Assessment and preliminary development of the rotating-jaw Conibear 120 trap to effectively kill marten (Martes americana)

Testing and development of the commercially available rotating-jaw Conibear 120 (C120) trap were conducted from January to June 1986 with wild marten (Martes americana) in simulated natural environments. Minimizing the pain and suffering of animals was a primary concern throughout the entire investigation. Through a series of approach tests involving traps wired in the set position, a pitch-fork style trigger was developed which enabled the trap to consistently strike animals in the head and neck region. The ability of the C120 to effectively kill marten was first assessed in preselection tests in which anaesthetized animals were placed in the trap in a position that duplicated the finding of the approach tests. Five out of six animals were rendered unconscious within 3 min. Thereafter, the ability of the C120 to effectively kill unanaesthetized marten was tested against that of a prototype, the C120 Mark IV, a more powerful modified version of the original model. The C120 failed to render unconscious at ...