Thread: Possum Trapping

@scotsman,i normally used 100mm x 25mm boards off old pallet's,i was leaving the belly uncut and nails at the head,tail and pull the leg's tight. I used 7 nails at each end and 6 along the leg's/ belly,hope this help's

Just like night shooter said, all very simple. My mate bought his first house with possum skins and venison and he used both wire and wooden frames. The wire ones were spot welded together, same shape as the wooden ones, only slightly more across cos wires thinner than a 25mm board and its the overall width you are after. The end that was spot welded together had a short spike left proud for the nose to catch on, and he used pegs to peg out the skin. One quick slice with a Stanley knife and the skin was off.

best results I ever had shooting was on flowering Manuka in Taranaki ,next were poplars & pines .

300x25 in boxing grade timber should be the cheapest you can get cos it's untreated - 250x25 might be more common and you may have to call around a few merchants first

Hand pick it as it is full of knots and warps

100x25 boxing is only $1 a metre here from memory so it shouldn't cost too much??

Originally Posted by Mooseman

We were always taught that night shooting in native bush is about 10% effective due to the canopy cover, if you can get in under the canopy and look up it can be more effective. Bush edges along grassed areas are good spots to check. I have spent many thousands of hours spot lighting and have found you can get good results but you have to work the area carefully and not to quickly as sometimes it's just a glint of an eye that gives them away.

yup mooseman is right.also if theres a breeding doe round and shes randy ,the bucks will go stir crazy like stags and the noise of snarls or scraps is a dead friggin giveaway-I had a 3 cell torch clamped to my stirling.22 and it was spot on .more than one buck fell outof a tree after sitting up screaming at me ,and getting a terminal.22 blowjob that curbed his sex drive permanently.
look for abandoned fruit trees -the jackos love that fruit ,and looking through my photos im bloody sure i nailed more than one who may have been a tad pissed from gutsing out on fermenting /rotten fruit.vegetable peelings is good bait too-my late dad shot many a jacko who d paid a visit to mums peelings bucket (intended for our xmas porker)in the old family home on the coast.he also dealt with a few who got into his shed rafters and tried to tell him how to chop kindling wood.
brother and i trapped as kids-flour with aniseed was the bait ,and the back of a tomahawk or our leadhead studded lenght of rimu applied btween the eyes stopped em dead -trapline -check before schoolin mornings -leave dead to cooloff during day -jacket skinand takc out after school.we bought our 1st watches -alphas &6.13s.6d from our possum skin money (1966).
dont see many these days-im dying to get a screamer buck lined up for a 3"no2 steel 12g blowjob-itll come!

all the best.

Thanks for the advice guys. Did end up buying a stapler too it's alright but you need to put a good few on to get the same stretch as a nail board. Also I'd advise getting the bigger sized staples. 20 bux for 2000.

If anybody in Northland has any possum traps they would be willing to sell pm me. Looking for about 80. Not overly fussy about condition as long as they work. Much appreciated

Scotsman

Ran my first trap line of the season last night.

30 traps
14 caught
4 more sprung
950 grams of fur from the 14

Possums were in very good condition after a very good summer in Canterbury.
Will get another line out in another couple of weeks and hope to set them both at least once a week as time, work and weather allows.

Interesting @akaroa1, I'm averaging 12 possums to the kg, n its just starting to get cool here. Come on winter, only gets better for the next 3 months.

@BeeMan I'm on Banks Peninsula and the conditions are always pretty mild here.
This line is at around 100m ASL and within 1km of the harbor. So practically winter less.
Haven't had a frost yet this year.

Originally Posted by BeeMan

Interesting @akaroa1, I'm averaging 12 possums to the kg, n its just starting to get cool here. Come on winter, only gets better for the next 3 months.

@BeeMan
What is the price this year per KG
12 per Kg
That good going - all Brown's to no doubt

Originally Posted by Sarvo

@BeeMan
What is the price this year per KG
12 per Kg
That good going - all Brown's to no doubt

Hey Sarvo,

Here is a copy of a txt i got from basically bush on 20th march.

Hi we are in Nelson buying fur, 12noon at Richmond A&P show grounds today. $105kg. Cheers Lisa

Will probably go up next few months as fur is longer, less shorts rejected. Was getting $120 Aug last year

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

I sell to Dawson furs $105 kg. Still better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. @Sarvo yep mostly darks but the silver greys are big huas here aswell

Originally Posted by BeeMan

I sell to Dawson furs $105 kg. Still better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick. @Sarvo yep mostly darks but the silver greys are big huas here aswell

Say hi to Dink (Bruce Dawson) from Peter Milne
Sold most of my skins to him 80's

Originally Posted by kukuwai

Hey Sarvo,

Here is a copy of a txt i got from basically bush on 20th march.

Hi we are in Nelson buying fur, 12noon at Richmond A&P show grounds today. $105kg. Cheers Lisa

Will probably go up next few months as fur is longer, less shorts rejected. Was getting $120 Aug last year

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk

Interesting- I only trapped a little in the early 80's and didn't get many skins. didn't get a lot for them and I think it wasn't long after that the price dropped out. Wasn't worth the hassle. just shot them for shits and giggles.
I was talking to someone just yesterday about trying to short the odd one and whether it was worth it for the fur. Cant be shagged skinning but if it was 12- 15 odd jackos for 100 bucks I'd definitely have a crack at that if I can find some easy local ones.

Originally Posted by csmiffy

Interesting- I only trapped a little in the early 80's and didn't get many skins. didn't get a lot for them and I think it wasn't long after that the price dropped out. Wasn't worth the hassle. just shot them for shits and giggles.
I was talking to someone just yesterday about trying to short the odd one and whether it was worth it for the fur. Cant be shagged skinning but if it was 12- 15 odd jackos for 100 bucks I'd definitely have a crack at that if I can find some easy local ones.

I hate plucking them - I can skin 3 to 1 plucked in time
Prices in 80's were minipulated by Korea mostly - it was up and down
1989 I averaged just on $10 on a line I sent to Dunedin
Mid 86-87 Bruce Dawson and Machouse Furs were paying average 5-7$ "cash"
Pureora coons were not the greatest size or quality
I would drool over the Urewera Darks that Dawson always had pleasure in showing us - that was usually just before price was given on my line