A nice looking pond for flighting but is your pond or shoot having problems with vermin?
Most gamekeepers and shooters know the importance of keeping vermin under control on their shooting areas. This page is designed to assist those new to the task of gamekeeping and vermin control. Remember the use of traps or snares means that you have a LEGAL obligation to check them a minimum of once in every 24 hour period. Breaking the law is not only bad for the sport in general but can lead to hefty fines for any offence committed. Foxes, Stoats, Weasels, Mink, Rats and Grey Squirrels are usually the main cause of problems on any shoot or pond.
Pheasants at the feeder
Trapping :- The Larsen Trap
The Larsen trap is one of the gamekeepers main defences against winged vermin it accounts for many magpies, crows, rooks and other winged predators. The pictures below show how to set the trap and the resulting success.
The trap doors
of the Larsen are closed by powerful springs, here we see the
keeper pushing down the door to prepare the trap for use. The
bait is placed in a seperate compartment and very often a decoy
bird is used to lure unsuspecting victims into the trap.
The pieces of wood in the keepers hands
will form a perch which will "snap" under the weight of the quarry and allow the
sprung door to close behind it.
The perch is placed against either side of the cage
and holds the door open against the spring
When the perch is in place
and baited and the decoy bird has been added the trap is set and
ready for action. Place the trap in an area where you know the
quarry will congregate if at all possible, failing that try and
place it in an area where it is clearly visible, close to the
chosen flightlines of the quarry.
A successful
siting. The keeper has managed to trap 3 magpies and having done
so will have prevented the demise of a considerable number of
songbirds and gamebirds.
The magpie is notorious for
stealing the eggs and chicks of nesting birds in spring and their
growing population is believed to be a contributing factor to the
decline in our countryside of many common songbirds. Remember any
bird used as a live decoy must have shade, a plentiful supply of
water and food available, this is a legal requirement. Only
certain species of birds may be used as decoys these include the
crow, jackdaw, jay, magpie and rook.
Wire snares :-
Snares are used to capture mainly foxes but may also catch feral cats (the offspring of domesticated cats which have been abandoned and bred in the wild). Snares are also used extensively in rabbit control in an effort to minimise crop damage. Any snares used must be of the "Free running" type which means they must slacken when the captured animal ceases to struggle and as with any form of trap they must by law be inspected at least once every 24 hours and any quarry caught removed. "Self locking" snares because of the way they tightened up around the captured animals neck were considered to be inhumane and as a consequence were banned from use under the wildlife and countryside act.
Snares are usually made from strong non corroding wire usually of brass or copper strands and attached to a wooden or metal peg. When set, they will be at a height which is approximately the head height of the chosen quarry approx 7" to 9" for foxes and around 4" to 5" for rabbits. For best effect the snare is set on a known "run" such as a cart track or well worn path used by the quarry.
The snare is set in a wheel rut, a well known track used
by foxes which the keeper wants to prevent from killing his wildfowl or game.
Here we see the
keeper making the snare loop after attaching the snare to a stout wooden peg.
The peg must be strong and driven well into the floor to stop the quarry from
dragging it away.
The keeper uses a twig to support the snare at the
correct height for the chosen quarry, he knows it is essential that the snare be
at the right height to catch and hold the quarry until he arrives to despatch
it. He will visit the snares once or twice every 24 hours as is required by the
Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and remove any quarry caught by the snare.
The keeper sets the height of the snare to suit his
quarry in this case the fox. The snare will be set at approximately 7" to 9" so
that the foxes head may be caught within the snare loop.
The keeper checks the height of the snare from the ground approx 8" perfect!!
The snare is set and ready to do its work 24 hours a day,
7 days a week, protecting the shoots wildfowl & game from attack by foxes. The
keeper will go on to set other snares in various areas where other predators
such as Weasels, Stoats and Mink are known to hunt. The keeper knows his work
will pay off by increasing the number of quarry he and his friends are able to
harvest for the table.
Success!! The snares have done their job and have most
likely prevented the early demise of hundreds of domestic fowl such as chickens
and geese, game birds, wildfowl and songbirds all of which fall victim to the
handsome but cunning and voracious fox.
See the following link for more information on General Licences for pest control (adobe acrobat will be required)
http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/ourwork/regulation/wildlife/licences/generallicences.aspx
Tunnel traps :-
The "tunnel" trap is as the name suggests a spring type trap set within a tunnel like construction. Rats, Weasels, Stoats, Mink etc prefer to be undercover where possible on their travels and the tunnel trap can account for many of them if sited in an appropriate place, near known holes or runs, avoid placing the traps directly in front of rat holes. A trap set close to a gateway is another good site. The trap should be securely attached to a peg or solid structure to prevent the quarry from dragging it away. The most commonly used traps are the MK4 Fenn traps available from many sources. The tunnel trap can be built of freely available materials such as wood, brick, stone or even soil, try to use gloves when setting the traps as the scent of humans lingers and the quarry has a very acute sense of smell. Tunnel traps should be set above the water table level and the area around them should be camouflaged to look as natural as possible.
The Fenn Trap
"Live"traps :-
The term live trap is used to describe traps which catch and hold the intended quarry rather than killing it. Several forms of live trap are used the Larsen trap shown above is one of them. They are usually constructed of very strong wire or "weldmesh" as they have to withstand the struggling of the caged animal or bird until the keeper arrives to dispatch it. The keeper will visit the traps every 24 hours minimum as legally required and dispose of the animal or bird humanely, re bait and then reset his trap so it can continue it's work. The live trap is an excellent method for catching rabbits but may well be used for rats, mink, stoats, weasels and even foxes in some cases.
Air rifles :-
Air rifles may be used in "ambush" for winged vermin and ground vermin but obviously they are only active as long as you're there. A good air rifle can provide a certain amount of protection from crows, magpies etc but please remember to use a gun suitable for the task, an airgun is not suitable for shooting foxes. Unless you hold a firearms certificated airgun the legal limit is 12 ft/lbs for any air rifle and a good degree of accuracy is a pre requisite as with any live quarry shooting. Air rifles can provide a few hours of sport and much needed protection at times when and if the quarry becomes wary of cage traps.
SIGNS TO LOOK FOR
THE FOX
Fox tracks are approximately 1¾″ wide and 2¼″ long normally.
The Fox is omnivorous and will eat a wide variety of foods and their droppings will vary according to their diet. In the autumn, when there are a lot of blackberries, droppings may appear purple in colour. Fox droppings may contain hair, feathers and bones and are variable in size. The end of the droppings appears spiral shaped in a lot of cases. The burrow or Earth of the fox is usually tall and narrow and around 20 to 25cm in diameter. You will probably notice a musty smell near the entrance and possibly freshly dug soil sometimes mixed with fox hairs which are russet red with a silvery tip.
THE MINK
Mink tracks are approximately 1" long by 1.1/4" wide.
Mink were brought to the UK in 1929 from the USA for fur farming. Mink started to become common in the wild around our canals and river banks somewhere around the middle of the 1950's. Usually wild Mink are a dark rich chocolate brown colour but the colour of farm reared mink can vary from white through to black. Their limbs are short and their tails are about a third of their body length. They vary in size from around 40 - 65cm and will live up to 8 years in captivity although few survive past 2 years in the wild. Mink are a notorious and indiscriminate killer and will kill at any time of the year. The mink eats a variety of fish, small mammals, birds and invertebrates and is an opportunistic feeder by nature. The Mink often hunts in small groups so if you catch one there will most likely be others lurking in the area. As with foxes mink will strike at anytime they can be attracted by anything with a "fishy" smell, eggs are also another useful bait.
THE GREY SQUIRREL
The squirrels tracks differ greatly between the front and rear due to the squirrels powerful hind legs doing most of the work, while its front paws are used more for gripping it's food etc.
The Grey squirrel is another "import" from the USA to the UK. being introduced around the middle of the 1900's. It was introduced into the wild many times before it became established and it's numbers increased dramatically, mainly spreading from Woburn Park, Bedfordshire. It is now one of the most common and frequently seen wild mammals in the UK, it is seen in cities, towns and the countryside and is much more common than the native red squirrel which is in decline because of it. The Grey squirrel does most of it's mischief by stripping the bark from mature trees and young saplings which allows fungal infection and can lead to distorted growth or the demise of the tree. Grey squirrels will destroy the nests of birds' in order to eat eggs and nestlings.
THE WEASEL AND THE STOAT
The Weasel is often confused with the Stoat although they look similar, one way to tell the difference is that unlike stoats, weasels do not have a black tip to the tail. The Stoat is usually the larger of the two but both have chestnut brown fur, with white below, the edges of the white appear ragged on the Weasel and straighter on the Stoat. Northern and eastern weasels very often turn white in winter. Weasels mostly eat rodents, such as voles and mice, supplemented by birds or eggs in season. The Weasel must eat every 24 hours to avoid starvation and are active both day and night, resting for a brief period every few hours.
The Stoat is carnivorous mostly, Voles, Mice Rabbits and birds all form part of the Stoats diet. The Stoat kills by biting the back of it's preys neck and they have been known to travel as far as 8km in the course of their hunt for food. Stoat nests or dens are usually found in hollow trees, burrows or rock crevices such as dry stone walls. The female sticks to one territory in the breeding season, but males do not and tend to roam far and wide. The Stoat has excellent senses of sight, smell and hearing, which helps them to be very efficient hunters. The Stoats head and body length varies between approx 15 - 30cm and is long and slim, the tail is long and finishes with a black tip. In winter the Stoats fur which is usually chestnut brown in summer may turn totally white apart from the tip of the tail at this time they are referred to as Ermine.
Both Weasels and Stoats will take ducklings and goslings as well as eggs, they will usually be more voracious when feeding young. Good baits for them are rabbit or other meat offal and eggs.
THE RAT
Look for tracks and droppings around the pens and feeders.
Rats can carry a wide range of diseases which can be passed on to humans, either by directly contaminating food with droppings and urine, or by contaminating surfaces. Rats can pass on the potentially fatal Weils Disease, carried by around 15 to 30 per cent of the rat population. They will cause extensive structural damage to property with burrowing and gnawing and will chew through electric cables and wiring. Rats will take young ducklings and eggs although the main attraction to them is usually grain. Bait the area with corn or other grain especially in late autumn and winter when they are searching for foodstuffs. Statistics show that over the last year the rat population has increased by over 40%, experts put this increase down to the milder weather and increased availability of food. Also watch for mice which will eat the grain intended for your birds and damage the storage bins or bags.
Damage amounting to hundreds sometimes thousands of pounds is done by the rat
to buildings and soil structures on farms and smallholdings
