We've Got Beaucoup Movement!!

[hutch6 550]

Chuck your scissor traps in the bin and buy some genuine Talpex traps from Ratbait (not Talpex from eBay or Talpex types) and / or some tunnel traps from Flatpack. It will save you a lot of time and trouble.

 

I take my hat off to you LB and others on this thread.

 

Three Talpex and three Flatpack tunnel traps arrived and were set.

 

In one session of laying them I have four moles in the freezer awaiting delivery to a friend for their taxidermy skills.

 

Now it's just a matter of working areas one at a time I guess as the fields are rife with hills. I went up yesterday with a rake and spread all of the hills out so I could see new movement in areas. The fields have molehills on pretty much all four sides. There are two fields in question and they are in turn next to other fields (where I have been given permission to start trapping next for the landowner) that have molehills dotted everywhere. Think I'll be best starting at the area furthest away from these other fields and working my way towards where I can't trap to ensure I clear the area I can and then manage any that come under the boundary. It seems a big task at the moment but it's good fun as the dogs get a good blast aroud up there whilst I'm probing and setting.

 

I'll get some pics up if I can as it's a sight to behold with mole hills reaching as far as the eye can see.

[Corky1991 8]

Duffus half barrel trap all the way for me. own a few scissor for the odd occasion but had great success with the dufus. just much easier setting to a standard where mr mole wont recognise the tunnel disturbance

[Le Braconnier 49]

Well done.

 

Don't be in a hurry to move the traps after they have caught. Re-set them and leave them for at least a couple of days. I'm getting a lot of multiple captures in gardens and also out on the pastures.

[davedavedave 69]

Yes well done from me too

 

Which traps caught the moles - the talpex or the barrels and which of the 2 do you like best so far?

 

atb,

Dave.

[earth-thrower 490]

 

Chuck your scissor traps in the bin and buy some genuine Talpex traps from Ratbait (not Talpex from eBay or Talpex types) and / or some tunnel traps from Flatpack. It will save you a lot of time and trouble.

 

I take my hat off to you LB and others on this thread.

 

Three Talpex and three Flatpack tunnel traps arrived and were set.

 

In one session of laying them I have four moles in the freezer awaiting delivery to a friend for their taxidermy skills.

 

Now it's just a matter of working areas one at a time I guess as the fields are rife with hills. I went up yesterday with a rake and spread all of the hills out so I could see new movement in areas. The fields have molehills on pretty much all four sides. There are two fields in question and they are in turn next to other fields (where I have been given permission to start trapping next for the landowner) that have molehills dotted everywhere. Think I'll be best starting at the area furthest away from these other fields and working my way towards where I can't trap to ensure I clear the area I can and then manage any that come under the boundary. It seems a big task at the moment but it's good fun as the dogs get a good blast aroud up there whilst I'm probing and setting.

 

I'll get some pics up if I can as it's a sight to behold with mole hills reaching as far as the eye can see.

Good stuff mate,and as your experience grows, you could also consider charging for your services,further down the line.....

[hutch6 550]

Well done.

 

Don't be in a hurry to move the traps after they have caught. Re-set them and leave them for at least a couple of days. I'm getting a lot of multiple captures in gardens and also out on the pastures.

 

Righto.

 

I've got to get some sort of clearing methid going so I have started at the are with evidence of movement and the furthest point from the other fields. Before I was just setting them willy-nilly wherever I saw fresh movement so thought it best to ensure one set fo tunnels was clear before clearing off.

 

I thought it would be one mole to one set of tunnels with a shared communal tunnel system near things like walls or fence lines as I was under the impression they're pretty teritorial buggers. Have I got this totally wrong?

 

Still waitin gon the DVD turning up so don;t know if it's on there.

[hutch6 550]

Yes well done from me too

 

Which traps caught the moles - the talpex or the barrels and which of the 2 do you like best so far?

 

atb,

Dave.

Cheers Dave,

 

I got moles in both types of traps which was nice and also means it's a close call to which I prefer. From testing the mechanisms I would say that the Talpex are slighlty in front because they are just so powerful so ensure a really clean and fast last rights. Having said that if I get a double with a tunnel trap the top is getting pulled over my head like a goal scorer and I'll be not too subtle in my celebration.

[davedavedave 69]

Although I am a Talpex man I do use barrels (Flatpack) and got my 2nd ever double last weekend which is a buzz especially as I had the customer with me who was impressed too. As you say pretty close and often its only once I have opened up the mole run do I get a gut feel which type to use.

 

Saying all that I did a job last Saturday and only had scissor traps available (long story) so was kind of nice to go 'retro' and even better when the 1st scissor trap caught in an hour and I've had a couple more since. The sight of a scissor trap in the 'V' position is a buzz too, I guess I just like mole catching

 

atb,

Dave.

[hutch6 550]

I love the fact you can make a decision on which trap to use when you've opened the tunnel up. What are the deciding factors or is it just a gut feeling? For me the deciding factor is "Have I dug that a bit too long for the Talpex? Better sling a tunnel trap in then." :D

 

Need to get myself to the DIY stores to look for a decent implement for the job or just cut down a spade to suit this weekend I think with a good old grinding wheel, sparks will fly.

[Le Braconnier 49]

The scientists tell us that moles are solitary. have an area of around an acre and only are found communally when the young are with their mother. But mole catchers will tell you otherwise. For example I took six from a 25 sq yd area of garden and in another garden had two double captures in the same trap twice in successive days.

 

You are better off clearing systematically. Put two traps per run and if one or both trigger leave them until they have been undisturbed for at least two days. After you have completed the initial sweep go back to look for fresh movement and do a second sweep.

 

I don't know about others, but I decide what trap to use after the initial probe and having opened it up a little. It all depends on depth, soil type, stones and roots. Also the weather. I find that Talpex become less efficient if the soil in the trap becomes too wet. You develop an instinct to what best suits the job.

Edited February 8, 2013 by Le Braconnier

[davedavedave 69]

I love the fact you can make a decision on which trap to use when you've opened the tunnel up. What are the deciding factors or is it just a gut feeling? For me the deciding factor is "Have I dug that a bit too long for the Talpex? Better sling a tunnel trap in then." :D

 

Yes exacty - if I make the hole too big in goes a barrel. Also I favour barrels on swallow runs so I can save Talpexs for deeper runs as the Talpex is less fiddly to set.

[davedavedave 69]

The scientists tell us that moles are solitary. have an area of around an acre and only are found communally when the young are with their mother. But mole catchers will tell you otherwise. For example I took six from a 25 sq yd area of garden and in another garden had two double captures in the same trap twice in successive days.

 

You are better off clearing systematically. Put two traps per run and if one or both trigger leave them until they have been undisturbed for at least two days. After you have completed the initial sweep go back to look for fresh movement and do a second sweep.

 

I don't know about others, but I decide what trap to use after the initial probe and having opened it up a little. It all depends on depth, soil type, stones and roots. Also the weather. I find that Talpex become less efficient if the soil in the trap becomes too wet. You develop an instinct to what best suits the job.

 

 

Totally agree about Talpex in very wet soil so a trick I use is to have a bucket of dry soil handy so if setting Talpex traps is

proving difficult because of the wet then use some of that..

 

 

 

 

Edited February 8, 2013 by davedavedave

[hutch6 550]

A trying few weeks with some decent results.

I took delivery of the mole catching dvd from fourteen acre and slapped it straight in the dvd drive of my laptop at work. With the office noise blanked out by the headset I watched and listened to the bloke explain about "clarty soil" and the adjustments he made to the tunnel traps he had. I drew the conclusion that I was getting so many filled in tunnel traps due to the trigger not being delicate enough. The pile of moles he pulled out was rather impressive.

I set off home that day with a plan of action. I was working from home the next day so I ventured up to the fields, picked up my tunnel traps (lost one due to the dogs playing tug-o-war with one of my markers but I'm sure it will turn up eventually) and returned home. I played the DVD again and watched and listened to the adjustments he made. I sat on the sofa with a tray on my lap, traps in a bucket and a pair of strong grips. I made the same adjustments until the traps would fire with just a touch and not set off the other side of the trap. It took a bit of faffing about, particularly bending the trigger towards the trap loop and keeping it sitting centre but all the traps were sorted out. I went ot bed that night dreaming of doubles and a bucket of moles - I only have five tunnel traps so far so it was only a small bucket.

I passed the morning at the laptop watching the clock until it was dinner-ish time. On went the weather-proof gear, dog leads and not forgetting the improved traps before setting off for the fields.

It's rare I get to see the place in daylight but you get a better idea of what the critters are doing when you can see the bigger picture rather than snippets highlighted by the head torch. The place is still a mess but taking the time at the weekend to rake all of the hills out highlighted areas of new activity. A bit of probing and I was into a nice straight run along the main trunk before it branched out to the new workings. In went the trowel and then the obligatory fingers to check the direction of the tunnel ends. I cleared out the loose stuff, widened and lengthened the ditch to suit, dug out a few stones, packed the run floor down a bit, caught my fingers in the tunnel trap due to the new delicate triggers, cursed like a docker and sat the tunnel trap neatly in the path of any talpidae traffic. Taking some "clarty" stuff I packed the sides of the trap to hold it neatly and securely in place and then watch the workings vanish as I crumbled some nice dry dirt on top. I went the marker, away went the dogs and I confidently moved on to the next busy looking run. The same process was repeated with the other traps except thankfully I was fully aware of the eagerness of the triggers on the next ones and kept fingers and trap loops clear of one another.

Once the tunnels were in I switched to the Talpex. I placed these on runs coming from boundary markers like the walls and the fence line. I'd run out of tunnel traps but I thought if they got triggered and there were other moles in the area then I would see signs of them digging around their fallen comrade or even eating them as they did on the DVD.

 

All traps were set, the dogs had received a good game of fetch and "get off them markers you little bleeder!" so it was time for home and back to the laptop.

Two days passed. I don't know why I left it two days, maybe it was a substitute for not calling the lady you've just hooked up with for a couple of days to give them the impression you were a cool cat, didn't want to seem pushy (if they were stunning) or you had a new rash you needed sorting out with a blood test - time to get the results back. Off I went with twelve paws in tow in the dark and the night started well with the sight hound taking a nice rabbit that got up out of its seat about 10yrds before the dog got there. It only had to make 15yrds to the safety of the gate and then its home but its dinner must have gone cold that night with the missus fuming initially as it didn't make it home. With the rabbit portioned up I was left uninterrupted by the mutts to check my traps.

The first Talpex and sprung - "These traps rarely go off without catching anything" were the words I had read and were the words that popped into my mind. I plucked it from its hole and sure enough, one mole in the bag. I'd seen the "clarty" guy build a little bridge of muck that the trigger sat on and had adopted these tactics for myself, it seemed to have done the job.

 

The second and last Talpex (only have three of these) hadn't fired. Do I leave them where they are or do I feed my enthusiasm and move them? I decided to wait and see if the head torch highlighted some potential hotspots.

It was onto the tunnel traps. The first hadn't fired but it was the furthest away from the boundary so maybe the mole hadn't got out this far past the gauntlet of other traps. I walked to the next trap in the series and again, nothing. The third had fired. I crouched down at the side of it making sure I wasn't facing east so as not to raise any suspicion and lifted with a bit of extra strength to break the side seals. The end furthest from the boundary had fired but the trap was full of muck. Filled. I tripped the non-fired end so as not to catch an unsuspecting set of canine nostrils and the hole was filled straight away with a beige snout and ringing with the sound of inspection sniffs. I left my four-legged death toy with her head stuck in the hole as I made my way to the next in the series. These two had been placed on two opposite workings branches off of the main run. The third had the end nearest the workings tripped. Down to my knees I went and plucked the tap out. Result!! A nice plump mole caught smack on the chest still with a quizzical look it's face - "What's that noise.." It must have been in the workings when I set it or there was another route into the area, either way I could no longer see the mole as I had a face full of hound happily sniffing the treasure. I tripped the other end and put the mole in my bucket to add it to the earlier one. The next trap had both ends fired. I had set this about 15ft from the boundary where the tunnels all lead to. Could this be my first double? My heart was in my mouth and all three dogs were eagerly awaiting me to do something interesting. I knelt down, took a deep breath and lifted the trap. Bugger. One mole and one filled in. The mole was facing the right way to be caught and was clamped on its chest again nice and neat so there must be others lurking in the tera firma beneath my feet, mocking me and laughing at, planning revenge for taking their mate. Little b*****ds. The last trap hadn't fired so that got left where it was as it was in a location I was sure would produce (it did two days later with a single caught in the end nearest the boundary).

With the bighting wind whirling about, the dogs with a decent chunk of rabbit in them and a good old carry on at the fox that walked in clear view the other side of the fence the traps were reset in locations where there was new workings on the older systems. Over the next few days I plucked out eight moles in total from one end of the field and I am now making my way down the field targeting the crimes scenes in order. So far I have pulled out 12 moles so not a bad beginner's effort and these were sold to an amateur taxidermist at work (they must have looked nice in the fridge at work next to people's lunches).

 

Tunnel Traps - 5

Talpex - 7

 

My tunnel trap setting is improving so I expect to see the numbers go up plus I am ordering another 50 in the next month or so hoping I can really hammer the area instead of plinking about with 7 traps in total.

[Le Braconnier 49]

You are using the best traps on the market in many people's opinion. You are increasing your skill level every time you go out. So all that remains is to carry on what is doing good and learn from your mistakes. As you experience different soil types and varying weather conditions what you have already learned will stand you in good stead.

 

Don't change anything unless it isn't working.

[hutch6 550]

Cheers LB.

 

So far I've had the honour of going out in sunshine, rain, high winds, snow, frost and just an overcast average day. None of it has remained constant for a while so I have no reference as to how a few days of rain or sunshine affects them. God bless these weather systems.

 

I've got the setting of the trap and the securing it at both sides so it doesn't wobble all over the shop, the thing I am trying at the moment is cutting a shallow groove int he tunnel floor to let the trap loops on the tunel traps sink into to see if that prevents giving the game away there is some wire knocking about the place. I think I may have to tweek them a littel bit more too as the Talpex caught moles were riight little tubby things so I'll have to make the tunnel trap loops a bit wider than what i made them already, see if that stops te detection and detours. It's funking good fun though