Thread: Bird Predator Control

Went for the nightly constitutiona with my sonl! And picked up the new supply of bait for the cages and what ever else I may use it for
Using unsalted rabbit at the moment and it doesn't last long in this weather.
Along with the rabbit there is a slice of apple and cinnamon in the cage! This way the cage becomes a double unit and it works for me.
KH

Wife has the bird feeders out at home. Heard a bit of a crash one night, though ok must be a rat so set up two bucket traps.
Only been a week first one for the season

It's a hard call, but I will go on record and give my two cents.
Firstly some of the areas I have to deal with ! Have people who for there own good reasons release domestic cats.
The cat will find a home or go ferrell very quickly and because he knows human behavior and has been dropped off in a box or cage he will not go near it, unless needing food, so there's a narrow window of opportunity for capture.
I have trail cam footage of this type of ferrell cat that won't go near a cage and it doesn't matter how I've tried to disguise it.
So that leaves only a few options.
The main one I use is shooting ! But it's the right time right place stuff !which isn't always going to happen.
I have at present two litters and minus a couple of parents in a 240 acre area.I haven't seen them for two weeks and I am almost every day looking for them.
So this is what some people will be offended with! is my second choice of capture.!
But it hasn't let me down, leg hold possum traps are still used and are considered humane so I narrow an area like you would a possum and staple a leg of rabbit to a tree, I use at least three traps in such away that if it jumps out of one its into another and I don't mind taking its feet out of a couple either.I usually shot them from distance, because as soon as they see you they explode into a fur ball and I have had one that wasn't held well break out, on that occasion I was quick enough, but I don't take them for granted that they'll hold tight.
There are others methods but the above should do for success.
In another post I am running cages and haven't said about this method!buts its deployed aswell.
Cats are a sensitive subject and it draws a lot of dysfunctional behaviour from cat owners on the disposal of cats.
I saw this week for the first time in over twenty years a wood pigeon resting in a tree in the area I am trapping, It was low down on the branches.
Hopefully I can remove its predators and give it a chance of ongoing residence.
As a hunter a dead soundless bush isn't the same as life flying around and the sound of living !as I move slowly taking in all smells and sounds.
It's just something I can't put here on paper to any depth of the imagination.
KH

Patrolling the area every day is a good approach. I wish I could spare the time! I see feral cats about once every month or two, usually just a glimpse in the distance or a blur on the camo-cam. Their poos are easier to spot (just as distinctive but not as mobile!) but it's frustrating to know they are out and about hunting while I'm nose-to-the-grindstone in the office.

A neighbour has an unused trap, so I might borrow it to give it a go. Remembering to take a rifle with me whenever I'm out would be a good idea too. Nothing worse that spotting a feral moggy in plain sight within easy range when all I can do is throw rocks and shout!

A sort of a carry on from yesterdays thread.
The possum traps just a few more for the catching of cats ! But when not doing a trap line, I can play with what I put out. I usually try and get the best of both predators, in this case today a couple of possums. I used rabbit as bait plus possum paste! This way you an have a mixture anything from possums,Mustelidae, rats, cats.
KH

Team Sparrow was out for my estuary lines today first check for the year
"hurry up dad it stinks"


3 fat ship rats , 1 hedgehog and 3 stoats provided the action over the round trip of 4km making for a quiet evening and an uninterupted cold beer

sore head...try a ping pong ball.....they work just as good as an egg and dont go off.....havent tried a golf ball yet but they SHOULD work in windy area,would definately need the ol 3 nail cradle though as they would hold floor plate up if rolled the wrong way. saw a moggy at mates place so set timms close by...got a hedgepig on 2nd night so not total waste of time,cleared rat from doc200 man they easy compared to the heavier 250 and hindging the whole top of trap box,sides n all not just lid makes clearing trap childsplay compared to sliding/swinging lid.... Ive had sucess with putting freshly dead (and not so fresh) hedgehog in bait area of trap.....caught both ferrets and hedgehogs like this. been really slack and dont clear the traps often...maybe every 2 months but they still catching.
keep up the great work folks.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

sore head...try a ping pong ball.....they work just as good as an egg and dont go off.....havent tried a golf ball yet but they SHOULD work in windy area,would definately need the ol 3 nail cradle though as they would hold floor plate up if rolled the wrong way. saw a moggy at mates place so set timms close by...got a hedgepig on 2nd night so not total waste of time,cleared rat from doc200 man they easy compared to the heavier 250 and hindging the whole top of trap box,sides n all not just lid makes clearing trap childsplay compared to sliding/swinging lid.... Ive had sucess with putting freshly dead (and not so fresh) hedgehog in bait area of trap.....caught both ferrets and hedgehogs like this. been really slack and dont clear the traps often...maybe every 2 months but they still catching.
keep up the great work folks.

Ping pong balls... nah. Stoats hunt with there nose and my guess is an egg smells a bit nicer than a pp ball ? Yip they go off but i get around my traps every couple of weeks at this time of the year and just replace the eggs as i do so.

I have 50 traps in my high country line and last trip got 11 mustelids 8 stoats and 3 weasels plus a couple of rats and a hhog. Saw another stoat crossing the road as i was leaving so there is at least 1 left.

Great work Guys - I have got buggar all to show for my efforts - I did a couple of my lines in the Quarry last week - about 80 traps - nothing - they were all at the higher level and on ridges - very dry country at present - most traps were still set but insects had got the lure since they were last checked
My Mate over the other side checked his line of about 50 traps and couldn’t remember last time he got nothing - similar result for another line of about 15 traps on a centre ridge
Another Mate decided to do a small line down by a couple of creeks yesterday - about 10 traps and he got 5 rats - so like most animals - they need water and are living there at present
I have done a couple of walks around my old line at Puketoki - a lovely bush walk under huge native trees and a nice stream for the dog to take a swim - possum on the first trip and yesterday a big Norway left his message beside a café - he didn’t go in to sample the Contrac or the lure on a T Rex - again down near the creek - I need to get a doc250 in there
So 12 days into 2020 at the Quarry and we have 6 animals on the sheet - end result from 2019 was 284 - 24 possums, 212 rats, 40 hogs, 3 cats, 2 ferrets and 3 stoats - 2017 total was 500 - so we are making progress but predator free NZ is a long way off!

A rare Puketoki possum - about 30 each year


I reckon this Norway is trying to tell us something about a rat café

Definitely closer with your efforts @time out and any one else who knocks off a few.
Keep chippin away

Who is using double set doc traps ? Experiences ?
A fair part of my catch is weasels and i wonder will they catch weasels as the double set trap has to have a fairly heavy treadle spring off weight. If they are set to lightly as 1 trap springs shut it can set the other trap off. I reckon mustelids travel as a pair or family group often and that is where double set traps are at there best. Best bait for a stoat is another stoat..

Originally Posted by sore head stoat

Who is using double set doc traps ? Experiences ?
A fair part of my catch is weasels and i wonder will they catch weasels as the double set trap has to have a fairly heavy treadle spring off weight. If they are set to lightly as 1 trap springs shut it can set the other trap off. I reckon mustelids travel as a pair or family group often and that is where double set traps are at there best. Best bait for a stoat is another stoat..

The only advantage of double is that they can enter either end and yes it will set the other off if set very light a stoat has enough weight to trigger it.
I prefer the fenn traps as they are set on the ground and covered by a tunnel.
Cost is always worth a look how may traps for out lay.
As for bait what they feed on, I use salted or fresh rabbit and egg here, but anything that stinks! the sardine tin with holes sounds good.
KH

Wind made it hard going! missing standing shots last night, so went bipod which helps, but after up and down a few times the body new it wasn't young. The night vision from ground shooting wasn't the best because the eye relief wasn't the same.
Nevertheless manage to bag up something for the effort.
KH

Originally Posted by Kiwi-Hunter

Wind made it hard going! missing standing shots last night, so went bipod which helps, but after up and down a few times the body new it wasn't young. The night vision from ground shooting wasn't the best because the eye relief wasn't the same.
Nevertheless manage to bag up something for the effort.
KH

Grab yourself some shooting sticks. Quick and easy to drop to a knee behind them, and very stable for short and mid ranges.

Originally Posted by StrikerNZ

Grab yourself some shooting sticks. Quick and easy to drop to a knee behind them, and very stable for short and mid ranges.

Yes, thanks for the thought, I have a mono and another type as well, still not stable in the wind for me.
Thought the sleathpodx might be ago, but hands are full with stick,monocular and rifle which is slung around the neck now, still find I am chopping and changing in the dark for comfort and position.
I was finding it hard to judge distance and wind rocking me last night and needed a good platform to shoot from and even then! just getting by.
I do okay for the amount of body damage but it gives limitations and sometimes more than others.
I was happy enough with the out come! but can I find something that will help? It's the season of life I am in. Whatever will work only has a limited time with me at the end of the day, as they say! Whoever they are.
KH