What equipment is needed to trap a wild animal?
There are a myriad number and types of traps on the market and all of them do the job they are designed for but just which one you need will depend entirely on what kind of animal you are trying to trap. There are all kinds of stories from old-time trappers to modern professionals and some that just obviously urban myths about how to go about trapping certain animals.
Old-time trappers say you need to leave any trap out exposed to the elements for at least two weeks before you even attempt to use it, this is for a couple of reasons they state, the first is to allow the trap to get a bit of rust on it, and to remove any human smell on, you do this so the animals will just think the trap is some metal that has been abandoned where it is and not be afraid of it. If you have a trap that is not working because the animals are always shying away from it, then it's probably because the trap has a smell on it they do not like, a recommended method for getting rid of whatever the smell is is to boil the trap with some wallnut bark, the natural tannins in the wallnut will mask any odor, trappers also say do not forget whatever is used to prevent the animal walking off in the trap, it is usually a chain and a spike.
A lot of trappers, even the ones who do professional wildlife removal have another trick up their sleeve but they really mention, they have small jars which contain animal scents, these are commercially available in specialty stores, usually sporting goods department's. If sprinkled around the entrance to the trap and even on the trigger plate another animal of the same species will more than likely investigate the smell and as long as there are no other smells, especially human ones, to confuse the issue the animal will most likely be trapped.
There are basically two types of traps for ground dwelling animals, there are the lethal types which of course killed the animal when the trap is sprung and there is the nonlethal type which is designed to capture the animal in a cage like trap to allow you to relocate it to a more acceptable place for it to live. All of these traps come in different sizes and shapes designed for each different species.
Go back to the Denver Wildlife Control Home Page.
Old-time trappers say you need to leave any trap out exposed to the elements for at least two weeks before you even attempt to use it, this is for a couple of reasons they state, the first is to allow the trap to get a bit of rust on it, and to remove any human smell on, you do this so the animals will just think the trap is some metal that has been abandoned where it is and not be afraid of it. If you have a trap that is not working because the animals are always shying away from it, then it's probably because the trap has a smell on it they do not like, a recommended method for getting rid of whatever the smell is is to boil the trap with some wallnut bark, the natural tannins in the wallnut will mask any odor, trappers also say do not forget whatever is used to prevent the animal walking off in the trap, it is usually a chain and a spike.
A lot of trappers, even the ones who do professional wildlife removal have another trick up their sleeve but they really mention, they have small jars which contain animal scents, these are commercially available in specialty stores, usually sporting goods department's. If sprinkled around the entrance to the trap and even on the trigger plate another animal of the same species will more than likely investigate the smell and as long as there are no other smells, especially human ones, to confuse the issue the animal will most likely be trapped.
There are basically two types of traps for ground dwelling animals, there are the lethal types which of course killed the animal when the trap is sprung and there is the nonlethal type which is designed to capture the animal in a cage like trap to allow you to relocate it to a more acceptable place for it to live. All of these traps come in different sizes and shapes designed for each different species.
Go back to the Denver Wildlife Control Home Page.