Thread: Pureoras and 1080

Looks like the 1080 operation in the South Pureoras has just begun. 3 helos just flew over the house heading for the Pureoras. A Huey and two Squirrels I think.

With the phenomenal feed growth happening at the moment, I can't see it being too successful?

Anywho, venison from there will be off the menu for the foreseeable future for locals. Just as the summer BBQ season hits.

It will probably be marginal taking the dog in April too.

About 85 000 hectares, all could be done with traps and good men with minimal risk to non target species. This is taxpayer and ratepayer funded.

Originally Posted by Woody

About 85 000 hectares, all could be done with traps and good men with minimal risk to non target species. This is taxpayer and ratepayer funded.

Not for the same money it couldn't.

Originally Posted by Chur Bay

Not for the same money it couldn't.

Yes it could! Pay trappers the $50/ hectare rate (or perhaps more, to equal the aerial poison all up cost per ha) and there will be plenty lining up for thT sort of $$$.

Originally Posted by Woody

Yes it could! Pay trappers the $50/ hectare rate (or perhaps more, to equal the aerial poison all up cost per ha) and there will be plenty lining up for thT sort of $$$.

So Rat, Stoat and Possum control for $50 a hectare?

sorry Woody but your maths are way way out I managed possum control for various DOC areas for over 30 years including a number of aerial 1080 operations - no contractor would work for the hectare cost of an aerial 1080 operation - they could not compete with the same given target - not a hope in hell - to make a living they would need a substantial increase in hectare cost - they dont work for free - and good contractors simply are not out there -

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

sorry Woody but your maths are way way out I managed possum control for various DOC areas for over 30 years including a number of aerial 1080 operations - no contractor would work for the hectare cost of an aerial 1080 operation - they could not compete with the same given target - not a hope in hell - to make a living they would need a substantial increase in hectare cost - they dont work for free - and good contractors simply are not out there -

In 2014 the AHB had to oprn their books. The cost per Average back then for aerial 1080 per ha was $55 per. Bet the aberage is more than that now. The option of trapping for fair equal pay has been covered in smokescreens for decades, and all you really need to understand why is ,as usual; "follow the money". (Including the the cossetted bureaucracies involved which are also financed by your taxes, levies and rates. End of--.

Originally Posted by Woody

About 85 000 hectares, all could be done with traps and good men with minimal risk to non target species. This is taxpayer and ratepayer funded.

Good men are expensive. If it could be done this way it would have been sorted long ago. I’m surprised they have the budget for the poison.

years ago when I was doing large scale possum operations it was $20-30 a hectare for aerial 1080 - ground traps and cyanide was well over $200 a hectare and cyanide only good in conjunction with traps as over 20% of possums wont touch it ( paste ) feratox encapsulated cyanide next to useless due to heavy rat interference so without a rat bait out not an option - but try and find ground based trappers now -very rare breed

Originally Posted by Kune

I’m surprised they have the budget for the poison.

Taxpayers are a bottomless pit when it comes to the bright ideas department. 70 years and counting. has to start working soon

Originally Posted by XR500

Taxpayers are a bottomless pit when it comes to the bright ideas department. 70 years and counting. has to start working soon

It does work, has made a few very rich.

Originally Posted by XR500

Taxpayers are a bottomless pit when it comes to the bright ideas department. 70 years and counting. has to start working soon

I can’t quite remember what it is they say about doing the same thing and expecting a different result……………..

Helo is pretty bloody inefficient when you aren't doing broad scale wipeout type ops though at a heavy bait sowing rate (which is no longer an option on a lot of land due to the new rules). Also a lot of animals could be getting sub-lethal doses and a good training session to pass onto the next generation of animals from what I hear. Last time I was in an area after a dosing the weathered baits were still visible but seemed to have collected at the low places where water flows. Not ideal for success rates.

Going forwards the word is we will need to look at options shortly as the use of the traditional aerial method with some of the success rates being reported as not flash. Whether the operation is a success or not still relies on getting people in to place traps among other info gathering tools, which is a bit of an irony for my thinking. A lot of the areas where it's deemed as too rough to put people into are also not entirely suitable for aerial for the same reason as above, baits wash down really quickly.

Shame of it is by doing so much aerial, as noted ground based people on top of their game are a very rare breed as there just hasn't been the work for them. A lot of questions and not many answers!

yes the number of good ground based contractors decreased rapidly with the success of the TB control operations when that was full swing we had numbers and then virtually none - some left could train new trappers and gear gear up but is the money there for it no - is the willingness there to do it by ground control no - the traditionall method of monitoring was always RTC residual trap catch requiring 3 days of trapping but now wax tags are also used (bait interference )and are only checked once I believe ( not sure only came in last few years I was involved -