The message
from "alan.holmes" contains these words:

Then the traps I have are not Fenn, I wonder what they are?

Tunnel traps.

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

The message
from "alan.holmes" contains these words:
"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:18:04 +0000, Christina Websell wrote:

You'd do much better to get a catch alive trap for squirrels. Fenn
traps are best for rats and stoats.
Plan B if all else fails but if you're not good Plan A.

Who says? Fenn 4's are legal for squirrels (among other vermin). WTF do
you do with a live-caught one? It's against the law to release vermin on
someone else's land. Drop the live trap in the rain-barrel? A Fenn is
much more humane. I really don't think you've thought this one through!

It takes about 8 seconds to drown the rat, better than trying to shoot it
and just injuring it so it takes hours to die!

It takes a lot longer than that to drown a rat - it can hold its breath
for around thirty seconds, for a start.

And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

mark writes

"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:43:40 +0000, mark wrote:



I most probably do but inadvertently rather than deliberately. I haven't
jumped on the bandwagon that squirrels are tree rats. Rats are
incontinent, constantly dribble urine and can excrete up to 100 million
bacteria per ml of urine.

Citation? The urine of all mammals is usually sterile.

http://www.broadland.gov.uk/environment/1080.asp


With respect, that is a citation for a council website quoting
information without giving a source for that information. It may be true
and probably is, but that source is not authoritative.
--
Kay

"K" wrote in message
...
mark writes

"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:43:40 +0000, mark wrote:



I most probably do but inadvertently rather than deliberately. I
haven't
jumped on the bandwagon that squirrels are tree rats. Rats are
incontinent, constantly dribble urine and can excrete up to 100 million
bacteria per ml of urine.

Citation? The urine of all mammals is usually sterile.

http://www.broadland.gov.uk/environment/1080.asp


With respect, that is a citation for a council website quoting
information without giving a source for that information. It may be true
and probably is, but that source is not authoritative.
--
Kay


I think it carries enough validity for the purposes of this thread.
This isn't the 'Old Bailey'. :-)

mark

"BAC" wrote in message
...

"alan.holmes" wrote in message
news

"mark" wrote in message
et...

"alan.holmes" wrote in message
...

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
I've got a Fenn MkIV trap but I'm not having much success in coaxing
the little bleeders into its jaws. I've dug the trap into the earth so
that its treadle plate is pretty much level with the soil and then
covered the whole trap with bark chips to make it more or less
invisible. I bought a metal tunnel with the trap, and I've covered the
whole set up with this. But despite scattering a few peanuts around
and inside the tunnel I've had no luck. They eat the nuts outside and
carefully avoid the tunnel. I thought perhaps they didn't like the
strange metal tunnel, so I've tried a couple of house bricks with roof
tile on top - no success that way either.

I don't much like the idea of poison for the sake of the squirrels or
other wildlife, so plan B is an airgun, but obviously a trap would be
a lot less work (and less vulnerable to my appalling marksmanship).

I'm sure the traps I have are Fenn, and at first I had a lot of trouble
luring the damned things into the trap. a neighbour told me they like
tunnels, so I covered the thing with bits of twigs and other debris,
and the following morning I noticed there was something strange about
the trap, when I went to have look it had one of the vermin in it.

I now cover them with a dustbin bag, put some peanuts inside on a small
tin lid, and the success rate has been high.

Don't give up, just keep trying, you will be successful in the end.

Alan


Fenn traps showing he
http://www.thehuntinglife.com/html/s...fenn-trap.html

Then the traps I have are not Fenn, I wonder what they are?




These are yours, aren't they?

http://www.molevalleyfarmers.com/pd4...UIRRELMINK.htm

No but close, mine is called a mink/rat trap, found it on that web page!

Alan

"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...
The message
from "alan.holmes" contains these words:
"Derek Turner" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:18:04 +0000, Christina Websell wrote:

You'd do much better to get a catch alive trap for squirrels. Fenn
traps are best for rats and stoats.
Plan B if all else fails but if you're not good Plan A.

Who says? Fenn 4's are legal for squirrels (among other vermin). WTF do
you do with a live-caught one? It's against the law to release vermin
on
someone else's land. Drop the live trap in the rain-barrel? A Fenn is
much more humane. I really don't think you've thought this one through!

It takes about 8 seconds to drown the rat, better than trying to shoot it
and just injuring it so it takes hours to die!

It takes a lot longer than that to drown a rat - it can hold its breath
for around thirty seconds, for a start.

And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from one end of
the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to kill it in just one
shot.

Alan


--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:54:58 -0000, alan.holmes wrote:

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from one
end of the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to kill it
in just one shot.

Stick a few rods/sticks across the trap to contain it and use another to
restrain then blat the little blighters head from point blank range.

--
Cheers
Dave.

alan.holmes wrote:
And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from one
end of the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to kill
it in just one shot.

Which is what Rusty meant! My better half can shoot the head off a
squirrel/rabbit/whatever at a distance and cleanly. They don't sit quietly
and wait for it.

In article ,
alan.holmes wrote:
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
.uk...

And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from one end of
the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to kill it in just one
shot.

Wehn Rusty refers to a squirrel rifle, he means one that you load
with squirrels ....


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

wrote:
In article ,
alan.holmes wrote:
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...

And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from
one end of the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to
kill it in just one shot.

Wehn Rusty refers to a squirrel rifle, he means one that you load
with squirrels ....

lol

On 18/3/09 17:39, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:

On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:38:10 +0000 (GMT), wrote:

In article ,
alan.holmes wrote:
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...

And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from one end of
the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to kill it in just one
shot.

Wehn Rusty refers to a squirrel rifle, he means one that you load
with squirrels ....

More of a squirrel mortar than a rifle?

Mais non! Trebuchet d'ecureil, surely? ;-)
--
Sacha
http://www.hillhousenursery.com
South Devon
Exotic plants, shrubs & perennials online

The message
from "alan.holmes" contains these words:

And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from one
end of
the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to kill it in
just one
shot.

You just stand/kneel at one end of the trap, and the sqrl stays at the other.

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

The message
from contains these words:
In article ,
alan.holmes wrote:
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
.uk...

And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from one
end of
the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to kill it in
just one
shot.

Wehn Rusty refers to a squirrel rifle, he means one that you load
with squirrels ....

So *THAT'S* where I've been going wrong with my elephant gun!

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

The message
from Sacha contains these words:
On 18/3/09 17:39, in article ,
"Martin" wrote:
On Wed, 18 Mar 2009 17:38:10 +0000 (GMT), wrote:
In article ,
alan.holmes wrote:
"Rusty_Hinge" wrote in message
. uk...

And if you can't hit a rat in the head with an airgun pellet at
point-blank-range, you shouldn't be in charge of the thing.

Unfortunately tree rats do not stand still, they RAPIDLY run from
one end of
the trap to the other, you'd be very lucky to hit one to kill it
in just one
shot.

Wehn Rusty refers to a squirrel rifle, he means one that you load
with squirrels ....

More of a squirrel mortar than a rifle?

Mais non! Trebuchet d'ecureil, surely? ;-)

Mmmmm. These French! So many recipes...

--
Rusty
Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk

"pied piper" wrote in
news

"Martin Pentreath" wrote in message
...
I've got a Fenn MkIV trap but I'm not having much success in coaxing
the little bleeders into its jaws. I've dug the trap into the earth so
that its treadle plate is pretty much level with the soil and then
covered the whole trap with bark chips to make it more or less
invisible. I bought a metal tunnel with the trap, and I've covered the
whole set up with this. But despite scattering a few peanuts around
and inside the tunnel I've had no luck. They eat the nuts outside and
carefully avoid the tunnel. I thought perhaps they didn't like the
strange metal tunnel, so I've tried a couple of house bricks with roof
tile on top - no success that way either.

I don't much like the idea of poison for the sake of the squirrels or
other wildlife, so plan B is an airgun, but obviously a trap would be
a lot less work (and less vulnerable to my appalling marksmanship).


Why kill the squirrels?


To eat.

My local butcher had a stack of them for sale on Saturday.