Snaring rabbits and hares - no gun allowed.

[Coote 5]

Hi... I hope you folks can help me.

 

I have hunted nearly all my life, generally using a rifle. Occasionally I have been asked to get rid of some animals where it would be undesirable or forbidden to carry a firearm. Sometimes I see animals I would like to hunt, but I wouldn't want to risk losing my gun licence by using a firearm in an area where I did not have permission to carry one.

 

I've read back through most of the topic titles and have looked at the content of the ones that are of interest, but I'd like to ask some questions to make sure that I am on the right track. So thanks in advance for any replies.

 

What is the optimum noose diameter for a rabbit, and what is the best distance to have the bottom of the noose from the ground? (I have seen a range of measurements for this latter distance from 3 inches to 6 inches).

 

What is the optimum noose diameter for a hare, and what is the best distance to have the bottom of the noose from the ground?

 

I believe that our rabbits and hares were introduced from British/European stock.

 

Sometimes I can see trodden-down paths where these animals might have travelled, but sometimes the conditions make it hard to see any such signs. Any tips for where to set the snares if there are no obvious paths?

 

Shops don't seem to stock brass snare wire down here, but I can get plain copper wire.... and I have had considerable success snaring some animals with synthetic cord.

 

Any ideas will be most appreciated.

 

The most recent request came from a horse-riding establishment which is situated next to an organic garden. There are some young rabbits living under some sheds, and the local council did not grant me permission to use my silenced .22 or even an air rifle. I got one rabbit in a leg-hold trap, and another with an arrow.... but they seem to be a lot more shy now that I have started flinging arrows at them. I don't want to use poison.

 

Best wishes.... Stephen Coote, Nelson, New Zealand.

[Coote 5]

Hmmm... no replies. OK, I'll keep it simple by asking one question at a time.... here it is:

 

Snaring hares.... what is the best size for the noose, and how high should the bottom of the noose be from the ground?

 

Thanks very much.

 

This seems like a great site. I am grateful to have access to it.

 

Best wishes.... Stephen Coote.

[pegandgun 52]

Your hare snare wants to be 8" from the ground.Your noose wants to be about 9" by 7".

Rabbit snares want to be 5 and a half inches from the ground with a 5" by 7" noose.If theres no runs then look for gaps in fences and through hedges etc.

Your young rabbits under sheds would be an ideal place to use Fenn traps.

[Coote 5]

Thanks for that information. It certainly makes more sense to me than the descriptions of rabbit snares I have come across elsewhere which say something like a snare should be four inches in diameter and a fist height from the ground.

 

I am not too sure what a Fenn trap is, but I assume it is a mechanical trap with jaws and a trigger treadle. I have a couple of similar traps of a type that is used here to catch opossums and stoats. I set one on a rabbit pathway at the edge of the shed they were living under and managed to catch one rabbit.

 

The trouble with the area I am currently trying to trap in, is that I have to stand near my traps because of the large number of people that appear on the scene with their dogs and children. When I caught the first rabbit I was rushing to the trap, the rabbit was squealing, and along comes a lady and her dog to see what all the fuss is. Fortunately she was of a reasonably realistic nature and didn't write a letter to the local paper about me and my barbaric practices.

 

I shot one with an arrow at my last visit while I was waiting for them to walk into my snares. However the other bunnies steered clear of my snares... which isn't surprising. They probably saw me set them, my scent was still fresh, and I was hanging around a short distance away.

 

I appreciate your help. Regards.... Stephen Coote.

[robsharpe 1]

http://www.euroguns.co.uk/acatalog/Fenn_traps.html

coote these are fenn traps mark4 and mark 6 ,but expensive from here its just a pic i put up to show youi what they were hope this heps cheers rob

[Coote 5]

Thanks for the Fenn pictures. Having seen them I can say that my steel traps aren't Fenns... they are just toothless leghold traps. But I believe that Fenns are used here for rat and stoat control. I have seen them set under wooden "tunnels" in a nearby national park.

 

Much appreciated thanks.