squirrel trap

[jack spratt 4]

does anyone have any clear instructions on making

live catch squirrel traps.

[john b 38]

I don't know if this counts as 'clear instructions' but I've had a lot of success with 'seesaw' traps.

 

 

 

see this link, towards the end http://www.hardcorehunting.co.uk/forum/ind...p?showtopic=227

[jack spratt 4]

-->

QUOTE(john b @ May 28 2006, 08:27 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know if this counts as 'clear instructions' but I've had a lot of success with 'seesaw' traps.

 

 

 

see this link, towards the end http://www.hardcorehunting.co.uk/forum/ind...p?showtopic=227

 

thanks i,ll try to get registered

[john b 38]

let me know if you can't and I'll repost it here.

 

I know a lot of people read both forums and I on't want to flood the place with my opinions

[john b 38]

OK, here we go then.

 

SeeSaw Box Trap

 

The box is basically a tunnel about 30" long, with an inside width of 4". The original design I saw a photo of in the book had a slopping lid, 3.5" high at the entrance up to 5 or 6 at the 'exit' and I built one like that as mk1.

 

One end is open, the other end is sealed but has to let light in, so it can be covered in mesh or perspex.

 

Inside there is a seesaw of thin plywood positioned so that when the trap is set, the end seesaw is touching the floor at the tunnel entrance. This provides a gentle ramp but there is still daylight visible down the tunnel. Squirrels and rats seem determined to investigate any sort of tunnel and go in without bait. I've had a lot of success putting these in places between cover so they dive into my 'tunnel' as they're scarpering across. They also work well positioned on planks or other natural ‘bridges’ across rivers or ditches.

 

Once the rat/squirrel goes past the pivot point, the seesaw tips and the entry 'ramp' rises, touching the roof and closing the box. You have to make sure that when this happens, the 'down' bit is now touching the floor or the rat will simple escape underneath.

 

The key to this working is that the seesaw is long, but does not go the full length of the tunnel. The run up is long so that once the rat is over the pivot it's already a well into the tunnel. If you've got the balance right then the seesaw tips pretty quick bringing the front of the seesaw up to the roof - closing the trap. You can mess about getting the balance just right by glueing bits of lead to the seesaw.

 

The clever bit is a wire 'U' that hangs down from the bottom of the seesaw and prevents it pivoting back. The wire u is just hung off a couple of small wire staples. If you look at the rabbit plan on the link I included you can see another method - a single wire hanging off a screw in 'eye'. On another version of my 'seesaw' I used a couple of screw in eyes.

 

It sounds really complicated, but it isn't. If you build the bottom and sides of the tunnel, then position the seesaw to work out where you want the pivot.

 

This is a picture of my MKI which is quite faithful to the original design. You can just see the pivot in the picture - the bent end of coathanger wire just above and to the left of the black splodge with the arrow. I've also drawn on the position of the seesaw when it's set and 'sprung'.

 

 

 

 

The clearance above the pivot is about 2.5 to 2.75 inches between the surface of the seesaw and the inside of the roof. Because of the sloping roof the tunnel looks parrallel when the seesaw is down.

 

For the MKII I found you don't have to make the sides slope as long as you put a bit of a bar across the top of the entrance. It also has a design flaw in that it's hard to see the blighter to put a pellet in once it's caught. The next one I build will have a completely removable lid with mesh inside. It's also worth putting a spot of bright paint on the tunnel floor below the seesaw so that it's obvious it's tipped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a Rabbit Trap design on the web that's a bit similar and might help you understand it.

 

rabbit live trap plan

[jack spratt 4]

-->

QUOTE(john b @ May 29 2006, 04:14 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>

OK, here we go then.

 

SeeSaw Box Trap

 

The box is basically a tunnel about 30" long, with an inside width of 4". The original design I saw a photo of in the book had a slopping lid, 3.5" high at the entrance up to 5 or 6 at the 'exit' and I built one like that as mk1.

 

One end is open, the other end is sealed but has to let light in, so it can be covered in mesh or perspex.

 

Inside there is a seesaw of thin plywood positioned so that when the trap is set, the end seesaw is touching the floor at the tunnel entrance. This provides a gentle ramp but there is still daylight visible down the tunnel. Squirrels and rats seem determined to investigate any sort of tunnel and go in without bait. I've had a lot of success putting these in places between cover so they dive into my 'tunnel' as they're scarpering across. They also work well positioned on planks or other natural ‘bridges’ across rivers or ditches.

 

Once the rat/squirrel goes past the pivot point, the seesaw tips and the entry 'ramp' rises, touching the roof and closing the box. You have to make sure that when this happens, the 'down' bit is now touching the floor or the rat will simple escape underneath.

 

The key to this working is that the seesaw is long, but does not go the full length of the tunnel. The run up is long so that once the rat is over the pivot it's already a well into the tunnel. If you've got the balance right then the seesaw tips pretty quick bringing the front of the seesaw up to the roof - closing the trap. You can mess about getting the balance just right by glueing bits of lead to the seesaw.

 

The clever bit is a wire 'U' that hangs down from the bottom of the seesaw and prevents it pivoting back. The wire u is just hung off a couple of small wire staples. If you look at the rabbit plan on the link I included you can see another method - a single wire hanging off a screw in 'eye'. On another version of my 'seesaw' I used a couple of screw in eyes.

 

It sounds really complicated, but it isn't. If you build the bottom and sides of the tunnel, then position the seesaw to work out where you want the pivot.

 

This is a picture of my MKI which is quite faithful to the original design. You can just see the pivot in the picture - the bent end of coathanger wire just above and to the left of the black splodge with the arrow. I've also drawn on the position of the seesaw when it's set and 'sprung'.

 

 

 

 

 

The clearance above the pivot is about 2.5 to 2.75 inches between the surface of the seesaw and the inside of the roof. Because of the sloping roof the tunnel looks parrallel when the seesaw is down.

 

For the MKII I found you don't have to make the sides slope as long as you put a bit of a bar across the top of the entrance. It also has a design flaw in that it's hard to see the blighter to put a pellet in once it's caught. The next one I build will have a completely removable lid with mesh inside. It's also worth putting a spot of bright paint on the tunnel floor below the seesaw so that it's obvious it's tipped.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There's a Rabbit Trap design on the web that's a bit similar and might help you understand it.

 

rabbit live trap plan

thanks again for your help john.

[Guest Fishaben]

Hi all,

I have a really effective way of catching squirrels alive. Here goes.

If you can find a feeding station where the squirrels feed often and that is still in use, then thats your place. What you need to do now is find a log, big thick branch or a piece of wood that is roughly 9-12ft long. Now you must rest this up against the closest tree to where the squirrels are feeding (because if the squirrels get spooked they will run up the closest tree to where they are feeding) at a 45 degree angle (45 degrees because if the squirrel falls off the log, branch or wood attached to the snare then it may swing and grip the floor or tree if the log, branch or wood is at a wrong angle). Set some squirrel snares on the log, branch or wood, but you must set about 2-4 snares up the log, branch or wood in a zig-zag pattern so that if the squirrel quickly runs up the log, branch or wood it will not miss at least 1 of the snares. You may be thinking that this will kill the squirrel if it is hanging from a log, branch or wood, but squirrels have very strong muscles in their necks which stops them from breaking their necks or from suffercating.

Hope this helps people.

 

Ben

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Those box traps are good for all round control of anything from mink to rats .When I was keepering we trialled possably the first use of these in England.We were given 100 and had strict instructions not to bait the traps with anything as they were looking at what could be caught using the pest animals inquisitivness as oppossed to hunger.Placed under dry stone walls ,under footbridges,ditches and in feed store areas ,we caught everything including a wild polecat which was taken away by the university doing the study .The only flaw in these is that they allow the gnawing vermin,rats ,squirrels and mice ,to make a mess of the inside by chewing the wood.The mesh front needs to be of 1/2inch weldmesh so as to contain the fearsome mink as these will readily use them by water.

JACK SPRAT- Excellent discription mate .

When the trial was over [6 months summertime]we reverted back to mk 4 fenns as the box traps were at the time £16 each as opposed to £5.70 for a fenn.Ive caught a lot of squirrels with fenns baited with a bit of corn on the pan in tunnels .

[john b 38]

JACK SPRAT- Excellent discription mate .

When the trial was over [6 months summertime]we reverted back to mk 4 fenns as the box traps were at the time £16 each as opposed to £5.70 for a fenn.Ive caught a lot of squirrels with fenns baited with a bit of corn on the pan in tunnels .

 

Foxdropper - it was my description that Jack was quoting - but thanks.

 

What size were the box traps that went for £16 ? I'll have to start flogging some ...

 

John

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

J.B- the traps were roughly 30 inches long with 4 inch small end and 7 inch at the mesh end .They had galv see-saws ,hinged doors at high end and rivetted U shaped block ups [see-saw supports .]The wood was treated green but I cant remember what wood it was ,not ply .Catches had to be shaken out into a mesh cage and dispatched so as not to get blood in the trap which may of altered results .If you include your time in the manufactuer of these then you will see why they were priced at that .Maybe with modern hand tools you could turn out several an hour .

[john b 38]

Just a bit more on the whole 'how it works' aspect of these. I have had a see-saw trap made with a 'viewing' panel on one side so that I can demonstrate it to anyone that asks. I see this being one of my props if and when Fourteenacre starts doing the country fair circuit.

 

I also hope to film some live footage of the trap in action but that is a way off yet.

However in the meant time, in another shameless piece of marketing, I have knocked up this short demo film. If anyone still hasn't got how these work, this should do it

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6geHi4m97o

 

cheers, John

[fellpack 7]

Just a bit more on the whole 'how it works' aspect of these. I have had a see-saw trap made with a 'viewing' panel on one side so that I can demonstrate it to anyone that asks. I see this being one of my props if and when Fourteenacre starts doing the country fair circuit.

 

I also hope to film some live footage of the trap in action but that is a way off yet.

However in the meant time, in another shameless piece of marketing, I have knocked up this short demo film. If anyone still hasn't got how these work, this should do it

 

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=HbZlaCyFiPQ

 

cheers, John

 

simple but affective

[OldTrapCollector 377]

I see a career in short films beckoning John - for trap fetishists like myself ...

 

OTC