Mole Traps In The Frost

[Nicepix 5,650]

Must be a French thing. Around half of mine have rotated 90 degrees so their scrapers are top and bottom when the trap shuts on them. Either way, they are well dead!

[torchey 1,328]

Half?? I,m not going to say I,ve caught thousands of moles in them traps but I have caught shit loads and virtually every one of them is caught the same and that's not on it's side..

[Nicepix 5,650]

Around half I reckon. No idea why, but I thought it might be down to the mole squeezing through the trap like they do in stony soil or areas with a lot of roots obstructing the tunnels. A lot of my jobs are in areas with lots of small stones in the soil.

 

I know that you've been using these for some time and rate them highly. I was a little sceptical at first but have now got a lot of confidence in them. I wouldn't use them 100% of the time like the local trappers do, and set them differently to how they do, but I wouldn't be without them. I'd rather have these than Traplines any day.

[Mr Muddy 141]

Around half I reckon. No idea why, but I thought it might be down to the mole squeezing through the trap like they do in stony soil or areas with a lot of roots obstructing the tunnels. A lot of my jobs are in areas with lots of small stones in the soil.

 

I know that you've been using these for some time and rate them highly. I was a little sceptical at first but have now got a lot of confidence in them. I wouldn't use them 100% of the time like the local trappers do, and set them differently to how they do, but I wouldn't be without them. I'd rather have these than Traplines any day.

 

Now you've mentioned it, I do get a lot of moles caught side-on: I think I even posted a picture of one earlier on this thread.

 

I'm also with you in that I'm rapidly going off Traplines (I now only use them when there's physically not enough room to fit anything else down the hole).

I've dug a lot of Traplines up to find a tuft of black fur between the prongs. And I know all traps will catch a mole by the wrist from time to time, but I've had a couple of Traplines that have caught the mole by the skin on it's belly. By the time I've dug the mole up it has twisted round and round and round trying to escape, and has ended up with a cross between a corkscrew and an umbilical cord between its belly and the trap.

Well, that's no way to kill an animal IMO, even if it is a pest. It just gives more ammunition to the bell-ends who want to ruin business with this daily trap checking nonsense.

[torchey 1,328]

Must be the way the traps are being set, if the feet are open wide enough into the run the mole shouldn,t have to squeeze through them..also what way round do you set them ?

[Nicepix 5,650]

Mr. Muddy; Thank God I'm not the only one with bad experiences with Traplines. I gave them a real good try, but had too many foul captures to continue with them. Some were caught around the middle and one managed to crawl to the surface, trap still attached. Typical American; over complicated, over priced and over here.

 

Torchey, I usually set them on their back (prong up), trigger about 1" back from the jaws and narrowist way around. Mostly I use them in shallow runs under turf, third leg of a three way tunnel or when I can't fit a Duffus or Talpex in. I always peg them to prevent the trap moving when the mole comes into contact with it. I've got about forty and all but two are currently underground.

[J Darcy 5,871]

Are any of these unusual traps any better than the Talpex I wonder??

[Nicepix 5,650]

Apples and oranges Mr. Darcy.

 

I use Talpex when conditions suit, Flatpack tunnel taps when they will work best and the Putanges have their place. I couldn't imagine just having one type for all my trapping. I don't regard any as being better than the others.

Edited February 8, 2015 by Nicepix

[torchey 1,328]

Are any of these unusual traps any better than the Talpex I wonder??

If the grounds right i will use talpex jd but not this time of year to much hassle .nicepix my dads neighbour in france ihas been a molecatcher all his life he,s now in his seventies and still at it, he always puts them on their side as i do most of the time each to their own they,ll catch either way. Can,t get my head round why you and mr muddy are catching them on their sides though...anyone else??

[Nicepix 5,650]

 

Are any of these unusual traps any better than the Talpex I wonder??

If the grounds right i will use talpex jd but not this time of year to much hassle .nicepix my dads neighbour in france ihas been a molecatcher all his life he,s now in his seventies and still at it, he always puts them on their side as i do most of the time each to their own they,ll catch either way. Can,t get my head round why you and mr muddy are catching them on their sides though...anyone else??

 

 

LOL You might be overlooking the obvious. How is the mole trapped - scrapers aligned with the prongs, up and down, or across them?

[torchey 1,328]

Never on its side.same way as the prongs..

[Nicepix 5,650]

LOL That's would be on its side if the trap had been set prongs up. The reason some of mine are caught with the scrapers across the line of the prongs will be down to them going over top of the prongs.

[torchey 1,328]

Have i missed something here lol all caught with belly to the floor?

[Nicepix 5,650]

Yep. In the case of a trap set prongs up the mole sometimes turns sideways, scrapers up and down in line with the prongs and is caught that way. If you set the prongs horizontal the mole doesn't need to turn as its scrapers fit between the prongs more easily. We are achieving the same results.

[torchey 1,328]

Lol as i thought your moles have got to turn sideways to get through the prongs so if you put the trap in the other way they would,nt have to lol