Excluders for springer 6 trap.

[Sprucegoose 0]

I'm basically using the GCT rafts because I could get my hands on some of the things made up all ready. I would agree though that they are too big, awkward and expensive to make. So if it works out I'll be making a simpler version as recommended.

Is there legislation in Ireland pertaining to the checking of spring traps on a daily basis? If so I haven't found it. Is this thge recommended practise anyways?

Cheers

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

The checking of spring traps on a daily basis? Is this the recommended practise anyways?

 

Most certainly is, mate

[heart of wales 19]

I hope to use them because I haven't got a gun licence which you need over here for an air rifle, so I don't really have a convenient means of despatching the live-trapped mink. I've also heard their more effective than cage traps. I can't guarantee I'd be able to access all the traps on a daily basis either so the Springer seems to be the better option. Does anyone know much about or use the Conibear trap, they look the business to me? They would fit the legal requirement for Ireland from my understanding of the legislation (that Ditch_shitter kindly posted)?

s.g. why do you need to use such a monstrosity as a gtc. raft its like a vietnamese houseboat , far to large ,and cumbersome you would be there for a month trying to set out a mink line , my mate uses 200 rafts and can carry them in the back of his truck out in canada , and a float is not new as some people would have you believe , the americans have used them since the 1940,s my mate catches 2000 muskrats plus a number of mink on these small rafts in 3 weeks , a small length of 10 x2 plank will work as good , you never get real pro. trappers giving themselves hard work , its only the amateurs who like it .

When you construct your cheaper and lighter version,could you post aphotos as I have just picked up a job where I will probably need about 10

[Sprucegoose 0]

I was unavoidably delayed getting my rafts out, but finally got them out last month,set them for 5days, baited with gland lure and sardine, and caught two juvenile male mink. There was definitely mink still in the area that i failed to catch but I reckon by moving some of the rafts about I'll get them this month.

The GCT rafts are an absolute pain in the arse to carry as pointed out previously, but I do think they make a very attractive (for the mink) platform to place traps. Anyone else have experience trapping with rafts?

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

One of these f*cking days, I will, SG! I've actually got a (repaired, post badger!) Fenn Double Entry Cage sat out there in the compound. It's fitted on a piece of wood and I have some jabolite to cut and fit beneath it all. I'm just now working on trying to source the right shade of paint to camo it.

 

As ye may have realised, " Vauxall Green " is simply far too light and bright for the land of the juncus. I'm getting there - just need to find someone to blend me a slightly darker shade of one of Fleetwoods " Irish Green " shades.

 

My reasoning is that passing 'strangers', out after fessys and snipe, won't be looking at the water. Thus a cammo'd trap of any sort wouldn't catch their eyes and invite interferance.

 

Anyway, ye know what it's like here, mate: As I've hatched the grand plan this autumn? I MAY be able to instigate it by NEXT f*cking Winter!!!

[snareman 3]

hello, Anyone have any design plans for non-target species excluders for springer 6 traps. I'm trying to catch mink but want to avoid catching non target species. Any advise would be appreciated. cheers

s. goose , why do you want to use springers, i tried them a number of years back on my mink line , and in my opinion they are not as good as a fenn , first of all , the fenn has 7 turns on the springs on either side of the trap pan , while the springers that i used had 5 turns on the springs , and werenot as strong or robust like the fenns , the springers base hooks were always bending and i lost a number of mink due to this weakness , as the trap came apart when fired , i had a prominant chap from a large fieldsports organization with me one morning , and he viewed this same problem first hand , as i have said before , a fenn or a springer is not strong enough to give an otter any problems , as they don,t even kill a big mink in hurry , i had one otter who stepped into my fenns every day , pulled the trap out to the length of the securing wire , pulled his foot out and carried on right along the line, did the same with every trap every day , had to stop using bait , a spring trap did not even worry this big guy , an old dog around 20 lbs . if you use 116,s or 120,s then be carefull, i caught a dog fox in a 120 bodygrip in severe cold weather in a mink set , it had pulled out the guard sticks , and stuck its head in for the bait , it was stone dead, accidental catches do happen no matter how carefull you maybe , snareman.

[Sprucegoose 0]

s. goose , why do you want to use springers, i tried them a number of years back on my mink line , and in my opinion they are not as good as a fenn

To be honest I wasn't aware there was a difference between the two,( Fenn and Springer). I did get some of these cheap, shiny, shite quality traps stuck in with the order (didn't have the springer stamp), which I'm returning. The Springer traps look fairly quality though, but I'll go and have a look at the Fenn for comparrisons sake.

I haven't made much of an effort to hide the rafts, I'm not sure how you would hide the monstrosity, so intereference is a real concern.

Ditch_Shitter : How big is the 'base' of the raft your planning on using?