Thread: Possums

Traps are far more economoic

Welcome to the thread. Trapping is by far the best way, with leg hold traps the preffered method. The most reputable brands are dukes, victors and bushmaster. Traps, Bait & Accessories for sale at Trappers Cyanide Ltd - Canterbury, New Zealand sell bushmaster. You put a lure on a tree, usually either cinnamon, aniseed or eucalyptus oil mixed with flour and rubbed above the trap, to draw the possums in. Doc offers trapping permits, but most are taken, quite often even when people aren't actively trapping, just "booking" the block for themselves so that others can't use it and/or letting numbers increase. Get in with a farmer. Also you have the option of skinning or plucking. Skinning can make you more money, but you have a lot more work to do, and if you have to hike into your trapping area you have to carry all the skins/carcasses out. As mentioned above, pluck the fur by hand while the 'coon is still warm.
Look in the small game hunting on this forum and fishn'hunt.co.nz there's a goldmine of info on this subject.

Originally Posted by mitch270

Welcome to the thread. Trapping is by far the best way, with leg hold traps the preffered method. The most reputable brands are dukes, victors and bushmaster. Traps, Bait & Accessories for sale at Trappers Cyanide Ltd - Canterbury, New Zealand sell bushmaster. You put a lure on a tree, usually either cinnamon, aniseed or eucalyptus oil mixed with flour and rubbed above the trap, to draw the possums in. Doc offers trapping permits, but most are taken, quite often even when people aren't actively trapping, just "booking" the block for themselves so that others can't use it and/or letting numbers increase. Get in with a farmer. Also you have the option of skinning or plucking. Skinning can make you more money, but you have a lot more work to do, and if you have to hike into your trapping area you have to carry all the skins/carcasses out. As mentioned above, pluck the fur by hand while the 'coon is still warm.
Look in the small game hunting on this forum and fishn'hunt.co.nz there's a goldmine of info on this subject.

I will add to your list of possum lure brews and it is very effective and works well I was put onto it by an old trapper and I put a young feller here onto it and he has had success and it is curry powder added to the flour. OP you can pluck the tail fur but must be kept separate so take all fur apart from belly fur and remember to keep that tail fur away from the body fur by putting it in its own bag. Jeeze dougie remind me not to piss you off lol