Over the past weeks we have set many Duke cage and dog proof traps at The Proving Grounds. Even though fur prices are the lowest they’ve been in decades, we are trying to do our part to manage the local predator population. We have already removed 28 nest predators and there are still two weeks left in trapping season!

Even though the season is not yet over, it is obvious that our trapping efforts have been successful. How do we measure that success?

A dog proof trap catches another nest predator, helping the local turkey population.

Every predator trapped is weighed and sexed. Over multiple seasons the information we’ve recorded reveals several things. First, the average weight of predators has decreased. Second, a majority of the predators we trap are males.

As managers we consider this success. By trapping each year we have removed many of the resident predators. We are now catching young males that are moving onto the property to fill these voids. This is why we continue to trap each year. If we stopped trapping it wouldn’t take long before predator numbers spiked.

While trapping at The Proving Grounds, we have watched the predator and prey populations change. Last year we removed over 50 nest predators. That is 50 hungry mouths that did not find turkey eggs. This year the turkey population is the best it has ever been and we helped through trapping!

Whether you measure your trapping success through your records or an increase in deer and turkey numbers, keep doing your part to balance predator/prey relations.

Enjoying The Trap Line,

Daniel