Hunting: The Agouti

The Agouti

Cleaning the Agouti

Hunting in Trinidad:

First of all, in order to hunt in Trinidad; you must hunt within the hunting season and you must be a holder of a valid State Game License for every species you intend to hunt.

A State Game License is required for the hunting of permitted species in Trinidad, and the Official hunting season runs from October to the end of February the following year. 

It is very important that you follow the regulations and guidelines set out by the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and in accordance with the Conservation of Wildlife act.

Below I would give you some brief tips on catching an Agouti.

The Agouti:

The Agouti is a rodent species of the Southern Lesser Antilles, which is native to Trinidad. They are similar in appearance to rabbits but with smaller ears. The adults are about the size of an adult rabbit. They are covered in coarse reddish-brown hair.

1. Items Required:

2. Hunting Coverall with built-in head hood for if rain falls.

3. Gloves.

4. Snake proof boots. (Lacrosse Alphaburly)

5. Fixed blade Hunting knife in hard sheath.

6. Bug repellent

7. First Aid kit

8. Head Lamp

9. Flashlight with spare batteries

10. Hunting License

11. 10 x 10 feet Net

12. Mini shovel

13. Back Pack (big enough to transport the ‘Game’).

2. Where to look:

Agoutis are very timid animals and can often be found under logs in the forest in dens up to 3 meters deep. Hunting Agouti’s with trained hunting dogs is by far the easiest method. But below I will show you how you can catch one without any hunting dogs, all you need is some patience.

3. How to catch:

To catch one you must look at the area, look for signs of activity near the entrance of the den. About 90% of the time the dens may be unoccupied, but if you monitor the daily activity closely you can notice if any foliage has been moved around. This would indicate that the agouti is living there. 

Next, you would need to set a net around the entrance of the den. You can do this by anchoring the net over the entrance with wooden sticks. Once the net is properly secured, average about 3 meters into the den which may be approximately 9 feet behind the den’s entrance hole. Using your mini shovel, begin digging downwards. The objective here is to reach the den of the agouti and force it out of the entrance and into the net. 

4. Handling the Agouti:

Once you reach the Agouti, whether via the hole you’ve dug or trapped in the net; handling these creatures properly is very important. This is because they deliver a very serious bite.  Holding them with one hand firmly behind their head and the other around there two hind legs is the best technique.

Trapping

Opossum trap 

(Source: Wildlife Management Pro )

Padded Leg Hold Trap 

(Source: The Association for the protection of Fur-bearing Animals)

So what exactly is trapping?

Animal Trapping is the term used to describe the method of using a device to remotely capture an animal.  Animal Traps may be used for various reasons such as for food, pest control and even wildlife management.

Below I would briefly discuss some common traps:

Leg-hold traps:
This is a spring assisted jaw which is anchored by a chain to the ground. The trap is triggered by stepping on a metal plate. When triggered the metal jaw clamps down on the animal’s leg.

Free Running Snare:
A snare is a wire/rope noose/loop that is positioned along the path of the animal which when the animal passes through is triggered.  A free-running snare relaxes when the animal stops pulling on the wire/rope.

Trapping pit:
This consists of a pit which is dug and hidden (covered over). Bait is usually placed on top of the cover of the pit so that the animal unknowingly falls into it when they step on top of the fake floor.

Cage traps:
There are many variants of this type of trap. The most common adaptation is a cuboid-shaped wire made frame which contains a spring-loaded door that shuts when the bait is touched. The bait is placed at the back of the trap so that the entire animal fits the trap before the door shuts.

Below I will show you how to make a simple Trapping Pit:

Please note that this method should only be used responsibly, it can cause serious injury or even death if not implemented properly.

Step 1: Find location
You must thoroughly consider the placement of this trap, which should be far from residential areas.  You can use this trap for capturing animals for safe relocation. Make sure you understand the behavior of the animal and place the pit in the path that the animal frequents often.

Step 2: Make the pit
Once you determine your location. You should dig your pit according to the size of the species of animal you intend to trap. The pit should be big enough so that the animal cannot escape easily but not too big/deep to cause unnecessary harm to the animal when it falls. Retrieval is also more challenging with a deeper pit.

Step 3:Cover/Hide pit
After digging the pit you must cover it in such a way that the animal should not suspect that the site has been changed. Natural foliage and thin pieces of sticks can be used to achieve this. Be sure not to make the cover to strong, else the animal will not fall inside the pit. The cover should only be strong enough to support the bait.

Step 4:Place bait
The Bait must be placed on top of the pit so that the animal is lured into walking onto the cover/lid of the pit. When the animal walks onto the cover it should give-way and fall safely to the bottom without being able to climb out.

Tackle shops in Trinidad

Southern Wholesale Stores Ltd, Marabella

(Source: OSM, Mapio.net)

Budget Marine , Chaguaramas

(Source:Budget Marine, 2013 )

L S Hosein Fishing Tackles & Hunting Supplies, Chaguanas

(Source: L.S. Hosein) 

How to get your tackle in Trinidad?

Whether you are new to fishing or a seasoned angler; you need the tools of the trade to get things done. This is where tackle shops come in to play. Below I would list some must-have items that I carry with me on my fishing trips followed by some tackle shops in Trinidad that you can visit to source your supplies.

Must have Fishing gears:

1.
Fishing Rod and Reel:
This is a must-have for actually catching your fish.

2.
Fishing Line:
Spare fishing line is always important just in case you need it.

3.
Leader Line:
If you plan on fishing species with sharp teeth, this is a must-have.

4.
Fish hook kit:
Spare hooks are very important. Stocking a wide variety of sizes is good so that you can target multiple species of fish.

5.
Bait/Lures:
Must have to lure fish and achieve a bite.

6.
Sinkers:
To anchor your line.

7.
Floats:
A good bite indicator for freshwater fishing.

8.
Swivels:
To connect line to accessories.

9.
Aluminum Fishing Pliers
To remove fish hooks.

10.
Fish Fillet Knife:
To Dispatch and fillet your catch.

11.
Insect Repellent Lotion:
To protect yourself from mosquitos and other harmful insects.

12.
Stay-Put Sunscreen Lotion:
To protect your skin from the harmful UV rays.

13.
Basic First Aid Kit:
If an accident occurs while fishing.

14.
Portable Fish Lip Grabber and Scale:
To check the weight of your catch, so that underweight fishes are responsibly released.

15.
Super Bright LED Headlamp:
Just in case you plan on fishing into the night.

16.
Fishing Gloves:
To protect your hands from the damage from fish teeth and the dorsal fin bones.

17.
Cooler with ice:
To safely store your catch.



Tackle shops in Trinidad:

D. Mankee& Co, Ltd
Location: 56 Luis St. Woodbrook, Port of Spain, Trinidad
Contact: 622 2800

Southern Wholesale Store Ltd
185 Union Road Marabella, Trinidad West Indies
Contact: 658-7975

Budget Marine
Location:  Western Main Road, Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Contact: 634 2006

Darwin Trading Ltd
Location: 161 Papourie Rd. Diamond Village, San Fernando, Trinidad
Contact: 657 4579

General Stores Ltd
Location: 2 High St. San Fernando, Trinidad
Contact: 652 7972

Island Hobbies
Location: 80 Wrightson Rd. Port of Spain, Trinidad
Contact: 624 9409

The Tackle Shop
Location: 176-A Western Main Road, Point Cumana, Carenage, Trinidad
Contact: 632 1782

Rick's Dive World
Location: 106 Western Main Road, Chaguaramas, Trinidad
Contact:634 3483
Email: rick@ricksdiveworld.com

Rob Allen Trinidad
Location: 58 Tenth St. Barataria, Trinidad
Contact: 682 1519

Peake-Thomas Peake & Co Ltd
Location: 177 Western Main Road, Cocorite. Trinidad
Contact: 622 7325
Email: peake@peakeco.net

R. Williams Bike Shop & Fishing Tackle
Location: Sangre Grande, Trinidad
Contact: 691 3440

Reel Tackle and Seafood Ltd
Location: 199 Western Main Rd. Cocorite, Trinidad
Contact: 222 8574

L S Hosein Fishing Tackles &Hunting Supplies
Location:  Southern Main Rd, Montrose
Contact: 665-7091

Fishing Spots in Trinidad

Photo of Cedros Jetty (Source: Angelo Bissessarsingh, 2009)

Photo of Macqueripe Bay (Source: Travel Notes, 2018)

Photo of a Sputnik Sinker (Source: StriperSurf.com, 2018)

This topic is a tricky one; this is because most fishermen never advertise their favourite spot. This may be because of fear of overfishing or probably just because they enjoy the peace and quiet of fishing alone. Nonetheless, I believe that one way of ensuring that these traditions stay alive; is to share our knowledge about fishing with one another. This way the tradition of fishing can transcend generations. Below I will identify my most frequent spots in Trinidad that I’m sure you would be able to catch a fish or two.

Maqueripe (Concrete Platform)
This beautiful beach is home to a number of sought after fish such as the Red Snapper and Croaker (aka Cro-Cro). As you can see in the image below, your best chances would be casting outwards of the bay from the 3rd platform. You must exercise caution at this bay as it is known for its sudden increase in depth. As with any other fishing expedition; I strongly recommend that you wear a life jacket or equivalent floatation apparatus.

Manzanilla (Bay)
This bay, although feared by many for its strong currents, is known for the Jack Crevalle. A Sputnik sinker is strongly recommended for this bay so that your line remains fixed through the brutal current.  A Sputink Sinker is a stinker that has steel arms which helps to anchor your sinker in the sand.

South Oropouche River S.S Erin main road Debe (River)
This is the biggest River which runs through Penal and Debe and intersects the SS.Erin main road in South Trinidad. Due to the fact that this river is freshwater at low tide and at high tide has saltwater from the sea; it is home to a large variety of Salt and Freshwater fish. Some of these fish that can be caught in this river are as follows:  Tarpon, Wolf-fish (Guabine), Catfish (Salt/Fresh) and Snook.

Morne Diablo (Bay)
This bay is an official Fishing port in South Trinidad. Though it may be considered by many as risky due to the remoteness of the location, once you’re with company you can certainly give it a try. From the shore you should be able to catch the Red Snapper, Cubera Snapper, Catfish, Croaker and I’ve even heard that an angler caught a 400lb Tarpon there as well.

La Brea (Jetty)
This Jetty is known for the Mutton Snapper and local Salmon. Fishing around the Jetty support columns can prove very effective as many fish feed on the small conch and snails stuck to the columns’ surface.

Cedros (Jetty)
This Jetty is the most successful Jetty I’ve tried thus far. I’ve caught a range of species of fish like the Pompano, Pargue, Horse-eye Jack and Moonshine. Your best chances would be at early sunrise, casting from the tip of the jetty towards the sea. Recently, due to increased traffic at the Jetty; fishing has been negatively affected as the Jetty is no longer available as it was before. Furthermore, you should note that permission must be sought from the security at the Cedros Port prior to using the Jetty.

Baits

How to bait a hook (Source: Wikihow)

Artificial Bait (Source: Field and Stream, 2018)

As Frank Gorshin said ‘the finer the bait, the shorter the wait’ which is absolutely true as it’s definitely an integral factor in making the difference in actually getting a bite or just watching the fish swim by.
So what exactly is a bait? For people new to the world of fishing; a Fishing bait is an object either artificial or organic used to attract/catch fish. Baits are used in various applications from fishing hooks to fishing traps.For simplicity, I usually categorize baits as either artificial or organic/natural.
The types of baits I use are listed below:
Artificial:



Saltwater fishing:
Crankbait : Strike King KVD 1.5 Shallow Square Bill Crankbait
Jerk-bait: Strike King KVD Jerkbait
Swimbait:  LIVETARGET Blueback Herring Swimbait Slow Sink 3 1/2"
Freshwater fishing:
Finesse Worm: Zoom Bait Finesse Worm
Craw: Yum Lures YCRP202 Craw Papi Fishing Bait, Watermelon/Red, 2.75"
Jig : Terminator Pro's Jig

Organic/Natural:
Saltwater fishing:
Herring
Sardine
Squid
Mullet
Shrimp
Freshwater fishing:
Freshwater shrimp
Freshwater Conch
Earthworm

Live Bait:
Occasionally, especially in saltwater trips; live baits can be used to lure fishes that are strongly attracted to live/moving bait like the Mackerel, Baracuda and Tarpon. These fishes are sensitive to the natural movement of bait in the water. The Live Bait (usually an alive mullet or Herring) is placed on the hook without severely hampering the fish’s movement, begin very careful to avoid organs etc so that you maximize the life of your bait. The only challenge storing the bait properly to ensure that they remain in good health until placed on the hook.

Simple technique I use to bait a hook.
First of all, you should note that natural baiting takes a great deal of determination.
Below, I will show you the technique I use to bait a worm on a hook for Freshwater fishing.

Freshwater Bait: Earth worm (commonly called Night Crawlers)
Fishing for Tilapia:
Rig: Shakespeare 5 feet Agility Spinning Combowith 14lbline and size 3/0 carbon steel hook
Tip* Remember to keep your worms cool at all times. Excessive heat will dry out the worms and eventually kill them which make them very difficult to place on the hook.
Step 1:  Insert the point of the hook through the worm’s head, keeping one hand firmly on the hook and the other on the worm.
Step 2: With the worm’s head pierced; feed the rest of the worm onto the hook slowly moving upwards toward the eye of the hook, ensuring that the hook is kept inside the body of the worm.
Step3: Be very careful not to protrude the body of the worm with the hook’s point. Continue sliding the worm’s body onto the entire hook until you reach the eye.
Step 4: At this point, based on the size of your hook you should be left with a half of the worm’s body hanging of the point of the hook. This excess should be left alone as the wiggle of the worm helps to attract bites.
Step 5: Cast out and periodically retrieve your bait to ensure that the worm stays firmly on the hook.

What are your techniques for baiting?
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Fishing for the Guabine

Guabine

About:Guabines are usually an invasive and destructive species to other fishes in the same pond and often reach good sizes when they dwell in waterways. In waterways they do not have to fight for food with other predatory fishes. A guabine’s jaw is filled with small, razor-sharp concaved teeth and usually bite anything that invades their territory. Yes, I was bitten not once, but twice! There are two guabine species: malabaricus which is found in smaller ponds or rivers and are usually smaller in size and the lacerade in greater water and is greater in size (more than 10 pounds). When guabines are hooked, they leap out of the water in a frantic fight while spinning in circles to get out of the hook. Some tips to catch the guabine from personal experience are listed below:

a) The tackle
When fishing for guabine with lures, a strong and heavy rod should be used as wooden/bamboo rods often break with the weight and aggressive movement of the fish. It should also have attached a bait caster and steady reel that is loaded with at minimum a 30lbs braided line. On some occasions, in backyard ponds the fish bit through this wire. However, if you are fishing in larger bodies of water with bait and there are larger guabines, stronger lines and rods should be used. Also, a lead of at least 30 pounds should be used to sink the bait to the bottom.

b) The technique
Usually, the guabine hide behind bushes and rocks, cracks, corners or away from the current where the water is sturdy. It is here is these nooks and cracks that the jackpot with the bigger guabines can be found. A personal technique is to pull on the line twice or thrice when the bait is casted for about 1 minute if the bait is not taken immediately. This constant movement of the bait attracts the guabine. For sure, when one is hooked it is integral that the hook is set properly in the mouth, since the inner mouth has very little soft issue for the hook to sink into. This can be done in a quick and hard pull once being bitten and tugging on the line twice before pulling up quickly. Yes, I agree it’s a technique to learn.

c) The Lure
The best hook I recommend is the Yo-Zuri Crystal Minnow that can catch both fresh and saltwater fishes. I am almost guaranteed a fish with this lure. My second best is the Heddon Super Spook for topwater fishing.

d) The Bait
Though they feed on the smaller fishes in the same area and feed at the bottom of the water. They are usually a brave, greedy fish and grab anything you basically throw for them. This list includes live sardines or other small fishes, earthworms, flour balled up, shrimp or pieces of raw chicken. In my personal experience a thick juicy earthworm does the job just fine.

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Topics to talk about on your hunting or fishing trip

A fishing comrade who lent me some shrimp bait at Valencia Eco Resort

Hatsan BT-65 Air Rifle

Keep in mind that a true hunter or angler will under no circumstance want to share their secret spot with you. That is unless there is an abundant supply or they are just really good comrades. In my journey thus far, I have encountered many strange persons in the sport of fishing and hunting that I have now become good friends with. This is all due in part to forgetting something such as a pliers or even running out of bait of pellets. While, standing up to fish on the jetty, near the pond or spending the night in the forest you will encounter some new friends. At the end of the day, we are a community and are passionate about the sport. While at it as a female amongst males I noticed some common topics that they usually talk about. These include:

• Their biggest catch- many of them can go on and on about how many fishes or animals they have caught, how they caught it and an entire story about the entire scenario. This includes the direction the fish or animal was going and how they angled themselves to reel it in in addition to the specific bait or trap they used for the fish or animal and its tales.
• Their pieces of equipment- they like to boast on their expensive equipment and where they bought it, almost competitively saying that their equipment will be able to catch than the others.
• Health- the majority of persons that I have been around while hunting are older folks who have some sort of health issue and due to their masculinity, they shy away from their families from talking about it. Therefore, when they are in groups for an extended period of time they decide to talk about their health with their comrades and all the natural remedies that they can use or which is the best doctor in Trinidad for that situation.
• Herbal medicines- they speak of all the old time remedies that their grandmothers and ancestors used in the past and all the places in the bush that they can find them.
• Some personal experiences- they usually talk about experiences from all aspects of life and how far they have come from in their journey.
• How long they  have been in the sport
• The hunting ban-they speak on how the hunting ban is beneficial to them but how some hunters create a "bad name" for the others when they over hunt and underscore. Also, how there should be fishing legislation and updated information on fishing for research.
• Tips for hunting or fishing based on their experiences
• How to cook certain types of animals- techniques and seasonings, spices and if to cook it in a wooden oven or stove

Please feel free to comment on some popular topics not listed, like, share and subscribe.