Imbra Traps and Mink?

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Another one for the more experienced here? I'm just wondering if a mink might be expected to try and get past a naked Imbra trap?

 

Only, around here, we have more ditches than I know what to do with (a man can only shit so many times a day! :11: ) and we tend to run these perforated, plastic pipes along them, often as not burying the pipe and leaving a few inches sticking out at the cross section, or else just in a little sink hole. Mink travel these pipes and the ends of the pipes themselves just seem to present the perfect place to set a trap.

 

I've no Fenn Mk 6 traps available, but I have plenty of Imbra's. Making those awful two part tunnels seems like a double chore / waste of time as I have the pipes available and the mink like those. So I was wondering if it may be worth my while to pop some Imbra's in the mouths of the pipes?

 

To be honest, I haven't actually checked yet wether the traps will fit. But, if they don't fit the smaller pipes I have in mind, I know I could bank up the bigger pipes and use those, as a second best option.

 

Anybody had any experiance? Or should I just get off my fat arse and go find out?!

[john b 38]

I vote you give it a try

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

The 'Ayes' have it then, John b.

 

Actually, I measured an opened Imbra and am a bit put out to find the things have an eight inch spread! Never thought to measure our pipes, but I now wonder if one'll fit the smaller pipes? Doubt it. Fenn 4 fits nicely and I reckon a 6 would do perfect, but see above.

 

What I'm thinking Would fit a treat in the smaller pipes is a Juby. People who know better than me always seem to say a Juby's just too much steel ... but that's for a rabbit. So, I guess if I'm to try naked traps, up pipes, on mink? May as well go for broke, eh? Shove everything I have up them and see what happens. Nothing to lose.

 

Too busy to get away this evening (you try running a smallholding And an on line social life!) but I'll try to run half a dozen traps out tomorrow and may be able to report back here by the day after. Who knows? May be able to 'prove' something here to the benefit of all, except the mink

 

PS: Are you the Sloop, 'John b'?

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

:ph34r: Done it. I've set half a dozen traps - a roughly 50/50 mix of Imbra and Juby. All the traps are buck naked. Just set inside drains - these being concrete pipes of, I'd guess, eight or nine inch diameter. (I had a Stanley tape on me but never realised!)

 

The pans are facing inwards - that being the only sane way to set either of these types of trap, without offing the safety with my wrist between those evil jaws! But I figure anything prepared to clamber over one will just get ahead and do so. If they try to enter the drains? All the better. Should have their chests between the jaws when they fire. That'll stop 'em.

 

Looking out my window right now for a weather report: God, it looks awful! Dark, brooding, low cloud cover. Tempratures are dropping. Sadly, no wind I'm given to believe that these conditions (rain seems imminent), coupled with wind would have them moving like spiders out there? (Anyone confirm or rubbish this, please?)

 

Oh well. I'll do the rounds tomorrow and see if I have a mink tail for my hat yet. If not, I'll leave them set 'for ever' and just keep checking.

 

I'd get photo's of the sets, but what's to see? A trap you'd all recognise, just dumped in a concrete pipe? 'Wow'

[john b 38]

best of luck then

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Nope. Nothing this morning. Though that rain didn't materialise either.

 

I'll give it a week before reconsidering. I have some activity due to start around here any time now. That's rather cramping my style as it'll mean outsiders and a degree of ground disturbance too. I want that over with, then I can set up proper, permanent sets. Do my own thing, as it were.

 

Actually, I rather fancy a run of these BMI Magnum things. But, to be honest, I find them a bitch to get set at all and, once they're loaded, fine setting them just seems like attempted suicide to me! No where safe to put my hands.

 

Maybe it's just that I'm used to what I'm used to? But I can't get on with those. Shame as they'd be about ideal for these 6" plastic pipes. Cut a slot and away we go.

[red dog 3]

 

go on Ditch_Shitter give them BMI Magnum's ago you can get some good

results, you only catch your hand in them once :realmad: you dont do it the

second time lol

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

One of Juby's did the job!

 

So, there we have it. A buck naked trap, even something as much like a pile of scrap metal as a Juby, will work. This one was set barely within the over hang of a concrete drain pipe. Two rocks outside, as a sweetner, to guide him in. They weren't necassery as the bugger came along the pipe from its other end. Hit the pan with his neck right between those almighty great jaws.

 

Now my f***ing dogs won't get away from me!

[john b 38]

well done mate

[red dog 3]

 

what do you think of these's

a rbg & 330

[john b 38]

now you're talking

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

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QUOTE(john b @ Jul 13 2006, 10:36 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

now you're talking

 

 

Talking Illegal however!

 

The 330 could cut into a Labrador or Lurchers skull like hot butter. For that reason alone I would personally be waving banners outside of Whitehall if they ever considered letting people start setting them around the place. That's a trap of the North American 'wilderness'. Used for huge quarry such as beaver, wolf and perhaps even bear. Those boys have a rather unhealthy attitude towards dogs in the woods anyway. I'd hate to think any of us could even contemplate thinking such a way.

 

The little Round Body Grip? That's just a test case waiting to happen. Take a good look at JohnB's Spring Traps Approval Order and you may discern a certain ambiguity? See, whilst your British laws say you can use this and you can't use that, and what for; When it comes down to rats and mice (moles too, for that matter) it gets a bit wringy. They talk in largesse laden terms such as 'Usual' spring / break back traps ..... What 'usual'? Where?

 

Bottom line is - as Red Dog so rightly says; A dead rat is a good rat. And no one in their right mind cares too much how it becomes good Thus, while I don't think any sane and unbiased Judge would have the least problem with your using that 1.50 RBG to 'goodenise' a rat; Beware the RSPCA goon, itching for more money spinning publicity for their coffers.

 

Anyway, I 'know a man' who's experimented with just that trap. Long ago. It's a cracking design and would be the best thing since sliced bread on rats. Only the springs are piss poor and weaken to useless within a very short setting period. Even more unfortunatley, Bill Crumm, their inventer and maker, is in denial about this easily proven fact

 

Please take the time to study and familiarise yourself with the British Governments Spring Traps Approval Order, featured in JohnB's excellent and timely post, at the top of this board. It'll help prevent misunderstanding

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Damn! Had a misfire this morning! :realmad:

 

I have this one trap, a Juby, set to cover two pipes. Yes, I know, Not the most practical solution and now I think of it, god knows why I tried! I guess I must have chosen this spot on the way back, one trap left and itching to put it somewhere? What ever. So I have these two drains, at right angles to eachother and almost touching at their rims. I'd chosen to set the trap right at the mouth of the one facing directly up the line of this ditch, figuring the most likely scenario would be that he'd come along the hedge and into the ditch and head straight for that invitingly open drain mouth.

 

I only stopped to glance and curse. No time to examine for tracks as there were outsiders close by and I didn't want to attract attention to the set. But my guess is that he's instead come down one or the other drains and, being a weasle, just felt he had to check out that Other damn drain there!

 

So, picture it: He's bowling down one drain and gets right to the bottom lip of it. He's probably already got the senses to tell him - sound, air current? - there's another tube coming up. So, without pausing, he's rolled on out of the first drain and swept round, tight, into the other one. His flank briefly brushing the side walls of both drains at once.

 

And That saved his tail from becoming mine! He's stuck so close to that curve, he's managed to step on the pan of the Juby (facing Up the second drain, of course) and probably absolutley sh*t himself as those almighty jaws have lept up and crashed together right over his spine! My christ, that must have been one surprised mink!

 

Oh well. We live and learn. Now that the horse has bolted, I'll Try to get back out there and make ammends. I'll get a second trap down and guard Both those drains. May even start moving out a bit more and covering more drains? I have the traps and they'd might as well be sitting in ditches as on my floor. And at least this shows the buggers are moving.

 

 

Incidentaly; I have three 'JohnB Specials' under construction as I speak. Just need to sort out some wire ..... and even as I wrote that, I remembered I have just the thing!!! Damn but it Can pay never to throw sh*t out!

[Phil Lloyd 10,739]

Forget Imbras and Juby's for Mink Ditchshitter,...

As YOU well know,...these excellent rabbit traps were designed for setting,.in the burrow,.for rabbits..and whilst they will most certainly take out a Mink,.or a feral cat,.oops,..the BMI 116 Bodygripper is a far better killing tool.. The USA Trappers use the 110 Conybear ,they rate it highly,...but our 'powers that be',.. dictate that we must use the 116 Magnum....Same with the Fenn's... The Mk 4 will easily catch and lightly hold the mink,.AND take it down if a drowning wire is fitted, (illigal),.and the recommended tool for the job is the MK 6 Fenn,.but my video footage of this particular item in action is ,.er,.emotional,..so feck it,.I always go for 'arguably the best trap in the fecking world'...The Kania 2000,...my BABYEEEEEE.... :11: :11: :11: C'mon mate,.you have money to burn,...grasp the fecking nettle,.but one, set it real light,.and learn to love once again....

Kania,.Kania,...come on,.come on....

All the best,.and be lucky....PL.

Edited July 17, 2006 by CHALKWARREN

[Guest ruraltrapper]

116 or 110-2 Bodygrippers for mink is all you need.