Prongs Down?

[smithie 2,444]

does anybody use the putange or no mole with the prongs down? does it hinder the trap working this way up?

 

i have also read about them placed sideways, would the mole be reluctant to cross the prong or do they seem to just push on going forward?

 

smithie

[Nicepix 5,650]

Some French mole traps come with instructions showing the prongs placed down, but I have never come across any pro's actually doing it. As for sideways; I think that Torchey prefers that method. For me, I prefer prongs up, but if the tunnel curves then I put the prongs sideways, so they follow the tunnel.

 

Many times I have found that moles caught when the prongs were up are on their sides. This suggests that the mole rotates so it is on its side to wriggle through. Not every time, but a significant number do it.

 

If you have a straight run then my advice would be prongs up. When you think about it, when the prongs are facing up, the hinge of the trigger is right at the bottom. The mole has no option but to push the trigger over especially when the triggers are retained by the twine at the top.

[goldfinger 135]

Had first session with Putanges this week found a few I assume to be self sprung still a learning curve with this type of trap for me,out of 5 sets managed one mole so not to bad though,it was a perfect catch just behind or on shoulders, got another 4 sets to look at tomorrow,will be ordering more.

[Nicepix 5,650]

If they are going off in the tunnel without catching or signs of a mole having passed by then it is usually down to one of three things. Firstly check the triggers. The two cut ends should align perfectly when in the trap. Secondly make sure that you are setting the triggers square and not at a slight angle, and when new have around 1 to 2 mm showing at the bottom so the curved corner of the trigger aren't meeting the curve of the trap's legs. The other reason is when the traps are the type currently being sold in French hardware stores and garden centres. The surfaces are just too shiny.

 

Keep at it.

[smithie 2,444]

I had 2 today in putangs, both moles were on the side in the prongs. 1 mole was caught too far forward. I need to pull the triggers back a bit more.

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

I like the trigger to be 'right up front' ,.I want the mole to be, just in it,...and hopefully get a fatal earfull..

 

Checked some traps today,..had a good kill ratio with the Putanges,.but,..noticed one missing when I lifted the covering turf ? Felt along the tunnel,...nothing,..?

Probed a few feet along the run and cut into the tunnel,..the trap had obviously been dragged/pulled along by a captured mole..I dug further into the run (what a fecking mess I was making )....but no sign of a dead'un...

 

Sometimes with a Talpex,..the mole gets nipped and it invariably kills him,..I have found a fair few just under the jaws of the trap. In cases such as these, it is handy to know the score,..did I get him,.or are we back to square one ?

 

Interesting though..

[Nicepix 5,650]

I had a Talpex go off last week and no mole in it. As I was clearing the tunnel to re-set I felt the mole just a little way inside. Not a mark on it. And, like Phil I've had a couple dead 'uns under the trap, but not in it. Strange.

 

Only had a couple of Putanges dragged away in many hundreds of settings. Not a big problem if the traps are pegged down. In soft soil I use plastic plant markers rather than the wire pegs as these hold better. You can get 20 of them for a couple of quid. The problem comes in stony soil or when the clay is baked hard.

[smithie 2,444]

i struggle to see the benefit of having the trigger right up front.. for me it makes sence to have the head in before its sprung and maybe your trap would still be there with a dead mole in it.

 

but i am happy to be educated

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

No offence Smithie,..just my opinion, and I could well be wrong

 

 

We are all learners,.. with these new tools,..but, having spent a lifetime using what are purported to be, Humane Killing Traps,..and being further encouraged, to Import traps from other countries,..and hopefully offer improvements on said items, I still prefer to catch the critter around his neck, as opposed to waiting for his head and shoulders,.(or God forbid , his belly),..to enter the striking area.

Whatever,..we must all follow our own paths,..but always be prepared to change and adapt,..cos we are modern trappers, not extinct dinosaurs,..and facts are, we must become educated,... if we are to survive.

Edited January 24, 2016 by Phil Lloyd

[smithie 2,444]

ill try it your way and form my own opinion, i am a novice not a pestie

 

oh and ill post tomorrow...

[Nicepix 5,650]

Smithie,

The best way I've found is to put the triggers about 1" back from the prongs. When the traps are new I place the triggers slightly lower so that the rounded corners of the trigger are below the prongs otherwise the trap could go off after setting, or when a mole starts to push the trigger resulting in a foul capture by the hand.

 

As the traps age you can place the triggers slightly higher as there is more grip between the surfaces. After a while you might want to rub the touching surfaces with a wire brush or emery cloth to clean them up.

 

Ideally the trigger should go back at least 45 degrees from the vertical before triggering the trap. But no more than about 30 degrees from the horizontal or it could jam in the legs. That only gives you a short arc to play with. The trick is to gauge how far up or down to place the trigger dependent on the grip between the trigger and trap. That comes with experience. If you are unsure, push the trigger over with your trowel and if it lays down onto the legs it may need a rub down or simply placing higher in the legs.

 

The speed of oxidising depends on the humidity and acidity of the soil. In wet weather when I have left traps in gardens permanently I will usually replace them after about a month so that they can be taken out, dried off and cleaned up ready for next time.

[smithie 2,444]

thanks for that...

[goldfinger 135]

I had a Talpex go off last week and no mole in it. As I was clearing the tunnel to re-set I felt the mole just a little way inside. Not a mark on it. And, like Phil I've had a couple dead 'uns under the trap, but not in it. Strange.

 

Only had a couple of Putanges dragged away in many hundreds of settings. Not a big problem if the traps are pegged down. In soft soil I use plastic plant markers rather than the wire pegs as these hold better. You can get 20 of them for a couple of quid. The problem comes in stony soil or when the clay is baked hard.

Never thought of checking in tunnel when trap strung and not court,will do from now on.

[goldfinger 135]

If they are going off in the tunnel without catching or signs of a mole having passed by then it is usually down to one of three things. Firstly check the triggers. The two cut ends should align perfectly when in the trap. Secondly make sure that you are setting the triggers square and not at a slight angle, and when new have around 1 to 2 mm showing at the bottom so the curved corner of the trigger aren't meeting the curve of the trap's legs. The other reason is when the traps are the type currently being sold in French hardware stores and garden centres. The surfaces are just too shiny.

 

Keep at it.

Thanks for the advice Nicepix.