Water Voles 2009

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Not wanting to take the vole spoon thread off on a "what’s happening with your local water vole colony" tangent I thought I would start a new thread so the water vole nuts on WAB can just talk water voles.

I've only seen one water vole so far this year, but the last two weeks have seen a huge increase in the number of droppings up and down one stretch of the river I call my patch. Unfortunatly I do know where there was a strong hold last year there has been a mink sighting recently. I'm still trying to get permission to have a closer look and see what signs there are either good or bad, and put some sort of vole spoon down, there are mink raft out, but I think as always funding is stopping the use of the traps.

BWD

[camo]

Hi BWD

I have not focused on Ratty yet but saw a couple in January on a really awful day. I am planning a proper look this weekend.

You say the funding may have been stopped for the Mink Raft but surely there is no cost to routine checking of the rafts and if you get a positive indication it may be worth approaching whoever has the old traps to see if they will let you borrow one. For me though the issue of putting a trap down is the commitment to check it each day. If you are able to commit to checking we need to continue the war on Mink whilst remembering they still deserve respect.

Roy

[vole-woman]

Good thread!

I've seen w-v signs (prints, feeding, latrines) in three areas, but no actual w-vs yet. Having my usual problems with field voles; I found what I thought was w-v feeding at the canal over the weekend, except some of it had field vole droppings on it, so I wasn't sure what was what.

I've bought my own trap so I know I've always got one handy in case of emergency. Fingers crossed I don't have to use it!

[camo]

Hi

So that everyone knows what is being talked about I thought I would be post some shots. The Mink Raft is a floating platoon with a tunnel. Under the tunnel is a tray of clay which you observe until you get Mink footprints. When you get tracks you insert a live cage trap and hopefully catch the Mink soon after. If you do not catch within a week it is best to take up the trap. If you do catch the Mink it is despatched quickly and humanely (normally shot by a suitable licensed gun holder). This method is only legal if the trap is checked daily and preferably twice daily with Mink caught being dealt with immediately.

Mink Raft, this one is not camoflaged but has been very productive.



Tray with positive Mink tracks



Individual Mink footprint



Roy

[vole-woman]

Very useful to see those tracks, Roy.

[Meta menardi]

I am going to wander into the past, and do it rather imprecisely. As a little lad (B 1948), I used to play down the lane in the beck, sticklebacks, minnows, leeches, grass snakes and so on. Then, quite suddenly, the banks of the beck became riddled with holes, water voles appeared everywhere. Mi big brov and I were quite scared, these new beasties that we had never seen before. The date must have been about 1955 onwards.

Was there a big expansion?

[vole-woman]

I believe they have cycles (of population peak and crash - I don't mean they use wee bicycles ) and like all the chaps at the bottom of the food chain, they're capable of increasing the ranks fast if they get the opportunity. That was probably what was happening in your stream, Meta Menardi.

I think that's why we feel we're in with a chance of saving them from extinction, because although numbers of water voles in the UK are critically low, these animals do recover fairly quickly if you can provide and sustain adequate protection for them. Hence our obsession with mink!

[Billy Wobble Dagger]

Originally Posted by camo

Hi BWD
You say the funding may have been stopped for the Mink Raft but surely there is no cost to routine checking of the rafts and if you get a positive indication it may be worth approaching whoever has the old traps to see if they will let you borrow one. For me though the issue of putting a trap down is the commitment to check it each day. If you are able to commit to checking we need to continue the war on Mink whilst remembering they still deserve respect.Roy

The funding problem I mentioned is not just to do with checking mink raft, unfortunatly half the team has just been made redundant, so maybe I should have put "man hours down to funding has stopped the use of the mink raft". Fingers crossed that at some point soon they will install the traps and start catching the mink.

Originally Posted by vole-woman

Good thread!

I've seen w-v signs (prints, feeding, latrines) in three areas, but no actual w-vs yet. Having my usual problems with field voles; I found what I thought was w-v feeding at the canal over the weekend, except some of it had field vole droppings on it, so I wasn't sure what was what.

I've bought my own trap so I know I've always got one handy in case of emergency. Fingers crossed I don't have to use it!

Do the field voles swim much? I know they leave the same feeding signs and I assume the prints and droppings are similar.
I know you work along side wildlife groups, but using your own raft and trap do you need a licence and who does the shooting for you, and what happens to the bodies?

BWD

[vole-woman]

I've seen a field vole swimming across a brook, but I think mainly they just live in the banks.

[camo]

Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger

The funding problem I mentioned is not just to do with checking mink raft, unfortunatly half the team has just been made redundant, so maybe I should have put "man hours down to funding has stopped the use of the mink raft". Fingers crossed that at some point soon they will install the traps and start catching the mink.BWD

Thats a shame and unfortunatley not dissimilar to Bedfordshire, however as long as the rafts are still in position and they give you access to their traps they may welcome your interest and activity.

Originally Posted by Billy Wobble Dagger

I know you work along side wildlife groups, but using your own raft and trap do you need a licence and who does the shooting for you, and what happens to the bodies?
BWD

Mink are classified as vermin so they can be controlled throughout the year. However there is a legal requirement that if a trap is set it must be checked at least once every 24hours, however it is generally recommended that a trap is checked morning and evening. Anyone can shoot the caged Mink however they must have permission to shoot on the land from the Landowner and they must hold a shotgun licence to use a gun. Generally a local gamekeeper will be happy to shoot the animal however you would need to set up an arrangement before trapping commenced. I am not sure if you are allowed to move the animal after trapping (I am not aware of it being illegal) so you probably need a Keeper who has permission to shoot at the location. Above all no one should entertain trapping of any animal unless they are prepared to act responsibly toward the Mink. I happen to think Mink are a beautiful animal however they are not native and have a devasting effect on local wildlife.

I would apologise to those people who find this thread distastful but with the decision to control a non native species there must be absolute adherance to guidelines to prevent un acceptable crueltyand therefore we should be open about our actions.

Billy with the greatest respect I appreciate your'e own experience and have expanded on these points for general reading.

Roy