Thread: Bird Predator Control

Looks like a wonderful project Kukuwai - I would be keen to see how your TNZ recording program works for you - I am just using a spread sheet at present
I did morning prayers at the Park yesterday - 10 rats and a hog - numbers are ramping up from 5 and 8 for the last couple of trips
I am also shifting traps off the ground - onto ramps and branches - I am thinking that pests get used to what they have been seeing for the last few months and also taking note of paper I saw on PFNZ -
Tree traps - a good alternative? - Predator Free NZ

Not much point posting pictures of dead rats - one squashed rat is similar to another - a week in the life of a dead rat in a trap is a long time and they get pretty ugly - the scary thing is that some of these rats are very big and must be producing plenty of off spring
Picture below of my spread sheet graph - two of us working on the job at present - but most kills are coming out of my area at present
If anyone round Tauranga is interested in predator control or knows someone that might be - please let me know - I want to get this job done before the next bird nesting season - I expect that graph will hit several hundred in the next few months

Firstly @Timeout re TNZ recording program: It doesn't take long to set up but I had trouble imputing the trap locations using GPS co-ordinates, for some reason it thought I was in the North Island, so gave up and just entered each trap manually as best I could on the map and that worked ok. It is easy to record trap kills (my partner can even do it on her phone), produces a good map showing trap locations and kills so easy to see hotspots. It also has a good reports section and can generate monthly totals, graphs, bait profiles etc. So far so good.

Secondly I caught my first stoat today, happy to get one but sad to know they are around!! I hit a rabbit with the hilux 2 days ago so chopped it up and put the back legs in a couple of 200 boxes and that's what got him



At the point when I realised it was a stoat I remembered all the info I have gained from reading these forums:

1. Rub it inside the boxes (I took it for a walk and rubbed in in a few of them).

2. If its fresh squeeze its belly and rub the urine on the box too. (I was surprised how easy this was got some on a couple of boxes)
3. Keep the tail - Swamp comp - How and when does one enter the tail?? Its in my freezer

Cheers Fellas

Hi Kukuwai,swamp comp entries are handed into your local H&F store in the month of November. Good work on catching the sod.

Originally Posted by Dundee

Hi Kukuwai,swamp comp entries are handed into your local H&F store in the month of November. Good work on catching the sod.

What pests qualify for the swamp comp?

Originally Posted by Russian 22.

What pests qualify for the swamp comp?

Just the musteloids....ferrets,stoats weasels. But any rat and cat is a bonus for the environment but can't be entered.

Originally Posted by Dundee

Just the musteloids....ferrets,stoats weasels. But any rat and cat is a bonus for the environment but can't be entered.

Don't think I will see any in the Auckland doc blocks but I'll give it a go

Mail day got 5 of those modified Victor stoat rat traps https://www.traps.co.nz/modified-vic...t-and-rat-trap plus the long life musteloid and rat bait https://www.traps.co.nz/mustilid-cat...rox-100-per-kg https://www.traps.co.nz/rat-lure-baits
And got a big water rat in doc 200 today

Three rats for the weekend. All killed with modified victor

ya missed one

Shoot em with the escort dundee

Great work on the stoats and cats guys - I wish I could get some more tails but they don’t seem to be around
I had a wander round the Park this morning - just one possum and a couple of rats for three hours effort - all the Snap-E traps were tripped by the heavy rain
I have been up six times in the last two weeks and have got 3 possums and 27 rats - 129 predators since New Year - so making some progress - but probably still just scratching the surface
I am spending more time putting old logs around possum trap sites to create interest - and also trying to get the rat traps up on ramps - seems to be working - have also changed back to GN Possum Paste which doesn’t go mouldy so quickly

Looking good timeout

Heaps of mice (or baby rats -I can't tell the difference) 5 rats and 1 hedge pig for me this week. Now at 104 predators for the year so its adding up

Have ordered some good nature traps to add to the line so looking forward to the arrival of those. This was made possible thanks to the QE II Trust and for that we are very grateful.

Keep up the good work guys!!

Me young fela has been trapping and got a cat in the leg hold trap....bonus!

Got 2 hawgs at the duck pond first for the doc 200 and victor both caught using the muslite stuff https://www.traps.co.nz/mustilid-cat...rox-100-per-kg

Two cats the young fella has caught in leg hold traps now. Shot this prick on the way home from river last night waited for it to cross the tar seal then gave him one.