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.