Laying the groundwork for wild dog management

If there is one thing that makes most landholders happy, it is taking another wild dog out of the paddock.
In Australia that can be done by poison baiting, shooting with rifles or bows or trapping. In terms of hunting wild dogs, observation, tracking and howling them up yield results.
But trapping is undergoing a resurgence of interest. Once the bastion of grizzled old bushies with secret skills and mysterious techniques, trapping has come into the light with more and more newbies joining the fold.
Aspiring trappers can attend workshops, training schools, trapping backgrounders organised by hunting forums including Australian Hunting Net and, if they are very lucky, spend some time with accomplished trappers in the field.
Before you do that, however, it might pay to have a look at one of the numerous Australian trapping DVDs on the market at the moment.
Hands-On Hunting was supplied a copy of Chris Thomas' DVD Trapping Adventures Down Under (Vol 1) which focusses on trapping wild dogs in South East Queensland.

The DVD predominantly documents Chris' pursuit of dogs on private property in South East Queensland. He shows viewers site selection, trap placement, the use of lures (in particular those developed by trapping legend Ted Mitchell) and the basics of securing traps using drags and trees.
He also shows a few little tricks of his own including the use of 'tamper' sticks for packing down the soil around a trap to eliminate movement by the concealed trap if the dog doesn't step directly onto the trigger plate.
Chris differs from some trappers in that he doesn't use bag or tarp in front of the tarp to manage his scent but one of the things you learn when you hang around trappers is that every one of them has there own way of doing things for their own reasons.
Of course, the real issue is whether or not a trapper's method gets dogs and Chris does on this DVD.
You will see a bunch of dogs caught including several off one meat dump. And you will get an insight into one man' approach to getting control of wild dogs on his patch.
The DVD also features a look at the evolution of dog trapping gear in Australia from the original lion and bear traps to the efficient and effective traps imported from the US today. There is also a look at the changes in cooling technology used by bushmen past and present...

Trapping Adventures is a great starter DVD for those interested in taking a look at a few days in the life of a trapper. It will provide you with an overview of trapping without becoming a 'how to'.
We'd recommend it as an introductory DVD for those with an interest in trapping who might want to see what basic equipment and tactics are used to get dogs in open woodland country. Production quality is good and the viewer gets a great look at the wild dogs that are everywhere in rural and hunting news as there numbers an impact grow.
If you want a look at what all the trapping fuss is about, get a copy of Trapping Adventures.

• Stand by for a special Trapping Adventures DVD offer for Hands-On Hunting readers. If you want a copy, watch this space...