The access hole also allows you to clean the inside of the bird trap as necessary. Debris, such as dried leaves or grass that may have entered the cage may be removed through the access hole. When the bird trap housing is completed and closed, the access hole is your only means for doing repairs or maintenance on the inside of the bird trap cage.
Size of the Bird Trap Access Hole
The size of the access hole is determined by how big your hand will be while holding the bird when pulling it out from the cage. If the access hole is just big enough for your hand going in, it may be too small when a bird is held when going out.
Obviously, a bigger access hole provides you with much leeway and freedom to move your arm inside the bird trap housing. Unfortunately, a bigger access hole also increases the chance for the bird to escape. This is especially during its struggle to evade your hand when you attempt to catch it inside the trap. Once your arm has reached in too deep inside the trap, it may find a way to move in close to you and escape through the access hole past your arm.
Placement of the Bird Trap Access Hole
Repeating Funnel traps have differing builds for as far as the placement of the access hole is concerned. I've seen repeating funnel traps where the access hole is placed on top of the bird trap cage. I suppose a preference for this placement is when birds are retrieved from the cage and the bird trap cage is on the ground. A trapper could then just sit or squat while retrieving the birds.
By comparison, there are advantages to putting the access hole at the side, particularly on the Front panel of the bird trap housing:
- The bird trap is usually positioned high. The trap is either sitting on a high platform or hanging. If birds are retrieved, you could use a stool or ladder and then retrieved them more conveniently from the trap's front panel. You don't even need to take down the bird trap.
- If the trap is not tall (as in this case, only 8 inches high), then the arm can move and maneuver more freely and quickly inside the cage if the access hole is on the front panel and not on top. This holds true for retrieving birds or trap maintenance.
- Birds always tend to "fly up". If there's a means to escape like a semi-opened access hole, then a bird could more easily fly and escape if that access is on top panel of the cage. This is not so if the access is on the front panel.
- For this trap, the top panel is reserved for the bird trap's carrying handle. So the front panel is the next logical choice for the position of the access hole or door.
Step by Step Guide to Make Access Hole
- With a pair of cutting pliers, cut a 4" x 4' square hole on the Front panel of the bird trap housing. Vertically position the square hole 2" above the floor (or bottom) of the bird trap housing. Horizontally, this should be positioned in the middle of the Front panel. The photo below shows the hole's position and measurements.
- Cut a piece of 1/8" rubber tubing to a length of 16 1/2 inches. This will become the liner for the access hole. The length is the total of the four sides (4 x 4" = 16") plus 1/2 inch for overlap.
With a sharp razor or cutter, slit one wall of the entire rubber tubing lengthwise. Be careful that there is only one long slit and the blade doesn't cut all the way through both walls of the rubber tubing.
- Work the liner starting from the lower-right inner corner of the access hole. Work along the edge moving to the left or counter-clockwise. You will need to keep the slit opened with your fingers and thumb as you let the liner clamp on the edge of the access hole as shown below.
- When the liner reaches lower-left inside corner of the access hole, tie it to the corner using a piece of thin insulated wire as shown below.
Tie the liner to all the rest of the inside corners of the access hole. Tying the liner to the corner will keep the liner from unclamping from the edge. It will remain fixed and straight as you continue to work the liner on all the edges.
- After the liner has covered all the edges, there will be roughly a 1/2" length remaining. Overlap this end on the beginning of the liner. Tie this overlap as shown below.
The above photo shows all the liner tied in all four inside corners as well as at the point of overlap. So there are five tied knots in total.
Shown below is the completed bird trap access hole. The newly installed liner now covers all the rough and sharp edges of the access hole. The liner protects the trapper's hand and arm from getting scratched when reaching in or pulling out.
In summary, here's a video clip of the steps:
Other articles in this series (click on the links below:)
Homemade Bird Trap - Build Plans & How it Works
Homemade Bird Trap - Materials and Tools
Homemade Bird Trap - Building the Housing
Homemade Bird Trap - Making the Funnels
Homemade Bird Trap - Making the Guard Rails
Homemade Bird Trap - Making the Access Hole (this article)
Homemade Bird Trap - Making the Door and Lock
Homemade Bird Trap - Making the Carrying Handle and Restraints
Homemade Bird Trap - Setting the Trap
Homemade Bird Trap - Painting the Cage
Homemade Bird Trap - Making a Perch for the Cage
Homemade Bird Trap - Pre-Baiting Sparrows
Homemade Bird Trap - Retrieving Trapped Birds
Homemade Bird Trap - Disposing Trapped Sparrows
Sparrow Trap by Day, Rat Trap by Night
Damage Caused by Sparrows
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