Net Traps

[Ash Blue]

Hello people of nature. I find snaring for squirrels to be a bit too inhumane for me to do often. I'm looking for anyone with experience with setting net traps that can be left while you do other things. I'd really like to try this and would like to know how efficient it is. Thanks!

[shaggystu]

not quite understanding this one to be honest, if a squirrel has been snared correctly it'll be dead in a matter of minutes, if you catch it in a net it'll panic and stress itself to death. i've seen squirrels caught by their tails before (always because idiots have put bird feeders in silly places), it's horrible, they thrash around and panic like nothing you've ever seen, right up to the point that they rip their own tails off, at which point i assume they go and find somewhere nice and quiet to curl up and die. if you're genuinely concerned for the welfare of the critters that you're eating then go out and get yourself a gun and shoot the things, nets really aren't the way to go for squirrel trapping IMO

cheers

stuart

[udamiano]

Totally agree with shaggystu

[bullterrier]

I sometimes use a cage trap for possums - which are about the size of a house cat. Door slides down, no poblems. But you still have to kill it - I shoot them but banging them on the head will work. There's no pretty way!

[Skaukraft]

Not knowing the rules and regulations in UK, I find it hard to belive that snaring or neting squirrels is even close to be legal?

[iHydro]

We have both red and grey squirrels and I believe one of the 2 are protected, not sure which ones tho.

[realearner]

Reds are endangered, because of grays. So I think it will be self evident.

[Bushwhacker]

Reds are endangered, because of grays. So I think it will be self evident.

Not just because of greys mind.

[Skaukraft]

OK.
As I said, I do not know the rules and regulations in UK, but assume they are much the same as in Norway.
If I was caught snaring or neting squirrels here, I would certainly loose my hunters license for at least two years. My gun license would probably be withdrawn for a period and I would probably be given a fine of maybe 250-1000£ (depending on how much I caught and for how long I've been doing it). I could also risk being prosecuted for fauna crime (depending on how much and for how long).
It is not illegal to hunt squirrel here, but not with snares or nets. You can trapp for squirrels also, but then you need to have a hunting license and use registered and approved trapps.
Snares is only allowed on grouse, and only in a few places as long as you have a license.

[ged]

In the UK, to prevent (even more) suffering, snares must by law be inspected no less often than every 24 hours, and some kinds of snares are not allowed. But snaring is in general a legal way to take some species. My personal view is that it should be banned, but having said that I think it's no less inhumane than poisoning, which is in widespread use here both in industry and in the home.

Like Stuart I would say shoot them, although I also use traps. I only use live traps because of the risks of unnecessary suffering and of trapping the wrong species, but lethal squirrel traps available if you choose to search online for them and some are legal in the UK.

The grey squirrel is not native to the UK and is classed as vermin. It is illegal to release one back into the wild after catching it. If you catch one you either have to keep it or kill it. They don't generally make very good pets, in fact they are usually amongst the nastiest animals you will ever meet, but I have seen orphans taken very young kept as pets.

[shaggystu]

Not knowing the rules and regulations in UK, I find it hard to belive that snaring or neting squirrels is even close to be legal?

i really don't know for sure but i'd bet heavily that netting squirrels is against the law in britain, we are allowed to use long nets for rabbit/hare but they have to constantly attended AFAIK

[ged]

i really don't know for sure but i'd bet heavily that netting squirrels is against the law in britain, we are allowed to use long nets for rabbit/hare but they have to constantly attended AFAIK

Nets are legal under certain circumstances for certain quarry Stu.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69

More about catching and handling squirrels here:

http://www.greysquirrelcontrol.co.uk/index.php

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00M..._Squirrels.htm

[shaggystu]

Nets are legal under certain circumstances for certain quarry Stu.

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1981/69

More about catching and handling squirrels here:

http://www.greysquirrelcontrol.co.uk/index.php

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00M..._Squirrels.htm

cheers for that ged, i do enjoy a nice lengthy piece of legislation to read over lunch

[Skaukraft]

I see that my assumption didn't make it
Anyway it is always interesting to learn new things about other countries and cultures, and see the differenses.

[Bushwhacker]

I'm just heading out to do something right now. Pics tomorrow.....

[Bushwhacker]

Hmmm, things didn't turn out as I planned picture-wise.
I had a call from a mate who said he'd caught a squirrel in a cage trap and could I come and dispatch it.
Well, I turned up after work and found nothing but an empty trap. My mate comes out and asks why I'm back again?
It would seem that the squirrel must've died of shock before I got to it - Perhaps this is case for snaring to be more humane than a cage trap.
My mate found it dead, assumed I'd dispatched it (but didn't want it) so had thrown it over the hedge.

Here's the weird bit, He said there was a Robin in the cage too, still alive and it flew off ok.

Anyway, I wanted the squirrel as ferret food and after a bit of searching found it, albeit rather wet from the rain.
Chewy enjoyed it anyway.

[Ash Blue]

Thank you for the contribution Bushwhacker! And thanks everyone else for the responses.

I generally don't care for laws.. You may not agree with that, but this is my opinion, be it risky or not. I've heard about people snaring squirrels that left them choking for hours. On a humane level I'd rather the animal have a fast death, so I'm trying to find other methods as well as direct hunting.

[Ahjno]

I generally don't care for laws..

Interesting ...
Generally I don't care if you care for laws or not, though as long as you post on BCUK I'd made sure my posts (or the activities you post about on BCUK) are in compliance with the law if I where you.

7 - Obey The Law:
The United Kingdom has some of the strictest knife, gun and wilderness laws in the world. It is the responsibility of the members to ensure their activity (particularly in the members classifieds section) conforms to all UK laws. This will be enforced rigorously.

If you do not know the legal status of your post then find out before posting. You can ask questions etc but do not post something as fact if it might not be.

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=45

[Bushwhacker]

I've heard about people snaring squirrels that left them choking for hours.

Is it possible to choke for hours?

[shaggystu]

Is it possible to choke for hours?

only with a peerage and a helping hand

[Bushwhacker]

only with a peerage and a helping hand

Mnnnng mnnnng.
I would've laughed if I didn't have an orange in my mouth.

[Ash Blue]

Maybe slight choking, but hanging from the back of the head and under the jaw will leave it hanging there for a while.

So how do the laws go for other traps? Any experience with useful methods?

[treebloke]

I have caught hundreds (on average 40/50 a year) of rats in fens traps and live traps, I have never had a dead rat in a live trap. Occasionally I get a squirrel in a live trap but never had a dead one of those either.

Caught a fox in a live trap last winter, I walked up to the trap and he was curled up asleep, when I got there he looked up at me as if to say 'get lost, I am having a bad day' then put his head back back down and went back to sleep.

My wife called me one day to say there was three rats in a live trap, when I got home approx 30 mins later there were four, just as I was about to deal with them some one turned up so I was talking for another 15 mins, when I returned to the trap there were five.

I once caught two mice on a fenn mark 4.

[Bushwhacker]

A healthy fox will do exactly as you say. Curl up and have a sleep.

[ged]

...My wife called me one day to say there was three rats in a live trap, when I got home approx 30 mins later there were four, just as I was about to deal with them some one turned up so I was talking for another 15 mins, when I returned to the trap there were five. ...

Rats are very social creatures. I have a trap which is designed to catch over a dozen. The idea is that you get the first one with bait, but the rest go in to find out what's happening. The entrance is closed by a weighted hinged flap, so a rat can push past it against the weight to get in, but it can't push back out.

This is it:

http://www.cnmonline.co.uk/Pest-stop...-pr-37175.html

Here's one with a similar idea, although this one also has a sprung flap.

http://www.solwayfeeders.com/product...2005-c202.html