Thread: TB in possums - not many if any

There has to be a better way than a random aerial bombardment of a poison over our country, nobody is looking for an alternative, there has to be a better way. Dave Ratcliffe successfully trapped Waipara for possums to stop the 1080 drops.

Originally Posted by Maca49

There has to be a better way than a random aerial bombardment of a poison over our country, nobody is looking for an alternative, there has to be a better way.

You'd think with all the years people have been against 1080 they would have nutted up a better idea but being nut jobs on the internet seems to be there #1 choice so far

Normal people think of problems to solutions. No point bitching here to us we're not changing things go complain to the people who need to hear it, have meetings come up with ideas on better methods, get decent publicity get more people to see things from your point of view ffs.

Ok well start Huis and trip NZ then? Toby I just get pissed with DOCs attutude to 1080. It certainly deserves an inquiry ,independent that is, in to what is going on, the blind dumping of this poison is just not on! Going into a Forrest as a tourist in NZ and being faced with a poison sign complete with a skull and cross bones is a bit of putting? We do this but won't have nuclear power? Fuck I know which ones safer!

Actually, the photographer of that sequence used a small fenced reserve area, set up the vine and the thrush nest. Yes THRUSH chicks. The whole deal is a setup. This has been proved to DoC.

Actually it is a similar scam to the greeny claims of native fuschia (Konini) being completely denuded of foliage by possums. Lots of photo's of this terrible assault on native bush were gleefully published.
However, the truth is that Konini is one of the few native trees in NZ that is deciduous, shedding it's leaves annually as a normal part of it's existence. Possums do like eating it, but the claims made by Forest and Bird that the denuding was caused by possum are incorrect and deliberately misleading. (Unless of course, their emotive bullshit simply overrode their ignorance of the facts.)
Similarly, there were claims made about devastation of Southern Rata, and kamahi being wrecked by possums. Southern Rata flowers intermittently with sometimes several years between flowerings, and damage to those trees and the Kamahi in the Ruahine was caused by snowstorms and wind storms.

We're lucky to have moaning old retired bastards like you @Woody keeping these guys "honest"! Keep up the good work!

The possum eating a bird means nothing to me, its a side argument with little meaning to either way, its simply a distraction from bigger issues.

The "truth" about 1080 I'm sure is somewhere in the middle, like they say there's normally three sides to every story; your side, my side and the truth.

I don't make any living from 1080, it doesn't effect me either way. But my views on it remain the same, a necessary tool for the immediate future.

Kj

Originally Posted by kimjon

The possum eating a bird means nothing to me, its a side argument with little meaning to either way, its simply a distraction from bigger issues.

Kj

I think it increases the importance of reducing possum numbers, I'm sure we can all agree on that.

How best to do it is the big debate. Maybe as it's such a massive problem, a work for benefit scheme could involve possum eradication as one of the tasks and try to create a bigger fur industry for skins, plucked fur and baiting


Sent from my workbench

Originally Posted by smidey

I think it increases the importance of reducing possum numbers, I'm sure we can all agree on that.

How best to do it is the big debate. Maybe as it's such a massive problem, a work for benefit scheme could involve possum eradication as one of the tasks and try to create a bigger fur industry for skins, plucked fur and baiting


Sent from my workbench

Only problem with these schemes is that possum trapping is possibly one of the most demanding jobs there is if your doing it to get a performance result (<5%RTCI).

Getting someone who struggles to motivate themselves to even get out of bed and try and find a normal (easy) job, to step up and do one of the toughest jobs there is almost never works. I know this first hand as I once ran a task force green team of possum trappers many years ago, with 32 people go through my program over a 5 year period, each of them had the option of staying with the team in full time employment and working for a living. Only ONE lasted the 5 years, all the others choose to leave even though they knew their benefits would be cancelled for leaving! None of those who left had another job to go to, they all left because they hated it so much they would rather plead poverty, than work hard.

In all honesty, I cringe when I hear work for DOL schemes mentioned as a solution for pest control, its a gross over simplification to a very complicated issue.

No offence is intended by my reply, its just that I already know the outcome through experience....the hard way.

Kj

I am not a total ban 1080 advocate, I do think it has its place. But I also think it should not be used anywhere near as much as it is and virtually never total coverage from the air.

You only have to see the lies and propaganda for what it is to realize it has very little to do with conservation and everything to do with money.

Originally Posted by veitnamcam

You only have to see the lies and propaganda for what it is to realize it has very little to do with conservation and everything to do with money.

That is correct but the propaganda will rule, have that proven and things may open up. Money and lots of it will always have it's plan B. No one in the 1080 industry will allow that to happen eh.

I could take you all to a spot that has never seen aerial 1080, where you can easily shoot a couple hundred possums on a good night, has an unknown rat population, and the bird song is actually deafening. There are literally hundreds of native birds flying around in the bush. My point, possums don't eat fucking birds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by JoshC

I could take you all to a spot that has never seen aerial 1080, where you can easily shoot a couple hundred possums on a good night, has an unknown rat population, and the bird song is actually deafening. There are literally hundreds of native birds flying around in the bush. My point, possums don't eat fucking birds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Very rare area that JC, proves a point. Will it last though? I for one would hope so. Lots of money could pass hands there no doubt. F***ing with nature just doesn't hit home to the money spinners,sad.

Originally Posted by doinit

Very rare area that JC, proves a point. Will it last though? I for one would hope so. Lots of money could pass hands there no doubt. F***ing with nature just doesn't hit home to the money spinners,sad.

Been like that for as long as I've been alive mate, so can't see it changing. It gets trapped regularly by a couple of locals, provides them with full time jobs thru the winter and has done for 30 plus years.

Originally Posted by JoshC

I could take you all to a spot that has never seen aerial 1080, where you can easily shoot a couple hundred possums on a good night, has an unknown rat population, and the bird song is actually deafening. There are literally hundreds of native birds flying around in the bush. My point, possums don't eat fucking birds.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

So photos and video aren't enough for you? You can't deny possums eat eggs and birds, the question is how many

Sent from my workbench

Originally Posted by smidey

So photos and video aren't enough for you? You can't deny possums eat eggs and birds, the question is how many

Sent from my workbench

Those photos are so set up it is not funny.

But in the same valley I could take you about 3 kms north, cross over the road into land administered by DoC, it's been aerial 1080's every 3-4 years for the last 15-20 years. The silence is deafening. It sure wasn't possums and rats eating birds that shut the place up.