Fenn mk4 set vertical

[30-6]

In my quest to help a smallholding with squirrel / rat / rabbit raiding the fruit bushes, I've had 2 squirrel, 2 rat in the fenns, 1 hedgehog in the live catch and shot 1 rabbit.

 

I have had 1 squirrel in horizontal tunnel and 1 in a top entry, near to floor level, but mice are taking the peanut bait before the squirrel can get them.

 

I have now made a vertical tunnel with the fenn screwed to the back so it will sit on the tree trunk ( like a kania does ) with a bait box above, and hope mice don't climb vertically.

 

Has anyone tried this setup with a fenn ?

[Fisheruk]

Mice do climb vertically

[moondoggy]

Surely the lack of gravity on the plate will affect its performance.

[Walker570]

As they say , the proof of the pudding I'll try anything. Saw one of these metal box type traps which strap on a tree with bottom access and Fenn on a platform inside, side access door to place trap and bait, works great. Not difficult to make one yourself.

 

I have seen mice run up a brick faced wall. The little boogers can get anywhere unless sealed almost air tight.

[30-6]

The trigger plate seems to hold OK and with the inside dimensions of the tunnel to allow the trap to operate, I have screwed on a small piece of wood to the plate so hoping the squirrel will bump it as it passes through. The dimensions are such that there is about 5mm clearance for the jaws when fired.

 

The front and sides comes off as one to allow the setting of the trap which is attached to the back, and the roof comes off revealing a hollow square compartment which will be filled with nuts and has a mesh bottom so the nuts can be seen from inside.

 

All is fixed together with easy remove by hand screws and will be fixed to tree trunk by hanging on a chain and strapped.

 

I'm hoping that I can hang it off a small branch with nothing except a vertical trunk below, and a couple of feet up.

[Prospero]

Buy a bodygrip.

[UKPoacher]

Buy a bodygrip.

Yep.

 

The Fenn and Springer traps work on the animal's weight displacing the treddle and springing the trap. If you set it vertically you are relying on the animal displacing the treddle by pushing against it sideways. That would be difficult to arrange IMO. The Bodygrip can be set vertically and horizontally as the trigger can be displaced in any plane, not just one. They are perfect for squirrels in 110 or 116 sizes. Get them from Ratbait.co.uk

 

You can also get a mounting plate for the Bodygrip that allows you to securely fix it to a tree or shed wall, but it should be covered by a box or tunnel made from wood, mesh or plastic for example, to reduce the risk of the trap catching non-target species.

[Walker570]

A friend has a squirrel trap he purchased off the web. It is a box about 10 inches square the underside has an opening close to the tree and the internal floor is weld mesh.

The Fenn sits on this floor and is accessible by a door which hinges on one side . The whole thing straps to the tree with a ratchet strap. He baits it by smearing peanut butter on the grill floor and the trap plate. He had nine squirrels in a week. If you have access to a welder and some bits of metal plate, they are pretty easy to make and as soon as this shooting season ends and I have time I am going to weld a couple up for my wood.

[anser2]

30-6 this works very well for me taking 50+ squirrels each spring.

 

Get a 5 gal plastic drum cut a 10 inch square hole in one side and a 1 inch hole in the other. Secure the drun about 3-4 feet up a tree trunk or in a bush with the entrance close to the trunk so the squirrel can gain easy assess. Be being 3 - 4 feet up its high enough to stop pheasants getting access , but do not place it higher than 4 feet or owls may enter the box ( owls will reduce your rodent damage ). Put 6 inches of wheat in the drum and place an unset fen trap just under the wheat. Attach 4 feet of light chain ( you can use heavy duty string , but there is a risk a squirrel may chew through it or a fox carrying away the squirrel , plus trap) to the fen trap and secure it to the tree via the one inch hole in the drum with plenty of slack. Wait until you know the squirrels are entering the drum before setting the trap. With so much corn in the trap it does not matter if the mice do eat some as plenty left and its a lot cheaper than peanuts. Do not forget to have a stout stick to kill any squirrels still alive. A very cheap and time saving trap that had accounted for 100s of squrirrels in my woods over the last 20 years. Very little by catch in that time, a few wood mice ( how the hell wood mice manage to trip a fen trap I do not know but they can) a couple of jays and 2 jackdaws..

[30-6]

Never thought of a body grip.

 

Some good ideas passed on here. I never thought of a vertical tunnel entrance with a separate compartment so the trap sits as normal.

 

I'll keep trying with my design out of curiosity over the winter, with a couple of tweaks as needed to it.

 

Did have another in the top entry one and all have been caught exactly around the kneck from this design. Being up on the trunk does seem to deter the mice, and covering the entrance with twigs and leaves stop our little feathered friends from getting in.