Wildlife capturing device

A fish capturing device comprising:

• a pair of cage members having a first position in which an opening is defined therebetween through which a fish may be passed and a second position in which each of the cage members are pivoted until the cage members are nested together to form an enclosure for enclosing a fish therein;
• a latch configured for latching the pair of cage members into the first position and releasing the pair of cage members into the second position;
• and
• a tensioner for applying tension to the pair of cage members to bias the cage members into the second position to enclose the fish within the pair of cage members;
• wherein the latch is carried by an elongate handle, wherein the elongate handle is configured to rotate the latch from a latched to an unlatched position, wherein the latch includes a rotatable bar that engages beneath a portion of each of the pair of cage members to maintain the cage members in the first position when the latch is in the latched position.

A method comprising:

• providing a fish capturing device that includes:
• a pair of cage members having a first position in which an opening is defined therebetween at a bottom facing portion thereof through which a fish may be passed through;
• a latch configured for latching the pair of cage members into the first position and selectively releasing the pair of cage members so that they are translatable into a second position in which the opening is closed therebetween and the pair of cage members are nested to form an enclosure;
• wherein the latch is carried by an elongate handle, wherein the elongate handle is configured to rotate the latch from a latched to an unlatched position, wherein the latch includes a rotatable bar that engages beneath a portion of each of the pair of cage members to maintain the cage members in the first position when the latch is in the latched position;
• and
• a tensioner for applying tension to the pair of cage members to bias the cage members into the second position to enclose the fish within the pair of cage members;
• positioning the opening above a fish to capture;
• translating the device downwardly until the fish is within the opening;
• rotating the latch so that the pair of cage members are translatable into a second position;
• applying tension with the tensioner until the pair of cage members are in the second position and nested to form an enclosure in which the fish is captured.