myersbg 1,385 Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 90% of my traps go in under fresh mole hills, i am not saying its right or wrong but it works for me, Quote Link to post
perthshire keeper 1,239 Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 related question......what do you all think to the (theirs a word for it but i dont want the indignity of looking it up in JN book!) theory that moles can "remember" their tunnel network down the the lest slight bend in the run and shaft...so if you dig down from a hill will the mole "know" their was a upwards shaft right their wear the trap was?? if ya`all catch my drift Quote Link to post
Matt 160 Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 Kinesthetic memory All animals have it; moles may well have a more highly developed version given the environment they live in and their poor eyesight Quote Link to post
Matt 160 Posted February 19, 2015 Report Share Posted February 19, 2015 I always try and trap the main run into a feeding area, and then I tend to pop a trap right into the middle of the feeding area as a back up. I think it's something to do with my days of using Strychnine, when I did the same It seems to work well enough for me Quote Link to post
perthshire keeper 1,239 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I always try and trap the main run into a feeding area, and then I tend to pop a trap right into the middle of the feeding area as a back up. I think it's something to do with my days of using Strychnine, when I did the same It seems to work well enough for me thats exactly what i do...and 9 times out of 10 he is in the first trap. Quote Link to post
perthshire keeper 1,239 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Kinesthetic memory All animals have it; moles may well have a more highly developed version given the environment they live in and their poor eyesight i can remember in my training days reading a report on a experiment by the ministry on "rolland" rat and they found the same with rats Quote Link to post
bryn27 89 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Great thread this! Quote Link to post
tilimangro 1,013 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 ive changed a moles run too accomodate a trap better and still caught him in there so not so sure about the memory 3 Quote Link to post
Nicepix 5,650 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 ive changed a moles run too accomodate a trap better and still caught him in there so not so sure about the memory Me too. Quote Link to post
Matt 160 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 I often straighten out runs to fit a trap I don't think the kinesthetic memory of moles is vastly different to any other animal regardless of what that self proclaimed 'expert' and author of books says Quote Link to post
shropshire mole 190 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Defo main runs to feeding ground works best. Saying that I am doing a few fields that are large and flat, been chain harrowed so can see where new activity is. I am catching moles all over the fields. I guess that since there are loads of moles they cant all have a piece of hedge to live along and feed in the field Quote Link to post
outandabout 27 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 (edited) Yes, the main run isn't the only place to target and sometimes you miss some if you don't trap the 'feeding' areas. I've often thought moles have more than one nest and choose between them depending on conditions at the time, so don't always use the same main runs. Could be wrong here? Just my own theory - but sometimes finding a main run is a nightmare/not possible. I don't need to find a main run to clear an area, but it helps if I can. First double of the year for me yesterday, caught well out into 'the feeding area'. Not saying main runs are crap, just that there's more than one way of skinning a cat Edited February 20, 2015 by outandabout 1 Quote Link to post
shropshire mole 190 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Since moles need to eat a lot of worms daily for survival, I think they are more interested in catching food than the full layout of the runs 1 Quote Link to post
Matt 160 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Since moles need to eat a lot of worms daily for survival, I think they are more interested in catching food than the full layout of the runs I think you've hit the nail on the head there mate Only two things really interest moles; food and sex A bit like molecatchers really............. They're only really at risk from predators when they are above ground (except stoats and weasels I suppose), so I reckon they concentrate on what's most important to them most of the time Quote Link to post
earth-thrower 493 Posted February 20, 2015 Report Share Posted February 20, 2015 Thats a good point Earth Thrower. At least in difficult to probe ground it would be possible to excavate a hill just to determine the tunnel direction then set the trap further on. Sorry Phil if my catching expertise has spread down south, but I wont be commuting . In fact I only do this on one farm as a favour. I used to be surprised sometimes, at the effort involved,and admired how they managed to produce a 'tunnel system', in such difficult conditions ? You only have to observe the size of some of the stones, ( in the molehill) they have excavated,......lol Quote Link to post
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