1st November 2023
Sheila Chappell
I have been a resident in the Whakatipu for 47 years and always being passionate to help protect our Endemic & Native species including Fauna and Flora. When I was involved in assisting setting up our 3 lines in Sunshine Bay & Fernhill the bush was silent, now the birdsong is amazing. The numbers of Tui’s and Korimako’s at my residence has increased dramatically – adults returning with their young to their feed is exciting to witness. A Male Karearea also calls by each winter to roost, waiting for an early easy breakfast. I started trapping Possums in the region for easily 30 years ago and have had incredible results. Happy trapping everyone involved.
Heidi Ross
I have been actively trapping for the past 9 years. I started in my backyard and then joined Alpine Bird Song group which covers Arawata Track, Sunshine Bay Track, Upper Fernhill and One Mile Track. I do Arawata and Sunshine Bay Track’s. Our efforts have definitely paid off with the number of birds you can see and hear. My neighbors recently had a Kaka in their back yard in Sunshine Bay! I love the bird song, especially in the early morning, it is such a special treat. I have a bird table in my tree with Tui’s, Bellbird’s, Kereru’s and Silvereye’s coming for a drink of sugar water. There is an ever-growing covey of California Quail that visit me multiple times a day too.
A trick I use in my DOC200’s – I save plastic milk bottle caps and fill them with peanut butter, nutella or egg mayo and put the cap by the egg. If the bait disappears you know there are mice around and you can put a mouse trap in the back of the DOC200 to catch the mice. The milk cap bait is also extra enticement for rats. I recently used a slice of bread with some chocolate peanut butter spread on it and placed it by the egg. That was very successful. I also use an apple slice on the rod behind the bait bar in my trapinators which has proved successful as well. I recently learned that rats and mice will clean out trapinators so if you have a trapinator that is getting cleaned out you may have mice or rats. I try to place traps together or close by each other. Trapinator, flipping timmy or Good Nature A-12 on a tree and a DOC200 or Good Nature A24 underneath or near by.
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