Snaring Course

Gazza

Well-Known Member
Just returned home after completing a snaring course being run by the Game Conservancy and Wildlife Trust and a very well run event it was.

But where does this lead us. Very good steps have been taken to ensure the welfare of the target species when restrained in the snare and much has been achieved through design and use of snares to avoid capture and/or injury to non target species. Being made aware of these advances and putting them into practice is to the benefit of all who use snares. What I am wary of is being held responsible for the snares I deploy. I am in no way afraid of being held responsible for what I do but by law I only have to check my snares once in every 24 hours. This may take a few minutes but what about what is happening in the other 23+ hours. What mischief could a person with an anti snaring mind set place at my doorstep.
The lecturer himself spoke of one of his snares having been tampered with and a dead fox placed in the snare. Investigation showed that this fox had a fractured skull. Where will the balance of evidence lie?

Many people have now completed this course but a few long term trappers have decided to call it a day. I don't entirely blame them thinking that way. No doubt like all legislation the law abiding will take heed and the criminal element will continue in their ways.
 
+1 on what Gazza says in this post, All it will take is an anti to bait up the snare and phone it in! this could lead to some hassle and explaining to do for the person setting the snare legit!
 
[Honestly I think they have had their day. There is no getting away from the fact that holding even the target species by the neck for up to 24 hours is in any way humane. Despite the fact they are 'legal' to use I can see you falling foul of laws regarding the causing of unnecessary suffering.]
 
[Honestly I think they have had their day. There is no getting away from the fact that holding even the target species by the neck for up to 24 hours is in any way humane. Despite the fact they are 'legal' to use I can see you falling foul of laws regarding the causing of unnecessary suffering.]

Doesn`t stop the fact that they are the best tool for a lot of jobs,,

Divided we fall. etc etc etc,,,
 
Rake Aboot, Strangely enough it was held in your home county at Stenton.

Apache, Lets firstly look at the bodies who have supported snaring as a wildlife management tool. Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park, Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime, The Scottish Government, Scottish Countryside Alliance, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Forestry Commission Scotland, The British Deer Society, Scottish Natural Heritage, Veterinary Association for Wildlife Management, Britsih Pest Control Association, Scottish Crofting Foundation, NFU Scotland, The Heather Trust and Scottish Land & Estates - but you believe they (snares) have had their day.
There is little doubt that fox and rabbits need to be controlled. Even outwith game rearing the impact of the fox on farming must be addressed. There is a legal responsibility on landowners to control rabbits on their land. With the decline of rabbit populations in some areas it is fairly evident to those who can recall when rabbits were in good numbers the difference to crops. The properly constructed and used snare is a very effective and humane tool. The legislation requires snares to be checked within a 24 hour period of being set but in reality a good trapper will check his snares several times within that period.
Bottom line is that following stringent review involving consultation from many sources ,snares are legal, modern designs are very humane both to target and non target species, methods employed, training and legislation are ensuring humane operation. Designs are continuing to be developed (saw one today with a soft plastic material covering the snare loop to avoid risk of injury to the restrained animal).
I have used snares regularly and can honestly say that they are an excellent tool that allows effective and humane control of fox and rabbit. No foxes I have snared are running around with non fatal shot wounds.
 
I am familiar with the arguments. I still think as a shooting community we would be better without them. Even checked every 8 hours I wouldn't want my dog restrained by her neck. We've all experienced the physiological panic when we are trapped - the rapid heart rate and sick feeling in the stomach.

People badly shooting foxes (or rabbits) is no excuse. Just because we have been doing something for a long time doesn't automatically make it right.

The end does not justify the means, in my opinion.

[bit like when BASC got a lot of flack for supporting the ban on cages for pheasants, what could have been embraced as a positive by the shooting community was taken as a negative. How much better do we look putting animal welfare above all else?]
 
Have been setting snares both rabbit and fox for fifty years, now need to go on a course to do so , as I am approaching retirement I probably won't bother.

I also know plenty keepers with a lifetime experience in snaring who have as yet not done the course but they will need to, as snaring is one of the few tools still available to them.

While I appreciate Apache's concerns on animal welfare, anyone employed to protect game birds will find there job extremely difficult if not impossible to do with out the use of snares.

Unfortunately as we see in the news each year there are still those prepared to use poison, and illegal traps, snares will be no different there will still be those who use them who have not been on a course or in the event of them being banned as some would like.
.
 
I am familiar with the arguments. I still think as a shooting community we would be better without them. Even checked every 8 hours I wouldn't want my dog restrained by her neck. We've all experienced the physiological panic when we are trapped - the rapid heart rate and sick feeling in the stomach.

People badly shooting foxes (or rabbits) is no excuse. Just because we have been doing something for a long time doesn't automatically make it right.

The end does not justify the means, in my opinion.

[bit like when BASC got a lot of flack for supporting the ban on cages for pheasants, what could have been embraced as a positive by the shooting community was taken as a negative. How much better do we look putting animal welfare above all else?]

I wouldn't want my dog treated that way either... but people do have the right to control vermin somehow and unlimited resources are not actually available. If my dog behaved like vermin I'd have difficulty faulting anyone taking the steps necessary to protect their own legitimate interests.

Snares are not "nice"... but then killing anything is not ever going to be "nice"... it can be necessary though and limiting injury and pain is a good step in the right direction, we are not monsters and we do not wish to cause "unnecssary" suffering... ruling out fear (because that's how you anthropomorhise/perceive the situation) is going to be almost impossible, this does not mean that erradicating vermin should not be allowed, because that is the ultimate logical extension of your argument.

Unfortunately, as much as we hate it, there may also be "necessary suffering"... which we can and do try to limit, but that is all that is reasonably praticable.
 
[Honestly I think they have had their day. There is no getting away from the fact that holding even the target species by the neck for up to 24 hours is in any way humane. Despite the fact they are 'legal' to use I can see you falling foul of laws regarding the causing of unnecessary suffering.]
snares are valuble tools for fox and rabbit control , a keeper leaving the house at half four in the morning to check release pens and returning home at half ten to eleven at night cannot be expected to go out lamping to protect his poults , some grouse keepers with have ground too rough to lamp over . Lamping or sitting out for foxes is very useful but as we all know alot of foxes are lamp shy and if you consider fuel and man hours a lamped fox can prove very expencive , snares work 24 hours a day 365 days a year , they cover every out of the way place you cant reach , they catch your lamp shy foxes , they protect rare and endangered wildlife . 95 per cent of foxes are caught at night or very first light and keepers check their wires first thing . As shooting men its important we all stick together
 
snares are valuble tools for fox and rabbit control , a keeper leaving the house at half four in the morning to check release pens and returning home at half ten to eleven at night cannot be expected to go out lamping to protect his poults , some grouse keepers with have ground too rough to lamp over . Lamping or sitting out for foxes is very useful but as we all know alot of foxes are lamp shy and if you consider fuel and man hours a lamped fox can prove very expencive , snares work 24 hours a day 365 days a year , they cover every out of the way place you cant reach , they catch your lamp shy foxes , they protect rare and endangered wildlife . 95 per cent of foxes are caught at night or very first light and keepers check their wires first thing . As shooting men its important we all stick together

Well said trouble
 
Slightly off topic

I can't decide if worth me going for my snaring ticket or not, my question is

If for example on a DIY syndicate where other syndicate members check the birds sometimes is it legal for them to check the snares as well (And i realise that as my no is on the snares i am fully responsible for them)

With work and other commitments it's not practical to have snares set at other times other than release time when i am up shoot anything from 1 to 3 times a day so always gettin checked
 
I can see nothing specific in the legislation that makes it a legal requirement for the person checking the snare to have a snaring ticket. Section 11B (1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 states that the person who "sets a snare in a position must inspect it or cause it to be inspected" but in that once set, the sole responsibility of the operation of that snare lies with the person who set it, I do not believe that getting/permitting someone else to check your snares is in the "best practice" of running the snare. How would you ever be sure that your responsibilities are being properly carried out. If the snare had caught a fox or rabbit, the unqualified person could dispose of the animal but could not reset another snare nor could they move a snare to a better/different location.
 
Cheers i was led to believe by some others who had done the course it was a total no no.
I do realise not best practice and they would not be allowed to reset the snare, but that is not really a big problem as long as they can check it and humanely dispatch/release anything.
The snares are set fairly close to release pens which are looked twice a day while snares running so while i could never be 100% i would be very very upset if they hadnae looked them.
By the time others are checking snares/pens the birds are well up to roost anyway so could probably lift the snares as critical time is over

Just rtying to decide if it is even worth doing the course, i know a few keepers who have done the course and said they probably won't set a snare again, too much hassle
 
Back
Top