Animal capturing apparatus

Apparatus for capturing birds and other animals comprising:

• first and second mounting plates adapted for anchoring to the ground at preselected spaced intervals;
• first and second elongated carrier poles the proximal ends of which are pivotially attached to said first and second mounting plates, respectively, and the distal ends of which are movable from first positions, in which said carrier poles lie parallel to each other against the ground on one side of said mounting plates, to second positions in which said carrier poles lie parallel to each other against the ground on the opposite side of said mounting plates;
• a semi-cylindrical net one longitudinal edge of which is affixed along the ground in a substantially straight line between said distal ends of said carrier poles, when in said first positions, the other longitudinal edge of which is fixed between said distal ends of said carrier poles so that upon movement of said carrier poles from said first positions to said second positions said net is moved from a stowed position along the ground to deployment in a semi-cylinder configuration to envelope said birds and other small animals underneath said net;
• and
• propelling means for attachment to said carrier poles for selectively propelling said carrier poles between said first and second positions, said propelling means including at least one elastic cord attached to at least one of said carrier poles, said elastic cord being placed in tension, when said one of said carrier poles is in said first position biasing said one of said carrier poles toward said second position;
• said propelling means also including lofting means engageable with said elastic cord, when said one of said carrier poles is in said first position, so that the portion of said elastic cord near said one of said carrier poles is inclined, relative to the ground, placing a vertical force component on said carrier pole for initiating movement thereof from said first to said second position.