Trapper Monthly, December 2024

​Happy New Year to you all and Happy Trapping! December has been a curious month. It started really well with the possum catches and until the 20th we were up one possum a day average. Then it petered off. That was mainly due to festivities and people on holiday. And myself having a lot of guests. I managed to get two lots of them to go down to coalmine and check the traps. It does help but they came back empty handed. Also good.
 
We had in total 14outings between us. Which is quite a low number but the catches are good. It was in the end 25 possums, 13 stoats/weasels, 15 rats and 5 hedgehogs. These are good numbers. In fact the possum number is the highest ever since trapping. The stoats/weasels are amazing. Paul and Jo caught on the 18th December alone seven stoats and Marcel on top of it another three! On the same day ten stoats! I think trapper of the month has to be Paul and Jo! The rats are steady as she goes and the hedgehog numbers are way down from last year.
 
Over the year now we have impressive statistics. It is 240 possums! The second highest ever. In 21 it was 266 possums. Then we did 274 rats and 50 stoats or weasels. For the fantail trust total numbers we have: 1084 possums, 1528 rats, 133 stoats, 261 hedgehogs and 149 others, (mice, c…s). The overall total stands at 3148 predators removed.
 
My biased and completely subjective observation is that we have more birds. I think anybody would say that. There are bellbirds, fantails, grey warblers, shining cuckoos, silvereyes and kereru. Everyday I hear or see them. There are also tomtits, blackbirds and song thrushes. The tui is still elusive but there was a sighting in a garden not far away. So we can hope.
 
The Fantail Shop sadly still has not opened. The cabinet is all installed but empty at the moment. I am still collecting things to sell down there. On the other hand the visitor book is very well used and lots of comments in it. The Weta Condo nearby is still waiting for tenants as well. But it will happen. They have had a bad time the Wetas with all the rats and possums around. Maybe some survived the onslaught and will find refuge in the condo.
 
Other than that I just want to thank you all for your efforts. It is not a nice job in the summer clearing traps of dead animals that might have been there for a few days or even weeks. That is where the automatic traps come in. Much easier with the A24 and AT220 traps. Attached are some pictures of a fuchsia flower. In fact I have discovered many more fuchsia trees all over the forest. They are a favourite food of the possums and of course also the bellbirds. Then there is a kereru of which there seem to be more around, then a kowhai flower which have been flowering from early June to late October! And last is a Maori onion which grows in the more open areas around the walkway. Not often seen.