# Trapping a Weasel



## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Lost a coop full of pigeons last night presumably to a mink or weasel. Came out to water them this morning to find them all headless. My 3 year old daugher has been helping me feed them and is real bummed.

I had the bobs tied shut so whatever it was had to slink its way between them. That's what has me thinking weasel. This was within the City of Lansing though, so I'm really surprised.

I have a couple of live traps and access to some rat traps at work. Has anyone had success using either method? What did you use for bait?

KW


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## Buddwiser (Dec 14, 2003)

Bow Hunter Brandon had pics on the MDHA site showing the weasel he caught using a rat trap. He made a rectangular box to put the trap in with a small hole at one end of the box.


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## loborojo (Apr 27, 2002)

*Might want to think about it being something other than a weasel as well. Got a friend who raises pheasants. Almost same thing as you, came out and found most of them dead and headless. Turned out was an owl that landed on the cage, the pheasants spooked and when they stuck their heads out through the top mesh as they tried to fly the owl got them and ate what it could. He put smaller mesh on top of the enclosure, end of problem. Just a thought for you to consider*


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## GSP Gal (Nov 12, 2005)

loborojo said:


> *Might want to think about it being something other than a weasel as well. Got a friend who raises pheasants. Almost same thing as you, came out and found most of them dead and headless. Turned out was an owl that landed on the cage, the pheasants spooked and when they stuck their heads out through the top mesh as they tried to fly the owl got them and ate what it could. He put smaller mesh on top of the enclosure, end of problem. Just a thought for you to consider*


Opeongo and I had issues with owls a couple of summers ago. I think those little barn owls can get into anything. He chased him out of his coop, then a few days later, he's in my barn, and then in my coop.

Headless is a trademark of theirs too. :rant:


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## griffondog (Dec 27, 2005)

This should help you.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=257242&highlight=weasel+thread

I't may be owls to.

Griff


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Hmm, didn't think owls. The way you describe it, that's a good possibility. The flight pen is chicken wire supported only in the middle by a 1" board:










The perspective is a little funny, but the birds are in the front of the cage and it extends another 4' back. The only support is in the middle and the wire kind of "bubbles out" from it.

The cage above where the birds are sitting in the above photo was bashed in slightly -- maybe a sign of an overhead attack?

However, the birds roost in the roosting box below:










The bobs were tied shut so they couldn't swing back. When I found the carnage this morning, the center bobs were pushed slightly to the sides, resulting in a 2-3" gap. Two headless birds were found inside. I'm not sure how an owl would accomplish that.

I took a couple pictures that I can post when I get home from work tonight. I'll spare you the really gory ones.

KW


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## Crow Buster (Oct 18, 2005)

A weasle can fit into anything, think of them as a hairy hot dog. That's about the size of them. I got fortunate and caught mine still sleeping in my Johnny house. If it's a weasle he'll be back now that he knows where there is a food source. I'd put a bunch of rat traps, #1ls, or #1.5 coil springs all over the bottom. Whatever you can get your hands on. I don't believe they are very trap shy, but they are fast and light footed.










CB


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## JAM (Mar 30, 2000)

I had 7 dead pigeons and 2 chicks last winter. I assume it was a weasel. The heads were still on the birds but for the number of dead birds there was hardly any blood. I'm told that's typical of a weasel raid. I have a friend that keeps pheasants and he says hawks and owls take their heads off.

I went to the local Tractor Supply and asked for a trap. The gal that waited on me told me that her dad used to hang a rat trap on the wall off the floor of their chicken coop so that the weasel had to stand up and lean on the release to set it off. She also said to use any kind of meat for bait. My weasel never came back so I don't know if it works. I did catch 1 mouse and, unfortunately, one of my pigeons in it. The above suggestion about putting the trap in a box would have prevented that little accident.

Good luck!

~Jill


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## WeimsRus (Oct 30, 2007)

Keep an eye on the sky, have seen alot of preditor birds this year. Have even seen about 2 to 10 hawks on a regular basis patroling fields up here. Different fields, different locations so I know they arn't the same ones. These birds will return where they were successful. It could be a weasle or a minx, but with what I have been seeing this year..... An Owl will be harder to catch because it is usually out at dusk or after dark. You will notice these preditor birds circling with a particular flight pattern. If it is an Owl, it is most likely living close to your pen. With a minx or a weasle, I would hobble a live bird and set as many traps around this as possible without letting the bird get close to them. Either or, wouldn't be bragging you were successful in ending this situation. Sorry about your Daughters first intro to the cruel and inhumane aspect of wildlife.


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## HuntersMoon (Sep 14, 2009)

Welcome to the club. I got hit last year about this time. Sucks loosing all your training birds a month and a half before grouse season opens. What ever it was bent my aluminum bobs out of the way got in and beheaded almost 30 pigeons. Ate a few heads but nothing else. I put out a trail cam and caught a possum looking for the leftovers next couple nights. I thought weasel or ****. not a possum. Still have a hard time buying into a possum attack, but I guess there the same family. Had a hawk get in once, and it just dined on one bird. What ever it was, I bet it will be back tonight for leftovers. Go Rambo on it tonight.


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## HRKPOINTINGLABS (Jan 13, 2006)

A cat will kill them all just for fun. 
I believe a weasel or mink will bite to the back of the head mostly and a cat will remove the head.
Cats can get in and out pigeon doors fairly easily.


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## RecurveRx (Jun 21, 2004)

As if I needed another reason to hate cats...
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Call me disturbed, but I took some photos of the carnage (glad to see I'm not the only one!). I won't share most of them as they are gruesome and add nothing to the conversation -- but I will share this:










The bobs are normally an inch apart. This is how I found it, so the intruder can't have caused more than a 3 inch gap on its way out.

Re-examining the photos makes me wonder if it wasn't something other than a weasel. Whatever it was really made an awful mess in there and really tore into a couple of the birds. The result has me thinking raccoon, but I don't see a raccoon getting through that gap.



HuntersMoon said:


> Go Rambo on it tonight.


I have a live trap baited with marshmallows and a hot-dog, and two rat traps baited with pieces of hot-dog. I drilled both rat traps and screwed one to the wall of the coop. The other I put inside a coffee can with a small hole cut in it all attached to a 2x4 (kind of a variation on the weasel traps described above), which is all resting on the ground outside the coop.

I have a trail cam stationed over the whole set-up, so tomorrow morning's post could be interesting... 

KW


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## Crow Buster (Oct 18, 2005)

That wasn't a weasel, it would have fit between the bobs or even a stretched spot in the wire. Your issue is with a bigger critter.


CB


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## FindTheBird (Dec 18, 2004)

Crow Buster said:


> That wasn't a weasel, it would have fit between the bobs or even a stretched spot in the wire. Your issue is with a bigger critter.
> 
> 
> CB


Yep.


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## GSP Gal (Nov 12, 2005)

If you need more birds, PM me.

I may have hit the motherlode on pigeons.


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Crow Buster said:


> That wasn't a weasel, it would have fit between the bobs or even a stretched spot in the wire. Your issue is with a bigger critter.


Small Raccoon? House Cat? Owl?

Nothing on the trail cam last night and the traps were undisturbed. 

KW


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## crosswind (Sep 1, 2004)

If that is all you are counting on to keep critters out, you are gonna have problems.
After raising birds for years we have learned our lessons. Those bobs won't slow a **** or cat down for more then a few seconds. They will go in and out of it like they have been doing it all their lifes.
You can set the weasel traps, but I think you have a **** or cat getting your birds. 
The best fix is to build your coop so nothing can get in it.Half inch wire would work better for you. Those bobs need another door that shuts over top of it.
Those birds don't need or want that much lite. All they need is 6 inches of wire at the top of the coop for vents with a wire box on the outside to be able to look around to help with their homing instincts.
Bottom line you have to shut them in every night. If not you bury them in the morning.


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## GSP Gal (Nov 12, 2005)

My money is on a cat.....My daughter lives in the city limits of GR, and they are overrun with them. I don't mind a cat or two in my horse barn to work on rodent control, but the ones passing through are subject to GSP patrol. --I didn't know cats could run that fast....


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

crosswind said:


> If that is all you are counting on to keep critters out, you are gonna have problems.


Funny thing is, I kept a couple of feral birds in there for over a year -- never had any problems.

Couple weeks ago, I added the aviary and shelled out the big bucks for some homers -- must be the critters in my neighborhood have expensive tastes! :lol:

The aviary itself remained intact, and something had clearly been on top of it. I agree on sealing up the bobs at night -- that's on my to-do list. I may leave the aviary as-is, but devise some way to lock them out of that at night too. We'll see.

I realize it's a pretty vulnerable set-up. Just thought in the city I wouldn't have the same predator problem you country boys have! Guess I was just being naive, but again, my experience in the past year was otherwise. 

KW


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## k9wernet (Oct 15, 2007)

Need EXPERIENCED opinions here...

will a raccoon be able to manipulate a safety hook and eye?










Think that'll do the trick or should I look for something more substantial? When it's locked up, he'll no longer have a landing board to stand on either. He'll basically have to hang from the flat face of the coop to try to get in that way.

KW


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## RecurveRx (Jun 21, 2004)

Kevin, I used those to start with. The accumulation of use and paint caused me to lose confidence. I added a hasp with a caribeaner through it and sleep soundly. Probably overkill, but u saw what that bassturd did to my birds.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RecurveRx (Jun 21, 2004)

I have added a couple mods since u were last over. Stop by for a cold one and I we can talk about it. 
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## brittany hunter (Feb 4, 2007)

In addition to the wooden door over the bobs locked with a hook & eye, in front of that, I framed in a piece of 1/2 inch hardware cloth that locks tight with metal window buttons. Two layers of security against any robbers.  ***** are good with their hands and the metal deters them from trying to knaw their way in. Haven't had any signs of attempted entry for two years now. Loft is definately located in bird enemy territory.


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## kcjablin (Sep 25, 2007)

As someone who raises chickens, ducks, and turkeys in a grass based system I have dealt with just about every type of predator in Michigan at one time or another. First of all, just because you're in the city doesn't mean you can rule out ANY of them, they are all present in every city in the state and in greater numbers than anyone thinks. I think you have a **** problem, he reached in through the bobs bending them slightly as he grabbed birds and pulled them to the bobs where he only ate the heads because that is the only thing that fit through the bobs. He was never actually IN the roosting box, only reached through.

Here's my breakdown on identifying a predator:

***** are smart and strong, they can manipulate simple latches and doors and will bend or pull wire to get in but they only need an arm in. They will always eat their kill on the spot and will start with the head if they can. They will generally only kill one meals worth of birds a night but will return until all the birds are gone, I think it killed all of yours because he was only getting the heads and so wasn't full. They will get educated so try to get them quickly. They also prefer fresh kills so won't come back to rotten bait.

Possums are dumb but VERY destructive, they need to get entirely into the pen but they will kill every one, whether they can eat them all or not. They have no problem eating rotten meat and so will return to a mass kill to keep feeding until they are gone. They will start eating an animal at the back end and will eat the guts first.

Foxes also need to get fully into the pen but will kill a bunch of birds at once. They carry off their kill to the den to eat, if there is a partially eaten kill in the pen it wasn't a fox. If they kill a bunch of birds they will continue to make trips back and forth carrying the dead birds back to their den. I have only ever had problems with foxes in June, I think that's when their kits are getting a little bigger and it's harder to feed them, they're looking for easy meals. The good thing about foxes is they tend to be predictable and punctual about the time they show up and any change to the area freaks them out. I move my pens at least once a week, only a couple feet, but it seems to make them nervous and it keeps them away. I take extra precautions in June, locking things up tight at night and trying to vary my routine a little each day. They learn what time you leave for work, what time you unlock the door, etc...

Owls will try to spook birds by landing on the roof and getting them to panic and stick their heads out, or will take any birds that are out at dusk or dawn which is when they seem most active. They will eat the entire bird on site, starting at the head but leaving most of the feathers (the only feathers **** will leave are the ones the bird lost in the fight). If you find a big pile of feathers in your yard you had an owl attack.

Weasels and mink will kill a bunch of birds but the birds will be dead and won't look like anything is wrong with them until you look close around the neck, there will be small puncture wounds where they were bitten. The rumor is that they drink the blood but I can't verify that, I've always caught them right after the act before they could start to eat.

I haven't had a problem with cats, but that's mostly because my two labs LOVE cats. Whether for breakfast or dinner, they just got one this afternoon.

Hope this helps.


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## WeimsRus (Oct 30, 2007)

Great description above on what to look for. You might be looking for two critters. The one that did the original carnage and one that was brought in by the smell of the dead birds that you already caught. Kicked a dead deer when growing up, while rabbit hunting, in the UP and was startled by a possum running out of the rear of the deer. Nasty little critters and I don't hesitate to send one to it's final resting place, if I have the chance. Know anyone with a good **** dog? If you do you might want to have it come over and check out the property, these are really smart critters and I wouldn't have too much confidance in something that is ment to be "Child Proof". Most of these products are designed by adults, who's children are smarter then them.


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