Trap Man build live-catch cage traps for corvid and mammal control — Larsen traps in top entry, twin side entry and central decoy patterns, the Larsen Mate clam trap, and larger cage traps for squirrel, mink, fox and feral cat.
Choosing a Larsen pattern
A top entry Larsen is the standard keepering trap: a decoy compartment alongside one or two spring-door catching compartments. A twin side entry gives you two chances at a territorial bird coming in from either flank. The central decoy twin top puts the decoy between two catching compartments, which works well on open ground where the bird circles. The clam trap is the lightest and quickest to move — worth having for a single known problem bird rather than a trap line.
Cage traps
The squirrel and mink trap, the fox cage and the feral cat cage all work on the same principle: a treadle or trip plate closing a door, with the animal held alive and unhurt until you get there.
The legal position — read this before you set anything
These traps are legal to buy and own. Using them is controlled, and the rules differ between Scotland and England and Wales.
- Taking wild birds requires a general licence. In Scotland these are issued by NatureScot, in England by Natural England and in Wales by Natural Resources Wales. They set which species you may take, for which purpose, and under what conditions — and they are reissued and amended regularly. The licence in force when you read this is the one that binds you.
- In Scotland you must hold a trap registration number and mark your traps with it. Scottish trap law has changed more than once in recent years and continues to; check the current NatureScot position rather than relying on what was true a season or two ago.
- Inspect every trap at least once every 24 hours, and more often in hot weather. A decoy bird must have food, water, shelter from sun and rain, and a perch.
- Non-target catches must be released unharmed — which in practice is the main argument for checking first thing rather than last. Feral cat traps catch pet cats.
- Anything you do take must be dispatched humanely and immediately. Traps that are not in use should be sprung, closed or removed, not left set.
These are cage traps, so the Spring Traps Approval Orders — which govern Fenn-type and tunnel spring traps — do not apply to them. That is a separate set of rules for a separate class of trap.
The above is a summary to help you buy the right trap, not legal advice. If you are in any doubt about what you may lawfully do on your ground, check with the licensing body before you set a trap.
More in traps and vermin control.
