Checking traps

[mudman]

I’ve not set any traps for a few years now, although I did enjoy checking my short line of 7 or 8 tunnel traps daily, life got in the way and daily visits to the shoot were not practical

But now I read that ‘Kill’ traps, ie DOC or even Fenns do not need checking daily. It is best practice but not a legal requirement. This comes about from the. RSPB stoat eradication project on the Orkneys, where they admit some traps are not checked for weeks on end.

To be honest I caught mainly Rats and Grey Squirrels, but the squirrels were liable to mis catch by the leg (especially if baited) so I think I still will not run any traps unless I can commit to daily checks. Or buy some DOC’s, they do not seems to take any prisoners!

 

[arron]

Fenn need checking daily , I believe that DOC and the WCS traps is not a legal requirement to check daily , that's my understanding of the legislation , I do daily checks on all mine though ,

 

[lochty]

If you're using DOC traps, be very careful. You are correct that they don't take prisoners, especially with fingers. Couple of my mates have been badly caught out (no pun intended)

 

[Cheviot]

called in to game&country and purchased some DOC 150 and the guy said you don't have to check them daily
i will check them daily don't want to be taking rotten dead things out of one them

 

[VSS]

Regardless of what the latest guidelines are for the various types of trap, I would consider it irresponsible not to check daily.

 

[Rhodesianjess]

If you set in tunnels and you have badgers about, they'll soon relieve you of trap and catch! Can work out costly, losing Fenns not fun.
I've had old Brock snap chains and elongate the ring on the end of the chain where you peg down,at least old Charlie leaves you the trap.
Best check daily or set out of Brock's reach.

 

[willowbank]

Regardless of what the latest guidelines are for the various types of trap, I would consider it irresponsible not to check daily.

Found, after many years operating Larsens, it’s best to check late evening
a) prevents Charlie grabbing a leg and hauling the bird through the wall (wire net or weldmesh)
b) best time for catching is first hours of daylight… empty catching sections

When first setting up for a call bird, put the Larsen out after dark, I use hard boiled white chicken eggs as bait in a nest made up of nearby dead grass with a handful of fresh leaves added. Never had too much delay in catching a call bird, obviously it needs to be taken some distance to be of any use or swapped with a mates call bird.

Something I also do is mark the two ‘facing’ ends of each of the two paired up parts of the collapsing perches with an arrow… saves time trying to marry up the correct ends for a secure fit that’s not going to collapse as soon as you’re gone, leaving the trap sprung.

Sufficient water is much more important than food, I use dog food in jelly fed in the frog of a house brick….not gravy, found it messy and too wasteful.

Willowbank

 

[bambislayer]

https://www.gwct.org.uk/media/1138659/hints-and-tips-for-using-doc-traps-in-the-uk-2024.pdf

 

[shakey jake]

I tried to research this "law"
There is reference to a certain trap i think for hares that needs checking daily, as far as i am aware no law on checking fen traps daily exist.
Its in all the codes of best practice and you could be liable if yoy cause suffering.
Since the new traps doc and the like have to be used in a way that almost excludes non lethal catch the best practice has changed.
Since fenns cant be set where there is the chance of catching a stoat i now only use cage traps and check daily or simple break backs that dont require checking ever but bpca code says every 7 days

 

[Greenmist]

as far as i am aware no law on checking fen traps daily exist.

This is correct, I was surprised by it as well, only had it confirmed while doing a squirrel control course last year, I'll still continue to check mine daily though, you can't catch something if it already has a body in it, I remember catching two squirrels a day in fenns and sometimes three magpies a day in larsens

 

[Rhodesianjess]

Found, after many years operating Larsens, it’s best to check late evening
a) prevents Charlie grabbing a leg and hauling the bird through the wall (wire net or weldmesh)
b) best time for catching is first hours of daylight… empty catching sections

When first setting up for a call bird, put the Larsen out after dark, I use hard boiled white chicken eggs as bait in a nest made up of nearby dead grass with a handful of fresh leaves added. Never had too much delay in catching a call bird, obviously it needs to be taken some distance to be of any use or swapped with a mates call bird.

Something I also do is mark the two ‘facing’ ends of each of the two paired up parts of the collapsing perches with an arrow… saves time trying to marry up the correct ends for a secure fit that’s not going to collapse as soon as you’re gone, leaving the trap sprung.

Sufficient water is much more important than food, I use dog food in jelly fed in the frog of a house brick….not gravy, found it messy and too wasteful.

Willowbank

Re collapsing perches - use a dowel the total length of the 2 perch halves,put a screw in an inch from the end. The screw will hold the door open and move downwards with very little pressure. Save the swearing as the perch collapses when you're walking back to the Gator and you've got to reset in the darkness

 

[Drum123]

Regardless of what the latest guidelines are for the various types of trap, I would consider it irresponsible not to check daily.

In an ideal world , what happens if you're running 600 + ?

 

[Bo Diddley]

In an ideal world , what happens if you're running 600 + ?

Jesus, that's a lot of traps. A mate runs 200 - 250 Fenns, and 16 Larsens, + a few other bits, he often has a fair old tub of dead critters in the buggy... You must need a trailer running 600+

 

[Drum123]

Jesus, that's a lot of traps. A mate runs 200 - 250 Fenns, and 16 Larsens, + a few other bits, he often has a fair old tub of dead critters in the buggy... You must need a trailer running 600+

Absolutely not . We are a big area , surrounded by more big areas as equally intensively trapped. We don't run that many traps because there's lots too catch we do it to keep the numbers down so there isn't lots to catch.
Wild game and lots of litters of stoats don't go hand in hand .

 

[Bo Diddley]

Absolutely not . We are a big area , surrounded by more big areas as equally intensively trapped. We don't run that many traps because there's lots too catch we do it to keep the numbers down so there isn't lots to catch.
Wild game and lots of litters of stoats don't go hand in hand .

Sounds like you are all on top of your game then

 

[jall55]

In an ideal world , what happens if you're running 600 + ?

Wow - thats serious - good on you

How often would you check them - is it a case of checking a trap run a day of a couple of hundred or so ?
Is there quite a few of you at it too ?

 

[Ratel]

When I started on a partridge beat I set 100 traps in tunnels, 50 snares and three larssens. I checked as I walked my beat twice a day. I would never at any time not check a trap at least once a day.

 

[Drum123]

Wow - thats serious - good on you

How often would you check them - is it a case of checking a trap run a day of a couple of hundred or so ?
Is there quite a few of you at it too ?

You realise which lines warrant checking regularly and which lines catch very infrequently. It's all about time management.
The Docs and Tully's are technically kill traps so you're not supposed get toe caught , 'inhumane' caught animals like in mk 4's .

 

[Siggy]

Legally you only need to check rabbit and hare traps daily. Protection of Animals Act 1911 (Section 9)
However Animal Welfare Acts (2006) require regular inspections to prevent unnecessary suffering - so you would have to justify not checking daily if some anti found a leg trapped animal before you did.

 

[Smellydog]

That aside, a trap with a cadaver in it for a couple of days means you have missed a chance to catch it's best buddy!