# Hunting > Varminting and Small Game Hunting >  The Oldies possum trapping 2021

## Mrs Beeman

Finally got serious about trapping again after missing out last year with Covid shutting the forest. Our first pre-feed today, then Friday and setting traps on Monday.  Area looks promising so will try to update as we go. Let's see how the oldies go @Mooseman @BeeMan. Was a bit cold today hence the many layers and need for a hot cuppa half way around.

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## Micky Duck

give em heaps.....looks like some rather crappy weather coming later in week...

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## kukuwai

Good to see you guys back into it !!!!
Looking forward to the pictures, yarns and tales 

Good on you Mrs Beeman 

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## Mohawk .308

Looking forward to future updates

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## 7mmwsm

Been wondering if you had been back at it.
Is anyone buying fur?

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## MSL

> Been wondering if you had been back at it.
> Is anyone buying fur?


I got a text last week, $90/kg


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## tiroahunta

> I got a text last week, $90/kg
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


As MSL said. $90/kg no most places. The offer comes up for a specific type ie $100/kg machine plucked greys. 


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## PillowDribbler

Good luck.

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## BeeMan

Bruce Dawson was paying $90 kg for machine plucked $95 kg for hand plucked and $2-20 kg for bodies heads legs n tail off gutted and glands removed. Works out about $10 a possum, heaps better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, or if you are a beekeeper it will keep you in bread n milk till the season starts again.  :Thumbsup:  We dont keep anything seperate and pluck every last piece of fluff we can get, face feet tail n willies.

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## BeeMan

Possum water hole found yesterday.

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## trapperjohn

Yeh, I find the willies and nut sack the hardest part to pluck.
Best Practise; use ya teeth.

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## Gibo

> Yeh, I find the willies and nut sack the hardest part to pluck.
> Best Practise; use ya teeth.


 :O O:

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## Brian

> Bruce Dawson was paying $90 kg for machine plucked $95 kg for hand plucked and $2-20 kg for bodies heads legs n tail off gutted and glands removed. Works out about $10 a possum, heaps better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, or if you are a beekeeper it will keep you in bread n milk till the season starts again.  We dont keep anything seperate and pluck every last piece of fluff we can get, face feet tail n willies.


Is that the people that make the possiyum dog rolls?

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## Mooseman

> Is that the people that make the possiyum dog rolls?


Yeh I think so, they process all the meat for dog food.

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## BeeMan

Yep, and several other types of pet food.

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## Mooseman

Looking good in the area we are starting in , plenty of bark biting and runs, shame we can't carry a rifle on our rounds lots of possum.... deer sign about, like the possum waterhole ( yeh right)
Look forward to the morning see how the bait take has been, and put out another feed.

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## Mooseman

Who you calling Oldies @Mrs Beeman :Thumbsup:

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## Mrs Beeman

@BeeMan has been getting our Prefeed supplies ready for tomorrow's next feed. 

Meal feed pellet cinnamon lured.

Possum lollies (fruit pieces)

Mixed nuts and pellets cinnamon lured.

This is the lure for the traps. It's a mixture of Flour, Ryemeal, Kibbled maize, chia seeds and cinnamon oil. I think half of it ended up on @BeeMan's clothes but at least it smells nice. Let's hope the possums find something they like out of all that.

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## Mooseman

Looking good

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## Martin358

Interesting, keep the adventure going. I enjoy your writing and photos

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## BeeMan

Some of the bark biting we see around the new line.     May bee beavers  :Grin:

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## rewa

> Yep, and several other types of pet food.Attachment 168667


You should get a fair bit of fur off that one

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## Micky Duck

> You should get a fair bit of fur off that one


plucked pussy....it MIGHT catch on.....

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## Martin358

Brazilian ?

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## Micky Duck

Im sorry that was a bit riskah..... 
back on topic....a mate who did possoms at home years back tried all sorts of lure concoctions...
cloves in the lure worked well...weanamon was awesome but no way was that safe anywhere near stock...his theory was possums got cunning and would lick lure off bait in cold nights (loads of bare baits gave him that theory) by adding something they could chew on,they bit into bait.
I know of another fella who made up heaps of marble sized balls of dough and used to drive forestry tracks and biff them as he went...after prefeeding,would do poison run.
best Ive personally done was 360 of single line...best Roger did to my knowledge was 600...I helped him skin that one and it was plurry hard work,I did the kittens and easier ones while Roger worked on tough ones back....sleave skinning back before plucking was the norm.
learnt a lot of Roger.

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## trapperjohn

Only if you stand to close to the plucking machine.

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## BeeMan

@Mooseman and me had lines of 300 n 400 in the days, even went our own ways one trip, he went South of camp and I went North, I got a couple more than @Mooseman, I got 367 on my line. Yep and before someone comments about how many you can skin in a day we didn't skin them, we did autopsy every one tho looking for TB. The days of putting cyanide into boiled macaroni elbows for weatherproofing would go down like a lead balloon this day n age.  :Yaeh Am Not Durnk:

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## Micky Duck

well back when I was young dumb and full of c%* I helped a mate skin out 600......that was a marathon effort,and the carrying of pack is another consideration....you can only fit and carry so many before you need to dump them at vechille AWAY FROM FLIES and go back to carry on....some guys got speeds in 15-20 second area,speed skinning from rear...I was between 30-45 seconds...round up to minute with big redneck greys included.....can still do it,just not as many LOL.hobnail boots were awesome as would grip the little huas feet allowing decent pull on skin.
My family survived some tough times by the selling of possum pelts.....Kinleith pulp n paper mill on strike for couple of months is one that comes to mind....a man has to pay the bills and feed the family...my self ,I payed my own way through highschool with possum skins,they were averaging $6 green then so was easy money.

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## BeeMan

:Thumbsup:    120 traps set today, I can hear some chains rattling already. Watch this space tomorrow.   :36 1 11:  :15 4 128:

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## tiroahunta

> Bruce Dawson was paying $90 kg for machine plucked $95 kg for hand plucked and $2-20 kg for bodies heads legs n tail off gutted and glands removed. Works out about $10 a possum, heaps better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, or if you are a beekeeper it will keep you in bread n milk till the season starts again.  We dont keep anything seperate and pluck every last piece of fluff we can get, face feet tail n willies.


Out of the Wild in Katikati head,feet, gut/intestines, glands n asshole out. Tail stays on. Tails are sold individually as pet chews. 


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## Sarvo

> @Mooseman and me had lines of 300 n 400 in the days, even went our own ways one trip, he went South of camp and I went North, I got a couple more than @Mooseman, I got 367 on my line. Yep and before someone comments about how many you can skin in a day we didn't skin them, we did autopsy every one tho looking for TB. The days of putting cyanide into boiled macaroni elbows for weatherproofing would go down like a lead balloon this day n age.


Well bugger me 
I not heard of the Macaroni trick before 
We bought empty medicine capsules by the 500 pack -  and then dipped them in a lured wax mix (clove oil usually) after filling with the drug

Found a lot of Possum would take them away - more so in populated areas (possum not human)

But as you know - hard to go past the Traps as a main stay through all weathers 

Looking forward to later today's catch rate

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## Micky Duck

@berg243 have you ever seen the wee lollie bags stapled to trees with oddfellow lollies in them?????

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## BeeMan

Boy... we know we aint 47 today, even tho we may look it.  :Grin:   Tahi

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## kukuwai

Shit they are pretty hard to count on the back of that ute. How many you end up with @BeeMan looks like a good haul 

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## Micky Duck

quick there is one in bottom of the photo that has escaped  with its fur...strange ginger one...

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## Trout

Good effort there team,enjoy yr rewards. :Thumbsup:

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## BeeMan

71 @kukuwai, even more tomorrow tho, had the most traps we have ever had sprung. 1 bloody cunning possum running around with a stick setting them off  :O O:   Hahaha didn't even see that ginger bastard Micky Duck, hanging around for a feed.

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## BeeMan

Plucking update for Wednesday   :Wtfsmilie:    remember the bad barkbiting tree, this is it.   Todays tally.   :Thumbsup:

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## BeeMan

Trichosurus-Vulpecula  :Grin:

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## XR500

Cute little sod eh??

Only used to find them dead as a do do, heaped on top of each other, when using cyanide. back in the 70's

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## BeeMan

End of the week.  Dog tired.   :Grin:   The block. .  The end

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## kukuwai

Great effort you old fellas 

Interesting the fur pricing you are getting from Dawson's. Here is a copy of a text i got from Basically Bush a few weeks back...

buying fur tomorrow Friday 12noon until 1pm. $85kg hand plucked and $90kg machine plucked.

They told me they prefer the machine plucked as its easier to blend?

What are you getting for the bodies out of interest?

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## BeeMan

> Great effort you old fellas 
> 
> Interesting the fur pricing you are getting from Dawson's. Here is a copy of a text i got from Basically Bush a few weeks back...
> 
> buying fur tomorrow Friday 12noon until 1pm. $85kg hand plucked and $90kg machine plucked.
> 
> They told me they prefer the machine plucked as its easier to blend?
> 
> What are you getting for the bodies out of interest?
> ...


$2-20kg

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## Mooseman

Cracker week chasing possums, nice to have feet up back home recharging batteries for the next hunt.

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## BeeMan

> Cracker week chasing possums, nice to have feet up back home recharging batteries for the next hunt.


Hope your batteries are charged all good, this week looks crap for trapping. Stay away from steel structures, catch you next week @Mooseman.  :Grin:

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## veitnamcam

> $2-20kg


Is that whole plucked or is there further processing required?

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## kukuwai

Better than KFC 

https://youtu.be/u84BOKkG3Ok

Gives you shiney hair & more brain power 

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## JessicaChen

Havent had possum yet. Only ever seen a few possums over many years where I normally go night shooting. Shot at one, but could never find the carcass. Might splurge on a 'possum confit' recipe if I get the chance.

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## BeeMan

> Is that whole plucked or is there further processing required?


Na we dont do the wholes @veitnamcam just the willies.  :Grin:    Oh... sorry didn't read that right. Plucked to every hair we can get, heads feet n tail chopped off gutted and glands under tail removed. We hand pluck and get $2-20 kg but $2-50kg for machine plucked bodies,  :Thumbsup:

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## Sparrow

Great thread to follow @BeeMan thanks, gleaming a bit of knowledge.  Have dabbled last few years for loose change, did our 1st line of the year at the weekend (40 traps)for woeful returns, I’m time poor but it’s about getting the boys out there eh. If things pick up will start our own thread “ Young guns ( and me ) but wouldn’t hold my breath, ............ see what I’m dealing with?   
 :Grin:

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## BeeMan

Good on you @Sparrow real cool training for the young fellows, and they will enjoy it. If you can prefeed a couple of times over a week it will make a huge difference to your kill over the first couple of nights. Nice simple cheap feed is maize, what ever lure/smell you put in your flour pour some over a couple of pockets full of maize then dribble it out while inspecting your area. Works a treat and like I said wont break the bank, take a bigger fur bag.  :Thumbsup:

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## kukuwai

Been catching a few at work each day.

This big old gray doe probably should have been a skinner but it just ended up plucked. The bag is growing 

 



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## Mooseman

Nice looking possum alright the more of them in the bag the better, bumps up the weight real quick.

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## BeeMan

@Mooseman @Mrs Beeman and me doing it again in the rain today. 70 traps set, plan on another 30-40 set tomorrow after plucking 56 fat fluffy apple eating tree bears'

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## Trout

Gee thats a nice grey bear there.Back in the early 70s when i was building in Te Anau.Freezing workers use to come up from Dunedin in the winter trapping possums.They would get 4000 or 5000 for the winter each,big money in those days for skins.

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## BeeMan

Thought today was tough, already sweating thinking about tomorrow. Plucked 37 possums and set another 40 traps. Bring it on.  :Grin:  This is a barrel set, used when the scrub/blackberry is so thick you can't get of the tracks/roads.  Works a treat. .. Trapping in Sherwood  :Have A Nice Day:

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## BeeMan

Bloody cold start, all good tho, these oldies are tough. We were doing it before global warming was around.  :Wtfsmilie:   Peekaboo   A big possum in the heath.   35 out of those new 40 sets, 50 for the cold day, still better than a poke in the eye with a stick.

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## Brian

If you make socks out of possum skin with the fur on the inside you'll never get cold feet again.
Haven't tried them wet though.

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## BeeMan

hahaha, thanks I will tell @Mooseman, he moans all day and most of the night about having cold feet.  :Thumbsup:

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## davetapson

Probably un-PC to ask - but how do you pop off them in the traps?

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## BeeMan

> Probably un-PC to ask - but how do you pop off them in the traps?


Hey dave this is how we pop them off,  we stun them with a well placed blow between the ears with a solid stick ( possum donger ). Then remove them from the trap before another well placed blow to finish them off.

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## BeeMan

34 possum day, not the best but boy for sure the cleanest crispest air you could breathe. We feel privileged to bee the first to sample it before it moves North. A warm 0% deg this morning after a -6 yesterday morning.   This was 1st kill today.

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## kukuwai

> Attachment 171614


AKA "The sleepy stick" 


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## Mooseman

Another good week chasing money makers. Sure was some cold starts alright but good to be home by the fire. 140 possums for the four nights ain't to shabby.

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## BeeMan

Here I go again, hope you enjoy. A cold start  A new helper for the day.  A staple puller  Keeping warm moving barrels  Tough staple Grandad.  :Grin:   Cutting out the bits required  A job  The END. What a cool day, our new helper impacted on us all day, no swearing, no arguing and plenty of laughing.

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## Micky Duck

having recently used one of the flash fandangled ezy staple pullers I can highly recommend them, they lock onto staple and allow you to pull it out with ease,sort of like old school fencing pliers upsized except they lock shut sort of....unreal how easy pulling big barbed staples is when using them.

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## Mooseman

Sure was a neat day, our little helper was awesome, did a great days work and enjoyed his KFC  for lunch. Many more to come.

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## Mrs Beeman

Had a week off and went up north with @Mooseman and @Mrs mooseman for 3 days just to clear the heads and really relax. Had a wonderful time in and around Whangarei  (my old town) ate and drunk too much but that's what life is about isn't it?  


Back into it next week if the weather behaves.

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## 40mm

> Yep, and several other types of pet food.Attachment 168667


Pluck it  quick

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## BeeMan

Fun doing possums. No painted finger nails or mascara with the girl crew today.  :Grin:  ... And no @Gibo I don't use mascara or finger nail polish.

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## Micky Duck

that 4th photo...."oh crap,here they come"LOL

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## BeeMan

> that 4th photo...."oh crap,here they come"LOL


Hahaha even ears down. Fkn sad..

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## 7mmwsm

I hope you made the "apprentice" pay for that flour. Looks more than the regulation handful.

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## Brian

> I hope you made the "apprentice" pay for that flour. Looks more than the regulation handful.


After seeing that photo of all the prefeed in their shed I think they're fattening them

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## BeeMan

I'm not shy to spent a dollar to make 100. These trees that are lured become feed stations drawing possums from 100s of metres with a super strong aroma and highly visible lure blaze. Its not one night and move on, these trap for at least a week and sometimes more. The most I have done on one tree in one month is 28. Don't hold back on feeding or lureing it the cheapest and easiest part of the operation.  :Thumbsup:  :Grin:

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## 7mmwsm

Bit like burley.
Don't know what you said to that apprentice @BeeMan, but she loaded up a bike and some traps and has gone to Matawai for the week.

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## stingray

Thanks for sharing your adventures ..loving every photo and yarn.

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## NEO

> Bruce Dawson was paying $90 kg for machine plucked $95 kg for hand plucked and $2-20 kg for bodies heads legs n tail off gutted and glands removed. Works out about $10 a possum, heaps better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick, or if you are a beekeeper it will keep you in bread n milk till the season starts again.  We dont keep anything seperate and pluck every last piece of fluff we can get, face feet tail n willies.


Hard work. Those fur made garments sell crazy price in Qtwon. Is that your cat? Does he or she eat pussum meat?

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## Mrs Beeman

Winter 2022 has been so busy or the weather has been crappy but with the dog food freezer nearly empty @BeeMan, the dog and I took the chance to trap 3 days last week and again this week before the rain. 40 traps out with an average of 20 per day so the dogs won't go hungry for the rest of the year. The pine pollen was so bad we both ended up with extreme hayfever but the rain will wash that away. Hope to get another few days in before Beekeeping takes over again.

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## kukuwai

Are you still managing to sell the fur or purely  just a dog food mission???

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## Mrs Beeman

@ kukuwai  just focusing on the dogfood at the moment. We've saved the fur though so will sell it eventually.

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## Barry the hunter

after 35 years of running possum operations  for DOC I will share with you all the best prefeed recipe I have ever come across - Commercial grade margarine - icing sugar and Raspberry milk shake mix - we used big 10 litre pails of commercial margarine -now here is the trick and its a must do  -mix Rasberry milk shake mix with icing sugar and leave overnight to absorb - then mix with margarine  - a drill and an egg beater whisk on it helps mix quickly - dont try mixing milkshake mix into maragine on it own -it wont mix - in summer add more icing sugar or plain sugar if mix gets to soft - in winter add cooking oil to soften if needed- can spoon it out or put into tubes and lay that way - goes well over the top of paste cyanide -  near or above trap - I have seen bark chewed of to get the last bit

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