Jump to content

Recommended Posts

Any of you use blocking with your fox traps to deter them from trying to get at the bait from the back, or sides? Or (1) is it too much work, (2) would it have a negative affect on them going into the trap? (3) Would they still try get at the bait from the outside?

Link to post

For Rabid.

It's a very simple mechanism. When the fox treads on the plate it allows the arm attached to the door to swing up sideways, allowing the other end that is holding the door up to drop. The diagonal thing on the door slides down with the door so it can't be opened from inside or outside. 

Terrible explanation. Let me know if you want more pics of certain areas. :thumbs:

20180107_094542.jpg

20180107_094557.jpg

20180107_094604.jpg

 

Link to post
1 hour ago, EDDIE B said:

Any of you use blocking with your fox traps to deter them from trying to get at the bait from the back, or sides? Or (1) is it too much work, (2) would it have a negative affect on them going into the trap? (3) Would they still try get at the bait from the outside?

Sometimes I pile stuff round it just to make it look less obvious, but not block it as such. I don't think it makes any difference to whether the fox goes in or not. The most important thing I think is to cover the floor of the cage with earth and grass so the fox isn't aware of walking on mesh. They'd still try to get the bait from outside whatever you put there, but they don't all do that. Just the crafty ones.

 

Link to post

Thanks walshie, all makes perfect sense now, even the grass and blu tac ?

I am right in thinking the bar from the treadle is NOT fixed to the parallel bar to the door, just tucked behind it and the weight of the door keeps it there until the treadle is touched ?

also the parrellel bar cannot be fixed in anyway to the door, again once set in place the door weight holds it all in a loaded position.

i get the locking idea, I made one with the door that opens out, with a drop down bar to lock it.

how is the door hinged to the top of the trap ?

Thanks for the pics, another idea to play around with.

 

eddie,

I have used the blocking method, I chucked heaps of thorn brash around three sides of my trap in the wood, (lots of scrub in there) and just left the front open,  it seems to catch less than all the other traps I have left wide open, I think it gives them too much of an enclosed feeling to enter freely, it has caught so does work, but most of them go past that trap and get caught in the open ones further up the land towards the pens. It does however stop the 100% from getting at the bait in any direction than the door, no good if they won't go in it.

Walshie is bang on the money about the floor, a new trap will rarely get used at least until grass has grown through the bottom, I also use soil and leaves to cover the bottom mesh

from my experience, bigger is better, I make my traps a minimum of 2ft wide, mainly as it's the most economical use of a sheet of mesh,  but in honesty I think wider would be better so they cannot get to the bait from the sides.

  • Like 1
Link to post

@Rabid Correct. The parallel bar is not attached to the treadle at all. it has a 90 degree bend at either end and they are at 90 degrees to each other if that makes sense. If the treadle end is in the vertical position held in place by the treadle, the door end is horizontal holding the door open.

The door hinge is just the cut ends of the mesh hooked over the mesh on the cage.

20180107_111310.jpg

My bait of choice is sachets of catfood. Nice and stinky and no mess. If I'm using a different sort of bait like a rabbit, squirrel or pigeon etc, it can sometimes give you more success if you hang it from the top of the cage on a bit of string. The fox soon gets fed up batting it about and will either go in after it or bugger off completely.

Link to post
39 minutes ago, walshie said:

@Rabid Correct. The parallel bar is not attached to the treadle at all. it has a 90 degree bend at either end and they are at 90 degrees to each other if that makes sense. If the treadle end is in the vertical position held in place by the treadle, the door end is horizontal holding the door open.

The door hinge is just the cut ends of the mesh hooked over the mesh on the cage.

20180107_111310.jpg

My bait of choice is sachets of catfood. Nice and stinky and no mess. If I'm using a different sort of bait like a rabbit, squirrel or pigeon etc, it can sometimes give you more success if you hang it from the top of the cage on a bit of string. The fox soon gets fed up batting it about and will either go in after it or bugger off completely.

Yep, nice one.

 

my bait of choice is eggs, works better than any meat I have tried.

again I have video footage when I have put eggs out, and rabbit, and chicken carcass, foxes have sniffed the meat then taken the eggs away, I always put a few eggs out around my trap entrances and just in the door.

  • Like 2
Link to post
13 minutes ago, donnyc said:

That trigger  mechanism is better if you take it off and grind flats on the round bar where they meet  make them fit flat together

I was thinking two round bars against each other is a mighty fine hair trigger, I did think a flat on one of them would stop false triggers

  • Like 1
Link to post
2 hours ago, Rabid said:

Yep, nice one.

 

my bait of choice is eggs, works better than any meat I have tried.

again I have video footage when I have put eggs out, and rabbit, and chicken carcass, foxes have sniffed the meat then taken the eggs away, I always put a few eggs out around my trap entrances and just in the door.

Eggs! That's very interesting and don't make a mess.?

Link to post
1 hour ago, W. Katchum said:

Bit off topic but had anybody ever used the attractant that’s made from horses hoofs? Any good? Can cows trimmings work aswell?? ?

Yeah I've tried it, bloody stinks god awful. Not sure it made any difference if I was truthful.

Link to post
2 hours ago, walshie said:

Just whole raw eggs? Amazing they can even smell them.

Yep, half a dozen or so eggs around and in the entrance to the trap, and another handful the other side the treadle, works every time for me, I used to lure them in by putting them out every night and catch them on my cctv, fascinating just how quick they pick them up.

i don't think they brought the foxes in, I already have a few thousand birds in the pens to do that ! But every time the eggs catch before a dead bird or rabbit.

  • Like 1
Link to post

I make my own. 6ft long 3ft wide nd 3ft high. Easy mechanism and easy set. I've trapped foxes for over 25 years and my dad before me.lot of farmers especially sheep farmers or chicken farmers have had my setups for years with great success. And nowadays u can see how foxes are waying up ya traps. 

 

_20180106_163820.JPG

  • Like 3
Link to post
  • 3 weeks later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×
×
  • Create New...