Feral Cats

[squintshot]

Does anyone know about the legallities of snaring feral cats??

 

We have one that comes in to my work to scavenge the bins and has a habit of excreting everywhere we know where it comes in and out but can't block this hole. It's a dangerous shot so not an option.

 

 

Cheer

Squint

[pete evans]

why not try a cage trap then take it to somwhere that is safe to get rid of it.

 

pete

[squintshot]

The cage traps that are on the estate are in use so would need to get more sharpish. Snares are to hand!!

 

IT managers is raging the thing go it to the server room and crapped everywhere!!

 

 

Squint

[Devilishdave]

Snairing is going to be a bit of a grim **** death. shoot it or use a humane trap

 

 

 

BODYGRIP TRAPS

 

Animal trapping is an emotive subject. All trappers, be they pest controllers, gamekeepers or estate managers, must ensure their operations are carried out in strict accordance with current legal guidelines. Today's society has little room for gratuitous, avoidable cruelty, especially where wildlife is concerned.

 

BMI MAGNUM 'Bodygrip' traps are the end result of many years continuous development. Lightweight and compact, a box containing twelve 110 size traps measures only 18Omm x 18Omm x 23Omm and weighs a mere 10lbs. The design suits a wide variety of pest control situations. It is widely accepted in the USA that the MAGNUM series are the fastest humane killing production 'bodygrip' traps.

 

Every BMI MAGNUM 'Bodygrip' trap features a four way trigger which fires the trap when an animal pushes the trigger from any direction, including the side. The shape of the flexible trigger wires can be simply changed, altering the strike area to suit individual circumstances. The more experienced in their use you become the more you will see their potential.

 

Ministry approval for use in the UK was granted in September 1995. The #55 is approved for mice and rats; the #110 for mice, rat, weasel, stoat and grey squirrel and the #116 for these plus rabbit and mink.

 

All spring traps in the UK must be set within a natural or artificial tunnel, properly positioned and shielded against non-target species. We think traps should be checked twice a day for maximum effectiveness. The side spring system of the 'bodygrip' trap means you can see if it has fired without approaching too close and possibly disturbing the 'set'.

 

BMI MAGNUM'Bodygrip' traps are available from various distributors or in difficulty direct from us at the following prices. #55 and #110 @ £6.85 each: #116 @ £7.92 each: plus carriage of 1-3 traps £3.00, 4-6 traps £4.50 and 6-1 1 traps £5.50, 12 traps and over free carriage. All prices include VAT.

 

Also available is'BODYGRIP BASICS' A video we produced especially to show the use of bodygrip traps in the UK. It contains about 40 minutes of essential, invaluable expert advice on how to set and be successful with the bodygrip trap. It shows proven legal sets and actual catches of squirrel, mink, rabbit and stoat. Available from us at £14.95 each, including post and packing and VAT.

 

 

ADRIAN RIDDLE tests what looks likely to be a useful new piece of equipment to add to the keepers armoury

 

The new BMI Bodygrip traps are, in my opinion, an excellent addition to the keeper's repertoire. I was asked to trial some by the importers soon after their approval in the Spring traps Approval Order 1995. There are millions of these traps in use in North America, Canada and various Scandinavian countries, yet it still took nearly two years for scientists and ministers to approve them for use in England and Wales (and I am still unsure if they have been approved for Scotland).

 

Rather than relying on an animal to step onto a plate as in the Fenn type traps, the Bodygrip has a trigger to release the spring, which in this case is of a hairpin type. The trigger is situated in the centre of the trap, in profile an upright, narrow'X' shape which closes in a butterfly action so that in an empty trap the bars of the 'X' become horizontal. Any catch therefore is positive because the victim is actually in the trap when it 'fires', so there is no chance of foul catching. This is an important consideration, especially in the light of the McFall Bill.

 

 

There is no excuse for having an animal (no matter what kind of vermin) dancing about in a trap on the end of a chain, waiting to be discovered by the first passer-by. These traps have springs strong enough to make death virtually instantaneous. I nearly gave up trapping altogether when a trap shut on two fingers (it was painful enough to make me dash to the toilet before I had another ,accident!).

 

The trap, seen from the victim's viewpoint is simply a hole roughly 12Omm square with a trigger in the centre. The trigger, made of two wire L's in the shape of a triangle, can be baited or disguised as a twig by sliding on a piece of dead nettle stalk or elder. The sensitivity of this trigger can be adjusted by gently pushing it with a twig until it rocks backwards and forwards with case. Naturally the twig should be long enough to keep your fingers out of the trap if you should push too far! Movement of the trigger releases the catch holding the two 'halves' of the trap together. Believe me, these traps are powerful, yet they are very light and compact to carry, being constructed basically from 5mm steel bar. There is also no safety catch.

 

I found the fine trigger setting was too sensitive when used in baited tunnels on the ground - I caught two mice to start with. Since then, rats, squirrels and a big dog mink have fallen prey to the traps. The mink was stone dead, in the tunnel, something I never achieved with a Mk 6 Fenn, which convinces me that the Bodygrip is a humane trap.

 

The setting of the trap seems a bit fiddly at first but as with anything new, the knack is achieved with practice. I think for anyone trying these traps out, it is well worth getting someone to show you the easiest method. I well remember a YTS lad I once had, shouting for help halfway through setting a Mk 6 Fenn (Ed - Our photographer had no problem with the Bodygrip, and all fingers are still present).

 

The traps are not self- supporting and therefore need to be stabilised, and there are several methods of doing this. A metal stabiliser which is pushed into the ground can be supplied, but I found that four nails, in two pairs, in a piece of wood and bent outwards were ideal for closing the trap onto.

 

Alternatively, two 12-25mm diameter pegs driven into the ground making a wide 'V' are suitable for resting it on. The tunnels present the biggest problem because the spring operates horizontally outwards, seen from above a narrow 'V' to a wide 'V' when sprung. Obviously to allow the trap to be placed in a standard tunnel, there will have to be a 'T' shape cut out. This isn't as difficult as it sounds, unless you have stone tunnels, and I have had success using tunnels made from wire netting and weldmesh which are easy to make and disguise in situ'.

 

Some of my baited tunnels were raided by a badger, so to avoid any further problems I set a trap on a pole going over the release pen fence where squirrels often climbed over to raid a food hopper. Sure enough, a couple of days later the trap was hanging down with its victim. I admit that it is a bit of a fiddle to set a trap inside a tunnel already stapled to a pole, but I didn't have to worry about catching a badger. The traps seem quite versatile even though we have to use them in tunnels, something fur trappers don't have to consider

.

Phil Lloyd and Robin Tarrant, who introduced the traps to this country, are hoping to produce lightweight plastic tunnels which I think would be popular (and easy to operate). I don't think that I will be throwing my Fenns away, but I will definitely be ordering some more Bodygrips. Prices, I understand, will be on a par with the Fenn and Spring traps.

 

For other details of BMI Magnum 110 Bodygrip Traps, contact;

 

Magnum trap Co

PO BOX 372

Southampton

HAMPSHIRE SO14 0TA

Tel 023 8058 5421

FAX 023 8055 0476

 

This is from an original article by ADRIAN RIDDLE taken from "GAMEKEEPER" Magazine. I had to change the original format of the article to suit presentation on the internet.

 

Dont know if that would be of any use to you alternatively put down **** loads of peper whare it is coming in to keep it out

 

Dave

[henry d]

make sure its feral 1st :o then give it one from me

[millo2]

Snairing is going to be a bit of a grim **** death. shoot it or use a humane trap

Snaring doesnt have to kill it if you use the right snares, they can then be dispatched properly

[Cranfield]

We had similar problems and had to call in a Pest Control Company with cages.

 

Be very wary of doing anything dodgy, like snaring, poisons etc.

You may think its a nuisance, but there is a good chance that some employees might be feeding the cat (why else does it hang around ?).

They could contact the Authorities if they think something bad has happened to it.

 

When we brought the Pest Control people in, we gave employees two weeks to catch any cats they wanted and take them home.

We also posted notices in local shops and warned that any cats without collars, would be removed.

All this was almost 20 years ago.

Things are more PC/Animal Welfare now, so be very careful.

[Roger_Rabbit]

Without knowing who your employer is (that's NOT a question) surely they can afford a reputable Pest Control company ?? :o

 

As Cranfield states his experience of 20 years ago my company did almost the same procedure 3 months ago, no notices in the local shops as we are 3 miles away from the nearest house. A dead and rotting feral in a pipe under the canteen floor prompted the action.

 

Rentokill live trapped 5 including 2 kittens in 3 days.

 

Snaring will be classed as illegal if the police find out as you are targeting a domestic animal, the onus is on you to prove it's feral and ANY person can claim it's their little Pussey :*) :*)

 

The same rules apply if a shot was an option.

 

The Magnums would be highly dubious (and expensive) in the circumstances.

 

Best of luck Squint, not very pleasant to the nasal passages

[henry d]

my tuppence worth,I used to set fox snares on land I had permission (250 acres)and I knew all the cats in the area (2) in one year using 20 sites we snared 4 foxes and 6 cats,all of which were feral and sorted out immediately,then buried in known locations.We also shot a further 4 cats,and when speaking to the nearest keeper he said he`d seen a van pull up at the end of the glen and in the 2 mins he took to get his boots on the van had turned around and set off again next day he had 3 cats in snares and shot 6 cats in the week following,all of varying ages.It`s taken nearly 3 years to sort this problem outas the b*&^£rs can breed.last year my pal shot 2 and missed another he`d seen with them,all this whilst ferreting.In my opinion they are worse than all other vermin clever,agile and prolific.TERMINATE WITH EXTREME PREJUDICE :<

[napier]

just take a 22 out and shoot them