Cage Traps Up Trees?

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Right. Fair enough; Crazy notion! Or Is It???

 

Let me explain my reasoning, in brief: I'm innundated with badgers. OK? If I put down just about any (baited) trap on that bog? They'll come and wreck it. If I put an unbaited trap and catch something? They come and Steal it! And, I reckon, if I use a cage trap and catch something? There's yet a fair to middling chance those buggers will rip the damn cage apart, trying to get at poor old what ever I have in there. Not nice for my captive. A right pisser for me. Thirty quid up in the air.

 

So, how about I beat them to the punch and put the cage 'up in the air' first? Obviously, I'm not talking about clambering high into some bloody Ash tree and fastening a double entry mink cage! Give me Some credit! But I've been musing on my two 'Essex Multi Purpose' beauties. Seems a shame to have them just sitting there, going to waste.

 

So I was thinking: How about if I just hooked one to the side of a tree, just four foot up, say, with even a run up pole to the entrance? Yeah?

 

I'm figuring that a mink can climb trees like a squirrel anyway. We have no squirrels round here, that I know of. If we do, catching a Gray will suite me as well as a mink. But we do seem to have quite the proliferation of (Protected) Pine Marten though. My money's on me bagging either a mink or a marten. Would a marten come after a fishy bait? I don't know. But, if it did, these Essex traps would certainly take and contain one. And they'd be a relative doddle to let the bugger back out of again Equelly; If I get a mink? Open field and armed mate standing by to give him some lead, isn't it?

 

Come on lads: Encourage me! Fact is, I have some terriffic sites around here. I have two lovely traps going to waste. And, best of all; I'm absolutely desperate to get these two, huge, stinking to high heaven salmon steaks out of my tiny f***ing fridge! Makes me gag every time I open it, but they're just too good to waste!

 

Hey! And just think: I could start a whole new thread about it!

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Try the cages 'up in t'air' Sor....

Been doing it for years,...

Lots of two legged foxes wandering around in there ere parts, its just gotta be done..

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

I've trapped squirrells in cages mounted up tree's and loads of them so get in there ditch_shitter.

 

be sure to get a photo of one of those martins up for us please ?

 

p.s i do enjoy reading you're thread about the mink as im off work ill at the moment and cant get anything done myself so another about the cages would be much appreciated

[Guest Bodach]

Hi, try leaning a log against the tree at 45deg as a runner up to your traps, used to do it years ago for P.M. before protection, will catch mink and others that will have to be released, I have found best bait is rabbit. Best of luck and get the traps weathered before setting.

 

B

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Well, what can I say, lads? 'Your wish .....' 'n all that!

 

Ok. Here's the craic: I have two of these (suitable) traps. Both absolutley ready to go. Modified. Weathered. Basicly just sat out there, waiting to be set out there!

 

I have the run up poles I'd planned to use available to me. Genuine wind fall. So I don't even need to cut trees down. In fact, I've always been in the habit of propping such finds against trees anyway. Obstensibly to allow them to dry out and so later be added to my wood shed. But, I must admit; I've always harboured a semi concious image of Ollie Reed as I've put them there!

 

Right, well one of them's guarding my back ditch then, that's for sure. I have my own stand of trees on my land here and that ditch runs right past them. The upper reaches, I'm sure, form a roadway for all sorts of mischief. Only what ever traps I try to set on my own ground here are soon 'investigated' by my dogs. Catch anything in one and that's all she wrote! I only get to use that set the once. But, what will stop badgers can also stop my dogs! So, that's the first one sorted out.

 

The other one? I think I know just the place for it! Down in Pat's little patch of woods there. By where I'd had the snare under the branch.

 

Bodach; You say you used to get PM's in yours and, being in the old days, I imagine you were setting for them when you used rabbit? If so, that's doubly handy to me, mate. You see, rabbit is about as scarce round here as Pine Martens are else where! Catching a PM in one of these cages wouldn't surprise me overly. Catching a rabbit in any trap out there would amaze me! So, no rabbit baits for me. I'll be using some rather potent salmon :sick: I hope, by that means, to rather defer the PM's while attracting the mink right out of their ditches

 

One last consideration: To camofluage or no? Obviously, no one's going to get near 'my' one and I very much doubt anyone would happen onto 'Pat's' one either. But, for the animals? These traps are already painted a dull, dark green. Do you think I need bush them up at all to convince anything to approach them?

 

Anyway, as I write this I'm glancing out the windowm praying for the postman. IF he comes, I'm off into town for supplies. If not? I'm in for another Very bad day of it. I'll try to distract myself by setting these cages up. I'll get some shots to show you. And, I guess, if despite using the fish bait I still manage to delay a PM, that'd surely be a treat for a great many of you, to see some nice shots of one of those rare and elusive creatures? I don't know if I could manage to hang my camera from a tree and so self film his release, but wouldn't that be a blinder?! I'm sure you'd all rather see one 'in action' than bunged up in a cage? Anyway, if I do encounter one by default, rest assured that I'll delay him only long enough to get the very best photograph I can Personally, I'd much sooner be able to show you a bloody mink ~ and he won't be going anywhere after I've 'shot' him! :whistle:

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

go ditchshitter

 

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Gone!

 

Now, I'm not going to make a meal out of this thread, lads. We'll just leave them up there and see if anything happens. I'll just report that eventuallity. But I've put the one up, in my back ditch. Just want to show you it, case anyone has any suggestions. It's not baited yet, again lest anyone have any ideas which might effect what I'm doing and improve things.

 

Anyway, I put the first one up and took some shots. Not the best of photography as it's darker in there and it was drizzling the whole time. But I'll tell you what; I don't think you could beat these shots for 'Atmosphere'! Take a look ....!

 

 

 

Full On DELIVERANCE!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How about that, eh? And the best bit is, that's my ditch! I f***in Own that! Don't need to ask any bugger if I can set there. No one else has the right to be there. My dogs would come after them if they went there. What a rush; To own my own, viable, trapping grounds!

 

Anyway, there's the set up as I left it. I know the leaner may appear a little steep, but it's actually as rotten as a pear and a tennis ball could climb it. Entry hole to the cage there is 3" square. Big enough, I'd have thought? To be baited with some Very aromatic salmon steak.

 

Any further suggestions, please? Or shall I go bait it? I'm good at that. In fact many of my friends tell me, in their own ways, that they reckon I'm a Master Baiter!

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

lookin good ditch shitter

 

p.s

 

I dont want you catching a mink in that cage and putting it in one of you're wires :whistle:

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

No. But, without a gun to my name, hanging one in front of the hole and 'releasing' him may yet be an idea!

[SINDASOX 256]

I dont want you catching a mink in that cage and putting it in one of you're wires :whistle:

 

 

... ...

 

SINDASOX :whistle:

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Do you have open water about mate -rafts are the way to go for mink trapping .

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Yeah. There's two or three waters, in sight of me. But they're all just far enough away and awkward enough to get to - massive, cross country slog through some pretty tricky ground too - that I couldn't be arsed to build rafts and hump them down there, mate Anyway, I imagine the fishing's Club or syndicated. If they want me, they can call me and pay me. Then I'd get the rafts dropped off for me.

 

This tree lark is really just that; I'm just having some fun and trying out things I've simply never had the oppertunity to before

 

 

 

While you're behaiving yourself, Beelzebub ..... Actually, mate, you're spot on. I'm still waiting for any opinions on baiting this one, but it had occurred to me that dabbing that run up with the stinking salmon might well be an idea.

 

Trouble is, the rains back again now and I don't know how long it'd stay there? Maybe a more oily fish? Perhaps ~ forgive me, but ~ slapped against the underside a few times?!

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

hows those cages comin along ? :whistle:

 

 

As you asked, elsewhere, Ricky .....

 

 

Fact is, mate, I lay abed last night, mulling that 'Tree Trap' over. Two things came to me, and which I'll act on later: 1. They need roofing. God help the poor creature who got in there in the middle of a deluge. I'll split some log sides off and put a cover over the cage. That'll also keep the rain off the (eventual) bait and stop that getting washed out.

 

2. I'm thinking about the floor in there. Like, granted, anything moving in trees will be ready to feel thin things beneath its feet, be they branches or strands of wire mesh. But I might put some twigs in there anyway, just to further the illusion.

 

I had actually thought of making a little 'mat' - like a tiny hurdle - of sticks and somehow attatching that to the treadle, as a sort of extension? But, of course; If I did that and he thus depressed the real treadle too soon, the door may hit him on the back, jam and give him the oppertunity to squirm out. So no. Treadle where the maker put it and set as fine as I do. Damn fine!

[Vermin Dropper 2]

it had occurred to me that dabbing that run up with the stinking salmon might well be an idea.

 

Trouble is, the rains back again now and I don't know how long it'd stay there? Maybe a more oily fish? Perhaps ~ forgive me, but ~ slapped against the underside a few times?!

 

 

As you are using fish as bait, how about a drizzle of cod liver oil along the run up or surrounding area,

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Haven't got any, mate. But I do remember one can buy that 'Fish Lure' oil, from tackle shops? There's such a shop in the big town. Or I may just import some stuff from the states. I have a big order in line with US just now and I'm sure my supplier would be only too happy to make it that bit bigger

 

Other thing is; That trap in my ditch is exposed to my own dogs, see? Go too over board with the smellys and they'd trash the site trying to get at it. But, now that I'm ready to get my sh!t together for another campaign, I'll certainly look into such ideas

 

Frankly, avoiding pine martens is my biggest concern round here. They're hardly famous for going after fish, so anything that gives me a chance of bringing a mink in faster has to be worth a go.

 

I'm also eyeballing some lovely looking ditches, further away from me but leading to and from some water. I'll probably field trial some trap sets up here and, if they look alright, later take them down towards that open water and go full on for mink. Again, there'll be badgers down there - they're everywhere. But the same principal applies: Badgers can't jump!

 

Please bear in mind though: Untill I have a means of despatch .....