Squirrel trapping

[DIDO.1 22,851]

Now I have caught thousands of squirrels both in woodlands and lofts, even miles from the nearest tree up on a grouse moor. But after finding my way around the new estate I'm beginning to think I'm going to have to run a proper squirrel trapping campaign ASAP. Taking stock of the feeders and every single one has had the lids and springs chewed out by squirrels. 

I've just set a camera on a small barrel hopper and got 250 photo's of squirrels. Six at a time. Between the rats, 3 badgers, a roe deer and a load of squirrels they have emptied a half filled hopper in 1 week . 

Now I'm quite used to running a load of fenns, and this is ok when I'm on site every morning. But I want to streamline my trapping with a few aims in mind. 

1. Mobility- I want a bunch of traps, possibly 30-40 that I can easily move around massive woodlands. They must be easy set as I will be setting them all in one go and checking over a long weekend, then springing them for a few days until I'm free to visit every day again. So not fiddly. I'm going to be moving them after hitting each area so again easy to pick up and move.

2. Legality and safety- we are in private woodlands with few to no paths....but...they have got to be done right with no issues, miss catches or dogs noses and or we could loose it all. Without going into it in detail we have sensitive landowners, getting it right could add extra estates absolutely designed for sport and an absolute paradise. The owners of different areas have wives that may suddenly take a random walk through the woods with their dogs so I'm thinking if I can get the traps up on the trees it would really help. 

I've seen traps set in mesh cubes that the squirrels drop in from the top. Looks perfect and also ideal for clean catches. If I could make up a load from rough sawn timber, I could just knock a nail in and hang em on a tree. 

Anyone made any good top entry trap boxes of that sort. I'm thinking trap sat in the bottom, a little lip with a bit of maize on and a hand full in the box on the treadle plate?

[gnipper 6,621]

The ones that look like bird boxes that they drop down on a fen plate would probably be ok, fill them with peanuts and put traps in when your able?

[DIDO.1 22,851]

2 hours ago, gnipper said:

The ones that look like bird boxes that they drop down on a fen plate would probably be ok, fill them with peanuts and put traps in when your able?

That's what I'm thinking. Make thirty and move em on as I clear an area 

[Borr 6,838]

Organise a squirrel shoot drey poking , it'll knock a hole in them and then it's a case of building secure stone or log trap tunnels with indicators to show from afar if it's been set off. Those tree tube gas ones look the bomb if you've no red squirrels I think they're self setting and you get loads of kill off a charge , although might need to nail a bucket underneath else the walkers will think they've got the best squirrel hunting dogs in the country

[paulus 26]

Tree mounted traps can be as complicated or simple as you need to ensure your aims. They work very well even with no bait as squirrels weakness is there need to be inquisitive a bit like mink. 

[paulus 26]

Just now, paulus said:

Tree mounted traps can be as complicated or simple as you need to ensure your aims. They work very well even with no bait as squirrels weakness is there need to be inquisitive a bit like mink. 

and you will be surprised how many rats can be caught half way up a tree trunk Lol

[DIDO.1 22,851]

3 hours ago, Borr said:

Organise a squirrel shoot drey poking , it'll knock a hole in them and then it's a case of building secure stone or log trap tunnels with indicators to show from afar if it's been set off. Those tree tube gas ones look the bomb if you've no red squirrels I think they're self setting and you get loads of kill off a charge , although might need to nail a bucket underneath else the walkers will think they've got the best squirrel hunting dogs in the country

Yeah will do after the shooting season when the trees are bare. My favourite type of shooting. Indeed I was going to save all the squirrels just for that...but....I honestly have never seen as many. I've had 17 around one release pen in 2 weeks and today I walked around the pen and saw 6 disappear up trees. They had done two hopper lids as well. In the past I've only seen them do that when the hopper runs out. 

I need to hit em now or I'll spend half the winter feeding the barstewards.

 

[DIDO.1 22,851]

3 hours ago, paulus said:

Tree mounted traps can be as complicated or simple as you need to ensure your aims. They work very well even with no bait as squirrels weakness is there need to be inquisitive a bit like mink. 

That's what I'm thinking of making

[DIDO.1 22,851]

The pens are also full of massive rats....no food in there either. Strange 

[Borr 6,838]

Pigs kept nearby?

[DIDO.1 22,851]

8 hours ago, Borr said:

Pigs kept nearby?

No, nothing!

One of the best kept dairy farms I have ever seen. No rats around the farm at all. Big belts of woodland with mass pens. Random rat holes in the pen, I guess I could burrow bait them but we aren't getting poults this year so just going to plod on with traps.

Edited June 25, 2023 by DIDO.1

[EDDIE B 3,168]

I'm thinking, top entry marten box design, with 110's

[DIDO.1 22,851]

6 hours ago, EDDIE B said:

I'm thinking, top entry marten box design, with 110's

Yeah I'd definitely like to bring the bodygrips into play as I think they kill so much quicker 

[DIDO.1 22,851]

I do really want to get away from walk through fenns as I really don't think the trap striking the side of the neck/body kills quickly at all....but someone gave me some hardwood boards so I'm knocking some up. I think going forward I'm going to concentrate on top entry drop in boxes and bodygrips 

[Squirrel_Basher 17,101]

Have you thought of the multiple catch boxes mate .Got to be the way with multiple fens set at once .Basically a wooden box made up with separate boxes inside and holes bored on the outside corresponding with the trap plates.Each fen covered in grain .Shovel leaner on here makes them and has very good success catching 4-5 at a time .