My husband, Dad and I were talking about this just the other week. It seems there are so many more laws now about trapping, that many just felt it wasn't worth it. I remember going with Dad to check the wooden boxes he'd made. Rabbits USUALLY in them, but on occasion we'd get a surprise. Then there were the steel leg traps with jaws on them! Those got LOTS of ground hogs. But I think they are illegal now, or at least in this area, from what I'm told. Need to look into that, because I'd love to use one here.
Don't remember Dad ever having a Havahart or similar trap. The box traps, and jaws of death, are the only ones I remember. Of course he carried a pistol with him to kill anything caught in the jaws, and with the rabbits, they actually lived to tell the story. They were used to train the young beagles how to rabbit hunt. Rarely was a beagle smart enough, and fast enough to kill one. Mainly just learned to track them.
Speaking of hunting though, just last night I was telling my husband that we're going target practicing this weekend. It's been years since I shot a gun, and I would rather practice until it was second nature. I have great respect for guns... as in... I'm really scared of the things because I know the damage they can cause. But I owe it to my farm animals to try to keep them safe. With that comes being able to kill a darn snake when noone is home to help me. I can't use a hoe, because you know snakes can jump the length of their body!!! No way in hades am I getting close enough for one to jump on me!!! So a gun it will be. Preferably not the .22, but a 410. That way I'll have a better chance of actually hitting what I need to!
Happy hunting!!
