Thread: New career - Trapping Possums!

Don't be too quick to sell it. Here I have seen prices go from $115 to $140 a kg. So if possible try hold it for until a good price comes.

I'm extremely honed in on the online-market world, can probably find my own international buyer that will pay better than the kiwi company's anyway haha. Will look around when it come's to it, won't just accept the first offer. Either way, the price's, even 'low' still seem like a decent wage to me, which is all I'm really after.

There is this tool its a slasher hammer and nail puller in one. Could be handy. Also use it to beat the possum over the head

Get yourself a good gps to mark your traps.i trap possums on behalf of the auckland council and a few other councils over the north island and it will become one of your most valuable tools

I admire your enthusiasm to better yourself and your circumstances, very positive! Have you considered ringing around pest control contractors and see if you can do a bit of work for them, even if its just tagging along for free to get some experience and ideas?
The LSV should be good to, you might even decide a career in the military is an option.

Have no interest in contributing to the corrupt and leaky council/government system where your salary is 40k and it cost the people 200k. I think there is far too much 'administration' cost involved in all of it with a bunch of lazy dick's making just as much money as the people who actually work hard, and view most government/council jobs as detrimental to our economy and country in general.. but that's a whole other story. Much rather be freelance. Seem's I would have to revolve around their schedule and area, which isn't really my thing either.

Can't join military due to a food allergy Which is wierd because LSV can make an exception, but I can understand.

good on you JVJ, just go hard bro!! money is money...prices will go up eventually, so AuuLgood..!!

I don't mean to put down people who do work for the council/government or whatever, I think anyone who's out trapping possum's is doing a great thing, just don't see it as necessary and would rather remove myself from that when given the opportunity.

Originally Posted by Brakelie

I admire your enthusiasm to better yourself and your circumstances, very positive! Have you considered ringing around pest control contractors and see if you can do a bit of work for them, even if its just tagging along for free to get some experience and ideas?
The LSV should be good to, you might even decide a career in the military is an option.

Good idea do a month for free you will learn more in that month than a year trying to figure it out for yourself!

Good on you for giving it a crack but beware, you can be left in the lurch by dodgy fur buyers, a big slump in the market or just getting beaten to the good spots by somebody else. I think your plan to do the LSV course is a very good one. the fitter you are the more you can do and hopefully the more money you'll make. Don't over look the Idea of going to work for AHB TB Free or DOC contractors. There are heaps out there and you can learn shit loads on the job whilst getting paid and if you're lucky they'll let you pluck. I don't mean to discount the advice you get from the net but there's nothing like hands on learning.
As for gear I would have to say stay clear of the really cheap traps because they're just crap in most cases, I wouldn't look any cheaper than Duke traps. If your budget was up to it I'd go for Victors size 1, it's quite possibly the best trap I've ever used next to the old gin/ rabbit traps but they're outlawed now so I'd stay clear of them. If you've got access to a bush margin with known monkey numbers then you're in luck and if you can set your line in some kind of loop even better... There's nothing worse than having a dead walk at the end of a long day, It makes for a later dinner time and it's effort put in for no reward! A hundred traps is a good number and if you can get 'em all set in one day then it means more profit in less time. I normally just use flour with a bit of icing sugar and eucalypt oil in it and I put tablespoon size baits in between the traps to try to draw the little buggers on to the line proper. But any how I could keep burbling on for hours about this topic. I'll finish up by saying that you could learn more by going out with some crusty old trapper or doing one of the numerous polytech courses you guys have got up there. Best of luck Trev

Where does one source one of these possum multi tools?

gps, and CSL
if your trapping for a council its mainly performance and at the end of your job monitors will need to be called in, they will re trap your area. 14k to get a monitor in.
Private is the way to go,,im unsure about doc.
You want to catch coons go get your CSL , paste is the way to get them.. sometimes 5 coons of one blaze. no having to carry traps there cold and ready to skin when you get there.

Provided you get into an area that has never had control done you will kill it...we are getting 100 a day at the mo and have done for the last month..prior to that we got 80 in one month..
You will want a decent pack and first aid kit..maybe a plb if your working alone...
other then that get out there and rip em up

Fur price as of monday was 105.00 kg,, will drop more as every one sells it for xmas money.likley to be back at 130 by march...

if nothing else mate you will get a chance to see some great country. and do the NZ bush a favor.
Living costs in the country are lower than big city living, and there is room to grow yourself a garden

If you can apply for blocks by putting in your quote by the hectare then you will also collect $ per hectare.
which will be the only thing that gets you thru some hard patches This is all thru your regional council.

typically those sorts of jobs are poison jobs, with trapping near sensitive areas but you can do as you please,

I wish you all the best, but remember to do your research before starting.

-The Coromandel is split into blocks and these are all very sought after, so you may not get one straight away.
-The Kaimais are much the same as above, but have a lot of possums as they have never used 1080 there. My last deer hunt up there has me walking out under head lamp and I counted 28 possums on the track!
-The Waikato has limited blocks, and the good ones are normally taken. The large wetlands (Whangamarino swamp) hold the most possums, but are totally shithouse to get around and this makes them totally uneconomic to trap.
-The Pureora's are normally kept very low with regular 1080 drops, so too is Whareorino, Awaroa-Hauturu etc...

I used to run a scheme taking people who were unemployed for too long and training them to trap possums etc...I did this for 6 years and had over 40 people come and go. To be honest none of them really had what it takes, as most were too lazy to even do a normal job 9 to 5 job and were never going to succeed doing one of the toughest jobs in the country where success entirely depends on self-motivation and hard work. But I hope you do (have what it takes) and the only way you'll find out is to go out and do it.

I think the advise of trying to volunteer for DOC or a private operator is the best advise you'll get. You'll honestly save yourself years of potential mistakes by learning off these guys, cause after all if they can make a living out of it...they must be doing all the right things.

kj