Wild Cat & Fox Trapping

Trapping is widely used for fox control in Australia. Fox trapping is a relatively simple method where non-lethal traps are laid and monitored. Trapped animals can then be euthanised or removed from the environment. Foxes are not easy to catch; to be successful, training on how to best set a trap is vital.

Trapping is most useful in urban areas, for targeting problem animals, and protecting specific assets such as livestock and native wildlife.

A number of trap designs are available for use in Australia. Trap designs vary, but typically belong in one of four categories: cage traps, padded-jaw traps (soft-jawed leg-hold traps), soft net traps and snares. Padded-jaw and cage traps are the most commonly used.

Each trap type has advantages and things to consider. Program managers often use a padded-jaw traps for fox management, except in urban and peri-urban areas where they might not be allowed or suitable and cage traps are more common. Traps that contain an animal, such as cage or box traps, are considered more humane because they are less likely to cause injury than traps that restrain an animal, such as padded-jaw traps .

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Trapping has traditionally been a cost- and effort-intensive process because large numbers of traps must be laid and checked daily.

Newly developed electronic systems are increasingly used as part of trapping programs to alert program managers to triggered traps. These systems substantially reduce the cost and effort of these trapping programs and increase welfare outcomes.

Using traps and in fox control is regulated in Australia and the allowed types vary depend on legislation in your state or territory.

Before setting any trap, you must know what you are going to do with any animal caught.

Steps should be taken to protect the welfare of trapped animals. For example as covering the cage with shade cloth and providing water during hot conditions and providing bedding in cold conditions. Traps should be checked at least every 24 hours.

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According to the National Standard Operating Procedure: Methods of euthanasia the most humane method of killing a fox in a trap is using a shot to the brain with an appropriate firearm or an overdoes of barbiturates.

Cage traps consist of a wire-mesh cage with a sprung door. When a fox enters the cage, the door is triggered by the animal’s weight on a treadle or it pulling at a bait, trapping them inside. Off-target animals can be released easily from a cage trap, injury may be reduced and trapped foxes can be transported away from the area for euthanasia. Foxes can be wary of entering a cage trap, particularly smaller cages and can escape from cages if they are too short or too flimsy.

Padded-jaw

Padded-jaw traps consist of two padded jaws connected to a spring-loaded mechanism that snaps shut on the leg of an animal when triggered. Padding, and limits to how tightly a trap can close, reduce the risk of injury to the animal during capture. Padded-jaw traps may be more effective than cage traps for hard-to-catch foxes that are reluctant to enter cage traps. Padded-jaw traps are often ‘baited’ with a scent or visual lure rather than food, making them more effective when foxes are not hungry. Newly released self-euthanising PAPPutty can be applied to the jaw of padded-jaw traps, which euthanises trapped foxes when they chew at the trap. There may be some restrictions in the use of padded-jaw traps for foxes in your state or territory. Padded-jaw traps are often not allowed in urban and some peri-urban areas.

Advantages

• Trapping is useful in urban areas where other tools are inappropriate or for problem animals not being removed by other methods.

• If traps are used correctly, captured off-target animals can usually be released unharmed.

• Traps are usually non-destructive, allowing for live collection of data from target animals (e.g. allows GPS collaring or collecting measurements that may be missed with a baiting program).

• The range of traps helps to target hard-to-trap animals. For example, padded-jaw traps are useful for animals that are reluctant to enter cage traps. Trap design can also increase species selectiveness.

• PAPPutty can be applied to the jaw of padded-jaw traps, making them more humane as it reduces the time a fox is alive in the trap.

Things to consider when trapping

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Always

Things to consider when trapping

Always know what you are going to do with a trapped animals before setting a trap.

Trapping alone, especially at a landscape scale, will not reduce fox populations enough for effective control. Other methods will also be needed.

All traps have the potential to cause injury and some degree of suffering and distress to animals, so traps should only be used when there is no other practical alternative. Some trap designs, such as padded-jaw traps, have a higher chance than other designs of inflicting injuries on the trapped animal.

Trapped animals can suffer from exposure, thirst, starvation, shock, muscle damage (‘capture myopathy’) and predation. Therefore, traps should be placed in an area protected from weather extremes and must be inspected at least once a day.

Most traps are not target-specific, so they may catch off-target animals. Placement and bait or lure type can reduce this.

As trapping is labour and cost intensive, it is usually not appropriate for broadscale control.

Traps may be ineffective for particularly