From: "Richard Loweth", [EMAIL PROTECTED]
The "Cage Trap" answers...
- what was the author's ratio of catches to trap-days?
Not sure how you work this out. Does this mean the number of days that a
trap was set to the vermin caught? If so I cannot give an exact
figure...following answers will explain some more. From memory about three
to four foxes were caught in the cage trap which was "deployed" only in the
game season...the winter months when the ornamental gardens were not being
walked in.
- was this in a rural, suburban or urban area?
Rural area. 1,200 acre estate, of which a "core" of 800 acres was shot over.
- what make of trap was used?
The "cage trap" was made "in house". Size 4'x4'x5'. It seems that bigger
works better.
- what bait and locations were used?
The bait was dead rabbits, or other carrion such as dead pigeons. Feral
cats were also fell victim to this method.
- assuming that the object was to protect livestock rather than
just kill foxes at random, how did the trapper discern whether
the apprehended animal was one which was causing damage?
The estate ran a number of vermin destruction practices. Snares, lamping,
and shooting foxes with walking guns whilst combine harvesting. The local
hunt visited just once a year! The cage trap was used because the location
was too near to dwellings to shoot and unsuitable for a snare. The cage trap
was located near to an area with feeding hopper where the birds used to
roost. As it was in the middle of the estate's ornamental gardens there was
nowhere suitable for a snare.
- what other methods of catching/killing foxes were used in the
same area?
See above.
- what was the average annual number of foxes killed per 100
acres in that area?
Annual recorded "kill" was over fifty foxes per annum, of which roughly 50%
were killed during the game season by snaring, lamping and the cage trap.
The remainder were killed during the rest of the year. Joe Public also lent
a hand with his motor car. Road deaths were not unknown of young foxes.
Cybershooters website: http://www.cybershooters.org
List admin: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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