Systems and methods for animal trapping

Abstract

A trap for capturing a plurality of animals is provided. The trap can comprise an enclosure having an opening through which the at least one animal can pass to enter the enclosure. A gate, movable between an open position and a closed position, is positioned therein the at least one opening and can be selectively moved from the open position to the closed position when desired. Methods are also provided for capturing at least one animal by providing a trap with a gate, positioning the gate in an open position, monitoring the trap until at least one animal has entered the trap, and remotely triggering the gate to move from the open position to a closed position.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for capturing a plurality of feral pigs, comprising:
 moving at least one portion of an enclosure from an open position to a closed position that restricts passage of the plurality of feral pigs out of the enclosure, wherein in the closed position, the enclosure cooperates with a ground surface to define an enclosure area in which the plurality of feral pigs are trapped, wherein in the open position, the enclosure permits passage of a plurality of feral pigs into the enclosure area, and wherein the ground surface extends continuously from within the enclosure area to areas surrounding the enclosure area,   wherein the enclosure comprises a release mechanism that effects movement of the at least one portion of the enclosure from the open position to the closed position,   wherein the release mechanism effects movement of the at least one portion of the enclosure from the open position to the closed position upon receipt of a release signal from a control mechanism that is in communication with a display device, wherein the display device is in communication with a camera assembly and configured to transmit a wireless control signal, wherein the camera assembly transmits an image of at least a portion of the enclosure area to the display device, and wherein the wireless control signal corresponds to an instruction to the control mechanism to generate the release signal, and   wherein the plurality of feral pigs are captured without use of a trip wire.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises at least one of a computer, a wireless handheld device, a remote control, a user interface, or a telephone. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display device is a wireless handheld device. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the camera assembly comprises a motion sensor that is configured to sense the presence of the plurality of feral pigs within the enclosure. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises a plurality of display devices and the camera assembly transmits images of at least a portion of the enclosure area to the plurality of display devices. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the display device comprises a telephone that transmits the wireless control signal to the control mechanism, and wherein the control mechanism comprises a telephone controller. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the wireless handheld device is a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the wireless control signal is transmitted via a cellular network. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the camera assembly comprises an internet protocol web camera. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the internet protocol web camera transmits a wireless detection signal to the display device via a wireless internet network. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the display device comprises a computer. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the display device transmits the wireless control signal to the control mechanism in response to a manual input to the display device by an operator of the display device. 
     
     
         13 . A method for capturing a plurality of feral pigs, comprising:
 moving at least one portion of an enclosure from an open position to a closed position that restricts passage of the plurality of feral pigs out of the enclosure, wherein in the closed position, the enclosure cooperates with a ground surface to define an enclosure area in which the plurality of feral pigs are trapped, the enclosure area being at least 100 square feet, wherein in the open position, the enclosure permits passage of the plurality of feral pigs into the enclosure area through an open space having a width of at least three feet, wherein in the open position, said at least one portion of the enclosure is spaced vertically from the ground surface, and wherein the ground surface extends continuously from within the enclosure area to areas surrounding the enclosure area,   wherein the enclosure comprises a release mechanism that effects movement of the at least one portion of the enclosure from the open position to the closed position,   wherein the release mechanism effects movement of the at least one portion of the enclosure from the open position to the closed position upon receipt of a release signal from a control mechanism that is in communication with a display device, wherein the display device is in communication with a camera assembly and configured to transmit a wireless control signal in response to a manual input to the display device by an operator of the display device, wherein the wireless control signal corresponds to an instruction to the control mechanism to generate the release signal,   wherein the camera assembly transmits an image of at least a portion of the enclosure area to the display device,   wherein the camera assembly comprises an internet protocol web camera,   wherein the internet protocol web camera transmits the image to the display device via a wireless network, and   wherein the plurality of feral pigs are captured without use of a trip wire.   
     
     
         14 . A method for capturing a plurality of wild animals, comprising:
 moving at least one portion of an enclosure from an open position to a closed position that restricts passage of the plurality of wild animals out of the enclosure, wherein in the closed position, the enclosure cooperates with a ground surface to define an enclosure area in which the plurality of wild animals are trapped, the enclosure area being at least 100 square feet, wherein in the open position, the enclosure permits passage of the plurality of wild animals into the enclosure area, wherein in the open position, said at least one portion of the enclosure is spaced vertically from the ground surface, and wherein the ground surface extends continuously from within the enclosure area to areas surrounding the enclosure area,   wherein the enclosure comprises a release mechanism that effects movement of the at least one portion of the enclosure from the open position to the closed position,   wherein the release mechanism effects movement of the at least one portion of the enclosure from the open position to the closed position upon receipt of a release signal from a control mechanism that is in communication with a transmitter, wherein the transmitter is in communication with a camera assembly and configured to transmit a wireless control signal, wherein the camera assembly transmits an image of at least a portion of the enclosure area to the transmitter, and wherein the wireless control signal corresponds to an instruction to the control mechanism to generate the release signal, and   wherein the plurality of wild animals are captured without use of a trip wire.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitter comprises at least one of a computer, a wireless handheld device, a remote control, a user interface, or a telephone. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitter comprises a display device. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the camera assembly transmits an image of the plurality of wild animals within the enclosure to the display device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the display device is a wireless handheld device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the camera assembly comprises a motion sensor that is configured to sense the presence of the plurality of wild animals within the enclosure. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the display device comprises a plurality of display devices and the camera assembly transmits an image of at least a portion of the enclosure area to the plurality of display devices. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitter comprises a telephone that transmits the wireless control signal to the control mechanism, and wherein the control mechanism comprises a telephone controller. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the wireless handheld device is a cellular telephone. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the plurality of wild animals comprises a plurality of feral pigs. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitter transmits the wireless control signal to the control mechanism in response to a manual input to the transmitter by an operator of the transmitter. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the camera assembly comprises an internet protocol web camera. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the internet protocol web camera transmits the image of the at least a portion of the enclosure area to the display device via a wireless internet network. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the display device comprises a computer.