Thread: Possum Trapping

I tend to look for trees that are good for setting traps on rather than specific species of tree, not to steep, good solid pad for the trap, and a nice rough trunk to put my lure on from boot top to knee. But I always trap broadleaf trees heavily. Change your lure flavour every few weeks, and make up a 20lt pail of 3 parts flour, 1 part icing sugar, and your lure flavour sprinkled through it as you go. Give it a good mix up and then leave it for a week or 2 with the lid on to allow the lure smell to go through it good and proper. Have one cooking while you use up the first one.
Sometimes I run lines for 40-50 traps if the going is good, sometimes only 10, but in the prime spots, all depends on your location and terrain. Usually spaced about 40-50 metres apart if in reasonable country, closer if the possum sign is there.
When trapping runs, put you trap a few metres away from the run so other possums can use the run without bumping in to a rattling angry mess. most runs are good for a few nights.
Fence posts on the bush pasture margin are excellent. and most of my line tend to run across runs rather than along them, so I only use the one trap.
If you are flagging your traps so you dont lose them, put the flagging tape directly above your set so the tape flutters in the breeze, possums are very visual and inquisitive so will often go to check out what it is.
And i only pluck them as I dont have access to a freezer for days. I have 3 or 4 big mesh bags, the size of a big rubbish bag, and i have a square bucket with the bottom cut out of it. I then put a big rubber band from an inner tube over the bottom of the bucket and use this to hold the mesh bag on to the bucket. Then I just lay it out on the ground by the possum, bucket lying on the side, wind blowing in to the bucket, and i pluck in to the bucket. Saves having to open the bag all the time. Then when the bag is full I hang it for a week or 2 or until i need it again and let the air flow through it so it dont go mouldy.

Thanks for the sound advice husky. I'm not sure if i've seen any of those trees here I just googled it. A lot of my traps are on totora's as they almost always have scratch marks on them, theres another one I like just because it has an awesome truck to set your trap and bait, it comes up from the ground very straight and one side is always completely flat. I just reverted back to the cinnamon icing flour today. Looking forward to seeing some of the results from certain trees which nailed possums every day for a week then went stone cold. If it doesn't work then ill just move the trap but ill find out in the next couple of days. This happens quite a lot, is it the possums getting wiser rather than me wiping them out in that area? A few times ive reluctantly moved a good trap that's went cold to a tree very close and started hitting them again. I heard that possums travel 1km-5km a night but that doesn't really make sense as new ones would just keep coming in being non the wiser to my bait or trapped trees.
Thanks mate

Possums have a "territory " of approx 12 km, and will often do a circuit over 3 or 4 days, thats why it pays to leave your trap at least 3 nights. And they often overlap their terittories, so its not just the resident 1 or 2 possums. They only have to eat once every 3 nights, and if its raining will just hole up until its over. But traps catch in the rain, poison not nearly so much. Best night I had was 19 possums off 20 traps on a miserable NW night when it absolutely pissed down.

Cheers mate, that's good to know!

Ended up trying the powdered ginger the other night and I got 8 the next day, wasn't the smelliest of stuff but it worked. Not sure how much was down to the bait though I was feeling good about my traps, I'd just moved most of them into new territory and had a day in there already to make adjustments.
Weather permitting I'm going to camp out in the bush for a couple of nights and go hard on the possums. Maybe next week. I've been wanting to do it for a while. I'll be going by myself and taking the dog, I've got a semi waterproof tent so will buy a tarpaulin and make a canopy for it hopefully that'll keep me dry incase it rains.
Scotsman

UPDATE!!

ok so i just want to confess i gave up for 2 months. Started trapping again late july. Spoke to the neighbor and got onto his land. i think i had 15 traps.. He asked me to set them up the tree because of the kiwis, it took me about a week of trial and error to get a working technique so didnt catch much but did have a lot of set off trap. I found the top of the hills were by far the best, was a tough hike but worth it. I was averaging 8 once i found them caught a lot of black possums too. After a couple of weeks i scouted ahead of my trap lines and came across a load of pine trees. Couldnt quite believe my eyes there was literally possum shit everywhere, went up for a spotlighting session that night and slaughtered them, i was spending more time plucking than anything else. This would of been mid august, moved all my traps to the pines and almost all my traps would go off every night for a couple weeks, a few nights they all went off. Just wish i had more traps!!!! The pines started to die down and i pulled my traps and went to the next piece of land id secured at the end of the road. Word seems to get around quickly, im not far off having every acre in the valley to trap on. Anyway i got a bunch more traps by this time, probably start of september. So 30 traps, went to the new bit of land trapped it for about a week had just started to find them but there was another peice of land opposite the one i was on. This one had a ton of pines with native bush right next to it on the side of a big hill. I couldnt help but think if they pines were stuffed with possums a few weeks ago surely they will now all be in the bush right next to it. So took the gamble pulled all my traps and went up there. I walked up the pines and trapped in there for the first week, maybe got 20 possums i mde the mistake of putting too many traps too close together thinking it still might work. Ended up pulling all but 4 traps and started laying them right at the very top of the native, near the bush edge. Didnt put them all out at once as was scared to loose them, the information i got from the ones that were out up there told me that there was alot of possums so banged them all out pretty close together. I think i went 10, 18, 16 15 then 2 (rained all night long) then 8 and out of those last 8, 6 of them were babies either just off the mothers back or maybe id killed all theyre mothers i dont know?? 3 the next day then I pulled my traps after that, not sure if it was a mistake or not. I might go back to the same bush a km away or something it was like they got trap shy pretty quick i doubt i wiped them out. Kind of got my sights set on some different land tho spent a while on google earth trying to decide where to go. one that doesnt involve a 6km hike everyday. Just need to go see the land owner and introduce myself will probably do that tomorrow along with some maintenence on my traps. Then spend a day walking around it to gather some intel.

Ive almost been in the country a year. I came over myself from scotland on a working holiday visa, never imagined id be doing this haha wasn't too bothered about travelling in campervans and picking fruit i was keen to live more like the locals. Been trapping since march i think,took a couple months off. Im pretty confident now, obviously still got so much to learn and every day up the bush im learning more and more. Sadly i might be leaving the country next month, have had a blast tho

Scotty

Originally Posted by scotsman

UPDATE!!

ok so i just want to confess i gave up for 2 months. Started trapping again late july. Spoke to the neighbor and got onto his land. i think i had 15 traps.. He asked me to set them up the tree because of the kiwis, it took me about a week of trial and error to get a working technique so didnt catch much but did have a lot of set off trap. I found the top of the hills were by far the best, was a tough hike but worth it. I was averaging 8 once i found them caught a lot of black possums too. After a couple of weeks i scouted ahead of my trap lines and came across a load of pine trees. Couldnt quite believe my eyes there was literally possum shit everywhere, went up for a spotlighting session that night and slaughtered them, i was spending more time plucking than anything else. This would of been mid august, moved all my traps to the pines and almost all my traps would go off every night for a couple weeks, a few nights they all went off. Just wish i had more traps!!!! The pines started to die down and i pulled my traps and went to the next piece of land id secured at the end of the road. Word seems to get around quickly, im not far off having every acre in the valley to trap on. Anyway i got a bunch more traps by this time, probably start of september. So 30 traps, went to the new bit of land trapped it for about a week had just started to find them but there was another peice of land opposite the one i was on. This one had a ton of pines with native bush right next to it on the side of a big hill. I couldnt help but think if they pines were stuffed with possums a few weeks ago surely they will now all be in the bush right next to it. So took the gamble pulled all my traps and went up there. I walked up the pines and trapped in there for the first week, maybe got 20 possums i mde the mistake of putting too many traps too close together thinking it still might work. Ended up pulling all but 4 traps and started laying them right at the very top of the native, near the bush edge. Didnt put them all out at once as was scared to loose them, the information i got from the ones that were out up there told me that there was alot of possums so banged them all out pretty close together. I think i went 10, 18, 16 15 then 2 (rained all night long) then 8 and out of those last 8, 6 of them were babies either just off the mothers back or maybe id killed all theyre mothers i dont know?? 3 the next day then I pulled my traps after that, not sure if it was a mistake or not. I might go back to the same bush a km away or something it was like they got trap shy pretty quick i doubt i wiped them out. Kind of got my sights set on some different land tho spent a while on google earth trying to decide where to go. one that doesnt involve a 6km hike everyday. Just need to go see the land owner and introduce myself will probably do that tomorrow along with some maintenence on my traps. Then spend a day walking around it to gather some intel.

Ive almost been in the country a year. I came over myself from scotland on a working holiday visa, never imagined id be doing this haha wasn't too bothered about travelling in campervans and picking fruit i was keen to live more like the locals. Been trapping since march i think,took a couple months off. Im pretty confident now, obviously still got so much to learn and every day up the bush im learning more and more. Sadly i might be leaving the country next month, have had a blast tho

Scotty

Be careful not to trap and shoot them out mate.
Farm it sort of speak, if you plan to do another season there.

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Well Scotsman you have been busy and doing very well. Trapping and shooting around those pine blocks when the catkins are out is a productive time, possums travel miles for the new buds.
The catkins are protein rich and will cause the hair to start to slip but that's not a problem when plucking, it was when we skinned them as it down graded the pelt.
Well it was good hearing your update and all the best for the future.

Cheers for all the input mooseman.

Small update:

Recently went into new bush.
Day 1: went up and had a scout about for signs of possums and made made some mental notes.
Day 2: laid 15 traps and done a bit more scouting
Day 3: plucked 10 possums laid 8 more traps
Day 4: plucked 14 possums and killed a rat. Seen some goats. Laid 11 more traps.
Day 5: is tomorrow, I've got 34 traps set.

Out of the 11 I set day Ive been really taking one thing into account which is a mistake I think ive been making. A lot of times if I find a run ill stick the trap in a place on it where every possum will see, the trap tends to be very successful but only for a few nights sometimes less then it goes stone cold. I feel like im giving every possum in the area a lesson on what happens if you step on a trap. Im hoping trapping off the runs and motorways ill be able to take possums from them for longer without giving the game away. Just not too sure yet what kind of distance is best to go from run to trap, or is it just about being out of sight?

How much would a large or x large possum skin be worth? Bearing in mind the majority of them have lost their winter fur.

Cheers
Scotsman

Day 5: Caught 12 today from 34 traps. I think I missed 6 too which is a bit disappointing. Moved a couple around and will be moving a good few tomorrow I imagine.

Scotsman

Day 6: 10
Day 7: 14
Day 8: 11

2 things i think would be handy to have would be a gps and a plucker

You're doing well.

I don't think you're scaring the possums off, more like trapping the local area out for a short time. They have fairly distinct home ranges and they can take a few days to move on if they find their neighbours have moved out...

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Cheers wildman.

Day 9: 7

Going to pull them all tomorrow and move. Cant decide where is best to go but got a few options. Tree's along the creek, i think they are willows i could be wrong tho. the flat land next to them has only just started to dry out. Have taken a couple walks down them to look for signs didnt see much but it was still pretty boggy at the time.
Theres about 60 trees right next to the house, tall skinny planted very close together and im sure somebody told me they are a weed (also next to the creek) Well they have literally just started shooting leaves as of 2 days ago.

Trapping the trees above is kind of what i want to do with all my traps little bit worried im too late for the willows and too early on the tall skinny ones but ill find out soon haha ill try and take a walk down tomorrow once i get back from the bush. Hopefully theres some nice runs carved into the ground and shit everywhere.

Any feedback on my plans would be appreciated.
Cheers

Update..

Day 10- 11
Pulled all my traps from that Bush.

After that I took a couple days off then headed on to another guys land. (I did try the trees by the creek but it wasn't worth my time from the result I got)

Day 1- set 25 traps
Day 2- 14 possies and set another 10 traps
Day 3- 20 (new personal best, made me feel good haha)
Day 4- 12
Set them off as I'm on holiday for 2 weeks, my family have came over to visit me.

When I get back to it I'll probably move about 8 of them and I need to tweak the trigger tension as its far too loose after watching a video about it. Probably explains why I'm coming up to a lot of empty set of traps which is always a bit frustrating.

Went back to it a couple days ago. Traps pretty much in the same place apart from 6 I moved to the bush edge at the end of my line. 35 traps
Day 1: 17
Day 2: 19

I tightened the trigger plates on my traps, definitely made a huge difference.
Cheers

Day 3: 14

Not trapped last 2 days. Think the possums are starting to get wise in some of the areas that were doing extreamly well before hand. So will move a bunch of them n see what the results are like. But if i keep having to move lots of traps every day i'll pull them all and move.

The trees along the creek i mentioned before, I seen a really really thick run coming down off a ridge heading straight for them, and theres signs of them running inbetween them. Could well be my next place to go. This is on the land i first started on back in march. Do i just take the gamble and hit them now or is it safe to leave it another week. If theres a window i wanna be in it and not just catch half of it like i did at the pines. Thinking about it is making me wanna go there asap. Ill walk the track on the bush edge then come back along the creek for one big loop of traps.