Thread: Predator Free

Hi all- I started volunteering with Predator Free Titahi Bay in Wellington around June this year. We are a small peninsula north west of Porirua.
This has been a sorta 2 or 3 person operation for many years, some people come and usually go, life- work, relationships etc get in the way.
So we have built our reserves trapping team from 3 or 4 up to near 16 people now. Monitoring rat tunnel trap lines weekly in reserves and parks.
I've pretty much inherited the planning and implementation of the reserves trapping side of things in our group as well as making timber paling rat tunnels to put the plastic traps in, installing them into the planned lines, training new trap liners and getting them started, so they can then monitor the liens themselves.

Its a whole lotta fun, and its in ma backyard, and I've learnt a TON of stuff.

Every area/suburb in Aotearoa has a group.
If ya looking for something easy close to home to get into, this is a great thing.

We are all working towards being predator free by 2050.

Cheers
Ants
antsman70 on IG

Awesome work!

Nice. I think the future of hunting is going to be based on or at least closely linked with conservation partnerships. . .

Originally Posted by Tentman

Nice. I think the future of hunting is going to be based on or at least closely linked with conservation partnerships. . .

100% mate, hunting is herd "management" , if the hunters are smart.

Originally Posted by Tentman

Nice. I think the future of hunting is going to be based on or at least closely linked with conservation partnerships. . .

100% right if for nothing else, the fact that Govt sends a lot of funds the way of Conservation groups.

they, starting a predator free area on the road i live on but i got bad feedback because i kill wild cats, go figure. Cant please some people

Originally Posted by Martin358

they, starting a predator free area on the road i live on but i got bad feedback because i kill wild cats, go figure. Cant please some people

just kill them but say nothing

yeh theres a lot of cat lovers out there- me included, but not wild cats- they all the the hammer.

Originally Posted by Martin358

they, starting a predator free area on the road i live on but i got bad feedback because i kill wild cats, go figure. Cant please some people

The only place I did pest control on was on the condition I bury any cats I found without a collar. That was an old lady with pet cats as well, she was a great to deal with.

Originally Posted by Martin358

they, starting a predator free area on the road i live on but i got bad feedback because i kill wild cats, go figure. Cant please some people

yah- there's a lot of people "love" hedgehogs for some reason, and a lot can manage the thought of killing feral cats, sorta 10%vegan people i reckon , meat eaters(supermarket meat) but cant handle the thought of anyone killing anything.......

yes some of the bloody greenies wanted any wild cat caught desexed and released - what then a very pissed of cat bent on revenge - hide the carcass say nothing my motto

Originally Posted by Barry the hunter

yes some of the bloody greenies wanted any wild cat caught desexed and released - what then a very pissed of cat bent on revenge - hide the carcass say nothing my motto

Yup, apply the SSS principle. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up.

Also, adding to the above- I've come to realise there are a fair amount of people in communities that are out there trapping/rats/mice/mustelids in residential bush reserves, with no external organised assistance, meaning they're doing what they do on their own , in their backyards so ta speak. This is huge- the more people start to catch on, and go "do" something about the problem, the more effect we will have-this is aimed at the negative people out there sitting back typing "pred free2050 will never happen- ya cant this or cant that- it will never happen".

Originally Posted by ANTSMAN

yah- there's a lot of people "love" hedgehogs for some reason, and a lot can manage the thought of killing feral cats, sorta 10%vegan people i reckon , meat eaters(supermarket meat) but cant handle the thought of anyone killing anything.......

I have 3 hedgehog traps around the property, I've caught quite a few but I'm worried about their inability to swim...so I try and teach them, unfortunately I've had zero success....could be due to the heavy rock in the top of the bucket maybe?!.

I get annoyed when a post comes up on the local community page "I have a baby hedgehog - how do I care for it" people don't like it when I suggest swimming lessons, or when ya suggest to them to look at the teeth on an adult hedgehog and think about what those teeth do to snails, skinks etc.

On a side note I checked the traps a few days ago and there was a bloody stoat inside one of them...quite pleased about that!

Originally Posted by Twodiffs

I have 3 hedgehog traps around the property, I've caught quite a few but I'm worried about their inability to swim...so I try and teach them, unfortunately I've had zero success....could be due to the heavy rock in the top of the bucket maybe?!.

I get annoyed when a post comes up on the local community page "I have a baby hedgehog - how do I care for it" people don't like it when I suggest swimming lessons, or when ya suggest to them to look at the teeth on an adult hedgehog and think about what those teeth do to snails, skinks etc.

On a side note I checked the traps a few days ago and there was a bloody stoat inside one of them...quite pleased about that!

excellent! great result with the stoat!

Wild cats suck I get my shear