Re: [gardeners] OT sloth trap for sale?
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Sun, 14 Nov 1999 18:44:51 -0600
Bob Kirk wrote:
>
> Do these things (Havahart box traps) actually work? So far a brand new
> "raccoon-size" (~12x12x36") unit is one-for-three on (I fear) the cat I
> really want to catch and the possums which devour all the food I put out to
> at least keep her around.
> They're dumb enough, I hope, that they'll fall for this as many
> times as it takes. But a semi-feral cat? Fat chance. I >could< manage
> to confront them across the feed bowl almost nightly, at chest height
> and point-blank range....
> Unfortunately they're even more durable than they are dumb, and the
> thought of 15-20p of dead possum in a big back-door woodpile does not
> appeal. Let alone having to dispose of several hundred pounds of nosy
> neighbors and overinquisitive cops....
>
> Ahem. Anyway, it looks to me like those big doors - even preloaded
> by slipping in sticks to hold them partway down, are just too slow once
> gravity takes over. More than looks like: even sitting inside hearing it
> trip as unexpectedly as the animal does, it seems like an awful lot of
> brain cycles go by before it actually slams to.
> Especially the passive-linked door, which just sits there forever until
> the tripped link comes about halfway up and relieves the friction on it.
> The "squirrel-size" one I got to trap the kittens last year is perceptibly
> faster - and works like the proverbial charm.
>
> Anyone had any experience with (any) live traps? Will the animals get
> scared off or gradually come to assume they can beat it until one day they
> don't? Will a squirrel-size trap still catch at least a smallish cat or
> half-grown possum? Is anything actually going to walk into a 36" long trap
> if I leave one door shut? Any other tips or tricks? Thanks in advance.
Caught a jillion cats in a Havahart that was 24 inches long by about 8
or 9 inches square. The industrial plants I worked in couldn't allow the
cats to stay as they tended to short out the switching gear for the
electrical power. Had the security guards set them at night and then
transfer the contents to a large holding cage loaned by county animal
control. They picked up every two days and we fed the cats in between
pickups. I think a 36 inch long trap might be a tad big. Try closing one
end and baiting with half empty tuna cans, use the tuna that's packed in
oil, some how it seems to attract the cats better. Probably would catch
lots of possums too. <VBG>
George