It is legal to use both live traps and kill traps. The disadvantage of kill traps is that they trap indiscriminately, and ‘non-target’ creatures may be killed. Live traps simply restrain the animal, allowing non-target creatures to be released unharmed. The disadvantage of live traps is that either they must be physically checked every day, or they must be fitted with a Remote Monitoring Device (RMD) which will inform the trapper(s) when the trap door has closed.

Waterlife Recovery Trust (WRT) strongly recommends the use of cage traps (the most common form of live trap) fitted with an RMD. We term this combination a ‘smart trap’. These offer effective, humane, targeted removal of American mink.