Putanges, A Few Observations.

[mole trapper 1,646]

Putanges, are without a doubt playing a big part in my mole work now. Until six months ago I would just have written them off as a gimmick, my mantra was "the only way is duffus".

Now I find myself reaching further down my traps bucket to pull one of them out more and more.

The fifty I received recently from Clive have now all been tweaked, tried various ways of attaching trigger to trap, tried the braid and knots first, let's just say it didn't work for me, swearing and tantrums.

Next I tried 40lb seafishing leader and double crimps, nice but leader to rigid si set traps off, finally settled on 20lb amnesia and single crimps, absolute, doddle.

Now the downside, I've started using them in conjunction with the duffus, usually in a three way junction, worked out great BUT! You have to remember you've done this! Unfortunately yesterday I did not, travelled fifty plus miles one way to check traps I had put down on Sunday, customer comes out to see the traps lifted, he confirms no new activity since Monday morning, COOL!, check all four trap site's, nothing, nada, bugger all.Somewhat deflated and more than a little peeved that I've come all this way for nothing. Tell the customer I'll be back next week.

Get home nearly and suddenly have a road to Damascus moment. TWAT! THERE'S A BLOODY PUTANGE IN THERE!!!!.

So, need a method now of marking differently when there's more than one trap in the hole.

Everydays a school day.

[Nicepix 5,650]

Funny thing that Jamie. Yesterday I finished a job at a kennels and discovered that I was a Duffus short when I'd picked up the traps. Thinking back I knew that the missing Duffus also had a Putange up the side road as I remembered finding it blocked and then discovering a previously overlooked third tunnel. And I hadn't picked up that one. That triggered the rusty grey matter to help me locate the trap site and there was a mole in the Putange.

 

The way I do it with a combined Duffus / Putange trap site is to put a plastic marker next to the trap cover. That reminds me when I'm checking the traps that there is something other than a Duffus or Talpex in there. If I use three Putanges in one trap site I put two plastic markers rather than the normal one. And the other week I had a four way tunnel so I put three plastic markers in. Those markers are about two quid for a dozen at garden stores.Another way is to tie a short length of red & white traffic tape to the eye of the Putange and lay it over the Duffus.

[mole trapper 1,646]

Another way is to tie a short length of red & white traffic tape to the eye of the Putange and lay it over the Duffus.

Now that's a good simple idea! My metal marker pegs have that tape on the top, if it weren't a domestic I would just spray the grass with marker spray, but some people might get the hump if I spray their newly laid turf with spray paint.

[J Darcy 5,871]

Hi, use a long stick to 'anchor' the putange in place. You can't overlook it then. I usually use Trapline traps for the three way and have a loop of string on the end which i either wrap around the Talpex spring or loop over the duffus hooks. All the best, JD

[socks 32,253]

On my marker that's set next to the traps I tie a bit of orange or white traffic tape and with a permenant pen I write on it how many traps are in the ground ........

[myersbg 1,355]

I put 10 Putangs in on thursday Afternoon, first time setting them, and a couple of duffus, as you know we have had a little bit of the wet stuff here over the last couple of days, the fields i set them in were under over a foot of water yesterday and that had dropped since sat night, anyhow i checked them today and the french won 2 to 1, i had missed a couple but it was amazing to see fresh hills up on the fields that only yesterday were covered in water. tough critters these moles.

 

Brian

[shropshire mole 190]

I simply have an extra peg pushed into the ground for each extra trap - works for me unless its a public place, then use phone pictures to help find traps to check and little twigs in ground

Putanges are great for public areas, as long as no one about when first set

[rasp 34]

I started a large clearance job on a farm on Sunday & after my success using the Putanges i decided to just use them in conjunction with Talpex. Revisited today & 10 moles caught with 8 being caught with Putanges Got Four more fields to start next week & I'm just going to use them to see how it goes. Another follow up tomorrow for a large park in Coventry where ten sets of Putanges are in use so hopefully another quick clearance there?

[rasp 34]

Job done at the park

[Nicepix 5,650]

Nice one Rasp. They work brilliantly under turf like that.

 

I had a job at a kennels last week to clear the exercise field. I got ten in two visits then left four pairs of Putanges out over the weekend to mop up the nosey neighbours coming in from adjacent fields. The beauty of them is that you can leave them with no fear of the wires coming up and causing problems or the handles spreading and a paw, or hoof if you are on a farm, getting in them.

[rasp 34]

Hi Clive, you are spot on there

 

Nice one Rasp. They work brilliantly under turf like that.

 

I had a job at a kennels last week to clear the exercise field. I got ten in two visits then left four pairs of Putanges out over the weekend to mop up the nosey neighbours coming in from adjacent fields. The beauty of them is that you can leave them with no fear of the wires coming up and causing problems or the handles spreading and a paw, or hoof if you are on a farm, getting in them.

The park in question is a pain in the arse usually to trap out due to theft or foot traffic but even in shallow runs these performed spot on, I've been onto Ian to get another 50 or so. My poor Duffus haven't seen soil for a few days..

[perthshire keeper 1,237]

how do thease fare in wide tunnels? a lot of the peat spots hear are a good 3 fingers wide!

[Nicepix 5,650]

It doesn't seem to matter. I've used them in tunnels that I reckon must have been over 800 years old in the garden of a Knights Templars Commanderie. Like polished clay pipes they were, and the Putanges didn't quite touch the sides yet they still caught. If you peg them down securely the mole has to wriggle through like they would if a stone or root was in the way and the only thing that moves is the trigger.

[perthshire keeper 1,237]

It doesn't seem to matter. I've used them in tunnels that I reckon must have been over 800 years old in the garden of a Knights Templars Commanderie. Like polished clay pipes they were, and the Putanges didn't quite touch the sides yet they still caught. If you peg them down securely the mole has to wriggle through like they would if a stone or root was in the way and the only thing that moves is the trigger.

what is the spred of the wires in mm? 40ish?

[Nicepix 5,650]

Approximately 38mm externally and 25mm internally. However, moving the position of the trigger back a few mm would slightly increase the spread without impacting on the catch.