Predator Free

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Originally Posted by Tentman

Nice. I think the future of hunting is going to be based on or at least closely linked with conservation partnerships. . .

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100% right if for nothing else, the fact that Govt sends a lot of funds the way of Conservation groups.

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Big Boi came for the nut butter!

Seeing a huge upsurge of road kill possums recently when they were absent a year ago.

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Originally Posted by TeRei

Seeing a huge upsurge of road kill possums recently when they were absent a year ago.

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oh real? wonder what's causing that?

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Originally Posted by TeRei

Seeing a huge upsurge of road kill possums recently when they were absent a year ago.

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Seems to be the year for it. Shot 11 this year. In the previous 10 years I have lived here, I've shot 4. We are surrounded largely by open farmland, so not entirely sure where they are coming in from.
The property is only 2 acres, so I'm not covering a large area to get them either.

My parents just out of Greytown have had a huge increase in trapped possums this year too, and up in Karori I've had a massive increase in trapped mice and rats this year

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oh real? wonder what's causing that?

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Cars would be my best guess ;-)

Theres vast numbers of possums in urban areas. Lots of nesting places and endless food . You think its your cat that eats the cat bikkies at your back door at night ?

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Originally Posted by Scouser

Just joined Auckland central parks animal pest control project, targeting possums and rats with none poisonous baits (peanut butter for rats, cinnamon dusted apples for possums)

Get my trap line next month in the Waitarua wetland....let's go

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Well, 5 months on and over 30 rats and 1 mouse despatched, average 2 to 3 a week in 18 traps....

Traps are in a dog proof plastic box.....
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Originally Posted by Scouser

Well, 5 months on and over 30 rats and 1 mouse despatched, average 2 to 3 a week in 18 traps....

Traps are in a dog proof plastic box.....
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sheeyittt bloody into it mate! Well done thats a bloody great result! That'll be making a huge noticeable impact on the other wildlife there.

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Originally Posted by sore head stoat

I am a coordinator for a predator free group that is small village and rural and the thing I find important is keeping in touch with the 50 odd trappers we have. At the end of each month I send out an email with a bit of 'news' in it and we welcome any new trappers and I also ask for captures for the month just past which are logged on Trap NZ, if you caught nothing I still want a "we caught zero". Anyone who doesnt respond a couple of months in a row gets an email asking are you still using the trap ? If not we want it back. It is amazing the number that start out with a hiss and a roar and then find out they are not catching a rat every half hour and lose interest and dont bother using the trap again. We have a big rat competition.. 420mm is the longest rat so far.

If you have tiger traps you keep your mouth shut re captures.

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Yeah mate we do very similar here, yep people are often keen untill they don't carch something to their human scheduled frequency :)

One thing I always say about who is the best trapper the person that catches the most or ...
Imo the best trapper is the one who checks their trap regularly , rebaits it when mickey mouse has eaten the bait off it and just keeps doing this repeatedly and one day whammo mate rat has got some bad news.. and then the hard graft starts again.
Very easy to maintain enthusiasm when you have lots of traps scattered far and wide and are continually catching.

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Originally Posted by sore head stoat

One thing I always say about who is the best trapper the person that catches the most or ...
Imo the best trapper is the one who checks their trap regularly , rebaits it when mickey mouse has eaten the bait off it and just keeps doing this repeatedly and one day whammo mate rat has got some bad news.. and then the hard graft starts again.
Very easy to maintain enthusiasm when you have lots of traps scattered far and wide and are continually catching.

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100% mate, when the traps have done the job, and we are catching little to nothing, the committed trappers will still keep checking.