What bait should i use ?

[lgray88 4]

hi everyone im quite interested in live trapping , but i have never had overly much luck just curious what do you guys use as bait when trapping most mustelids? such as Polecats, Mink and Stoats . I would like a step by step plan of where to set traps, what to bait them with, what to disgusie them with, and when is the best time to go after each species ??? any help would be much appreciated

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Iggy; Keeping it dead simple and basic: Mustalids are inveterately nosey creatures who live by hunting things which, by and large, live in holes. So start with a tunnel to attract them. Just cover ye cages and leave a small, inviting entance showing. Bit of loose earth scraped out in front's good too.

 

Traditional place to site such a tunnel is either side of a gap in what ever the musty may be travelling. So, down by the foot of a gate post, where the gate is set in a hedge or wall. Musty works along the cover of the hedge and then finds an open space to traverse. Seeing a 'bolt hole' on the other side, he both wants to dash down it to get back under cover and also to see if there's anything to eat in there.

 

Bait is actually quite optional with mustalids. The tunnel draws them. But, if ye want to bait, use what ever they'd find attractive in a food. Flesh for stoats and ferrets. Fish for mink. Obviously, each can and will draw either. Or maybe just the hole of the tunnels mouth does?

 

For mink, specifically, set close to the waters edge or else dig a hole into the bank at the waters side. Again, see? Providing an inviting hole to be explored.

 

Disguise? Disguise it with what ever's around. I always wander off from my trap sites to gather 'cammo' material though. Don't go ripping up sods next to the tunnel and putting them on top of it. Makes things a bit obvious to others.

 

When? A trap can't catch much on a shelf in ye shed. Put them out whenever. Things'll really start kicking off once spring draws nearer. But a trap set now may bring rewards. I have traps out right now. Nothing happening yet because nothin's passing by. But, when it does, I'd sooner of have a trap guarding a place two months too early than one day too late.

 

Take a look for my own recent post about a Permanent Set. That'll demonstrate much of what I'm saying here.

[stubby 175]

oi Igray, this aint for your masterplan of crossing them with ferrets is it,

[OldTrapCollector 376]

hi everyone im quite interested in live trapping . . . . Polecats

 

I think you might find that you need a licence to catch polecats in Britain - they are protected animals by the Wildlife and Countryside Act and not included in the list of legal quarry.

 

OTC

[lgray88 4]

a license they wouldnt need to come up here then people just do away with them beaucse they become a pest to farmers killing there stock of chickens etc so they end up trapping them then drowning them , dont worry stubby i aint crossing anything im too afraid of what the offspring might be like probably viscious b*****ds haha

[lgray88 4]

nah mate i dont kill them just many other people do , if i did catch one i would just keep it , my ferret i have now is a wild one or what i think mite be wild or its a escapee from somewhere

[lgray88 4]

my ferret is really been pretty good considering i caught him, my friend has a wild poley jill and it only bit the once

[ianrob 2]

hi everyone im quite interested in live trapping , but i have never had overly much luck just curious what do you guys use as bait when trapping most mustelids? such as Polecats, Mink and Stoats . I would like a step by step plan of where to set traps, what to bait them with, what to disgusie them with, and when is the best time to go after each species ??? any help would be much appreciated

Rabbit and rabbit guts, thats if I'm using bait. Often you don't need it.