Keeper’s diary
Trapping is an important part of Adam Cope’s vermin control regime. He gives us tips on how to use a Fenn trap
It’s been an eventful month. A combine harvester caught fire and one of my release pens nearly went up in smoke, with all of the birds in it. We managed to stop the flames literally a couple of feet away from the pen, which was a tense moment. Apart from that, most of my birds are in the pens, but hexamita disease is still costing me dear. I’ve not lost too many birds, but I do have a £1,000 bill and we’ve not eradicated it yet. Onwards and upwards…
Fenn traps
Trapping is an art and an important part of my vermin-control regime. Having a good knowledge of how, where and when to set a Fenn trap in a tunnel will save you many hours of work getting on top of rats and grey squirrels. I need to keep the numbers of squirrels and rats down to prevent damage to the woodland, to stop them eating the wheat and bird feed, and to safeguard my equipment. They have a horrible habit of chewing away at feeders to gain access to the grain, and rats can account for plenty of poults in the first few weeks after release if their numbers aren’t kept under control.
I also have to keep the vermin down as part of my contract with the landowners, who I rent the shoots from. It pays to keep them onside. Obviously, all of this work has the knock-on effect of helping the resident songbird population to thrive, which is one of the great pleasures of my job. I tend to run around 40 to 50 traps and the spring is my peak time for catching, though they will be set all year round as they work for you 24/ 7. I try to keep them as near to my feed route as possible, so that I can be efficient with my time and just check all the traps as I pass by.
The standard Fenn trap is a fearsome but simple bit of kit and should be treated with respect if you want to keep all your fingers. It’s also well worth reading through the GWCT guidelines for trapping before you start, as the legislation is changing as we speak and Mk4 and Mk6 Fenn traps will soon no longer be legal for trapping stoats.
The Mk4 and Mk6 traps (the most common sizes used in the UK) both work in exactly the same way with the only difference being that the Mk6 has a stronger spring. However, the Mk4 is ideal and legal for use against rats and squirrels.
I would also warn against cheap imitations of these traps (Fenn, Springer and Solway are reputable makes and meet the legal standard for trapping). I’ve seen a few traps on websites that I bet don’t meet them. Personally, if it doesn’t have Fenn written on the triggerplate, I give them a wide birth.
So here are a few tips on the use of Fenn traps that I’ve learned over the years.
Location
Rats and squirrels are both inquisitive species of vermin and just love running into tunnels to explore and look for food – they especially love tunnels that they can see daylight through. This is why I don’t bait the traps. Some keepers swear by putting chicken feathers in the trap to attract rats – or peanut butter for squirrels – but I’ve never had a problem catching without bait. I think the location of your tunnel is more important.
I look for signs of activity or damage to feeders and rat holes when deciding where to set a trap. You’ll often see rats and squirrels when you’re doing the daily round feeding. Target these areas first. Placing a tunnel in the middle of open ground will never work because both species tend to stay as near to shelter as they can. Look at bases of trees, gateways, sides of buildings, along
“rats and squirrels just love running into tunnels”
the side of release pens and fence lines as good areas to target, and as far away from public access areas as possible.
How to set your trap
This is how to set a Fenn trap: put your lefthand thumb in the ring and your right hand on the bar opposite; pull the two apart while making sure that you don’t, at any point, have your fingers inside the jaws of the trap. Pull the two all the way apart and then flick the safety catch on. The trap is now set without the triggerplate. As with guns, the safety catch is there as a last resort and it’s wise never to put your fingers between the jaws – even with it engaged. Now, ease the jaws apart with the safety catch still engaged and this will open the jaws wide enough to flip the trigger bar over one set of the jaws (the trigger bar is a small, flat piece of brass that the triggerplate will engage with).
Now, with your right-hand thumb, push the triggerplate up to engage it with the trigger bar and slowly let the jaws release to catch the triggerplate on the trigger bar.
Make sure the safety catch doesn’t get knocked and unset while you do this. The trap is now set and ready for use. Place it in the tunnel. The sensitivity of the trap can now be adjusted. To do this, I use a stick to gently tap down on the triggerplate until you see that it is only just engaged with the trigger bar. Once you’re happy that it’s set as you’d like it, flick the safety catch off with the same stick and the trap is set. The trap, by law, has to be attached securely to the tunnel on the chain and I check all of my traps twice a day (once a day is mandatory).
Tunnels
I tend to make all of my tunnels for trapping and they’re pretty easy to assemble. The only important thing to remember is that the tunnel has to be just wide and tall enough for the trap to be able to close, and that the entrances need to be just large enough for your target species to enter and no larger. I also put a hinged lid in the middle for easy access, so you can just flip the lid to check if there is anything in the trap.
To make sure that only rats and squirrels can enter the tunnel, I cut two sticks and push them firmly into the ground at each entrance about 3in apart. The main species this prevents from getting in are hedgehogs, which we obviously don’t want to harm. Finally, I like to cover the tunnel or disguise it to make it look as natural as possible. I’m not entirely sure it helps with the numbers I catch, but it does make me feel better.
Next issue... Adam prepares for his first shoot of the season and tests some quality clothing.