Reynard investigating my mole trap!

[earth-thrower 493]

Went to check a trap on the golf course,and discovered a fox had dug away, exposing quite a bit of the unsprung trap! I was kind of glad this time,otherwise i may have been down a trap and its capture.LOL.I lifted it as this was the second day check,so moley isnt using this part of the territory regularly,at the moment.

[Le Braconnier 49]

When I was asked to take on mole trapping here they warned me that the last one who had tried lost a trap the first week and gave up at that point. I spoke to him and he said that something had made off with his scissor trap. So, I cut down some sheep fence poles and fastened the traps by chain to the poles. Nothing tried to dig out the moles and the dead moles I left on the ground at the side of the holes were rarely taken. Then, one day I discovered that a shallow tunnel trap had been dug out and taken. It was barely under the surface in sandy soil. Fortunately my spaniel found it in the long grass nearby. The mole ws still in and the second loop hadn't triggered. Fox cub I reckon.

 

There is boar and fox schit all over the place and I even find boar droppings on the tumps, but so far nothing else has tried to dig one out.

[earth-thrower 493]

Dont you also have a local badger population over there ?,cause im aware they are also bad for it.I have not suffered it here yet though,as they are scarce in my neck of the woods.

Edited October 25, 2012 by earth-thrower

[nod 285]

Badgers are good at taking mine. Also near me there is a old fella who 'catches' moles for free, not very good though. I had my traps down and he had his in same garden I am 90% sure he has taken 1, I looked at his trap and it was covered in cat shite, I thought that will teach U.

[Le Braconnier 49]

Dont you also have a local badger population over there ?,cause im aware they are also bad for it.I have not suffered it here yet though,as they are scarce in my neck of the woods.

 

Don't mention the 'B' word!!

 

I rent a cottage on a working farm that historically was attached to a chateau estate. The chateau and 300 hectares is owned by a British businessman and he rents the farm to a family from Cornwall who have been farming here for around 20 years with a herd of around Limousin cattle and 1200 sheep. If I mention the 'B' word I lose half a day as the farmer lectures me about TB and the other problems they cause. I got an earhole full just because I'm interested in photography and BBC Countryfile picked an inappropriate image to front their calendar. It's a good job he's gone back to the UK for a week or I'd be suffering the fallout of the cancelled cull.

 

Yes, I suspect that there are 'B' around. Some of the runs have been dug out and used as toilets whereas the boar tend to dump on top.

[mally 832]

What's the law in France on controlling 'B's' mate?

[Le Braconnier 49]

I don't know and I'm not going to ask him. I don't need another four hour lecture

[jackg 7]

What's the law in France on controlling 'B's' mate?

 

They are shot in a ring round a bTB outbreak in cattle.

Common sense.

[iseremarc 11]

Mally

 

Badgers can be hunted as " game " during the normal hunting season in France ( september to february in my area ), although I've never heard of anyone setting out specifically to shoot them. In this departement ( isere ) there are 24 teams/clubs/associations that specialise in digging out badger, fox and coypu with terriers. You'll find plenty of pictures on google images under " venerie sous terre ". Electric fences are sometimes used to keep them out of vulnerable crops, I've occasionally seen them, they're set lower than the fences for wild boar. They're not classed as " vermin " though, and therefore can't be legally trapped or snared. There certainly isn't the sentimental attachment to badgers here that exists among the general public in the UK.

[fish 148]

What's the law in France on controlling 'B's' mate?

 

They are shot in a ring round a bTB outbreak in cattle.

Common sense.

is that so.where did you here that bud ??

[FENN 24]

Had one of my traps taken yesterday and one a couple of weeks ago .both were set in very shallow runs .i dont seem to get any bother with the ones set at a trowels depth .the farm i am trapping at the moment has a very large amount badgers so i put it down to them .