault, but if the courses weren’t on offer, people like him wouldn’t be tempted to give it a shot.

[DIDO.1 20,791]

you dont make money in a gold rush by digging through the mud, you earn your millions by selling spades.

 

 

........think I might start a mole catchers course.....anyone fancy it??? earn £££££££££!!!!!!!

[iwm 71]

you will have to put up with the newbies for a few years yet. I am a dry stonewaller (for the last 40 years) and had to put up with everyone who had a weekend course trying to make a living from walling. The prices dropped (like a stone ). but sooner or later it will stop and all the newbies will return to jobs in nice warm offices. Until then you will have to keep working hard catching moles and showing everyone you work for you are good at what you do, all the others will drift away. By the way i am just about to trap a few moles on a golf course i have been walling on sorry lads !!!!!.

 

iwm.

[MR TEA POT 1,287]

By the way i am just about to trap a few moles on a golf course i have been walling on sorry lads !!!!!.

 

iwm.

Good luck mate?

I've trapped a couple of moles to get some permission did a favour for a farmer I know