As promised in my earlier blog post, here is a list of some of the more common traps you may find in the countryside.
Traps set in the countryside, of which there are thousands throughout the UK, come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and are designed to catch a variety of mammals and birds. Many of the traps found will be legal, some will be of a legal type, but have been set up in an illegal manner and some are just downright illegal.
The main purpose of trapping animals in our countryside, by those that set them, is to kill animals that they see as a threat to their business, which will be to rear birds that can then be shot for entertainment.
If you do come across a trap that you find suspicious or possibly illegal then you should contact the police and if you discover an animal that looks injured, sick or is a protected species in a trap then it would be a good idea to also contact the RSPB, SSPCA or RSPCA. It is illegal to tamper with a legal trap, but if you have any doubts or concerns about a trap then make enquiries with one of the above organisations or authorities for clarification.
Here are a few examples of traps that have been found within the Scottish countryside. Though the legislation for setting traps in Scotland is mainly the same as the rest of the UK, there may be one or two variations.
Larsen trap (Scotland) - Illegally set
This would be a legal trap if it wasn’t for the fact that the ‘decoy’ or ‘calling’ bird used to attract other birds into the cage was a Jay bird as only carrion crows, rooks or magpies can legally be used as decoys in Scotland. Note the sign attached to the side of the cage which informs the public that the cage is legal even though the cage was being used unlawfully. Sadly, the condition of this Jay was very poor and it was later humanely put to sleep by a vet.
Larsen trap (Scotland) - Legal
A legal Larsen trap requires that the live decoy bird must have access to water, food and be provided with shelter. In addition, the trap is only legal if it has an identification tag on it which is issued by the local police authority. The tag will often be white and tied to the cage and it will have a unique number written on it which identifies the estate.
Crow cage trap (Scotland) - Illegally set
This trap has no identification tag which it is legally required to have like the Larsen trap. The tag is issued by the police and has a unique number on it which identifies the estate. This cage was found to contain twelve crows. As with the Larsen trap, the crow cage trap is allowed to use one live decoy bird to attract others into the cage, but the gamekeeper should be checking the cage regularly and removing any birds that have been caught. In this case it appears that no check has been made for a while. So many territorial crows in an enclosed space can cause welfare issues as well as there not being enough shelter for such a large number of birds.
Crow cage trap (Scotland) - Legal
The crow cage trap is legal as it has shelter, water, food and an identification tag attached. If it did not have any one of these then it would not meet the legal requirements and would be illegal.
Crow cage trap (Scotland) - Illegally set
This crow cage trap had no ID tag and therefore should not be set to trap birds. Unfortunately, the trap was set and had caught a protected buzzard. After this photo was taken, the condition of the bird was checked then evidence was taken and reported to the relevant authorities. The buzzard was then released back into the wild.
Crow cage trap (Scotland) - Illegally set
This cage had caught a Goshawk. Bird seed was found scattered on the floor of the cage and the remains of a small bird, probably used as live bait and killed by the goshawk, was also discovered which would indicate that the cage had been specifically managed to catch birds of prey. The Goshawk in the picture was in good physical condition and so after evidence was taken and reported to the relevant authorities, it was released back into the wild.
Ladder trap (Scotland) - Illegally set
This trap had been set to catch birds of prey such as goshawks. Two live pigeons had been put into the cage as bait. The raptor will enter the cage and attack the pigeons, but will not be able to escape and later the game keeper will return and kill the legally protected bird of prey. The two pigeons in this picture, being used as live bait, were unharmed and after evidence was taken and reported to the relevant authorities, they were released back into the wild.
Fen trap (Scotland) - Illegally set
Though this spring trap is legal, the way it is being used here is not. It is legal to set the trap onto a log crossing a stream, but the fen trap should have some kind of covering over it to restrict the species of animal that can be caught by it. The wire over this trap is wide open and could catch the face of an inquisitive fox, bird or any other animal that can fit through the end of the wire tunnel. The wire tunnel should be much more restricted at both ends to catch its target species such as the stoat and weasel.
Fen trap (Scotland) - legal
The game keeper here has restricted the size at each end of the tunnel and so only the intended target animals such as the stoat and weasel should be able to pass through to the spring trap.
Mammal cage trap (Scotland) - Legal
Though the cage is legal to use to catch animals such as foxes or mink, in this case it had caught a protected Pine Marten. If the gamekeeper is checking his cages regularly then he should discover the animal in good health and is required by law to release it unharmed. After first checking his condition, the Pine Marten in this picture was released back into the wild and was reported to the relevant authorities.
Wire snares
Wire snares are another form of trapping device with hundreds of thousands set throughout the UK. The snare in this picture is legal, but if you come across such a device whilst out in the countryside and have concerns about its legality or find an animal, dead or alive, trapped in one then it would be advisable to contact the local police, SSPCA or RSPCA for help and advice.
As with the legal cage and spring traps, it is also an offence to tamper with a legal snare. For further information on what is and is not a legal snare in Scotland then you may find this resource useful (opens PDF in new window). Alternatively contact OneKind on 0131 225 6039 and we will try to help.
To help us get snaring banned in Scotland please take action now.
What happens if the Police or animal groups say they won’t come?
If there is a trapped animal in distress, injured or sick then an inspector from the RSPCA, RSPB or SSPCA should be alerted and they will attend. If you believe the trap to be illegal or is beiing used in an illegal manner then contact the police local to the area. Many areas of the UK have Wildlife Crime Officers and they will give advice. The nature of traps is that they are often set in isolated areas of the countryside and so it may take a while before anybody gets to the scene, but somebody will come out if it is a case of an animal suffering.
Great blog.
There seems to be a very fine line between what is legal and what is illegal. I’ve no doubt that the majority of those setting the traps will try to get away with breaking the rules wherever possible. For that reason, anyone who comes across a trap should probably contact the police or relevant organisation regardless of whether it appears to be set legally or not.
What a horrible and outdated practice. I hope a ban comes into place soon.
Please may I use your images in a wildlife crime talk I am putting together. I will focus mainly on badgers but your trap/cage/snare pictures will be very useful. What acknowledgment is to be used if you agree?
Excellent article even though I am in England the issues are the same and perhaps people would like to know about the National Anti Snaring Campaign http://www.antisnaring.org.uk/
As a pest controller myself i am happy that people who give people such as myself a bad name should be dealt with but there are many of us doing a very good job protecting people, property and health of the countryside. With out these traps the countrside would be far worse off. Its not coincidence that moors with gamekeepers have far more bio diversity on them than moors with no predator management.
Also without these traps you should think of where your food comes from. You only have to kill 1 chicken to make a nugget but to make a loaf of bread that crop needs to be protected from atleast 4 different animals. As for the fenn traps i use them everyday and i have to say around grain stores i find nothing better. I do like my biscuits fat faeces free.
Lorna. A ban. Think about how your food gets to your table.
Does the Mammal cage trap require an identification label?
If not why not. What if labels are illegable?