Trap Shy Mole

[ratattack 111]

Drives me nuts, I know I can get them and have confidence in my sets but I think this bugger is going under them! I used to set them like you nod but have been backfilling for a few years now. May try a few not back filled for a bit.

[shropshire mole 190]

Where are you trapping?

 

Are you in their feeding area or are you near to where they could be living? If its in their feeding area, then I find the moles have hightened senses and will nearly always detect my traps, if however they are along where the mole lives, success happens more often.

eg, moles tend to live along a fence line, under a tree, patch of nettles where the soil is damper, they then often have runs leading out to the feeding area, catch them between these 2 areas.

 

Lots of traps!! put down 7-10 traps down so that every run has a trap, stick with good quality half barrel traps, ensure the run bottom is smooth, wedged in place, so to the mole it feels like part of the run, lightly cover with soil and "pray"

[jack68 628]

I think most have had a tricky mole in are time just take your time you will nab him in the end..atb

[shropshire mole 190]

Yes thats true, checked a garden today, all 5 traps in front garden full of soil. Trapped 2 moles in back garden on very short run just under the surface, thought the mole may have gone from here already.

 

"WE" think we understand moles, and then this happens

[ratattack 111]

Thanks For the help guys I caught the b*****d today along with another In the next trap down! Can only guess a mate or outsider popped in and he got distracted! Nothing at all in the way of movement for the last week till these two appeared! I can sleep now knowing I got him and have a happy couple of customers!!

[Alan Mac 0]

Really interesting. Having a nightmare. Black Clay Soil horrible. When he goes through the earth the soil crumbles into the tunnel behind him & you cant see where he's been. Bulldozed Duffus Trap so put down Talpex.

Gone no where near that trap. Put down a couple of Putanges dug under and filled the hole with earth.

 

Doing my head in!

 

That's 3 visits now & Flatten all the hills when I leave, depressing when you return to find new hills & the traps you have set got huge mounds of this Black crumbly fine earth!

 

Any pointers gratefully received.

 

Thanks.

 

Alan Mac

[DIDO.1 20,875]

9 hours ago, Alan Mac said:

Really interesting. Having a nightmare. Black Clay Soil horrible. When he goes through the earth the soil crumbles into the tunnel behind him & you cant see where he's been. Bulldozed Duffus Trap so put down Talpex.

Gone no where near that trap. Put down a couple of Putanges dug under and filled the hole with earth.

 

Doing my head in!

 

That's 3 visits now & Flatten all the hills when I leave, depressing when you return to find new hills & the traps you have set got huge mounds of this Black crumbly fine earth!

 

Any pointers gratefully received.

 

Thanks.

 

Alan Mac

Is it a garden? Search a bit further and deeper for a better run. Give it a week off to forget your traps, I have found a week is enough to allow a trap shy mole to get over it. Go back when you have more time, don't go to a difficult one when your rushing.

It's raining here now. A bit of rain on the job will make it easier. Don't keep sticking traps in un suitable runs 

[Mossberg12 103]

good post dido.....had one in my garden a few weeks ago and told my lad to trap it.

he rushed and the missed,the mole got wise so i left it a week(hills ever where).....set them myself and bingo....nailed the critter

[tank34 2,178]

12 hours ago, Mossberg12 said:

good post dido.....had one in my garden a few weeks ago and told my lad to trap it.

he rushed and the missed,the mole got wise so i left it a week(hills ever where).....set them myself and bingo....nailed the critter

Talpex sorts tricky mole out cut out a bit longer smooth bottem of run out put speed bump in sit trigger over bump back fill with fine soil more of time have him next day

[goldfinger 135]

On 13/09/2023 at 10:01, tank34 said:

Talpex sorts tricky mole out cut out a bit longer smooth bottem of run out put speed bump in sit trigger over bump back fill with fine soil more of time have him next day

That works for me too on tricky moles.

[lifelong cumbrian 1,793]

Putanges, push them right down the tube as far as possible, make sure tube has been cleaned out with a spoon. I make my own triggers for putanges, very kittle on rusty traps, good rusty trap and trigger has little chance of false firing.  i make different sizes for different sized tubes, in my opinion you want the jaws of the trap hugging the tube wall, i have the triggers to do that. the shape also stops any tip backs of the trigger without firing, since i started making these a few years back my catch ratio with putanges has gone right up. i like the pipe trap as well for spooky moles and has been previously said move the to a different location.

 

[dillydog 8,417]

On 22/09/2023 at 22:11, lifelong cumbrian said:

Putanges, push them right down the tube as far as possible, make sure tube has been cleaned out with a spoon. I make my own triggers for putanges, very kittle on rusty traps, good rusty trap and trigger has little chance of false firing.  i make different sizes for different sized tubes, in my opinion you want the jaws of the trap hugging the tube wall, i have the triggers to do that. the shape also stops any tip backs of the trigger without firing, since i started making these a few years back my catch ratio with putanges has gone right up. i like the pipe trap as well for spooky moles and has been previously said move the to a different location.

 

I always use the triggers on their side, earth is easy enough to move to make sure it's a perfect fit. You're spot on with the snug fit,  it definitely helps.

[lifelong cumbrian 1,793]

On 10/10/2023 at 20:29, dillydog said:

I always use the triggers on their side, earth is easy enough to move to make sure it's a perfect fit. You're spot on with the snug fit,  it definitely helps.

Aye i agree, the mole has a far better chance of hitting the trap correctly if the jaws are tight to the tube wall, in big tubes it would be so easy for the mole to miss entering the Jaws. i used to get a few misses in big tubes so i would revert to tunnel traps but since making my own triggers my putanges are much more versatile, i am quite happy to only use putanges now, you can get so many more traps in a bucket or quad box. I made a few triggers at the weekend, put a few on ebay but no bids yet, i have gifted loads of these triggers for folk to try and the folk always come after more.