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I have been having a mare recently. I had been feeding out baits prior to Christmas and while they were being gobbled up there were still plenty of rats rooming around.
My suspicion was raised when I would put one block out and the entire thing had disappeared by morning, this is pinned to the ground in a pvc pipe.
I then moved in to trapping again, using peanut butter and victors. I ended up with many unsprung traps that the bait had been consumed.
On closer inspection the bait was being eaten by an army of tiny ants and potentially slugs given the amount of slime trails. Have you guys experianced this?
I checked the trap in the roof space last night and the peanut butter bait had been cleaned right off with out springing the trap. Time for a new bait!
I happened to be preparing a steak for tee, so sliced a bit of fat off and used that. Resulted in a nice fat rat this morning. I have changed the baits over on the rest of the trapsnthis morning.
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Salmoner
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #376 - May 20th, 2019 at 4:10pm
Pyro are you running the ProVictor traps with the big yellow treadle ?
I was/am experiencing baits being eaten off the treadle on my Pro Victors so i have put the peanut butter further out on the treadle to make the trap more sensitive, also Cruz mentioned to Prolan the hinge so it isnt as stiff. I am catching a few more mice now..Its either I find a baitless trap or Mickey having had a bad day !
To use peanut butter i would think you need the above Pro Victor traps and as i said stick the bait right out on the edge of the treadle to get ultimate sensitivity.
My guess...I think mice are your problem.
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pyro
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #379 - May 23rd, 2019 at 10:01am
That is a good deal! I paid $10 each for mine at mitre 10.
I went out and check the two outside boxes after dark yesterday and there was a fat slug in each, so I am on the fence whether the baits are being taken by mice or slugs?!
A work mate is going to give me some smurf poo so we will see how that works
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #380 - May 23rd, 2019 at 7:09pm
I have always been keen on possum paste for ease of use in large numbers of traps at the Park - but currently trapping around the edge of our subdivision - four boxes down a 200m track - the bloody ants were cleaning me out overnight - so I have reverted to a peanut butter mixture used by a Mate at the Park who mixes it with rolled oats - and he has been catching stoats So my new mixture is roughly 50% PB, 20% margarine 20% rolled oats and a slosh of vegetable oil to make it flexible - the rolled oats soak up the oil so you need a fair bit - chuck it in the microwave to melt it so you can mix it well The rolled oats is to ensure the ants cant remove everything - always some rolled oats left on the trap for the next rat that checks it out If you want to catch rats - be generous with the bait - it costs buggar all compared to all your effort - cover all of the yellow foot plate and a heap in front of the trap to get them interested - and if you catch a rat - put it on top of the box so the next one can check out his old mate - a dead rat is a powerful lure - This setup is also catching mice - put the trigger rod right over to the soft setting on the yellow foot plate -
He dragged it off the top and went inside for a feed
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #381 - May 24th, 2019 at 8:21am
Not often stoats but sometimes, are cages like this ok for possums and ferral cats? https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2155229712 I've got a bach at Lake Clearwater (Ashburton Lakes) and there's a few around. Others have a mix of cage traps and DIY wooden boxes. What's best?
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X-POACHER-YEAH RYT
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #382 - May 24th, 2019 at 10:57am
Trapping vermin and pests is an ongoing learning course. Plenty of good tips on here ,if you go back through the thread. Got a rat with the old peanut butter standby 2 nights ago at home, trap in the garden, along with 5 other traps, four different models. I have had success catching feral cats in our block, using smoked kahawai, chicken, rabbit and venison, in Timms traps. Cage traps should work ok also, but remember they have to be checked every day.
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #383 - May 24th, 2019 at 12:11pm
We'd only use them at weekends when we're there. I've borrowed a cage a couple times and it worked. I dispatched the caged possums and cats with air rifle. I know others take them for a 'swim' in the lake. Just wanting to know best option of cage or trap before I buy.
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #384 - May 24th, 2019 at 8:55pm
As shown. The beauty of a trap like this is it can be elevated up a tree to avoid any sort of by catch such as a pet dog that someone may be out walking.
DOC type traps are not NAWAC approved for cats as front foot captures can occur.
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #385 - May 24th, 2019 at 8:57pm
Not often stoats but sometimes, are cages like this ok for possums and ferral cats? https://www.trademe.co.nz/Browse/Listing.aspx?id=2155229712 I've got a bach at Lake Clearwater (Ashburton Lakes) and there's a few around. Others have a mix of cage traps and DIY wooden boxes. What's best?
we got a cage trap similar to that for our 4yr old he loves trapping but to young for legholds. The one we got was about a hundred bux off trademe and the wee fella got 13possums and 4 Wild cats since january o and both the wifes pet cats . we just put cat biscuts or jelly meat in it and thats a good enough lure for both possums and cats.
cats are usually a prick to shoot in them cos they go nuts when you go near, 9/10 possums will be asleep and easy to deal with.
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Re: stoat trapping notes. Reply #387 - Jun 23rd, 2019 at 9:16pm
TV1 tonight.. Cam Speedy was talking about 2kg ferrets . I weighed one the other day and it was 1.5kg and that was huge, but 2kg !!!.. Not much would be able to fight that off.
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With plenty of time on my hands I thought I would update for the last few weeks.
One rat on a ground trap, peanut butter.
Tree set - nil
4 massive slugs
Have extended the life of my ground set traps by sprinkling some slug bait inthe box. Makes for some gooey mess with these rain forest slugs! But baits last up to a week.
Usually I would leave these for more than a week knowing that they had been slugged but now it offers a welcome escape I will be more diligent.
Frustrating thing for me is that I can hear and occasionally see the bastards in the trees just off the deck, but hey won't come to the ground to the traps. (8-12m)
Was wondering if I could set up a bait pile and spot light it with my .177