Moles and molecatching - Past and present

For centuries man and mole have been in conflict. Traditionally, molecatchers, armed with their own hand-made traps, were employed by landowners to rid them of the little gentlemen in black velvet.

Molecatchers were often eccentric characters, moving from one farm to another in pursuit of their quarry. These characters didnt write down their wisdom and experience; it was passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. Modern technology allows molecatchers to pass on their skills online, and often, for money.

In the old days, the potential suffering of the mole in traps was naturally minimised as it was in the molecatchers interest to inspect traps regularly, get their moles and their payment, and move their traps on to new locations. However, the rise of new methods of mole control  poison and gas compounds - in the 1800s, caused a divide in the molecatching community. These new methods required little experience or skill to use, and did not require further attendance to inspect traps. These methods produced no evidence to show that moles were caught, which sometimes led to arguments over payment to the molecatcher. When these products became licence-only and very restricted, numbers of traditional mole-catchers began to rise again. A further rise occurred in 2006, when the use of poison was banned.