Question on checking "kill traps"

[Guest JohnGalway]

Hi folks,

 

Got some cages on loan last year for trapping mink. Set them, caught two and observed the practice of checking them at least once a day and twice when I could

 

I soon plan to order some body grip traps, learn to set and use them properly, make artifical tunnels for them or use any possible tunnel that would be on site, and hope not to lose any fingers in the process

 

Now to my question. Please don't view it as a shortcut, it's not ment to be interpreted that way as it's something that I've been wondering about. Since the nature of these traps is actually to kill the quarry that sets them off, rather than trap them for future dispatch to the afterlife, do they need to be checked as frequently as live catch traps?

 

I don't know how emotive a question that may be on this forum, so if I've just stepped on a landmine and not known it feel free to let me know

 

ATB,

 

John

[Phil Lloyd 10,740]

Good question John...

 

Although Body-grippers are designed and 'intended' to take out their catch,...they do not always succeed..

I would advise you to check your traps on a regular basis,.not only on the grounds of humaneness,.but also to enable you to remove a catch,.. and re-set a fired trap...

 

 

All the best,..CHALKWARREN...

Edited September 2, 2008 by CHALKWARREN

[john b 38]

Good question John...

 

Although Body-grippers are designed and 'intended' to take out their catch,...they do not always succeed..

I would advise you to check your traps on a regular basis,.not only on the grounds of humaneness,.but also to enable you to remove a catch,.. and re-set a fired trap...

 

All the best,..CHALKWARREN...

 

I would agree with this entirely. However from a legal point of view you might find this NGO article interesting - I quote

"A Larsen trap or a crow cage has to be looked at once a day at intervals of no more than 24 hours, in other words earlier and earlier each day. On spring traps, however, the law is silent unless they are set for rabbits or for hares,in which case 'once a day' is the rule.

 

However, under animal welfare legislation you may well be guilty of an offence if you don't check a spring trap every day because you cannot be sure that all captures will be clean kills."

This is probably UK though

http://www.nationalgamekeepers.org.uk/medi...um08_p38-39.pdf

[red dog 3]

i try to check a couple of times a day if possible, the reason for this a trap that has caught or missed fired is not working, and to me that's the reason i trap & snare there there working 24 hrs a day.

[Guest JohnGalway]

Thanks for the replies & advice guys and that link JB interesting reading

 

OK, based on all this I'm going to go as per live catch and check them minimum of once a day and twice when work/life permits. It's good to ask questions

 

I appreciate the time taken to answer

 

ATB,

 

John

[Phil Lloyd 10,740]

Good to hear you taking such a responsible attitude towards the trapping game....

 

All the best,...CHALKWARREN....

Edited September 2, 2008 by CHALKWARREN

[Guest JohnGalway]

Alrighty, think I'm straight on it now CW.

 

I'm sure I'll be back with more questions And as a favour could anyone with even rusty medical knowledge bone up on how to reattach a finger using only a first aid kit, super glue, and neurofen + as anasthetic

 

I may need it in a hurry!

[snareman 3]

Good to hear you taking such a responsible attitude towards the trapping game....

 

All the best,...CHALKWARREN....

they have to be checked every day.

[Guest JohnGalway]

they have to be checked every day.

 

Will do

[Jim Grant 4]

We have been working hard, up a down the river, getting rid of the mink. I personally carry a .22 air pistol to administer the dirty deed if it is needed.

We have found using rafts attached to the bank work much better than tunnels on the bank. The little darlings are so bloody noisy they can't ignore them. You can set some bait on some smoothed sand and that way find out what is coming, if anything (not trap deployed).

Over here we are obliged to use a Mk VI Fenn inside a tunnel for mink, don't know what you need in ROI. We also attach a notice to the top of the tunnel stating that it is legal and for trapping wild mink only.