can hares be caged trapped?

[pilgrim1982 0]

Is it possible to cage trap hares in the same way as rabbits? i was just wondering.

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

That's actually a damn good question ~ far more so that I feel it appears at first glance

 

Ok. I have no personal experiance of such a venture myself. Nor have I Ever heard such a consideration even raised, let alone discussed. My initial reaction then was, " Ye gotta be kidding?! ". But, thinking about it for a moment; One has to wonder!

 

Maybe if ye used a big sized, fox trap sort of affair? Something so big and open it wouldn't spook the hare? Quite what to bait if with - even where to site it! - I'd have no idea.

 

Sadly however, I can't help but thinking ye'd end up with one miserable, injured and stone dead hare in there, if ever at all. It's just a hunch, again, but I reckon a hare is of such power and mental condition that it's just not going to go all " Oh deary me! " and submissive to it's fate like a rabbit will.

 

ALL Purely arm chair hypothesising, mark you. But that'd be my own take on it, in the absence of any hard core input on the subject.

 

Still a bloody good question though! Wonder what others might say?

[Mitch 0]

It is a good one isnt it, Is it also possible to take hares in Fenn traps ect... You lads mightnt understand but we are from Australia and hares can be a problem down here,

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Mitch; Certainly No uk Approved Trap is approved for hare, mate. Period.

 

Historically, a bloke by the name of Harry Carne invented a rabbit trap which is now another Grail of Trap Collectors. It operated on the basis of two parrellel arms swinging up and snatching the bun's neck between them. If ye familiar with the Juby or Imbra traps - ? - it was along those lines. Only the arms clashed together and didn't cross over. (Probably leading to them breaking off and thus making the trap as rare as it is today!). But that one became known, colloquelly, as the " Harry Carne's Hare Trap ". Quite why, I don't know. But it's a non starter anyway.

 

If there were no laws governing what traps we employed, for what? My guess is that a 'Conibear' of the right size might be effective. Ye'd need a pass through in a hedge or beneath a fence line. But then, as I understand it, hares are more cagey in such places than any others - unless they have a Dog up their arse.

 

In all my studies of the history of british trapping, I can't honestly say as I remember much, if any, referance to the use of Gin Traps on hares either. Maybe I just never retained such as it's not a subject / quarry that's ever greatly interested me? Even today, living as I do surrounded by hares, I excuse them. I could wire them all day long. Easily. I even Love eating them. I just don't, personally, wish to kill them. My neighbours feel the same way. I guess there's something truly magical about " Puss " - when ye allowed the luxury of such views

 

In your situation? Where they're a rank pest? I suspect ye've already discovered the best answer - I won't mention it here, for 'fear' of censure :whistle:

[pilgrim1982 0]

Mitch, while hares may be common in many parts of australia i don't think it does the hare any credit when people call them a "pest" or "vermin". I think this makes one lose respect for their quarry. They are a truly remarkable game animal and a wonderful creature and deserve respect. I think many people just like calling them this to justify killing them but i don't think its necessary to use this point of view. I hunt them because i like to eat them I wouldn't kill one unless i intended on eating it.

Edited February 23, 2007 by pilgrim1982

[OldTrapCollector 377]

I do not know of any historical reference to british trapping of hares, or of any traps made or set to do so. I should imagine that the highly respected 'beast of the course' was given an unwritten law to protect it, as much by respect as anything else. Whilst Harry Carne's trap is sometimes known as the 'hare trap' I doubt very much if it was ever engineered to be used for that purpose - its patent repeatedly refers to the intended captive as 'rabbit' and never anything else.

 

Plenty has been written on snaring or netting them, but I have to agree with Ditch that a live trapped hare would go out of its mind and die a pretty miserable death very quickly if caged. Just MHO.

 

OTC

[Mitch 0]

Too Clear things up, I didnt really refer to them as pests but i understand what you are saying When people are reading they may miss understand.

 

I love watching hares run i truelly think they are a terrific game animal. Around my area they are found in 2 or three's here and there so i spose you could say it is nice to have them around. Its great to see them especially with a dog running them, They trully are athletes,

 

But they can get into pests proportions in particulay areas and cause a few people problems in the rare case. I eat all the game i catch, by dog, gun or by trapping excluding foxes I wouldnt touch a fox except for its pelt.

 

But if you have someone wanting you to get rid of them, are there any other means of trapping other than snaring,

 

Has anyone notices when watching hares trot along they kind of gallop like a horse rocking back and forth? they certainly are designed for sheer speed and agility.

[pilgrim1982 0]

Too Clear things up, I didnt really refer to them as pests but i understand what you are saying When people are reading they may miss understand.

 

I wasn't refering to you in particular but i'm saying this seems to be the attitude of some people that they are a pest or vermin just because they are not an australian native animal. Hares were never a native Brittish animal either, they were introduced by the romans i believe.

 

I eat all the game i catch, by dog, gun or by trapping excluding foxes

 

i heard those foxes are good tucker :sick:

[DUCKWING 302]

WELL MATE .

 

 

HARES ARE NATIVE MATE , ........... RABBITS AINT .............. THOUGH I WOULD SAY THE RABBITS MORE OF A NATIVE THAN HALF THE HUMAN POPULATION OF FECKIN LONDON

 

WHY MESS AROUND TRYING TO TRAP A HARE WHEN A GATE / DITCH / LONG NET WILL DO THE SAME ?

 

ALL THE BEST

 

DUCKWING

[micky 3,325]

most of the cage trappers would be happy if they caught a rabbit never mind a hare.

micky

[victoria vixen 0]

Here in the US, we trap rabbits and (jack rabbits) hares in cage traps all the time. By using a solid wooden box trap or a box that fastens to the (wire) cage trap, the caught hare settles down and feels comfortable when hidden. I have re-stocked many farms with rabbits using this method. For bait I have used salted apples and alphalfa cubes. They absolutely love them. I have also used feed corn at times. The trick is to bait them much like "chumming" for fish. By tossing some tidbits around, they will start to feed and want more! Just a few tricks I've used here in "the states."

[Coote 5]

Salted apples ?? They sound interesting Victoria. Can you please tell us more about them ? How are they made ? How do you use them ? What particular advantages do they have ?

 

Thanks very much in advance... Coote.

[victoria vixen 0]

Salted apples...How are they made????? ( hahaha ) I think you're funnin' me right? You take an apple and you salt it! Rabbits (and Hares) love salt....did you not know that? That is the reason why we catch so many rabbits in foot traps at a fox "set" when we use fox urine. It's the salt in the urine that attracts the rabbits. They don't fear it like one would think. Rabbit urine would work too I think if you had a domestic rabbit farm to collect some for you. On the alphalfa cubes ....they feed them to pet rabbits and guinea pigs over here and maybe horses. (Not sure on that last one). victoria vixen

[Coote 5]

Dang... that simple eh? Just slice fresh apples and sprinkle salt on them? That is well worth a try. I guess the rabbits don't know about the salt until they taste the apple, so the apple provides the attractive fragrance.

 

I thought that maybe there was some special recipe that had to be followed...like soaking apples of a certain stage in ripeness in a specially formulated brine.

 

I trap the occasional rabbit, but my main targets are generally Australian Brushtailed Opossums. I am always looking for new ideas. I think that pre-feeding with the salted apples (or whatever) would be a good idea wherever practical.

 

Many thanks VV. Best wishes from New Zealand.... Stephen Coote.

[victoria vixen 0]

Dang... that simple eh? Just slice fresh apples and sprinkle salt on them? That is well worth a try. I guess the rabbits don't know about the salt until they taste the apple, so the apple provides the attractive fragrance.

 

I thought that maybe there was some special recipe that had to be followed...like soaking apples of a certain stage in ripeness in a specially formulated brine.

 

I trap the occasional rabbit, but my main targets are generally Australian Brushtailed Opossums. I am always looking for new ideas. I think that pre-feeding with the salted apples (or whatever) would be a good idea wherever practical.

 

Many thanks VV. Best wishes from New Zealand.... Stephen Coote.

 

I think it's really the salt they smell ( and want) but they do like the apples too. I always toss a few extra around. I have caught them on peaches too in peach groves. Over in the states they have an O'possum, probably not as nice as the New Zealand ones. I always wanted to get one of those tanned.