Checking The Traps

Twice a day every trap was checked. Traps with closed doors were brought to a central location to be examined. If a shrew had visited the trap, it usually escaped through the shrew escape hole. Mice and voles were the capture targets. The traps would be disassembled in a large plastic bag, where the trap parts and bedding material were removed. The vole or mouse was then guided to a corner of the bag where it could be lifted out by the scruff of the neck. It was then examined and the gender, species and trap number were recorded. It was marked by cutting a tuft of hair from the side. This was used to identify re-captures. The final step was to weigh the capture. The mouse or vole was then returned to the exact location of the capture. This was done so that it would remain in it's own range, near food it may have stored.

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