Can We Change The Way We Trap

[michael flatters 2]

What was the name of the squeaking caller the warrener used on one of his videos when snaring foxes,looked about the size of a coke can that he hung in a tree.

[Outlaw Pete 2,224]

And sheepdogs..........

 

 

 

2.8; Your own avatar actually reminds me of what's dinging on the back of my mind, as I read all this.

 

While the average predators hearing is pretty acute, their sense of smell is astronomical.

 

Everyone, this side of the Atlantic, jabbers on about trap location and baits. Yet, I virtually never hear about Scent Lures ~ beyond a bit of fox piss.

 

The Yanks are past masters of all this. They're still teaching their children ways that we forgot over a century ago.

 

Trap location? Hah! Those guys routinely set a 'Gin Trap', deliberately, so that the fox will put his right or left, front or back foot in it! They nominate which foot!

 

Break it down: We consider it occult if a man can stop a fox with a snare hung in its path. Or a stoat with a tunnel laid by where it's liable to appear. Really?

 

Yanky fur trappers will use a 'Loud' scent lure, to distract a pred' and bring it to their traps vicinity. There, it may have its eye caught by a visual attractant. Upon approaching that, to investigate, it'll be 'rewarded' with a physical bait.

 

And, on reaching for that bait, it'll step across that tiny tuft, stick or stone. Thus placing its nominated foot directly onto the couple of inches of trap pan.

 

Guys like that don't need gadgetry.

 

" Can We Change The Way We Trap? ". I should say so.

 

But, I'd also say we'd do better to learn from the still living masters of the old ways, rather than trying to invent solenoids to replace woefully inadequate field craft.

 

JMHO.

[Matt 160]

 

And sheepdogs..........

 

 

 

2.8; Your own avatar actually reminds me of what's dinging on the back of my mind, as I read all this.

 

While the average predators hearing is pretty acute, their sense of smell is astronomical.

 

Everyone, this side of the Atlantic, jabbers on about trap location and baits. Yet, I virtually never hear about Scent Lures ~ beyond a bit of fox piss.

 

The Yanks are past masters of all this. They're still teaching their children ways that we forgot over a century ago.

 

Trap location? Hah! Those guys routinely set a 'Gin Trap', deliberately, so that the fox will put his right or left, front or back foot in it! They nominate which foot!

 

Break it down: We consider it occult if a man can stop a fox with a snare hung in its path. Or a stoat with a tunnel laid by where it's liable to appear. Really?

 

Yanky fur trappers will use a 'Loud' scent lure, to distract a pred' and bring it to their traps vicinity. There, it may have its eye caught by a visual attractant. Upon approaching that, to investigate, it'll be 'rewarded' with a physical bait.

 

And, on reaching for that bait, it'll step across that tiny tuft, stick or stone. Thus placing its nominated foot directly onto the couple of inches of trap pan.

 

Guys like that don't need gadgetry.

 

" Can We Change The Way We Trap? ". I should say so.

 

But, I'd also say we'd do better to learn from the still living masters of the old ways, rather than trying to invent solenoids to replace woefully inadequate field craft.

 

JMHO.

 

 

Absolutely.

 

There is so much that has been forgotten over the years the addition of 'gadgetry' is not needed.

 

First rule of trapping is get your location right. Second is give the target quarry a reason to get caught. The trappers of yesteryear managed without electronics yet we are constantly looking for ways to complicate what we do.

 

Sorry to sound like a grumpy old sceptic, but we have more to learn from the past than most people realise.

[socks 32,253]

I never have and never will use any any gadgetry to trap anything ... Your quarry has primitive thoughts that guide it ... So think primitive and trap primitive and you will catch ........

 

No gadgets on this and the tree rats seem to love it lol ......

 

[Tiercel 6,986]

 

And sheepdogs..........

 

 

 

2.8; Your own avatar actually reminds me of what's dinging on the back of my mind, as I read all this.

 

While the average predators hearing is pretty acute, their sense of smell is astronomical.

 

Everyone, this side of the Atlantic, jabbers on about trap location and baits. Yet, I virtually never hear about Scent Lures ~ beyond a bit of fox piss.

 

The Yanks are past masters of all this. They're still teaching their children ways that we forgot over a century ago.

 

Trap location? Hah! Those guys routinely set a 'Gin Trap', deliberately, so that the fox will put his right or left, front or back foot in it! They nominate which foot!

 

Break it down: We consider it occult if a man can stop a fox with a snare hung in its path. Or a stoat with a tunnel laid by where it's liable to appear. Really?

 

Yanky fur trappers will use a 'Loud' scent lure, to distract a pred' and bring it to their traps vicinity. There, it may have its eye caught by a visual attractant. Upon approaching that, to investigate, it'll be 'rewarded' with a physical bait.

 

And, on reaching for that bait, it'll step across that tiny tuft, stick or stone. Thus placing its nominated foot directly onto the couple of inches of trap pan.

 

Guys like that don't need gadgetry.

 

" Can We Change The Way We Trap? ". I should say so.

 

But, I'd also say we'd do better to learn from the still living masters of the old ways, rather than trying to invent solenoids to replace woefully inadequate field craft.

 

JMHO.

 

Too true Pete, reminds me of the words of William Henry Davies in his poem Leisure. "We have no time to stand and stare".

 

TC

 

Edited to take out the double quote.

Edited February 3, 2014 by tiercel

[ChrisJones 7,973]

The Yanks have a pretty decent fur market, don't forget. Something considered barbaric in Blighty. It's the cash reward that's kept their skills alive, and while they're much more inclined to keep the old ways the cash prize is still what attracts many to what is a painstakingly tedious, and lonely job. Sometimes dangerous too.

 

Trapping is indeed an ye olde time skill but if you took the approved spring traps back to a time when bows and arrows accounted for most of the world's game you'd be burnt at the stake as a witch!

 

Gadgetry has it's place. Just remember how we're communicating!

Edited February 4, 2014 by ChrisJones

[Mr Muddy 141]

Because this is primarily a hunting forum, opinion is always going to be skewed towards Fieldcraft over technology. And, on this particular forum, so it should be, like Pete says; it’s a sad day when we are learning our own skills back from the Yanks.

 

But taking the pest control industry as a whole; do you know the average tech is aged over 40. And why?

Because it’s their second career.

 

Why is it their second career?

Often because in their first job they were replaced by a new procedure or piece of technology. So, dismissing any change as unnecessary, just because you’ve already got the skills, is pride before a fall I’m afraid.

 

If ever I’m catching moles in front of a customer I make a show of Field craft that’s bordering on shamanism, but I still rely on my GPS.

And I know that any day someone might develop a mole deterrent that actually works (there’s definitely a market, judging by the sales of the ones that don’t work) so any skills I’ve learned will be obsolete.

 

Basically; don’t just take the piss out of every new idea. Changes are going to happen with or without you.

[Deker 3,453]

Life moves on, and it is interesting to note that some do not appear to acknowledge assorted traps, plastic tubes, straps, staples and screws as gadgetry!

 

There are plenty of very skilful people out there experienced in many things, and very often old ideas remain in place for many, many years with only minor tweeks, because they work, it doesn't mean new technology doesn't have a place!

 

The world is often slow/reluctant to encompass new technology, there are plenty of electronic calls about today, a few years ago there were none.

[micky 3,325]

surely calls are used more to get a animal in range to be shot, rather than trapped , as for the new technology "whats wrong with blowing a piece of grass between your thumbs " it works for those who know how to do it properly, another piece of modern technology that was shown to me in the 1950s at Kimboulton was a device that was fitted to kiddies dolls , the ones that said mam-ma when tilted, the man demonstrating it was Keith Godby and he called eight Hares and a fox into shotgun range in what seemed like minutes, as I have said before "all the kit is out there ,you just have to know how to use it "

[J Darcy 5,871]

Find fresh sign. Set on it.

[stubby 175]

 

 

Why is it their second career?

Often because in their first job they were replaced by a new procedure or piece of technology.

 

 

nope, I got out of the building trade, because of the bloody immigrants working for peanuts,lol