Traplines

[earth-thrower 493]

I don't understand this bit about Elastoplast. Didn't have a problem setting them. But I used them in different jobs for a couple of months and ended up throwing them on the 'useless traps pile'. Too many foul captures and blocked tunnels. The Putange is far superior in every way for the job a Trapline does.

Well , i suppose this highlights,how much opinions about mole traps, can differ among us ? lol

[earth-thrower 493]

I really, really want to like the Traplines; I think the design’s innovative, they’re so quick and easy to set, they last forever and they’re so small you can keep enough in your pockets to do a domestic job without carrying round a bag/bucket.

The massive draw-backs are the large amount of foul catches and the moles that actually escape from the traps, leaving nothing but a tuft of hair between the jaws (and you have a job catching those ones again).

 

More recently I’ve almost always used Putange instead of Traplines (except in one specific type of tunnel; that I’m not prepared to give away on an open forum – sorry).

 

 

I know the inventor of Traplines reads this forum: so I’d like to ask that when they are updated he might consider:

 

A stronger spring.

 

A much ‘taller’ trigger

 

Longer jaws with an extra bend in them; so they curve further up and round the inside of the mole’s tunnel.

 

 

If Traplines killed as cleanly as Putange, I personally, would use them far more than any other trap.

I wouldnt necessarily agree, with all youve put here.Discussing some of your "trap improvement" ideas with Steve, should be interesting,though.See if theres any 'validity', to them ?

Edited March 9, 2015 by earth-thrower

[Nicepix 5,650]

I really, really want to like the Traplines; I think the design’s innovative, they’re so quick and easy to set, they last forever and they’re so small you can keep enough in your pockets to do a domestic job without carrying round a bag/bucket.

The massive draw-backs are the large amount of foul catches and the moles that actually escape from the traps, leaving nothing but a tuft of hair between the jaws (and you have a job catching those ones again).

 

More recently I’ve almost always used Putange instead of Traplines (except in one specific type of tunnel; that I’m not prepared to give away on an open forum – sorry).

 

 

I know the inventor of Traplines reads this forum: so I’d like to ask that when they are updated he might consider:

 

A stronger spring.

 

A much ‘taller’ trigger

 

Longer jaws with an extra bend in them; so they curve further up and round the inside of the mole’s tunnel.

 

 

If Traplines killed as cleanly as Putange, I personally, would use them far more than any other trap.

 

Valid points. In my opinion some of the foul captures are caused by a mole going over the top of the trigger hoop and then catching it with a back leg. This got me thinking about the design of them and I did wonder about all that wirework the mole has to clamber over before it gets to the trigger. All the machinery is slap bang in the middle. Possibly they may work better on their sides?

 

[earth-thrower 493]

 

I really, really want to like the Traplines; I think the design’s innovative, they’re so quick and easy to set, they last forever and they’re so small you can keep enough in your pockets to do a domestic job without carrying round a bag/bucket.

The massive draw-backs are the large amount of foul catches and the moles that actually escape from the traps, leaving nothing but a tuft of hair between the jaws (and you have a job catching those ones again).

 

More recently I’ve almost always used Putange instead of Traplines (except in one specific type of tunnel; that I’m not prepared to give away on an open forum – sorry).

 

 

I know the inventor of Traplines reads this forum: so I’d like to ask that when they are updated he might consider:

 

A stronger spring.

 

A much ‘taller’ trigger

 

Longer jaws with an extra bend in them; so they curve further up and round the inside of the mole’s tunnel.

 

 

If Traplines killed as cleanly as Putange, I personally, would use them far more than any other trap.

 

Valid points. In my opinion some of the foul captures are caused by a mole going over the top of the trigger hoop and then catching it with a back leg. This got me thinking about the design of them and I did wonder about all that wirework the mole has to clamber over before it gets to the trigger. All the machinery is slap bang in the middle. Possibly they may work better on their sides?

 

 

Never, had a mole caught by the "back leg", in one.

[Mr Muddy 141]

My problem is as much in the way I set the traps: I bed the shaft of trap into the earth to avoid the very real problem of back-fills. This obviously risks the mole climbing over the trigger and spring retainer and unfortunately sometimes getting pinched in the belly. This is always worse in shallow runs, where the mole can push-up the roof of the run.

So, from my own point of view, my suggestions are perfectly ‘valid’.

 

No denying SA is as successful a mole trap designer/manufacturer as anyone alive; and I’ve no reason to expect him to redesign anything for my fifty-traps-a-year orders or my particular way of setting the traps.

 

However; I do regularly use Traplines – so effectively field-test them - and I’m happy to give feed-back from my own experience (which I really hope no one on here will be petty enough to mistake for a mindless criticism of what I think is essentially a very clever design).

[Rowan 308]

Very handy to have in the bag , only really use them though when I come across 3 tunnels, duffus or talpex cover 2 , trapline in the 3rd.

[myersbg 1,385]

I really, really want to like the Traplines; I think the design’s innovative, they’re so quick and easy to set, they last forever and they’re so small you can keep enough in your pockets to do a domestic job without carrying round a bag/bucket.

The massive draw-backs are the large amount of foul catches and the moles that actually escape from the traps, leaving nothing but a tuft of hair between the jaws (and you have a job catching those ones again).

 

More recently I’ve almost always used Putange instead of Traplines (except in one specific type of tunnel; that I’m not prepared to give away on an open forum – sorry).

 

He allready makes them like this , they are called Gopher traps

 

 

I know the inventor of Traplines reads this forum: so I’d like to ask that when they are updated he might consider:

 

A stronger spring.

 

A much ‘taller’ trigger

 

Longer jaws with an extra bend in them; so they curve further up and round the inside of the mole’s tunnel.

 

 

If Traplines killed as cleanly as Putange, I personally, would use them far more than any other trap.

[myersbg 1,385]

went wrong with the last post, Should have come after Mr Muddy;s

 

He allready makes them like you describe they are called Gopher traps

[Mr Muddy 141]

went wrong with the last post, Should have come after Mr Muddy;s

 

He allready makes them like you describe they are called Gopher traps

 

 

Thanks myersbg,

 

I assumed they would be to ‘long’ for moles: ie jaws too far from the trigger.

I haven’t seen one in real life, so please correct me if I’m wrong, and I’ll place an order.

[Nicepix 5,650]

 

 

I really, really want to like the Traplines; I think the design’s innovative, they’re so quick and easy to set, they last forever and they’re so small you can keep enough in your pockets to do a domestic job without carrying round a bag/bucket.

The massive draw-backs are the large amount of foul catches and the moles that actually escape from the traps, leaving nothing but a tuft of hair between the jaws (and you have a job catching those ones again).

 

More recently I’ve almost always used Putange instead of Traplines (except in one specific type of tunnel; that I’m not prepared to give away on an open forum – sorry).

 

 

I know the inventor of Traplines reads this forum: so I’d like to ask that when they are updated he might consider:

 

A stronger spring.

 

A much ‘taller’ trigger

 

Longer jaws with an extra bend in them; so they curve further up and round the inside of the mole’s tunnel.

 

 

If Traplines killed as cleanly as Putange, I personally, would use them far more than any other trap.

 

Valid points. In my opinion some of the foul captures are caused by a mole going over the top of the trigger hoop and then catching it with a back leg. This got me thinking about the design of them and I did wonder about all that wirework the mole has to clamber over before it gets to the trigger. All the machinery is slap bang in the middle. Possibly they may work better on their sides?

 

 

Never, had a mole caught by the "back leg", in one.

 

Me neither. The mole has long gone past the jaws by the time its back leg hits the trigger.

[earth-thrower 493]

 

 

 

I really, really want to like the Traplines; I think the design’s innovative, they’re so quick and easy to set, they last forever and they’re so small you can keep enough in your pockets to do a domestic job without carrying round a bag/bucket.

The massive draw-backs are the large amount of foul catches and the moles that actually escape from the traps, leaving nothing but a tuft of hair between the jaws (and you have a job catching those ones again).

 

More recently I’ve almost always used Putange instead of Traplines (except in one specific type of tunnel; that I’m not prepared to give away on an open forum – sorry).

 

 

I know the inventor of Traplines reads this forum: so I’d like to ask that when they are updated he might consider:

 

A stronger spring.

 

A much ‘taller’ trigger

 

Longer jaws with an extra bend in them; so they curve further up and round the inside of the mole’s tunnel.

 

 

If Traplines killed as cleanly as Putange, I personally, would use them far more than any other trap.

 

Valid points. In my opinion some of the foul captures are caused by a mole going over the top of the trigger hoop and then catching it with a back leg. This got me thinking about the design of them and I did wonder about all that wirework the mole has to clamber over before it gets to the trigger. All the machinery is slap bang in the middle. Possibly they may work better on their sides?

 

 

Never, had a mole caught by the "back leg", in one.

 

Me neither. The mole has long gone past the jaws by the time its back leg hits the trigger.

 

Sorry, i misunderstood you,on that one,...lol I never thought it would come to it (i was strictly, a half-barrel only, guy), but i use the 'trapline' exclusively,at the moment.Its taken a while,with them,but im more or less achieving a "catching rate", that ALMOST compares with the duffus ? So this certainly 'invalidates' your "ended up throwing them on the 'useless trap pile' " comment, for me at least ! ha ha

[earth-thrower 493]

" in my opinion some of the foul captures are caused by a mole going over the top of the trigger hoop and then catching it by the back leg " ,..... i doubt it, the moles body has cleared the 'jaws', by then ? (hope i understand what you mean, this time ?) lol

[Nicepix 5,650]

Well, I can only speak from my own experience. I get good results from Flatpacks and Putanges and do OK with Talpex when the soil is right for them. Mostly I'm setting in claggy clay soil with a lot of stones or turf. I tried them for a couple of months but had a lot of back end captures and also traps set off and back filled. I rarely get a false activation with a Putange and all the captures are neck or skull. The way I see it, two pieces of bent wire can't really go wrong.

[Nicepix 5,650]

" in my opinion some of the foul captures are caused by a mole going over the top of the trigger hoop and then catching it by the back leg " ,..... i doubt it, the moles body has cleared the 'jaws', by then ? (hope i understand what you mean, this time ?) lol

Catching the trigger hoop by its back leg causing it to go off after the mole has cleared the jaws.

[Furry chaser 17]

" in my opinion some of the foul captures are caused by a mole going over the top of the trigger hoop and then catching it by the back leg " ,..... i doubt it, the moles body has cleared the 'jaws', by then ? (hope i understand what you mean, this time ?) lol

wrong again your changing. "catching it by " From "catching it with"