While doing research on mongooses in Madagascar, I ran into the constant problem of finding particularly masochistic birds locked in my traps, their faces mangled from smashing their heads into the metal bars in a bird-like effort to escape. Not every animal is blessed with a mammal's common sense. I don't know how it would be possible, but can a trap be made that allows for viewing the interior without utilizing something so potentially abrasive as a metal-bar exterior?
jamie kass 2008/9/17 Martin Meiss <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Hi, Justin, > Here's some experience I've had with live-trapping to keep pests out > of my garden. My major problem-animals are squirrels and groundhogs, and > trapping them is quite different. Squirrels check out a trap because of > curiosity (they investigate any novel object or disturbed soil) and can be > easily enticed into the trap with a little peanut butter smeared on the > bait > pan. Design point 1: anything that makes it unnecessarily awkward to > access > the bait pan should be avoided. > For me, trapping the groundhogs was quite different. Squirrels know > no barriers, and enter the garden from any point, but I knew exactly how my > groundhog was getting in: through a gap in a fence. (You might wonder, > then, why didn't I just fix the gap? Because then the groundhog would have > dug under the fence, and I could not have predicted where it would have > done > that. Groundhogs don't seem to be as curious as squirrels, and won't > approach a trap just because it is novel: if it's not on their path, or > well > baited, they'll never approach,) But because there are plenty of hiding > areas on both sides of the fence, I couldn't know on which side of the > fence > the groundhog was at any time. My Chinese-made trap can only be entered > from one end, and I didn't know which direction to have the opening face, > toward the gap in the fence, or away from it. Design point 2: make your > trap with two entrances, like a Havahart. > To place the trap I had to set it first and then thrust it through a > hedge to the fence. Bumping or jostling during this process would trigger > the trap and I'd have to start over: pull it out, reset, and push back, > Design point 3: don't make the trigger too sensitive, or better yet, make > it with variable sensitivity. > Any outward projections from the sides of the trap would have made > thrusting it into the hedge that much more difficult. Design point 4: > avoid > outward projections. > In the course the summer I caught many squirrels, three feral cats, > the bothersome ground hog, and two skunks. Freeing skunks without getting > squirted can be a problem. It took long minutes of sweet, gentle talk and > slow approach to let them out. Design point 5: have an optional means of > opening the trap from a distance, perhaps by a pull-string (or even a radio > signal, if you want to go high-tech. > Now that I think about it, if you decide on high-tech, why not have a > remote system of detecting whether the trap has been sprung, or contains an > animal? Maybe a built-in camera! For your research purposes, a built-in > camera, or a camera nearby, would be a great way to study the behavior of > animals as they approach the trap, enter it, take the bait, spring the > mechanism, and what they do after they realize they are caught. Knowing > these things would undoubtedly influence your design. > Some trapped animals become aggressive as the trapper approaches, and > attempt to bite through the wires. Thus, picking up a wire-bale handle > that > has flopped down onto the top of the cage can be dangerous. Design point > 6: > shield the area around the pick-up handle, or make it lockable in the > upright position. However, don't make it permanently upright, as this > violates the principle of no outward projections. > I have limited storage space. My trap is collapsible, but it is > awkward and time consuming, both to collapse and to set it back up again. > Design point 7: make your trap EASILY collapsible. > Design point 8: If you have time, make your trap lighter than air, > encrusted with gems, and fluent in three foreign languages. That last one > is optional, but could help overseas sales. > I hope all this helps, and that you indeed make an improved trap. AND > that it costs less than thirty dollars. > > Martin Meiss > > 2008/9/16 Justin Cumming <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > Hello, > > > > My name is Justin Cumming, I am an Industrial Design Student at the > > Cleveland Institute of Art. I > > am looking for insight on my senior thesis project. It is focused on the > > design and development of > > a new Live-Trap for medium sized animals (Skunks, Raccoons, Feral cats, > > exc.) > > > > Project Background: This project to assess and redesign the cage-style > live > > trapping device for > > medium size vertebrate animals. > > > > The trap will be for commercial and civilian use with the focus being on > > wildlife management and > > research applications. (including feral cat management and TNR programs). > > > > I am benchmarking the Tomahawk and Havahart traps as general baseline for > > the research phase > > due to there popularity amongst professionals. > > > > > > > > Some of the goals for the redesign will include: > > > > + User (trapper & civilian) interaction and operation of the trap > > (transport>setup>retrieval>maintenance). > > > > + Improve post capture treatment of animals. Transportation, transfer > from > > cage, treatment > > (vaccination, exc) well in cage. > > > > + Methods of containment to ensure a humane capture with minimal harm > > inflicted upon the > > animal. > > > > + Exploration of new materials that would improve manufacture, function, > > reduce weight, lower > > cost, help with containment. > > > > + Establish a basic understanding of animal behavior and conditioning > with > > the intention of > > applying it to the improved design. > > > > > > > > Questions are as follows: (questions are directed toward individuals who > > have used such devices > > but please give any relevant notes from experience.) > > > > > > > > How many traps do you set and monitor well working? > > > > > > > > How often do you check them and what would be the longest time you would > > let one sit > > unattended? > > > > > > > > How do you transport, store, maintain the traps? > > > > > > > > How long do the traps last, did they ever break or malfunction? > > > > > > > > Once an animal is captured how do you transport the animal (in trap, > > transfer to alternate cage)? > > > > > > > > With your experience what do you find most difficult about the trapping > > process? > > > > > > > > Of the cages you have used what features do you like and dislike, do you > > have brand a preference? > > > > > > > > If there was one thing that would make your job easier what would it be? > > > > > > > > Any comments on project goals, ideas, exc. would be great. > > > > > > > > Please foreword this email to any individuals who would be willing to > offer > > insight and answer > > some of my questions. > > > > > > > > Thank you for your time. > > > > Feel free to contact me via email or telephone > > > > My phone number is 978.766.8092 > > > > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > > > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Justin Cumming > > > > > > > > P.S. If you are familiar with any other organizations or research in area > > of design and development > > of new trapping systems I would greatly appreciate their contact info for > > further research. > > >
