fenn traps

[micky 3,325]

how could the M6 fenntrap be improved?

micky

[Guest foxtrack]

i dont think it can

[mole catcher 1]

Good question

 

As a trapper always looking for better more humane ways to catch, i have spent many hours looking at animals caught in a fenn trap, be it a mk4 or a mk6 and one thing that stands out a mile is how differant the mk4 and 6 function. Sounds daft? let me explain. Firstly take the mk4, or more importantly the intended quarry of the mk4, the rat for instance. Look at the size of its frame in comparison to the mk4 trap. When you compare trap size to quarry size it soon becomes clear who the victor will be, and it isnt going to be the rat. Look at the area where the damage is going to be, a massive crushing to both the rib cage, the spine and all internal organs. Now look at the mk6 and its intended target, the mink. Due to their size and muscle a mink is a formidable animal to say the least, even more so round the front quarters, just where the jaws of the trap take hold. Even a minks neck is incased in a roll of muscle making it harder to break the neck (something i havnt seen happen that often on an adult). due to all that muscle one can only imagine death is through, as some have said in other posts from drowning, or dry drowning (suffication through compressed lungs) this being the case ive often wondered if the design where by the jaws of a trap roll over and round the target species forcing it downwards onto a base plate thus pushing the pressure downwards onto the weaker part of the rib cage (the underside) causing a faster death. OR simply fit stronger springs that will allow enough snap to break the spine.

[OldTrapCollector 377]

I have to admit that like most 'keepers of my time I used the Mk IV extensively for everything (rightly or wrongly) in the past, before I became clearer of the practicality and legal implications of its continued use against larger pests :whistle: :whistle:

 

I also believe its action and efficiency does not transfer to the Mk 6 as easily. The Mk 6 is a 4 with longer jaws IMO and it is obvious that the power to size ratio is not the same. If Fenn (or Springer or whoever else) had designed or redesigned a trap that was bigger in every respect, like a perfectly scaled up model of the 4, then I am sure the kill rates would be massively increased.

 

You have to remember that when the Fenn 4 was first made, it was as a replacement for the wire jawed Mk III vermin trap which was, and still is, a good little trap for rats and stoats in the right hands. It, the Mk 4, stepped easily into the shoes as it was obviously beefy enough to do the job. The Mk 6, however, was put out as a rabbit trap initially, I believe, and then considered as a mink trap afterwards. During the initial trialling of the Mk 6 I doubt that there was anywhere near the population of feral mink in Britain that there is now, and was probably added onto the AT list as an afterthought by MAFF.

 

Until Chalkie's bodygrippers were approved for use then really the 6 and the Juby were really the only options, and the opinions of using the Juby seems to be a common one amongst users (too heavy, too bulky, expensive). These days, I would not hesitate to use a BMI Magnum against mink in a covered cubby set or tunnel as they certainly do the job.

 

I do have some interest in the apparent demise of Fenn's quality of build though, I wonder why that has recently been the case??

 

OTC

[mole catcher 1]

like most things in bussiness it all comes down to pounds,shillings and pence. I hazard a quess that the fenn and all its copys are no longer made in this country but manufacture farmed out to some far eastern workshop. I must admit that the fenns i have in my possesion are far better quality than any of the springer make but these were passed on to me many years ago, perhaps when they were still made in England?

OTC, like you said if the mk6 is just a mk4 with larger jaws than surely fitting more powerfull springs would help aid the problem with mink? is it me or am i just over simplyfing the solution?

[moley 115]

i believe a well place trap will kill very quickly, if you can get your intended catch to put its paws so as to hit the pan properly, then a neck,chest or case catch is the result, which is what we want, as to the power i believe that its the shock that kills alot of the animals as well as the crushing /breaking of the animals neck /body, i have had loads of adult rabbits and once had a full grow hare in mk4,s set in small tunnels caught by the neck and dead , the traps in the hares case and a good few of the rabbits cases were hardly moved ,which tells me that the animal was dead in no time

i was on a moor with a keeper this winter and we traced a stoat , in fresh snow , the f****r ran past a couple of baited boxes and over a rail trap , it hopped right across the rail without breaking stride and didn,t hit the trap pan, so it got me thinking , how many times will this happen ? without snow , we don,t know, so moley put on his thinking cap , what about breaking its stride , as in GSW,S video about trapping mink, so i sets up my own rails with simple jump sticks or at leased one stick placed thru the wire about 1 inch above and infront of the trap, i have had a few squirrels ,a stoat and a couple of weasels in my rails , everyone case trapped and dead ,the trap not even moved from the bed it was set in, its all about trap placement and getting the animal to put its feet where you want it to, the trap will do the rest, i rememberin a post on another forum , someone said they prefered cages to kill traps as they had caught stuff by the back end and they wern,t dead , this is due to not setting the trap in the right place and/or having it set to hard, you gotta think about stuff and try and improve, to many people are set in their ways

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Edited March 31, 2007 by CHALKWARREN

[moley 115]

Superb observations Moley...

The MAIN problem with the Fenn trap ,.as regards Mink,...IS,..the trap is designed to come up around the target species and 'envelope' it from THE SIDE... The quarry takes the force of the trap on its STRONGEST part,..ie; Its arms and shoulders. IN other words,.the Fenn 'hits from the side,.whereas,.the Body Gripper/ConiBear killing traps are designed to strike from 'front and back',.the weakest part of an animal. When a decent type of Body gripper is used ( and like the Fenn x Springer traps,.there are a lot of copies being made in Taiwan,.etc)...the actual striking force and clamping power is directed at the quarry's chest/heart area,...and with the Magnum varieties,.this clamping continues to work until the creature expires.

Whatever traps we choose to utilise,..and PERSONALY,..as a full time Pest Controller,..I only use the Kania Trap these days,..I really do think we OWE it to our prey to continually improve our methods of usage.

IF you simply try to 'increase' the power of the springs in many traps,.the trap will often be too hard to fire or will 'go off' as you walk away,...The best traps don't just kill with great power but more so in their basic action, and WHERE the striking bars actualy make contact with the desired target....

Hopefully traps will continue to get better and better,..coz,..the day may finaly arrive when we will be legaly required to use them more than ever All the best,...and good trapping,...CHALKWARREN...

i cannot believe you edited that post already chalkie ,after less than 6 minutes, looks like i,m going to have to live on this forum just so i can gaze with wonder at your fast disapearing pictures

there was a mention of a trap on here a few months back, from oz , i think , anyone know whether its any nearer to being sold on the open market? i know these things can take a while :whistle:

[Phil Lloyd 10,738]

Edited March 31, 2007 by CHALKWARREN

[Guest The Big Fish]

 

Edited......

Edited March 31, 2007 by The Big Fish

[snareman 3]

how could the M6 fenntrap be improved?

by making the trap springs stronger , and increasing the the size of the trap pan , to correlate the stepping area in conjunction with the size of the kill area , brass triggers also give a smooth firing action , this helps greatly , the problem is that trap companies never seemto pay attention tothe real guys who use their products , its usually the bull////ers that are always on hand giving out the advice .

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

STOP PRESS!!!

 

 

Guys; Will I have news for you! Fenn ~ for what ever reason, I suspect 'economy' ~ dropped the catch with the Mk VI!

 

Incredibly, since this Thread was started, I have aquired what may well be the only existant example of A.A. Fenn's original Prototype for the " Mk VI ". I have it here in this very room as I type this. It's a Beast! In fact, straight from the hip? I'd suggest this Thing probably represents The Most Perfected 'Vermin' Trap Fenn (to my knowledge of his other Proto's, included) he ever created!

 

So there, for now, ye have it. As much as I'm willing to disclose pre book. A. A. Fenn had the Ultimate Fenn Trap, right there in his work shop. Then he pared it down and presented us with pretty much what we have today

[OldTrapCollector 377]

Great thread . . . and food for thought with educated comments from Ditch and Snareman.

 

My question, that has possibly been asked before on here, is this . . .

 

With all of the countless years of experience and knowledge of the members of this site up and down the land does someone not attempt to design and patent a new trap capable of doing the business?

 

There was a mad rush of prototypes and inventions of the obscure and the downright impractical at the demise of the common gin trap in the 50's; why did that spirit and quest to create the perfect trap not continue, at least in some fashion, to today?

 

OTC

[micky 3,325]

myxomatosis