Snares

[geordie1970]

I have recently started walking on my local moorland and have noticed Fox snares which consist of a wire loop pegged in to the ground with a stick at holes in the fence. Are these legal?.As much as I sympathize with farmers losing live stock, Grouse etc there must be a more humane way. I always remove the snares

[ron1863]

We have the same problem in my area where there is a pheasant rearing farm. The owner has loads of these placed around his pens, I think are called gin traps but don't know if they are illegal. My dog, a Yorkie nearly got caught in one but noticed it at the last moment and walked around it.

[geordie1970]

Not banned yet it seems National Anti Snaring Campaign - Ban Snares but hopefully will be.

[Deerhunter]

Originally Posted by geordie1970

I have recently started walking on my local moorland and have noticed Fox snares which consist of a wire loop pegged in to the ground with a stick at holes in the fence. Are these legal?.As much as I sympathize with farmers losing live stock, Grouse etc there must be a more humane way. I always remove the snares

Yes snares are legal.

Depending where they are located you may well be breaking the law removing them.

A more humane way is to hunt foxes.

[Deerhunter]

Originally Posted by geordie1970

Not banned yet it seems National Anti Snaring Campaign - Ban Snares but hopefully will be.

"Not banned yet it seems National Anti Snaring Campaign - Ban Snares but hopefully will be"

I think you should look at the alternatives section of the website you posted !!

[big bill]

In my opinion any snaring or trapping of wildlife should be banned,ok farmers and gamekeepers have to protect there livelyhood but there must be a humane way to do this rather than resort to these barbaric and cruel methods.If the shoe was placed on the other foot I dont think they would like a wire snare pulled tight around their neck

[Deerhunter]

Originally Posted by big bill

In my opinion any snaring or trapping of wildlife should be banned,ok farmers and gamekeepers have to protect there livelyhood but there must be a humane way to do this rather than resort to these barbaric and cruel methods.If the shoe was placed on the other foot I dont think they would like a wire snare pulled tight around their neck

I agree. I think hunting is a much better method. trouble is it is banned!!

[geordie1970]

Originally Posted by Deerhunter

"Not banned yet it seems National Anti Snaring Campaign - Ban Snares but hopefully will be"

I think you should look at the alternatives section of the website you posted !!

Ok and your point being?

[eeyore]

snares are legal so long as they are free running or stopped - the sort that can only tighten (locking snares) are banned - I make no comment on the rights and wrongs as we recently had a long (and acrimonious) debate - see thread pettition on banning snares in scotland and i'm not going there again

Gin traps are not snares - they are a toothed form of snap trap (like a minature of the mantraps you see in cartoons) and were generally used on poles to catch birds of prey, or as leghold traps to catch foxes etc - these are banned.

fenn traps are a legal form of snap trap which do not have toothed jaws - these can legally be used in tunnels or covered situations to control rodents, mustelids etc but cannot be legally set on poles or in the open.

[Deerhunter]

Originally Posted by geordie1970

Ok and your point being?

It is complete nonsense.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Deerhunter

It is complete nonsense.

yep - I'd second that - there is no way that foxes will be detered by flashing lights or reflectors - we have a cherry tree decked with CDs to scare birds away (not that thats particularly effective either) and you regularly see foxes forgaing under it.

likewise electric fences dont work well because vegetation and falling leaves etc short them out , and also foxes can jump.

while cage trapping and despatch would work but the price of cage traps is prohibitive, and also a Fox caught in a restrictive cage will panic and likely injure itself and thus these supposedly humanr traps are in fact just as bad as the snares they are proposed as an alternative too

The only sensible alternative to snares would be shooting with a lamp and arifle , or the use of a long dog and a lamp.

In short i agree fully with DH regarding snaring - except that I dont believe foxhunting on horseback was an efective control method , but there is no need to rehash that argument hear as there is already a dedicated thread running on that subject.

[tombong1]

my opinion on Fox snares is that they are humane as long as they are cheked regulaly, at least twice daily.

[salukiwhippet]

Originally Posted by ron1863

We have the same problem in my area where there is a pheasant rearing farm. The owner has loads of these placed around his pens, I think are called gin traps but don't know if they are illegal. My dog, a Yorkie nearly got caught in one but noticed it at the last moment and walked around it.

Gin traps are not the same as snares. Gins are a leg-hold trap, outlawed in the mid-1950's, snares are a loop of wire designed to catch quarry round the neck. I assume the snare that nearly caught your dog was set on a public footpath? If so, that is very irresponsible and way out of line with codes of practice, and any responsible snarer would condemn such action.

James

[epops]

Originally Posted by tombong1

my opinion on Fox snares is that they are humane as long as they are cheked regulaly, at least twice daily.

i agree any responsable keeper/farmer should do this any way i used to snare a lot of Rabbits a while ago and at the very least we checked them twice daily.