Ladder trap

[Leon 0]

I want to catch some carrion friends, I have heard of ladder traps but never seen one so some pointers would be much appreciated please gents.

[Guest JohnGalway]

I want to catch some carrion friends, I have heard of ladder traps but never seen one so some pointers would be much appreciated please gents.

 

Hi Leon,

 

I just finished my first ladder trap (they're also known as Australian crow trap & letterbox traps, as far as I know so you could google those names too). There are a few websites out there with plans on them, my files are in such a mess at the moment I can't find them but I do have some pics available with the dimensions on them, also some pics of my trap. Hope they help!

 

 

 

 

 

Here's the ladder in the trap I made

 

A work in progress shot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm sure I made many mistakes with mine, and that there are a few knowledgeable people on here who can give more help

 

John

Edited October 11, 2006 by JohnGalway

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

JohnG, ten out of f***ing ten, mate! I have the original MAFF Blue Prints here ~ like yeself, 'Somewhere!' for many of the traps. I believe I might have that one. But your plans look as good as anything I've seen. And it's brilliant to see ye actually making one of the buggers! Christ, that's a job of work, surely?!

 

Maybe, given time to sort our mutual shit out, Ian would like to Pin the various Plans for these types of traps? I'm always seeing them asked for, around the fora. I've just now looked at my own plans for the MAFF 'Walk In' Pigeon Trap. I have the original Mink Trap in Blue Print and would be happy to hand that over.

 

My time's limited, for now. But I'll sort through my own files, off line, and see what I can come up with. Perhaps we could have a small sub section for Trap Plans? Bring all the bits from around this board together so people don't have to search about?

 

Anyway .....

[Leon 0]

John,

Perfect buddy, just what I needed thats my job for this weekend.

[Guest JohnGalway]

DS,

 

They're pretty easy to make really, damnit if I can make one anyone can. There isn't much to them as you can see, just get some 2 by 1.5 timber (or 2x2) Some screws and small staples, a couple of hinges for the door, and a roll of small mesh chicken wire. As for tools, a good saw, measuring tape, pencil, wire cutter, hammer and drill. Paint by the numbers and hey presto! You're the proud owner of a lean mean corvid killin' machine (I hope! Lol). My information came from internet searches and sites such as this one. I've got a couple of books that also mention them (currently on loan to gun club members, they're supposed to build some too). Am happy to share any info I have. Just put on the ladder part of my trap tonight, the bread I put out is certainly being eaten, just got to put on the two top panels this week and hopefully it'll start catching.

 

Leon,

 

Happy hammering mate :thumbs-up: Glad I could help ya out! Keep us posted on how it's going would ya please?

 

PS, forgot to mention I made my one in 7 sections (4 sides, 2 top panels & the ladder bit) for mobility, it's held together with cable ties which are perfect for the job as they give it great strength as a single unit.

Edited October 13, 2006 by JohnGalway

[daunker 0]

they're absolutely deadly on jackdaws. I took about 300 and a dozen rooks, over 4 days in this one below which I cobbled up. Mine didn't even have a ladder- just a gap between the two sections at top.

Edited December 24, 2006 by daunker

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

300 Jackdaws OMFG!!! That's Astonishing!!!

 

Right. Stop this Thread right here and now! Delete it! Don't let any bugger else in on all this! Pul Eeeease!

 

I've seen the vast, black clouds of Jack's forming over my local town. FFS; If I could convince the local Great and Goods to give me the job of clearing the buggers? I'd knock up one of these things over night. Trap the lot out in a week. They'd call me the 'Pied Piper' and erect a f*king statue in my honour!

 

That is just simply f*cking Amazing, mate! I'll bet you shit yeself when ye visited that trap?!

 

 

Just out of curiosity - that many Jackdaws about - are you in Eire?

[daunker 0]

In the north of ireland. It was fairly easy for me they were tearing open bags and feeding on calf pellets (you can see bags in background). Simply found open bags and put them in middle, built four side sections, put just one of the top sections on, left it a day and knew they were dropping in so put on the other top section.

 

Caught 96 in the first few hours, emptied it leaving a dozen and caught another that afternoon, then two days of about 60-70 and after that it just dried up I was only catching one or two a day so I packed it up. You wouldn't know that I'd done that to the jackdaw population there's millions around here, you won't get anywhere shooting them, the interesting thing is I caught the culprits because no more loss of pellets.

 

If you want to catch jackdaws the important thing is prebait the trap with the roof off and get them used to feeding there in good numbers. Also I think i might have caught more if I had dispatched them at night but felt pretty sick after killing so many to be honest.

Edited December 24, 2006 by daunker

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

felt pretty sick after killing so many to be honest.

 

I can identify with that completely, mate. A sporting shot, after a careful stalk? A good run, dig, what ever; Ye get up with ye quarry. But 'mass murder', in cold blood? It's not what we're cut out for, really.

 

Actually, Jackdaws are my all time favourite corvid. I like them. Kept them, as a youngster. But, obviously, you had a Pest situation there and so dealt with it. Fair do's

 

Funny; An old mate of mine - dead now - came and lived in Tipp' and mentioned to another, mutual, friend about the amazing number of Rooks here? Since coming over myself, I now wonder if he mean't Jacks? He was a Mole Catcher and so might well have seen all congregations of black birds as the rooks he'd have been more accustomed to at home?

 

I see the odd few rooks here, in Co. Leitrim. But the Jack's far out weigh them. Guess it's pretty much the same further north?

 

My mate came by today, with his .22 rifle. Did his usual thing of parking up and then scoping the area from his roof. Drew my attention to Five f*cking Hoodies; All hanging about around my 'Good Life' neighbours place. Where he keeps chickens in open pens

 

Out of range, of course. I spoke of getting the Alpha C out. But, as I said then; It's just not as satisying as dealing with them on a more 'personal' level

 

But wading through a hundred or so in one go? Naaah. Me niether.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Found my MAFF Blue Prints!

 

Click the picture below. Let it load up. Then, bottom right, hit the Expand button. It'll blow up to A4 size and ye can read it easier or even Print it off directly.

 

 

 

Ladder Trap Plans

[heart of wales 19]

they're absolutely deadly on jackdaws. I took about 300 and a dozen rooks, over 4 days in this one below which I cobbled up. Mine didn't even have a ladder- just a gap between the two sections at top.

Brilliant photo well done we get bad problems around here with crows and rooks taking tounges and eyes of lambs

Made a ladder trap a while ago will take photo when I get it back of a job I am doing at the moment,I think they way I made mine might be more sturdier and quicker to make I made mine from 4 8x4 weldmesh panels cable tied them together and done the same thing with the roof cut it down the middle and put two 8 foot inch and a half battons for the perches baited with a dead yew

[trapshooter 0]

I would just like to say thanks to ditch for all these plans trying to get anything useful out of defra is impossible anyway thanks again.Trapshooter.

[sambo 0]

Hi DS can you explain why the ladder trap design you put up will not hold jackdaws does the gaps in the roof need to be smaller to hold them.

 

thanks Sam

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

My pleasure, TS

 

 

Sam; I wasn't the bloke who added those hand written notes to the original, thus I have no idea the circumstances surrounding the issue.

 

As far as I remember though, the above plans were issued by MAFF HQ, then sent out to interested parties. Thus, I imagine, that note was put on by a member of the City Council staff with whom my 'original' ended up.

 

Perhaps it was a 'clerical error'? I'd Guess ~ for I can only guess now ~ that the MAFF lumped all their 'Corvid Traps' together and maybe some clerk wrote them up as " Crow, Rook, Jackdaw, without realising the Ladder Trap wasn't actually suited to 'Daws at all?

 

I would only add that " Daunker " (above) seems to have made his own trap rather more 'free hand' and never even bothered with the ladder. I wonder if he used a differant sized 'Gap' than that reccomended in the MAFF plans? What ever; It certainly worked with Jackdaws! Maybe Daunker could provide his own, specific, details?

 

Beyond that. I can only add that I've personally whitnessed 'Daws to fire themselves up confined, vertical 'tubes' such as chimney pots. Certainly no Crow or Rook could do that. There's something about Jackdaws here. And I think Daunker, better than any of us, has it sussed.

 

 

Daunker ....?

[rob reynolds uk 3]

just a few points to point out ,first leave the top off untill they are entering the trap ,then place the top on say after a few days after the crows are uesd to going in to it ,keep the bait topped up ,only go near the trap after dark to kill any unwanted crows ,as crows arnt that daft really ,if they see you killing there buds they will stay well clear of the trap ,always keep a few in the trap to draw others in .you can put many lights {cows lungs ,hart ,liver,ect out in the middle of a field untill the crows have found them ,then put your trap over the top of the lights for a day or so ,then when you see them entering ,then put the top on ,but only go near it after its gone dark and not before ..