trapping help needed

[auto culto 0]

well spotted , I've got some spare mesh but i wont risk welding it on as it will stink for ages so its time to break out the cable-ties again. What length would you recommend for the treadle ? its about 6 inches at the mo ( the treadle that is ). I must admit this isn't the usual method i use for foxing hence all the questions but I'm sure having fun and seriously thinking about fabricating a ladder trap for out on my permission to deal with the rooks. Since Ive started I've come to realise how effective trapping can be :thumbs-up:

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

How wide? Personally, I'd go for about the fifteen inch mark. Funny but, as soon as I saw ye asking a measurement, I glanced to wear my Stanley Tape has always lived. Right here next to me. Bloody thing's down in the cow shed though as I'm working down there these days But, holding my hands apart and guesstimating it? I'd say about fifteen inches. Don't forget; That'll only give ye 7 1/2" either way, see? And my plan is that ye get the bugger, no matter how hard he tries to tip toe round that treadle and suck the bait away. I'm trying to get him to rest one good foot on that treadle as he tries to do that - which he will.

 

Make it a good, strong guage of 1" square, wont ye? Anything below at least 19g might allow a suspicious springyness under his foot and / or would certainly dampen the firing.

 

 

As for those rooks; I've always wondered why people go after rooks, to be honest with ye. Over here people just talk about " Gray Crows " (Hooded's, obviously) and " Black Crows " (Rooks). Mate of mine genuinely doesn't seem to recognise any differance, beyond colour and tries to shoot the lot, just for sport.

 

Only, to the best of my understanding, Rooks are said to eat a lot of agricultural pest insects. Must admit, I've only ever really seen them out on the open fields myself. Never yet come across a rook sneaking along a hedgerow. So what is it with them? Just out to learn

[OldTrapCollector 377]

As for those rooks; I've always wondered why people go after rooks, to be honest with ye.

 

Only, to the best of my understanding, Rooks are said to eat a lot of agricultural pest insects. Must admit, I've only ever really seen them out on the open fields myself. Never yet come across a rook sneaking along a hedgerow. So what is it with them? Just out to learn

 

During my 'keepering apprenticeship, my headkeeper recounted stories of rooks collecting up dummy partridge eggs, back in the days of the Euston system of 'keepering, and dropping them in frustration at the bottom of the rookery trees. If they would steal sham eggs then they would sure enough be hoping that they offered a meal. Carrions are without doubt the worst pheasant and partridge egg thieves on two wings, followed closely by the magpie but I have no doubt that rooks in any number would be up there on the list of predators. The Eley Game Advisory in the 1950's quickly came to the same, well researched and documented opinion.

 

On the Game Farm they used to bring avian diseases when grazing the patches after the laying pens were moved and their droppings falling down into the pens from perched birds did the same.

 

Sorry to hi-jack your post Auto - just needed to comment

 

OTC

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Cheers for that, OTC. I've honestly never had reason to look that deeply into rooks. I never had any compunction about shooting their 'Branchers', to eat. Just never looked up any bad things about them. Like I said; Asking to learn.

 

Now I've learned, they'll go onto my own shoot on sight list! We have precious little Game Rearing around here. Mostly wild birds - not that I'm after pheasents anyway. But if dropping a rook'll save a rook dropping an egg? F*ck 'em!

[auto culto 0]

when there's lots of them there more of a problem as they tend to uproot young crop sprouting in the search for leather jackets and grubs and hang around animal feed stores, its pretty much a 6 of one and a half of a dozen situation as they do good by eating the grubs but cause damage at the same time. You just try to keep there numbers controlled and now is the best time as the young are just starting to build there flying muscles.

PS the young rooks make fabulous eating and as the saying goes, make hay whist the suns shines, as you've only got a 2 week window before their gone (the old ones taste terrible).