Mk6 Strikes again

[kevin from bristol 95]

nice catch but got to say that those fenn mk6,s are totally inhumane traps.Ive done trials on them on both squirrels and rabbits.I set a line of 75 fenns in pre baited tunnnels and checked the traps three tims a day and found that eight out of ten of the squirrels were still very much alive.I had similar results with rabbits and as for mink well they are cruel i had to use drounding wires on all me fenns when on a mink line.Fortunetly they have passed the 116 bodygrips which i use for everything now.Its about time this country woke up and banned those fenns they are a cruel trap totally out dated and should be in trap collections not set for animals to suffer...Thanks...P&G

 

 

do you find bodygrips to be more humane ?

[OldTrapCollector 376]

Thanks for the offer of help CW - I have been speaking to a few folks already Just got to find a local typesetter to do his magic before the printer does his ...

 

If any one has an early wire Fenn trap like the one CW has shown there then get in touch - that is one of a couple of types I am looking for, for my museum collection.

 

To put things back on track on this thread ....

 

I am not qualified to give details of the 'modern' entire trap approval process - I think CW would be the man to comment on that - but I do know that the methods used to test (or not to test) the efficiency of the traps has changed dramatically over the years.

 

Early traps were tested by the Ministry in batches against a test trap sample (often gin traps as they were still legal back then) to give a representative comparison for efficiency. The rabbits were checked to ensure that the most humane, killing catches were made and if the traps did not perform properly, then they were discarded by the Humane Traps Panel (I wish I could have worked for them!!) or was sent for modification if the trap showed particular promise.

 

It seems that things have changed within DEFRA and their testing department. I don't think the extensive trapping trials now take place as they once did. More likely a laboratory test, comparing crush capabilities against existing approved traps ... again I am not sure exactly.

 

What I do know is that DEFRA have been taking the findings of the world respected Canadian test/evaluation centre as gospel and have accepted some traps recently purely based on their test results which is fine if the species tested against are the same as we have here in the UK - a case in question is the recently accepted WCS Collarum - tested in Canada, a country that does not have our badgers to complicate the testing. Another trap passed in a similar way was the New Zealand made DOC series of traps - only DEFRA would pass a trap for use and then not take steps to ensure that it was economically viable for import which it isn't at the prices it retails for. These traps were not subjected to trials by QUALIFIED and AUTHORATITVE BRITISH TRAPPERS and as such might just be the trap for an amateur trapper but of no serious use to the professional.

 

I still maintain that an effective British made, and trialled, series of traps should not be too difficult to produce using modern materials that the old time inventors did not have access to. A clutch killer trap for rabbits, adaptable to be used as a tunnel trap for ground vermin, and a choker/killer cubby squirrel trap are long overdue.

 

OTC

[Dakaras 3]

Really interesting debate chaps, thank you.

[peeps_76 17]

this is ine of the best threads i have read on this forum. thanks all!

[moley 115]

seems this thread has fizzeled out a bit , so what would improve a fenn or what design would be suitable for rabbit trapping?

i would like to see a stronger spring on the fenns and also the top of the flat kill bar (the bit where the thumb ring is)would be better with either a bit welded on the edge or bent round so its similar shape to the round wire side , difficult to explain , any more ideas ?

[micky 3,325]

seems this thread has fizzeled out a bit , so what would improve a fenn or what design would be suitable for rabbit trapping?

i would like to see a stronger spring on the fenns and also the top of the flat kill bar (the bit where the thumb ring is)would be better with either a bit welded on the edge or bent round so its similar shape to the round wire side , difficult to explain , any more ideas ?

you can have all the power in the world,but it wont do any good if most of it is used to throw the animal off of the trap,OTC is right when he said the clutch type trap may be the way forwards,i think if this trap was beefed up,and tweaked a bit ,it might come up to scratch,failing that ,whats wrong [other than price ]of the soft catch leg hold trap.

[J Darcy 5,871]

Superb thread guys. This kind of thing is what makes visiting this site worthwhile. Looking forward to the book OTC.

[moley 115]

seems this thread has fizzeled out a bit , so what would improve a fenn or what design would be suitable for rabbit trapping?

i would like to see a stronger spring on the fenns and also the top of the flat kill bar (the bit where the thumb ring is)would be better with either a bit welded on the edge or bent round so its similar shape to the round wire side , difficult to explain , any more ideas ?

you can have all the power in the world,but it wont do any good if most of it is used to throw the animal off of the trap,OTC is right when he said the clutch type trap may be the way forwards,i think if this trap was beefed up,and tweaked a bit ,it might come up to scratch,failing that ,whats wrong [other than price ]of the soft catch leg hold trap.

 

i don,t think blighty will ever allow leg/foot hold traps for any animal especially rabbits as i would think a rabbits foot isnt anything like strong enuff to take a foothold without breaking it, most foothold trap users in the states aim to catch across the pad or between pad and toes of larger animals , the traps set for mink /muskrats are generally on drowning wires to stop wring offs

 

if you set your trap in the correct sized hole , the jump of a fenn is not a problem , any fenn throwing the animal out is set in a hole thats too big which is most of the reason you get fur in the sprung trap and no animal or foul catches as said earlier in the thread

[OldTrapCollector 376]

That's right Moley - the Fenn trap relied on the tightness of the hole or tunnel ( ) to ensure a clean kill. As I mentioned in my pinned tunnel trapping post the tunnel or hole needs to be just big enough for the trap to fire and no more. The encapsulation movement of the trap jaws, combine with the restricted operating area and the crush power to ensure and effective capture.

 

Bigger holes or tunnels will allow scope for foul catches with this trap.

 

OTC

[foxdropper 17,092]

Excellent thread lads .Anyone ever modified a fenn mk 4 ?

[beartrapper 5]

great thread no 5h1t comments like else were on here .that book sounds great otc cant wait