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30/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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​One more again today on Northern Line. Trap 16, has caught now 6 since deployment on 6th June! Good spot. Nothing further down but one possum is eating all the apple I spread in front of the trap but does not go in. Clever one. 

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29/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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​One more today. There is also a possibility that I had one yesterday. The day before I got on in T10 and then I threw it into the bushes but it got caught in some branches and was just hanging up there guts hanging out and all. I did not go to take it down.
 
So maybe I reckon the one yesterday was the same and the cat moved it. But it seems a long way for a cat to move a possum. Not only taking it down from the bush but then moving it up the side of the hill where I found it.
 
The thing is on the bush I did not see the possum anymore. So it definitely was moved. I did not count it towards the tally. 

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27/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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​Two more today. Both in old locations. Amazing. One in T3 yet again and one in T10 and that one is most pleasing because I knew there to be a possum because of camera. Got three traps there. A Timms trap, an automatic one and a Trapinator. Now it has gone into the Timms trap, the yellow box. It just seems to me that those traps are the most efficient. Must get more of them.
 
Northern Line disappointed again especially the new line which has not caught anything yet. Wonder why? Maybe should put camera there to see what is going on. 

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24/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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​One more today in trap T2 right at beginning of trap line. That is amazing as we have caught so many there and then nothing for 5 months and now in four days three more. What is happening?
 
Also one electronic trap recorded finally again 6 rats. Plus today I cut a new path through some pine trees high above walkway along fields. Good use of chainsaw. Very pleased with it. Could not quite finish as battery ran out and I did not take second battery with me.
 
Now we have to install more traps along that line and from what I have seen it looks promising. Lots of spots where possies might hang out. 

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21/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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​Ha three more!!! Where are they all hiding? All three were in very old traps. In fact the first traps I installed in May last year. One was T2 right at the track going down to big tree paddock. Second one in a row now when I thought there would be no more possums there. It was over 30 possums in quick succession and then nothing for five months and now all on again.
 
The other was trap 2 just near the stile and there we have had twelve possums so far. The trap has been there also since May last year. Both possums were eaten by the cat who lives down there somewhere. I have seen the cat myself and also on camera! How can I get the rascal. 

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19/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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One more today!! 359! One more to go to make 360. We are making good progress again. This possum was in trap T2. That is an old location and we have been trapping there since March last year. Caught over 30 possums there. But lately for at least 5 month we got nothing. Now today another possum. Maybe it was a new possum looking for a good place coming from somewhere quite different.
 
Your trap has been quiet I know. I checked it yesterday. Could of course also be a cat that removes possies. But your trap is in a quite narrow gully leading down to the river. And maybe we have caught most if not all possums who live in that gully.
 
That is how it works. There are many gullies leading from the walkway down into the bush and then to the river. And they all must be occupied by a tribe of possums and they hardly ever move over to another gully. Too steep and not on their normal path. They always stick to their path to get to where they want. The trick is to put the trap right into their path and catch them.
 
A trap could be a metre away from their path and they will not even notice it. Their smell is not good. My little glitter thingies help a little bit. They see that glowing in the dark and go towards it. Maybe then they want to lick the lure. And bang!
 
Going to be wet again tomorrow. Another downpour forecast. Maybe snow.
 
Also what is a mystery is that the new six traps I put in this week, the trapinators, have not caught anything yet. They are in pine tree shelter belt and I would have thought a lot of possums live in there. It is nice and dry and good shelter. Have to be patient maybe. 

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18/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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​4 more possies! Two are first kills for those traps like number 45 on District Line and T14 on Northern Line. The other two were in T18, Northern Line and T3 on Q Line. Not bad. But I have seen so many possum evidence that I think there are at least ten more around the big tree paddock. Also around your trap there is a lot of stuff.
 
I must deploy more traps into those areas. Maybe I buy more yellow ones. They seem to be really effective. But my next job is the gully and a new line on Waterloo Line. There is an area with no traps because there are no trees and only thick prickly bushes. So I am cutting a path through the trees further up with my chainsaw and put traps up there onto trees.
 
Also the path through the gully has to be cut. Tried to go through there two days ago but did not get far. Full of gorse and broom and a climbing plant. And I would think full of possums too. 

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16/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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Got no possum on Northern Line. Quite disappointing. But then we got one down the big tree paddock. Tony was not fazed about it much. I checked the other traps and rebaited them. Found many possum evidence. So still possums are there. The cat trap was empty too. Maybe the sardines are no good?
 
I will do a quick run to check Northern Line tomorrow and then on Friday it is District Line. Have not been there for quite a while. Tony wants to come too. 

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15/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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​Another three. All on Northern Line. It rocks really. Now I have extended the line another 500m along the trees. Five more traps gone in. They are all trapinators. I won’t come back! 

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12/6/2021

Fantail Diary with Maureen

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Ha!!! Another five!! My new line, Northern Line, rocks! 1 in T15 (first), 1 in T16 (second) and 1 in T11 (first), 1 in T9 and 1 in T5. We are now for sure going to do 350 by end of month. In June we have now done more than in whole of May! Cannot compare to last year as was lying low in bed after hip op.
 
348!
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