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Matt

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Everything posted by Matt

  1. Matt
    The worst case scenario is that any future culling operations will be restricted to cage trapping only, which has been proven over three decades to be humane. Jayboy is making a song and dance about some information which came from a FOI request regarding NE monitoring. I'm very familiar with one of the incidents mentioned, because I happened to be working closely with the contractor concerned at the time. What happened was that whilst waiting at a bait point with the monitor, a badger presented itself. The contractor wasn't happy to take a shot and the badger was spooked and ran
  2. Matt
    No. What's being speculated upon is a leak of the report which has not yet been published. They've said that less than 5% of the badgers witnessed appeared to twitch and move for anything up to five minutes and that it was not possible to ascertain if they were dead. Anyone here ever been in an abattoir? I've seen sides of beef still twitching half an hour after they were slaughtered. They were very dead. I killed quite a few badgers myself, and saw a large number killed by others. Not one of them was wounded, or did not die instantly. Anyone who has done a bit of killing wo
  3. Matt
    Badgers can be the bane of my life (in more ways than one). They dig up and carry off mole traps on a regular basis, which (given I charge per mole) can get expensive. Still, I shouldn't complain too much; at least I got the chance for some vengeance last year As for birds tasting food, it's an interesting question. Birds undoubtedly favour some foods over others (pheasants prefer wheat and maize for example, and aniseed additives are very common), but what attracts them to those foods if it's not taste? Are birds capable of recognising more nutritious foods, or do they actually
  4. Matt
    Owls, Magpies, Crows, Ravens, Badgers and other moles all eat moles It's not at all uncommon for me to find a mole with it's arse end eaten out in a mole trap. That's why strychnine was so effective; moles will happily eat their own kind; anything for a bit of protein As Deker quite rightly points out; rats are like people; you can generalise about their behaviour but individuals, family groups, social groups and geographic groups may all have slightly different patterns of behaviour. Like hunting of any kind, sometimes you have to 'best guess' the likely actions of your chosen
  5. Matt
    Personally, I think that rats are more cautious than neophobic. As Pete pointed out earlier in the thread, if they were totally neophobic they'd always stay in the same place for fear of encountering anything new at all. Part of the fuss about secondary poisoning is about shrews and other small rodents that are not strictly pest control targets. They are a primary food source for some raptors which are now being found with residues of second generation anti coagulants in their livers. Part of the CRRU Wildlife Aware is trying to convince pest controllers that if you have mouse act
  6. Matt
    Buy cheap, buy twice It's all very well buying cheap copies providing they last.... My traps spend most of their life underground, and if I had to replace them too often it would cost me dear. Horses for courses peeps If you traps spend most of their time in a bucket, then there's nowt wrong with watching the pennies. If you work them hard, then prepare to spend out for good quality kit
  7. Matt
    I'm not sure it is illegal. Don't forget that the law allows for traps designed and set for rats (and other 'small ground vermin') to be exempt from the Spring Trap Approval Orders. Interesting though
  8. Matt
    Personally, if I was a Talpex user (I'm not), I think I'd go for the Talpa trap from Magnum. The springs seem just as strong and they are easier to set with the loops on the handles. I know a couple of molecatchers that have used the Talpas exclusively for a few years and they seem to last well.
  9. Matt
    It wasn't a dig Why wouldn't I use a ULV? Well, because what you need for fleas is a good residual treatment rather than a ULV.... The big advantage to ULV is the droplet size, which gives good contact knockdown for flying insects and with the droplet sizes being so small, means they stay airborne for longer. I know that customers love seeing a big motorised bit of kit, and the distributors love encouraging technicians to use their flashy gear with it's expensive preparations, but for me, personally, a ULV would be my last choice for a flea treatment. Like I say, it's not a dig
  10. Matt
    Question One, why on earth would you use a ULV machine for fleas? Question Two, have you contacted Killgerm about the equipment failure?
  11. Matt
    At no point have I, or would I, deny you your right to your opinion. BUT......... opinions should always be formed on the evidence; not on hearsay. I think the fact that I was involved with both cull zones does actually make my opinion slightly more valid. I was there, saw what went on, and formed my opinion on what I saw. Most folks are forming their opinion on what the media and press are saying; which is often far from the actual factual truth. To see a poster demanding that the first SoS we've had for years that supports hunting and the countryside should be removed, li
  12. Matt
    And your opinion is based on what?? The cost of the actual cull was relatively low and was funded by the farmers themselves. The cost of the police operation was ramped up by their lack of action in the initial stages, and the impact of a few animal rights nutters using social media to mobilise middle class, misguided bunny huggers who all fell for their lies. No-one (at any time) has suggested that culling badgers will cure TB 100%. The point is that simply removing reactor cattle (note, 'reactor' rather than 'infected') and leaving the disease in the wildlife reservoir is not worki
  13. Matt
    You DONT have to join the Guild of Jeff lovers to see the molecatchers in your area, and you DONT have to check mole traps every day. Use google, and check out all of the directory websites to see who is working in your area.
  14. Matt
    Sorry, but that is utter rubbish. It takes a huge amount of rodenticide bait to kill a dog, and a vast amount of dead rats. Unless the rat had been baited with something like Zinc Phosphide, which was withdrawn in 2006. Part of the problem is that vets are over cautious and prescribe Vitamin K treatments to make money at the first sign of any potential poisoning.
  15. Matt
    You said it. Subject closed.
  16. Matt
    I think that describing someone who hasn't got round to answering a personal message as: is abusive. It was pointless because once you insult a respected member in public, the chances of him then entering into personal correspondence is even less likely. You wouldn't walk into a pub, tap a bloke on the shoulder and demand to know why he hasn't replied to a personal letter, so why would this forum be any different? Oh yes, I remember now, it's because it's harder to give you a smack in the chops on here....... Now just wind your neck in and grow up a little.
  17. Matt
    Hmmm, just had a look at it and it was quite abusive and pointless. I didn't delete it, but I may have done had I seen it first.
  18. Matt
    More likely because you weren't there, and only have the antis version of events to go on.... The NFU and the cull companies had a policy of not releasing any information unless they had to. It effectively shut down alot of the publicity, but it also means that the only 'noise' was that that was made by the antis. 95% of what the antis have said, before, during and after the first phase of the cull is lies.
  19. Matt
  20. Matt
    Report it to the local authority and kick up a stink then.... don't forget that local authorities have the power to force landowners to control rats, especially if it's impacting on neighbouring properties Speak to the local EHO and explain the situation. Often a 'push' from them gets some action It's also worth considering fitting some break back traps in the boxes rather than non-toxic bait.
  21. Matt
    Keeping bait boxes down and baited may just be attracting more rats to the site. Find the source, and sort them out there. Bear in mind that the law no longer allows you to keep bait down all the time. Read the new label texts.
  22. Matt
    Google is your friend in situations like this. Some links for you: Spring Trap Approval Order 1995 Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 Pests Act 1954 Wild Mammals (Protection) Act 1996 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1911 There are lots more, but there's a few to get you started... happy reading!
  23. Matt
    While I'd love to satisfy your curiosity Baw, I'm the subject of a restrictive covenant that prevents me from discussing operational matters My role was not just to cull, but to help support the local contractors and enable them to cull more efficiently
  24. Matt
    What makes you think the badger cull was a failure? What you've read by antis? Let me just make this crystal clear; the trial badger cull was not a failure, and was very well run and organised by the NFU (not DEFRA). The 'worth' of the culling will not be truly known for at least 5 years (the licences were granted for four years and we need to await the results of TB testing after culling operations are complete). In the short term, we should see a lowering of infected cattle over the next year or so. Flooding and badger control are not connected and to suggest that the cull w
  25. Matt
    The wording of the law is that 'reasonable measures' must be taken.... Ultimately, a judge (or if you're lucky a magistrate) would be the one to decide that, but in the short term, it's Natural England who would investigate and provide any evidence of what they believe to be law breaking. Guidlelines are just that. Produced by different organisations, they are there to guide you and are not law in themselves. They can however, be used by any court as well, to help them establish whether 'reasonable measures' have been taken. Not much help I know; but the law itself is quite wooly
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