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Le Braconnier

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Everything posted by Le Braconnier

  1. Le Braconnier
    If I were a householder looking for someone to trap moles I wouldn't employ anyone advertising terms and prices like the Lancashire guy: http://www.lancashire-molecontrol.co.uk/Pages/PricingforHomeowners.aspx Far too much confusion and pricing is left to chance of how many moles caught after frightening the customer to death with tales about 10+ captures. If I were a customer I'd be looking for a set price. I don't think that's too much to ask. If you base your costs on three visits with a no mole, no fee safeguard, and the option of paying for extra visits if it is found to be necess
  2. Le Braconnier
    I've followed this thread with interest. Having been involved in a shoot back in the UK and having helped out gamekeepers for well over thirty years I'm amazed that you could get anything like a tenner a mole from a farmer without them doing a full body, vehicle and bag search to make sure you hadn't brought any moles with you, and then following you round just to make sure. Back in Yorkshire I'd get a phone call from a farmer about the fields being 'blue over' with pigeons get there to find a few dozen that moved off never to return, and while making a show of doing a bit of decoying with
  3. Le Braconnier
    Thanks. I do that sometimes. It all depends on the situation. If there are roots or stones all over the place I go for a straight up and down hole rather than lean the trap back.
  4. Le Braconnier
    A while back I posted a question asking about the claw traps that are made by Flatpack and given the lack of responses I reckon that not many of you have come across them. Flatpack are a Yorkshire based company known to mole trappers for their excellent tunnel traps. They also advertise a claw trap and I ordered a couple to try them alongside the more widely known Talpex claw traps I have had for about 6 months. First impressions straight from the box were that the Flatpack trap shown on the left was lower and wider than the Talpex. When measured side by side however they were virtual
  5. Le Braconnier
    As far as I know there are only two places to get them from - Ratbait who are currently out of stock, and Pestkill. There is a scammer on eBay who advertises 'genuine' Talpex at around £3.50, but I'll bet my wife's right arm they are cheap Chinese copies. Flatpack do a decent Talpex type but the price is around the same as Ratbait. I'm using a couple of them now and they are just as well made as the Talpex.
  6. Le Braconnier
    Forget Walcote Farm advice. Been there, done that. Get some genuine Talpex and Flat Pack tunnel traps. Saves a lot of time and bother with scissor traps.
  7. Le Braconnier
    Idiot!
  8. Le Braconnier
    Found a slow worm hibernating in a mole run the other day.
  9. Le Braconnier
    Got any pictures Moley? I have taken some especially for you:
  10. Le Braconnier
    Males are bigger and have a willy.
  11. Le Braconnier
    Same trap caught another two...
  12. Le Braconnier
    I appreciate your advice. The traps are Flat Pack and these were both caught by the throat which I admit is a little further forward than is usual. I have bent the trigger loops forward a bit as when using cheaper tunnel in the past traps the moles tended to be back end captures. So far all the Flat Pack captures have been chest or neck captures. These two were a little unusual, but when I checked the triggers they were the same as the others I'd got with me. There was no excavations around the trap so I reckon they both died instantly
  13. Le Braconnier
    Talpa, I tend to agree that the long held theories are either outdated or based on misinterpreted research. Having read extensively all things mole in the last twelve months I've found much contradictory information. From my own limited experience on the French farm where I live I reckon that there have been three litters in the last year. There was a noticeable infestation in June, another in October and recently every field in the Charente has masses of new diggings. Whilst walking round the 300 hectare estate I've found lots of transit tunnels, i.e a single line of tumps stretching over
  14. Le Braconnier
    That's what I understood. Male travels to the burrows of females, has his wicked way then buggers off to leave her to bring the kids up herself.
  15. Le Braconnier
    From what I've read up on moles they are supposed to breed around March / April which would entail young being kicked out of their maternal homes around June. Last October we got a new infestation in one paddock that resulted in 6 young moles being trapped from a smallish area of around one acre. Last week I took another 6, being 5 young and an adult female from a garden of around 25 sq yds. Today, I got my first double capture, adult male and female in the same trap. Looks like the wet year we've just had has resulted in a year long breeding season.
  16. Le Braconnier
    There are no pro's operating round here, hence the zillions of molehills all over the place. I'm only doing it because if I register as self employed we both get free health cover. That will save us 3,000 euro a year for the three years that we need to find our own cover. So far, just by word of mouth amongst the ex-pats I've had five jobs in just over a week. All jobs where they have tried everything themselves and got nowhere. If I can do two to three a week I'll be happy. Put a bit of pocket money in the fishing fund and save on health care costs. I wouldn't like to do it full time though.
  17. Le Braconnier
    Might be linked to someone from Bradford recently asking to buy some moles
  18. Le Braconnier
    I'd only asked for 30 and would have been happy with that. Tenner for diesel and twenty for my fishing fund. As I said before, it's only a hobby for me. I don't rely on it to pay bills
  19. Le Braconnier
    If you set off now I'll have two dozen waiting for you. We are about 400 miles south of Paris. You can't miss us.
  20. Le Braconnier
    I took on my first garden job the other day. Customer reported a big problem, but on getting there all I found was three sites, two of which were only a few tumps and the major arera of activity being only 25 square yards. The guy asked how much I wanted and I asked for 30 euros, based on three visits. I got two moles in the first setting and while I was re-setting the traps he laughingly suggested I charge 10 euro per mole. We are now on six from three traps, all in the 25 sq yd area. And, he's paid up to date at 10 euro per mole.
  21. Le Braconnier
    I'm thinking of registering as an auto-entrepreneur, i.e. self-employed next year simply because it goves myself and my wife free health cover, saving us around 3,000 euro per year for the three years that we won't be covered by the state scheme. It doesn't matter whether you earn a million or a few euros, the health insurance comes with the registration. So, I've been doing a few freebies to get established and get my name known in the area. Last week I did a garden job for a mate and next week I've got a camp site and another garden job planned, plus a horse sanctuary some time next mont
  22. Le Braconnier
    Thanks for the replies. I'll give the marigolds a go. I don't have much luck keeping nitriles intact. DG next time you are in Poundland pick up a couple of polyester fleece dusters from the car section. They are ideal for wiping your hands on and can be washed and dried in no time. Just need the rain to stop then I can get back at it.
  23. Le Braconnier
    I normally don't use gloves when mole trapping, but suffer from poor circulation and now the weather has turned decidedly parky I'm going to need some. What do you guys use at this time of year?
  24. Le Braconnier
    Colouring can be hereditery. I know a guy who I used to work with gets lots of white moles from one area near Barnsley. I've had a few here in France that have had yellow or ginger markings on them, all from the same area of the large farm estate. You never know your luck.
  25. Le Braconnier
    Busy.
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