A Larsen trap is an extremely visible form of pest control but using one needs be done correctly. A passer-by who spots a dirty Larsen trap with a dejected-looking calling bird (decoy), standing on a heap of splattered droppings and flyblown carcass remains is not going to come away with…
Traps
New laws on trapping – keepers must tread carefully
It will soon be illegal to use a Fenn trap to catch a stoat, but where are we in our quest for its replacement? The list of traps we now have at our disposal is on the Government website for all to see. These traps have been through rigorous testing…
Don’t fall foul of the new trapping laws
Trapping laws and predator control The first days of March have brought respite from the winter storms. Rain and wind seems to have lashed the estate for an eternity and the very thought of spring seems weeks away, but this can suddenly change. The days are stretching out and two…
What traps will you use when the Fenn is no longer legal?
Keepers who have not already started changing are now giving serious consideration as to what trap they are to use next year when the Fenn is no longer legal. It is fair to say they are far from happy with the process that to date has left them with the…
How to set cage traps for rabbits
A reader asked a question regarding rabbit traps: I have been given some cage traps by a farmer friend, but the only things I have caught have been birds and hedgehogs (all of which were released unharmed). How and what is the best way to set this type of trap? Professional…
How to control magpies without Larsen traps
Question: I am not able to operate Larsen traps on my shoot as I can’t check them daily, so I do my best to control the magpies by shooting birds flushed from nests. Do both sexes incubate the eggs, or am I only culling the females? David Tomlinson, highly regarded writer…
DOC trap
The DOC trap was designed by the New Zealand Department Of Conservation (DOC) for trapping non native species such as possums. The traps are available in the UK but have to be purchased with, and fitted into the trap box. The DOC 100 is ideal for smaller ground predators like stoats, squirrels…
Court dismisses RSPB covert surveillance case as abuse of process
Magistrates at Northallerton have dismissed a case brought by the RSPB alleging misuse of a cage trap by a grousemoor keeper on the grounds that the way the charity carried out its investigations amounted to an abuse of process and denied the defendant the prospect of a fair trial. The court held…
Don’t let secret camera fears derail crucial corvid trap study, says GWCT
Potential participants in an important corvid trap study in Scotland shouldn’t be put off by fears of covert surveillance, the Scottish government forensics laboratory Science & Advice for Scottish Agriculture (SASA) and Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT) have said. The study, which looks at how and where traps are…
Gamekeeping: Ground predators
Cunning and fieldcraft will catch more predators than hundreds of traps alone
Gamekeeper guilty of recklessness with trap
A 26 year-old gamekeeper has been convicted of reckless trapping on the Swinton Estate
Environment secretary criticised for trapping squirrels
Animal Aid and other animal rights groups have criticised the environment secretary for trapping squirrels at his home near Shrewsbury, in Shropshire.
Will a non-local bird in my Larsen Trap attract more crows?
This past spring I caught no fewer than 35 carrion crows in a single Larsen trap. In previous years the totals for this same trap have only been in single figures.
Corvid control – Gamekeeper
Corvid control - Gamekeeper: Corvid control with Larsen traps is a good example of sustainable activity.
What trap can I set overnight to catch a lost ferret?
Can you recommend a make of live cage trap to leave set overnight to catch a lost ferret? How's it best used?
Trap-ease artistry
Springtime calls for a clearout — Liam Bell offers advice on how to get the better of the smaller pests that plague your shoot
Using Larsen traps
Q) Can you explain why I have little success with my Larsen traps in the autumn and winter? I have one with a magpie and the other with a crow on my smallholding. There are plenty of magpies and crows in the area, but they seem reluctant to be caught.…