Voles

[Bouledogue]

Finally got around to setting the Fenn trap on Tuesday and did so without decimating my digits entirely - one slight wound only. Used a proprietary rat/mouse 'attractant' that came with one of the earlier vole trap packages.

As with the moles and voles it was a case of first time lucky;

View attachment 539655

Surprisingly chunky little vermin.

I have seen two simultaneously, so I've reset the trap for his/her mate.

Satay squirrel skewers - in addition to being delightfully alliterative - are also rather tasty, if you can be bothered to skin and joint them.

 

[Smallfry]

Finally got around to setting the Fenn trap on Tuesday and did so without decimating my digits entirely - one slight wound only. Used a proprietary rat/mouse 'attractant' that came with one of the earlier vole trap packages.

As with the moles and voles it was a case of first time lucky;

View attachment 539655

Surprisingly chunky little vermin.

I have seen two simultaneously, so I've reset the trap for his/her mate.

I bought a couple of mk4 Fenn traps for rabbits. All I caught were Blackbirds, so will not use them now.

 

[brightspark]

I bought a couple of mk4 Fenn traps for rabbits. All I caught were Blackbirds, so will not use them now.

there only ok in boxes catching tree and ground rats otherwise they catch birds and hedgehogs

 

[Smallfry]

Definitely Field Voles. Let’s have a look at a perch. I hope it won’t have an effect on the local songbirds, though.

They will. Sparrowhawks and Kestrels have decimated the Blackbirds, Thrushes, Robins and Tits here. We have several Tawny Owls around here, and we don't seem to see many rodents, but that may change as we lost our semi feral cat recently.

Buzzards catch rabbits here, but not enough of them, nothing seems to bother the squirrels though.

 

[brightspark]

They will. Sparrowhawks and Kestrels have decimated the Blackbirds, Thrushes, Robins and Tits here. We have several Tawny Owls around here, and we don't seem to see many rodents, but that may change as we lost our semi feral cat recently.

Buzzards catch rabbits here, but not enough of them, nothing seems to bother the squirrels though.

fentraps will

 

[Smallfry]

there only ok in boxes catching tree and ground rats otherwise they catch birds and hedgehogs

I had these in 24 inch small mesh cages open each end.

Not seen any hedgehogs here for a long time, quite a few badgers though.

 

[Blobber]

Not seen any hedgehogs here for a long time, quite a few badgers though.

Looks like you're going to need some bigger traps then

 

[Smallfry]

Looks like you're going to need some bigger traps then

The bar stewards have dug up our crocquet lawn during one of their nocturnal vists.

 

[MattF]

Just kick it around.

Flattening it with the mower works fine. Granted, you have to accept you may get stone nicks on the blade, but it sorts molehills quite nicely.

 

[addjunkie]

Looks like you're going to need some bigger traps then

Shhhhh just wait for them to be run over!

 

[Turbo]

Shhhhh just wait for them to be run over!

Hitting a badger with a vehicle causes a lot of damage as a badger is a very solid and heavy animal for its size.

 

[Bouledogue]

I bought a couple of mk4 Fenn traps for rabbits. All I caught were Blackbirds, so will not use them now.

The mk4 are not meant for rabbits really, @Smallfry . The mk6, however, is approved (and pretty effective) for that use.

Either way, as you say, they are imperfect even with tunnels and can occasionally by-catch.

 

[addjunkie]

Hitting a badger with a vehicle causes a lot of damage as a badger is a very solid and heavy animal for its size.

While I concur, I suspect most of the running over is to hide the bullet hole, after they are mis identified as black and white foxes.

 

[Melvyn Best]

Satay squirrel skewers - in addition to being delightfully alliterative - are also rather tasty, if you can be bothered to skin and joint them.

Our local butchers are selling squirrels, I’m tempted to try them

 

[Bouledogue]

While I concur, I suspect most of the running over is to hide the bullet hole, after they are mis identified as black and white foxes.

Yup. Where I used to live in the UK, it was standard practice amongst the less ...ahem... choosy end of the fieldsports spectrum.

 

[Bouledogue]

Our local butchers are selling squirrels, I’m tempted to try them

I really hope you do, @Melvyn Best . They are much nicer than one might expect. We only have reds where I now live so they're off the menu.

 

[Porkypine]

Sounds a bit desperate, you wouldn't get much off a squirrel shurely ?

 

[Bouledogue]

Sounds a bit desperate, you wouldn't get much off a squirrel shurely ?

Nor off a trout; nor a partridge; nor a quail; nor an oyster...and yet..

 

[Porkypine]

Nor off a trout; nor a partridge; nor a quail; nor an oyster...and yet..

True enough, a quartet of squirrels then perhaps !

 

[Melvyn Best]

I really hope you do, @Melvyn Best . They are much nicer than one might expect. We only have reds where I now live so they're off the menu.

Hopefully on the menu in the not too distant future