Larson Trap

[Jack NUFC 1]

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Edited January 5, 2009 by ferretingkid

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Spring lifted door at the top. Held open by a sawn through bit of wood which is jambed between the lower side of the pushed down door and the inside of the cage.

 

Bird hops down onto the stick. Stick falls apart under his weight. Spring snaps the door upwards to shut. Violla!

[john b 38]

The Larsen trap is mainly a trap for magpies, although it also has been known to catch crows, jays and other corvids.

 

It is one of the few traps where it is legal to use a live bird to catch others - not as 'bait' in the usual sense but by using the natural instinct of these birds to guard their territory. Dominant birds, or new birds entering an area, will approach the call bird and in the course of the encounter will be caught.

 

The trap itself is divided into two halves; one forming the permanent cage for the 'call bird' and the other half divided into two catch chambers. Each catch chamber has a pivoted door which folds down inside the trap when it is set. A pair of dowels are then placed end on end between the door and the inner wall, held in position by the tension of the sprung door. When a bird lands on this 'split perch' while trying to get to the call bird, the perch will collapse—dropping the bird into the catch chamber and releasing the lid to spring shut.

 

[Jack NUFC 1]

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Edited January 5, 2009 by ferretingkid