mazperks
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Everything posted by mazperks
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Thats a good Idea for spots where you cant put marker flags out for fear of getting your traps nicked. Even if its just on the back of a fag packet with a few x marks the spot. As long as you have your own system of secretly marking each trap position jobs a goodun.
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Put the trap at right angles to the run, slightly to one side. You may be lucky and attract its attention with a trail of nutella/oil mix or similar.
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You won't be hungry for a while Moxy.
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They must be those Moldovian mole hounds I've been hearing about. They reckon the traditional mole catcher will soon be a thing of the past, I'm glad I've retired.
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We've heard the tales on here of moles evading capture for weeks and months, by blokes who know what they are doing. It's not beyond the realms of imagination to have a target animal, of any species, to be extra sensitive to traps. I use the word "trap shy" as a general term, but call it neophobic, crafty, or whatever, they do exist. Getting back to my trap project, I'm having to re-think the trigger release. Because of the strength of the spring, the hook on the trigger is digging in to the keep, needing a bit too much force to release it. I may try the horizontal trigger stick in n
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"Commanche", you hit the nail on the head with your comment; "They have the desire to dig round or tunnel under foreign objects", I would also interpret this as being Trap Shy in some moles with a heightened sense or awareness of a trap.
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"Outandabout" I hear what your saying, but once the basics of molecatching are learnt, theres not a great deal to go amiss in good ground, especially as I've cleared the rest of the paddocks no problem. Very frustrating but its given me a project to work on.
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Mag, the mole is heading along its run towards the trigger, gets to where the noose is bedded in the run, it comes up against the plug of earth. As it pushes through, the earth or mole itself should hit the trigger. There is a Dutch (I believe) body grab trap, which uses the plug method of triggering, only the "buisness end" is inserted into the run, a bit like a trapline trap. They have a flat steel plate against the plug which releases the trigger when pushed. I may also do this. I have come up with this design so there is nothing to be sensed inside the run other than the noose.
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Thanks Phil, Its good to be able to have a bit of banter and difference of opinion without the hair pulling and name calling.
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Was there a mole in the other end of the trap?, He's got his head well through the trigger loop.
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Once again Phil, thats your opinion, however as many other experienced trappers have stated here and previously, there is an argument for there being trap shy moles. I am retired now so have lots of time to spend setting my traps right, and using various types, and this particular ground is just right, If a little claggy right now. So there must be some other reason, I am all for taking on board good advice, I even used to listen to what my first year apprentice would tell me about new methods learned at college, (before sending him whimpering away) but I cant agree with your last point.
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Thats a SHOCKING idea Nicepics, I know ... but I got in before anyone else did.
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Phil you are entitled to your opinion, but lets not knock it until its been tried. Remember spring snares have been in use for thousands of years, and spring mole traps in pipes and boxes for hundreds until the advent of modern traps. As i've said this is just a fun experiment to try and catch trap shy moles.
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Here is a link to pics of my prototype mole trap. This is just a rough try to see if it works mechanically, which is seems to do. So I will be trying it out in a day or two. Let me make it clear I am not trying to improve on, or replace existing traps, this is just a one off hopefully for these super moles. The spring is very powerful and I am sure when triggered, the mole will receive enough shock to kill outright, however if not, it is no worse than a rat or rabbit snare in the outcome. The board is long enough to take a second spring/snare for the opposite tunnel. I will be
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Nicepix you've given me an idea,I have some thin steel sheet, I can cut a couple of inches wide, insert it into the run maybe six inches and under the trap. That would prevent tunnelling under the talpex.
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In a previous post I mentioned a particular spot where there were several moles, as far as I could tell, backfilling the traps. I've had Duffus, scissor, and finally Talpex in, and the same thing happening. I,ve tried moving them around, set in good straight runs, feeding, and travelling runs, same thing. Now I've been setting by the book, good tight fits, well tamped, snare wire bedded in, well covered. So now I'm thinking this mole/ moles is simply acutely aware through its various senses of the presence of traps, maybe through previous experience. I know they are for the most part lon
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JD,/ Moletrapper what size loop do you set, and how high off the ground. I fancy having a try at this method round the chicken run. I was trying to make out what you were using as your snare JD it looked like twine? I have some old springs off a kids trampoline ,I'm going to put a rod into each end to make the bender.
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I also use covers over my traps. It stops the sheep putting their feet in and disturbing the set. Mine are white hard plastic boxes, 8"x41/2"x21/2" deep so easy to spot, no markers required. These would probably not be practical bulk- wise if setting large numbers, for you full time molers, but it works for me.
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Get It Snapped Up Lads
mazperks replied to bunny tickler's topic in Snaring, Trapping & Pest Control
Bury your old scissor traps in the back garden, leave for ten years, pension plan solved. O.T.C. Just out of interest when were the first claw traps made? -
Great till you get the phonecall in a day or two to say say the deceased's spouse is carrying on the good work. Just as a matter of interest on an out of the area job like that would you blitz the place with traps then hang around for a while and pray for a quick outcome.
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PM sent Bryn.
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I've seen an ad for the "Pest stop" talpa with setting handles, apparently made by Procter. can anyone comment on how good these are. They seem reasonably priced. As long as the springs are powerful enough is the main concern, they are only for occasional use on my friends farm, so wont be in the ground all day every day. As I say as long as they can cut easily through the backfill. I also saw some talpas with a "Fixman" label, usually the crappiest stuff is un branded.
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Hi Myers, why the two spades, feels like a bit extra weight to lug around. I find my mole spud ( blade 21/2" x 4" ) can handle every situation, but each to their own methods.
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Ok, Dont Laugh But.....
mazperks replied to perthshire keeper's topic in Snaring, Trapping & Pest Control
Giro, if you read the Matts thread on "The ultimate Duffus trap" all will be revealed. Yes many traps are inferior, because they are not made (for the most part ) by people with a working knowlege of mole trapping, so they just copy an existing example which could be a clone of a clone etc. In this way they can get even worse as they get slightly modified each time to make production easier/cheaper. -
Following on from the artificial worms, have you seen the Molecat, $95. Now this is a real gimmicky redneck toy. It fires a blank cartridge down the hole when triggered, to kill the mole. In the video it only shows it being set at an angle down a hill, so pretty limited use for the money, and it sticks up out of the ground for all to see. As I say more of a toy to play with.
