Pipe Trap

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Sorry, Rick. 'Someone's' deleted their own entire post on this subject, mate But let's just say we were told that the matter of having them available in uk - and with improvements made - is in hand

 

Obviously, these things take time though and, mheanwhile, they're Not Approved for use under british statute.

[OldTrapCollector 376]

Ditch,

 

Whilst we're talking about it, why don't we ressurrect the Everitt Trap - it has the same tunnel type aperture and a pair of killing jaws that pin the victim to the roof of the trap. That would be one I'd like to see being used again - or at least a high tensile steel spring version - perhaps not disimilar to the Maclachlan Trap?? What do you reckon??

 

OTC

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Thing with the Everrit, mate, is that the tunnel's far too short. Small Dog could easily get her muzzle to that pan.

 

On top of that, the springs - as ye imply - lack the force to do much good these days. Result of my trying to use one of mine would then likely be an educated rat or else a JRT running around with a ridiculous looking head adornment

 

No. I like the Evvy, for looks. But I honestly don't think it was ever all it's been cracked up to be though. Chicken could most definately get it's head in one and - in their day - quite possibly half lose it!

 

As I've already stated above; One of the things I so like about the pipe is the Length of tunnel before the killing bars and pan are accessed. I'm Very safety concious with traps out in the wider enviroment and that feature's a big Plus with me

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Twenty Days On ..... F*ck all! I mean, this is just starting to get Past a bloody joke!

 

Ok then, so let's re cap. I mean, forgetting what sort of trap it is and wether it'll do this or the other. It Should, surely, have shown me Something within twenty damn days of sitting there? So;

• Are there actually any mink in the area?
  

Yes. There were last year. I found their shit and also made an accidental catch in a completely different set at this exact point. In fact, the momentarily inconvenianced creature went straight into the very drain pipe I'm now guarding. He went there following the thrill of feeling a Fenn Mk III gently hug him. Then the attatching wire ran out, and so did the mink - of the trap.

 

Then, just over a week ago Small Dog, my utterly useless, bird chasing JR met what I'd assume to be one up the big pipe, which actually carries The River under the track. She barked at it. It, presumably, bit her nose or something. She yelped and, by the time I'd scrambeled over there, he was long gone and she was stood staring back down that pipe like the very devil himself was in there. I, being made of sterner stuff, looked. F*ck all. It must have pushed her aside and gone on up the ditch away from my ire.

• Is it set right?
  

Well, christ, as far as I can tell? Yes! This is a pipe that runs from somewhere else into The River. What self respecting mustalid could resist checking it out? It's also just four feet from the Big Pipe (about 20", I guess?) that The River feeds through. It's got to be The best location there for a trap.

• Is it Baited?
  

Yeppers. In as much as that, a couple of weeks ago now (?) I gave it a good dose of 'Winterised Mackeral Oil'. Didn't smell like shit to me. But then I've smoked for so long I probably couldn't smell a Dogs arse inches from my face! Animals can sniff things a million times better than we can. It should then smell like a m*nge after recieving a heavy load? FISHH AYYY!

• Is it set Fine enough?
  

Guys; Last time I went down there to it, I messed around with it till I had it set so fine it scared me! Touch that pan? She fires. Period. Nothing's touched that damn pan!

• So Why hasn't it taken a mink - or shit else of the smaller, slinky, long bodied, hole investigating, fish chasing sort yet?
  

Ye taking the piss asking me that? Why the hell do ye think I'm asking you guys???

 

My only personal niggle is this: I supplied a fellow pester with some sure fire mink whacking traps. He dug in some text book, American mink trapping book type Blind Sets and, with three traps, killed three mink in short order, Then nothing.

 

When he mentioned this to me, my best shot was that he simply start again. Move the traps and dig new holes. I figured that that very 'newness' would catch the eye of any mink accustomed to checking out that lake.

 

Ding! Now, he's working a lake, where many mink are likely to be going round in circles. I'm working a stream which they might pass up and down. But; Do ye reckon it might be worth me following my own intuition and moving this trap a few feet along the bank somewhere and digging it in as a 'Blind Set'?

 

Come on you people. What's Your intuition here ~ or rock solid experience?

 

And, please; Take a lesson from Mr Waters ..... Don't snear and attempt to belittle. Instruct and Educate All who may be reading this

[Guest little_lloyd]

When i was scaning the page i sore that you replied to to thread and i thought,..Thank feck! the old boy has a bloody mink but now im starting to wonder

 

Now im not a mink expert as such But if youve had the trap running for 20 odd days now the mink has not been round recently has she

 

Where does the drain lead to? Ive known a few drains what the mink has used to get from the river to the realse pens and others shes used to raise her kits in!!!

 

Is there anywhere else you suspect mink activity up stream???

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

No. This is more a throughfare, Lloyd. There's damn all in it for them to eat particularly. I just set it because they pass along it. Only, after this long I'm getting a little jaded.

 

Styx is where they 'live'. That's hellishly deep and I've actually seen Real fish darting through there. I mean, we're talking five inch or so fish. Not sticklebacks. But that place has a badger sett right by the bridge I favour for trapping on. And anywhere on the ground there abouts would just be (as has been proven) equelly suicidal.

 

Friend of mine lives the other side of the small lake that the Styx eventually feeds into. He keeps fowls. Plus he has a small stream of his own running back down to the lake. I reckon his wife could have a mink coat by now, he gets that many.

 

But it's all down to logistics. Easy for anyone to say; 'Well then, walk over to this side of the lake and set to work!'. Yeah. Sure. I'll just stroll a couple of miles across bog, couple back. Then spend the rest of the season doing that every day. I won't go into town. I won't cut wood or pick up Dog shit. I won't eat. I'l just spend a quarter of each daylight slogging out through that bog and back, leaping deep ditches and negotiating fences all the way. Sorry. Not going to happen. This is a Fun excersise. Not an S.A.S Selection one.

 

So saying; I have to get on .....

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

One full month on to the day and ..... F*ck All!

 

Just dropped back in here to record the fact that I've just given the trap such a drenching in Mackeral Oil it must stink like a whores trap. It's actually drippong out into the water now. That was deliberate. I want it to go with the flow and scent up the pool there.

 

Oh well. Cold as hell here today. If they ever get moving, it has to be now. I'm checking every day, of course. Who knows? IF one comes down there? At least I'm ready for him

[OldTrapCollector 376]

Ditch,

 

Just a question - did you peg it down? I have been looking at mine and it looks like the trap ought to remain in situ on capture but there is a possibility it could get dragged out of its pipe isn't there?

 

I hope that you get one soon - you deserve it!!

 

OTC

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Dragged out of it's pipe? What; A caught mink, trap 'n all, mate? Supposing that's what ye mean; Well, no. It's not secured because A/ There's no badgers known to frequent 'The River'. They are in the area, sure. But they stay the other side of the track at that point. Cross seventy five yards down and go on along a hedge there. And anyway, B/ Not much I could do, in this situation, would stop a badger doing as he chose anyway.

 

But I figure - in the unlikely event - he'd simply eat the catch out of the trap anyway. Not much he'd need to do to the 'Pipe', is there?