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Rabbit cage traps.


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Well for the last day or so I decided to make some rabbit cage traps. So last night, excited as a small school boy, after spending hours reading up about setting and baiting, I took them up some paddocks I have permission on. I spaced them out about 8 yards apart, made sure they didnt rock, then pegged them down. Two bits of carrot behind the treadle plate, a small bit in the middle and one at the entrance.  Roughly between 12-15ft from the hedgerows. I put them in three areas when there is plenty of rabbits I cant really shoot or ferret. A group of 3, and 2 lots of 4 traps set. I then put a few bits of carrots between the traps, around 1.5 yards apart as a 'baiting line'. 

Well this morning, I was up there checking them at 7am, saw plenty of rabbits fleeing as I walked across the paddocks, so I know I was on top of them and not a single rabbit. Not 1 piece of carrot in the cages had been touched, and only the odd bit between the cages had been eaten. Well I had left the mesh outside to weather for a bit, but I only cut them up and rigged them in the last two days, so my scent would still be on them. There is a lot of rabbits in the bushes and hedges where I put them, I cant believe not even all the carrot pieces outside the traps had gone, maybe 3 or 4 small pieces, theres certainly enough rabbits to eat a few bits of carrot. Im sure there is far more knowledgeable people on the subject on here, so Is it down to my scent on the traps and carrot???

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Don't cover the traps, makes them feel enclosed and they seem to be wary of that.

Give it time, let the traps settle down, don't walk upto them unless you have to, drive round or use glasses to check them, if you have to walk up to the traps try and do it at a time when they are least active so your not spooking them every time.

I also found carrots not the best bait, cabbage works best for me, they are used to eating green stuff, an orange carrot does not instantly look like food to a wild rabbit, and an old timer told me cabbage gives off a real strong smell for them.

In the right situation cages work real well, a few yrs ago I cleaned up 700 acres, had a lot of traps out mind, but was nothing to get 40 or 50 a night, a couple of times we even had two in a trap, don't ask me how !!!

It sounds like you have got the spacing about similiar to how I do mine.

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I must admit, driving to the paddocks twice a day with a round trip of 28 mile is getting tiresome. Its not so bad when Im at work as its only a short detour, but Im on holiday at the moment. I was getting around 10 rabbits in a couple of hours with the air rifle and nv, so might stick with that. I thought I would just try and get another string to the bow. I cant ferret it as the hedges/brambles are on the side of the road on a blind bend. I will try cabbage tonight, see how that goes. The rabbits dont seem to be treating the carrot as a food source.

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Well I checked on the traps this morning. No rabbits in the traps as half expected. The bits of carrots in the traps not touched, and only a couple of the pieces outside the traps were missing. Im going to go over there with the air rifle in the dark and thin a few out to top up the ferret feed, then rebait the traps with cabbage. You have got to be in it to win it. 

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Well I visited the paddocks again last night with the nv and air rifle. Another 6 in the bag, but lost another that kicked in the bushes which I couldn’t find. Nothing in the traps, so baited up with cabbage this time. Fingers crossed, but I think the air rifle with nv is the place to be. Same as last time, half of the smaller bunnies had all white marks on their livers, while the adults didn’t. 

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well the only signs i have seen of a bunny in the traps so far is bent meshes from around the peg when a fox stole the only 1 I have caught. Well if its 1 in a week, they  arent looking too good.  I can see them collecting dust in the garage very soon

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  • 3 months later...

Just read this. I use cage traps for my pest control company. I have pre baited for about a week with carrots and apple slices . Both the jobs i have done so far have been areas with public access so traps down last thing at night and picked up in morning around 5am (which may not help get rabbits used to traps ). Had ten rabbits off first site  about a third of population. Two night shoots to follow with NV and air rifle. It would be perfect for snares but for dog walkers who start at 04:30 hours !! I kid you not!. About to do second site again public access but I can lock gates and rest is fenced in till traps collected each morning, been prebaiting for a week, bait going . Will use MK6 fenns in any holes which reopen after filling, in wire tunnels  set up where old rabbit fencing has holes in it and then cage traps in grass areas . First cage trapping job was odd four rabbits from eleven cage traps first night , two second night, then four in next five days. Plenty of rabbits still about , and running around cage traps, NV and rifle will polish of most of those left. Be interesting to see if fenn mk 6  do the business or not.

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