Thread: Bird Predator Control

Maybe she has nicer perfume?

Who knows?

I've been doing some data work for local trapping. One view is to let trappers look for traps that have caught barely anything vs high catch nearby traps. Encourage them to stand back and look at the low catching traps. Make sure they are in good order. No sharp wire bits...trap nice and settled on the ground. Is it worth moving them a couple of meters etc.

Next I'm going to look at regional council high res Lidar data that might help classify vegetation and overlay on the map of traps and look for any commonality of where the target species are more frequently caught. The default seems to be a trap every 100m or so but that just goes for a blanket dispersal of traps or thereabouts rather than maybe a higher density of traps in the more preferred habitat of the target animals.

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Our support partner bought us 20 run through trap/bait tunnels – unfortunately the trap sits sideways to a run trough rat. We have killed a few small rats and standard mice, but if the trap is tripped – we mostly find it has been dislodged, some fur on the side of the kill bar and the rat is gone – having had a lifesaving learning experience about trap tunnels!
Choices were either rip them out and replace with a standard wood tunnel – or an on-site modification to install a new entrance head on to the trap – a lot of work, but so was the replacement option.
I made some core flute tunnels from real estate signs, No8 wire ground staples and over the top saddles. Drill a 65mm hole in the side of the tunnel and fit a mesh on both original entry holes. There are not many rats around and no doubt they are aware that the box can be dangerous – but a silly weasel gave it a try – looks like it had enough strength to twist while under the kill bar.
So if you need plastic trap/bait tunnels – I suggest you don’t buy these from a common supplier!

You sort of wonder how the trap box past any testing that was done, if any was done ???

I bet the weasel went in the box to check out mouse piss smells that Mickey Mouse made while eating your peanut butter bait.

I'm wanting to purchase a few more traps for stoats on public land, either more of the DoC150 that I already have out there, or DoC200s.
Does anyone have any data that shows that one or the other of these two sizes is preferred for kill rates please?

For choosing between a Single or Double Box, Cam Speedy has found that the double traps are Six–times more effective than the Single traps: 1min30 into this Youtube clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziRmohEdhx8

What can folk here tell me please that will help with which size and configuration I should go for?

Originally Posted by Puffin

I'm wanting to purchase a few more traps for stoats on public land, either more of the DoC150 that I already have out there, or DoC200s.
Does anyone have any data that shows that one or the other of these two sizes is preferred for kill rates please?

For choosing between a Single or Double Box, Cam Speedy has found that the double traps are Six–times more effective than the Single traps: 1min30 into this Youtube clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziRmohEdhx8

What can folk here tell me please that will help with which size and configuration I should go for?

Hi mate- I think you're best to go with DOC200s, over the 150s for Stoats- no data, just a bigger is better for stoats.As for doubleset 200s? Yep going off what Cam says, its worth it, though they'll nedd bedding in/pinning down to avoid sympathetic firing.

@Puffin - further to our pms - some pictures of PossumMasters that might tell a story

Good work the Cats

My 2c worth on the 150 v 200.
If there is a possibility of catching ferrets but no weasels go with the 200 and try the double set. If there is no chance of ferrets but weasels are about go with the 150s. If you go with the 150 with the chance of weasels don't do doubles as your set off weight is 80g from memory and in my experience when one trips the other one will as well.

I’ve had twin weasel kills in a double-set 150 box on a couple of occasions that I can recall, so I wouldn’t write it off.

Looks like he had his eyes on the egg - a fresh egg!
Didn't move fast enough

I haven't got around to buying additional traps, either more DoC150 or the 200, but one of the existing traps was successful recently, up on the Raingauge Track — in from the Kumeti roadend, just below the leatherwood, South–eastern Ruahines.

This one walks past every day or so - I have the SA2 set up on the same tree with plenty of salmon on the ramp and rabbit mush in the trap - he might be on borrowed time
Amazing what a video camera can tell me

the rats are tripping the timms before a possum calls by - sometimes right up inside the timms licking up the strawberry jam and other sweet treats - he will make a mistake soon

He came back each night to lick up the flour - last night he put his head inside and it got him - but he had the strength to pull out - might have a sore neck
Billy Xmas has told me that Timms need a spike - I thought a newish Timms would be too strong for a possum - ??????
wish i could figure out how to do videos - so much more interesting

A big boy. Is the thinking that you beefed him up too much on the nightly flour pre-feeds so he outgrew the traps capability
Didn't I also read somewhere that a single incidence of the same thing within the testing was the reason the Timms didn't get the NAWAC tick of approval?