Early mole trap, type, in use

[earth-thrower 490]

6 hours ago, Ken's Deputy said:

 Ring bells? Like a fukking cathedral, mate! That would have been a Young's one.

Thing is; I had (Have?) Two old, wooden mole traps. The Full Barrel, that looked very much like the 'original' one your man there modelled his reproduction off of.

Then, I had a more advanced model of the 'original' willow wood and so forth thing. Bit of flat wood and two loops below? Fired by a willow whip?

Only, this one used a bit of flat wood and the loops were channelled iron. Both, as I recall, were powered by a wire spring. 

Really, aye, a think the "flat wood and the loops were channelled iron" ones, could possibly be an early wooden half barrel, forerunner ? (or a slightly different 'spin' on it ?)

Edited June 15, 2021 by earth-thrower

[earth-thrower 490]

2 hours ago, lifelong cumbrian said:

Where did you get the twine for the catch loop mate, thank you.

Mate, old Bob supplied it, somebody will know the name of that stuff, cause a cant recall ? On his wee video on you tube, am sure he demonstrates tying & knotting them, sized for his traps.

[earth-thrower 490]

22 hours ago, tilimangro said:

As much as I am an anachronism myself there’s nothing humane about strangling moles

i have no issue with these traps but humane they aint

Oh forgive me, mate. A didnt realise that was your assessment of them , after field trialing them ?  Thought provoking, though   "strangling",...you would envision perhaps, as snaring it round the neck, would you mean ?,.....cause NO, thats not the case,....but i think i know what your getting at,....& really cause of the traps 'mode of action' coupled with Bobs triple coiled , high tensile , double springs,.....ive found a swift demise (if caught correctly),....however, i wouldnt claim they are more humane, than the current 'rated' modern traps. (lets face it does a mole perish INSTANTLY in any of them either ?,......a dont think so, overall ?

Edited June 16, 2021 by earth-thrower

[earth-thrower 490]

17 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

Ain’t it just waxed brickey twine? 

Could well be, a think theres a name for that stuff,....a thought a read, just cant remember

[earth-thrower 490]

9 minutes ago, W. Katchum said:

Iv had a mole within yards of waking away from the talpex( genuine not a copy) a tunnel trap an a putange an all were dead, if you bedded your trap right an in right place then death should instant, we all know could catches happen such is life but it’s up to us to up the odds of a nice humane catch, so yes the modern traps will kill instantly. Iv witnessed it

Aye, a wouldnt argue that doesnt happen,....but at what frequency ? 9 times out of 10 say, for example ?,...a just dont think so, myself, BUT aye, equally, maybe am wrong on that, too ?

Edited June 15, 2021 by earth-thrower

[Ken's Deputy 4,456]

27 minutes ago, earth-thrower said:

think the "flat wood and the loops were channelled iron" ones, could possibly be an early wooden half barrel, forerunner ?

Know what? I genuinely can't bloody remember now! (Getting old is such a Bitch!) Did I have a genuine, wooden Half Barrel trap too??? Honestly, it's like my mind's playing games with me, now.

Potentially then, there could have been the Three sorts.

1. The full wooden Barrel. Much like you have there.

2. The wooden Half Barrel. Literally, the top half of the above one.

3. The Flat Trap, with the iron loops, channelled to take the nooses.

Did I have them all? Did I give them away? Or, are they still salted away in those chests of mine?

(I'm sorry, lads. Not trying to tease you here. I'm in a bad way at this moment. Hopefully it'll resolve itself for the better, any day now. Then I'll be ripping those boxes down)

 

The Flat Trap was a commercial rendition of what the old time mole catchers would sit and whittle out of naturally harvested materials. Surely you lads have seen them, at least in books?

  Flat rectangle. Probably ash? Wooden hoop at either end, underneath (Hazel?) Poked into the ash. Trigger stick in the middle. That held the string in place.

  String held two nooses, beneath. Above, it was tied to a hazel whip that was driven into the ground to one side. Sticks, like tent pegs, were driven in around the flat to hold the whole thing in place, against the lifting ower of that hazel whip.

Christ! They earned their fukking money in those days!

[tilimangro 1,013]

7 hours ago, earth-thrower said:

Oh forgive me, mate. A didnt realise that was your assessment of them , after field trialing them ? Thought provoking, though   "strangling",...you would envision perhaps, as snaring it round the neck, would you mean ?,.....cause NO, thats not the case,....but i think i know what your getting at,....& really cause of the traps 'mode of action' coupled with Bobs triple coiled , high tensile , double springs,.....ive found a swift demise (if caught correctly),....however, i wouldnt claim they are more humane, than the current 'rated' modern traps. (lets face it does a mole perish INSTANTLY in any of them either ?,......a dont think so, overall ?

If it has a soft loop or fixed snare in it regardless of your views it will be classed as a strangulation

i have used them they aren’t for me

i like to see the old ways kept going but I stand by what I said

theyre not humane

 

[lifelong cumbrian 1,793]

9 hours ago, earth-thrower said:

Mate, old Bob supplied it, somebody will know the name of that stuff, cause a cant recall ? On his wee video on you tube, am sure he demonstrates tying & knotting them, sized for his traps.

Aye I got name of it off Bob but can’t source any.

[earth-thrower 490]

On 15/06/2021 at 23:41, Ken's Deputy said:

Know what? I genuinely can't bloody remember now! (Getting old is such a Bitch!) Did I have a genuine, wooden Half Barrel trap too??? Honestly, it's like my mind's playing games with me, now.

Potentially then, there could have been the Three sorts.

1. The full wooden Barrel. Much like you have there.

2. The wooden Half Barrel. Literally, the top half of the above one.

3. The Flat Trap, with the iron loops, channelled to take the nooses.

Did I have them all? Did I give them away? Or, are they still salted away in those chests of mine?

(I'm sorry, lads. Not trying to tease you here. I'm in a bad way at this moment. Hopefully it'll resolve itself for the better, any day now. Then I'll be ripping those boxes down)

 

The Flat Trap was a commercial rendition of what the old time mole catchers would sit and whittle out of naturally harvested materials. Surely you lads have seen them, at least in books?

  Flat rectangle. Probably ash? Wooden hoop at either end, underneath (Hazel?) Poked into the ash. Trigger stick in the middle. That held the string in place.

  String held two nooses, beneath. Above, it was tied to a hazel whip that was driven into the ground to one side. Sticks, like tent pegs, were driven in around the flat to hold the whole thing in place, against the lifting ower of that hazel whip.

Christ! They earned their fukking money in those days!

Thanks, for another intriguing post here,...mate, am sure 'Jeff Nicholls' constructed & demonstrated the old trap your descibing here. It was in one of his books or videos, i think. Yes, & your right i reckon, setting the modern traps is a doddle, compared to these earlier methods.

Edited June 17, 2021 by earth-thrower

[earth-thrower 490]

6 hours ago, tilimangro said:

If it has a soft loop or fixed snare in it regardless of your views it will be classed as a strangulation

i have used them they aren’t for me

i like to see the old ways kept going but I stand by what I said

theyre not humane

 

Fair enough, thats YOUR view,....& just like YOUR Putange. Poor mole was caught by the face once, when i checked the trap,..& very much still alive & suffering,...... (i cant forget that one, unfortunately !) & again take YOUR Talpex type,...(or indeed the genuine one),..on occasion when pulling up the sprung trap, very soon after setting (youll know what a mean),...mole still expiring, not for too long, granted,.....but there you go ? oh,...& before you express, wasnt 'operator error' either,...jaws hit the mole correctly !  lol

Edited June 16, 2021 by earth-thrower

[earth-thrower 490]

3 hours ago, lifelong cumbrian said:

Aye I got name of it off Bob but can’t source any.

Oh right, is it difficult to source now ?,..whats the name of that black cord/twine your using yourself , there ?

[earth-thrower 490]

25 minutes ago, earth-thrower said:

Fair enough, thats YOUR view,....& just like YOUR Putange. Poor mole was caught by the face once, when i checked the trap,..& very much still alive & suffering,...... (i cant forget that one, unfortunately !) & again take YOUR Talpex type,...(or indeed the genuine one),..on occasion when pulling up the sprung trap, straight after,...mole still expiring, not for too long, granted,.....but there you go ? oh,...& before you express, wasnt 'operator error' either,...jaws hit the mole correctly !  lol

"strangulation" apparently, refers to the neck area. So where you catching your moles by the neck , when you tried the full barrel ? (as i say more likely with your putange , catching by the head or neck, on occasion !  lol) & can i ask, what type where you using, & made by whom, please ?

Edited June 16, 2021 by earth-thrower

[lifelong cumbrian 1,793]

17 minutes ago, earth-thrower said:

Oh right, is it difficult to source now ?,..whats the name of that black cord/twine your using yourself , there ?

It is some waxed twine I think as given, don’t know we’re it was from. 

[lifelong cumbrian 1,793]

15 minutes ago, earth-thrower said:

"strangulation" apparently, refers to the neck area. So where you catching your moles by the neck , when you tried the full barrel ? (as i say more likely with your putange , catching by the head or neck !  lol) & can i ask, what type where you using, & made by whom, please ?

I think there will be miss caught moles in any kind of traps

[earth-thrower 490]

7 minutes ago, lifelong cumbrian said:

I think there will be miss caught moles in any kind of traps

 

10 minutes ago, lifelong cumbrian said:

It is some waxed twine I think as given, don’t know we’re it was from. 

Hey mate, a really like your aluminium version of the full barrel. Clever stuff. You know at one time a wouldnt have thought old mole , would enter & travel plastic pipe & get caught ? lol  ,...until Bob proved otherwise. Do you make your own springs for your traps too, by the way ?

Edited June 16, 2021 by earth-thrower