Stoat Trapping 101: What we do and WhyKia ora, and welcome to the first in what will hopefully become a frequent blog about the world of stoat trapping. I'm gonna keep this one real basic, and over the following weeks and months tease out a bit more detail and attempt to answer all your questions, from the intimidatingly technical to the hilarious. So please keep sending them! First of all, what are we trapping and why? Our target species is the stoat, a wilely mustelid that was introduced to New Zealand to control the exploding numbers of introduced rabbits, which were quick to cause mass erosion of the landscape. Upon being released in this new land, the wee stoaties discovered that while chasing down a rabbit would provide a good dinner, it was much easier to go after our many species of flightless and ground nesting birds. So how do we trap them? We use DOC150 kill traps, generally two traps per wooden box. We bait these traps with one fresh hen's egg and one cube of rabbit meat, placed between the two traps. Baffles force the animal to enter at just the right point to step onto the trigger plate in position so that the force of the trap closing will cause a swift and humane kill. When I reach a trap box, I record catch data, dispose of the bodies, clean the traps so they are shiny and functioning, place fresh bait and reset the traps. Where do I trap? The team I work with have a network of trap lines throughout the Murchison Mountains, home to the Takahe (super cool bright blue flightless bird – for almost 70 years this was the only wild population left in NZ, until their reintroduction on the Heaphy track in 2019). We also trap the Milford track and adjacent valleys, parts of the Routeburn track and nearby area, and do other work in areas such as the Borland and Eglington Valleys, Secretary and Resolution Islands, and occasionally further afield. How long is a trip? Our work trips range from day trips, to six/seven/eight day trips staying in wee huts and/or camping. Over the course of these longer trips, it is common to share a hut with one or two of our workmates for a night or two, but we may also go a full week without seeing another human. Why do I love it? Frankly, the opportunity to spend so much time out in such beautiful environments. I've really enjoyed coming to know these areas, feeling a sense of familiarity and enjoying the changing seasons. I still have so many moments of being stopped in my tracks by a stunning view, and being alone grants more wildlife encounters than I've ever had being out in a group. I've spotted Takahe in the forest, in the alpine and in the valleys, I've stood face to face with some gorgeous stags, chatted with kaka, watched flocks of kakariki and mohua, and of course hung out with plenty of curious kea.
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I am a conservation field worker in New Zealand. I love mountains, sunrises, river swims, barefeet, cold beer, campfires, live music and whiskey. Archives
September 2020
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