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Squirrel trapping time again...is it a sin?

Storcky said:
Not putting a downer on your trapping but can it be a little non-selective…..?
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Hi Storky, I'm in Norfolk and we have no Reds anywhere near us, I'm not even sure if there are any left in Thetford Forest, I do know that the FC has given up on controlling greys.
I sometimes pick up a rat or two, but not many, and the hole size excludes hedgehogs, I never set the traps fine either so it would take a helluva heavy Blue Tit or Robin to ever set one off..
Stoats have taken a dramatic downturn as we have no rabbits to speak of either.. weasels are too light to trip them as well with how heavy I set them.
 
william bonny said:
Hi Storky, I'm in Norfolk and we have no Reds anywhere near us, I'm not even sure if there are any left in Thetford Forest, I do know that the FC has given up on controlling greys.
I sometimes pick up a rat or two, but not many, and the hole size excludes hedgehogs, I never set the traps fine either so it would take a helluva heavy Blue Tit or Robin to ever set one off..
Stoats have taken a dramatic downturn as we have no rabbits to speak of either.. weasels are too light to trip them as well with how heavy I set them.
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Thank you for that thorough explanation WB, knew you wouldn’t have any reds to be concerned about but was wondering about the other wildlife that could inadvertently get into trap.
👍
 
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@william bonny
Here you go mate .
The lid needs screwing down to stop badgers from taking advantage and goes with out saying ,site away from footpaths .
He has another method which involves a similar set up to yours but has an indicator to tell when it’s tripped .
Pm me a number if you want a short vid he’s sent to explain the latter method .Pre baiting is the key for any squirrel campaign .
 

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william bonny said:
Traps are more efficient at clearing squirrels I believe, although not as much fun as shooting and not as humane as a shot to the head, with traps like the MK4 Fenn.....
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I've yet to see any real evidence of that. They are certainly not more efficient than shooting in terms of numbers or the time spent checking them. Nonetheless, they form a crucial part of an holistic approach and can be very effective if shooting is problematic in some contexts and spaces. (y) . People thinking about trapping should read the law and best-practice guides which give advice on how to try to ensure that only the intended quarry get in there (tunnel entrances etc).

Most volunteers simply dont have the time to check traps twice a day if they have a day job - so its a non-starter in many cases. Some places cant use lethal traps (because of reds in the area) and new evidence suggests live-traps should also not be used in those contexts (as it stresses out the reds and means they wont breed). But good numbers can certainly be had, and coupled to air rifles and shotgun drey poking such holistic approaches can be very useful, (y)

Personally I prefer to shoot them not due to enjoyment - but efficacy.
 
Dr B said:
I've yet to see any real evidence of that. They are certainly not more efficient than shooting in terms of numbers or the time spent checking them. Nonetheless, they form a crucial part of an holistic approach and can be very effective if shooting is problematic in some contexts and spaces. (y) . People thinking about trapping should read the law and best-practice guides which give advice on how to try to ensure that only the intended quarry get in there (tunnel entrances etc).

Most volunteers simply dont have the time to check traps twice a day if they have a day job - so its a non-starter in many cases. Some places cant use lethal traps (because of reds in the area) and new evidence suggests live-traps should also not be used in those contexts (as it stresses out the reds and means they wont breed). But good numbers can certainly be had, and coupled to air rifles and shotgun drey poking such holistic approaches can be very useful, (y)

Personally I prefer to shoot them not due to enjoyment - but efficacy.
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Hi Dr B,
Do you know if there are any Reds left in Norfolk at all? I've lived here all my life pretty much and never seen one, but when I was young and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed myself you occasionally heard talk of Reds in Thetford Forest, but I think it was all wishful thinking.

While I have the time to check twice daily I run a few traps, I am going around in the Gator feeding the pheasants and it's the most efficient method for me at the minute, it takes but a few seconds to check each trap... but my helper has a better nose for the job than I do and she has generally checked them over by the time I am out of the Gator... tally was another 8 today, 5 yesterday.

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squirreldropper said:
View attachment 383163View attachment 383164
@william bonny
Here you go mate .
The lid needs screwing down to stop badgers from taking advantage and goes with out saying ,site away from footpaths .
He has another method which involves a similar set up to yours but has an indicator to tell when it’s tripped .
Pm me a number if you want a short vid he’s sent to explain the latter method .Pre baiting is the key for any squirrel campaign .
Click to expand...
Thanks Storky looks interesting, I like the boxes on the tree. I had another 8 today, all caught perfectly around the head/shoulders and body.
 
rizla1 said:
Them boxes look good, they should be ok for me to use around the chicken sheds fir the rats, any chance of some photos and dimentions please 👍
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I'll do a sketch when I get back in tonight, just going out again to get up a high seat over a bait station (y)
 
rizla1 said:
that be great, thank you 👍
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Here you go @rizla1 ,
Not much to say about the boxes, but the dimensions are all about the trap you use, so the internal dimensions are the important ones.
For a MK4 Fenn, the internal width is 7" and 6" in height, and the box lengths are a minimum of 20", I like it at least that long so a dead squirrel usually stays hidden inside. The hole diameter is about 70mm across max, which stops hedgehogs from getting in.
I screw a couple of scrap bits of batten inside either side of the trap to form a pocket which Ifill with wheat to place the trap on.
The picture below is a MK6 Fenn trap which is bigger. They look rough as hell, but do the job, and blend in when they weather a bit, just made out of anything I can get for nothing...
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william bonny said:
Here you go @rizla1 ,
Not much to say about the boxes, but the dimensions are all about the trap you use, so the internal dimensions are the important ones.
For a MK4 Fenn, the internal width is 7" and 6" in height, and the box lengths are a minimum of 20", I like it at least that long so a dead squirrel usually stays hidden inside. The hole diameter is about 70mm across max, which stops hedgehogs from getting in.
I screw a couple of scrap bits of batten inside either side of the trap to form a pocket which Ifill with wheat to place the trap on.
The picture below is a MK6 Fenn trap which is bigger. They look rough as hell, but do the job, and blend in when they weather a bit, just made out of anything I can get for nothing...
View attachment 384668
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thanks mate, i use the mk4 for the ratsĺ
 
squirreldropper said:
Has anyone made or used the multi catch trap boxes .Mate of mine catches 4 at a time in fens that way .
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I've seen pictures of multi catch done differently to yours, basically all side by side, holes in the top, with a ledge inside then the trap below, the fella said he'd done it that way to stop buzzards from reaching in, easier to handle being long and thin.
If I can find a picture I'll post it
 
Mice! said:
And you weren't sat in the cold 💪
@Goldfish does a bit of trapping 😉
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Yep, exactly Mice, there is only so much cold a man can take... I'll be sitting up in a high seat tomorrow night waiting for a fox to come onto the bait station :eek:, it's exposed as well with the wind from the North.. then Friday night I'm getting out on the rats with the nephew... Saturday I'm beating on a local shoot... I need to retire so I have more time for the enjoyable things in life :)
 
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