Out with the camera

[Holdaway 2]

Went out this morning for a mooch with the camera, mainly looking for places to fence snare some rabbits that are plaguing a sports field. Local authorities spent an absolute fortune putting up a rabbit proof fence on all four sides of the field, only to have some rotten sod comes along and cut holes in it just so he can snare the line... I don’t know, some people...

 

Not that much sign of Mr Bunny (do people exaggerate about being ‘over run’ with rabbits do you think?)

 

Went along the edge of some fields where I have permission and found some rabbit highways.

 

 

Also found a new badger sett, here is where he is coming through – right through my snaring line... you can just see the hair caught on the barbs of wire

 

 

Also found a re-dug fox den, this is used every year and then abandoned when the cubs are older.

 

 

At the moment it looks like a major highway

 

 

As I was walking the banking you see above, something caught my eye as it darted into cover along the bank of a small stream that cuts through the wood. Mink. I never had a chance to even lift the camera and he was gone. I have never seen them come this far up into the wood before, although after 300 yards or so this stream does enter into a river. So I took some pics of likely crossing points for both snares and body grips.

 

 

 

All the best

 

H

[OldTrapCollector 377]

Holdaway, that pipe under the sleepers is screaming out for a trap to be put inside - chuck some feathers and bait in behind it and expect a catch pretty quick I should say!!

 

OTC

[Holdaway 2]

I agree OTC, my only problem with that is the Mark iv Fenn is all I have, and I can't get a 110 or 116 in there, I could use a mark iv on a cable but...

 

I agree it looks a cracking place too

 

H

[Rolfe 2]

I agree OTC, my only problem with that is the Mark iv Fenn is all I have, and I can't get a 110 or 116 in there, I could use a mark iv on a cable but...

 

I agree it looks a cracking place too

 

H

Looks like you have just enough room to place a bodygrip in a cubby in FRONT of that pipe, chuck a few reeds and grasses over it and it will be all but invisible to the two legged theives that like to avail themselves of traps for nowt.

 

Rolfe

[stephen58 1]

Hi Holdaway , have to agree with OTC if you can,t get a trap in the pipe , what about installing an elbow~sett near by ? and place a 116 magnum inside it with some duck feathers ( water~proof ) as an eye attracter and may~be sardine oil , that second photo looks like you have got a mole as well !! I think you are going to be busy in the next few days , let us know how you get on , best regards Steve

[Holdaway 2]

Well I decided later to take a walk down to where the feeder stream joins the river. There were so many tracks there I didn't know where to look. Fox, deer, cat, mink, heron, squirrel, rat you name it was there.

 

Some incredible places to trap mink on cross over logs, flood lines full of debris, culverts, undercuts, etc. I have 24 110's and I could easily lay them all in a space of 50 yards...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the last picture of the previous set I have decided to put down a Fenn on the concrete lintel under the large drain to the left, and as Rolfe and Steve have pointed out a body grip in a cubby under the sleepers backing onto that drain.

 

I will put another body grip in a cubby on the fallen tree across the river

 

 

and some snares on the two other trees where I might pick up a squirrel or three

 

 

 

 

 

H

[aaronpigeonplucker 32]

that place is a mink trappers heaven.

[stealthy1 3,964]

That is one very busy place to trap.

[stephen58 1]

Hi Holdaway , any Mink , etc trapped or snared in that trappers heaven of yours ?? best regards Steve

[Holdaway 2]

I set 3 body grips and a Fenn 2 days ago, the Fenn under the drain on the stream and the body grips on the banks of the main river. Since I set them there has been no sign of activity. Maybe they were passing through, maybe it way several sets of prints over a few days.

 

I am using last years fish from the freezer as bait and will leave the traps in place for another week or so before deciding what to do next.

 

T