trapping

[magman]

Had a meeting with the DIY shoot yesterday and made a point that we need to do more on the vermin side , more Larson , ladder and fenn traps only to be told there to much trouble :blink:

biggest objection from an ex keeper im confused .com .

Should i be they work 24 hrs a day and when checked morning and night can be very effective or am i missing something

Be good to hear your thoughts

[OCD]

Maybe thats why he's an ex keeper?

[.philmypower.]

Rob I think his objection was more along with the fact that it would be difficult to check them every day and night as every one works. I agree with what your saying and think its a good idea but I personally couldn't check them every day, the only way I could see it working is if we had a rota, taking it in turns, but some people live a little too far away.

[scolopax]

If you have purely put and take reared bird shoot the effort is probably not worth it. The costs in time and fuel etc checking traps could be put better put into buying more poults or feed.

 

I enjoy running a trap line and doing some all round vermin control but we have a few pairs of wild grey partridge that need all the help they can get. I also have plenty of free time and can combine checking a dozen fenn traps with the morning dog walk.

 

[hillmouse]

Admirable sentiment to control the smaller predators and run a trap line, however the golden rule is,

 

"If you cannot check it, don't set it"

 

This might be the reasoning of the keeper. Just a thought.

[Paul223]

i think the point was if we were to miss a day and someone who had clocked the trap and is watching it and were to report it without water or whatever then we will be in real trouble, the guy was saying that in areas which have public going through them (pretty much all of our shoot) they are not a good idea, and lets be fair if i do the trapping that'll be fine but it'll burn my time up, can we trust other members of the shoot to do the same, every day?

 

personally i think a few in selected places will be fine, thats why were going to run a larsen at 2 possibly 3 sites, one of which i counted over 14 magpies the other day!

[pboro shot]

is there not a local keeper/freind etc who could just run the traps for you we check traps for a few local shoots its not very expensive at all if you can find someone local

[Alycidon]

Suggest you buy a couple of Larsens, run them from about mid March weather permitting to the end of July. You will catch 50% of your bag within the first few weeks, then have a lull, then start catching youngsters of the year as they move into your patch.

 

Suggest start in the middle of the shoot and work outwards. 14 maggies in one spot need sorting soon.

 

A

[Paul223]

the 14 magpies in one spot is just off the edge of our shoot, i usually run a larsen there at this time of year for a few months with great success, it's always a haven for magpies and always will be due to a sewage works!, to be fair the farmer will check the trap twice daily for me and i know he is very reliable.