Trap maintenance tips
Date: 20th May 2023
One thing you can be sure of as a trapper is that your traps WILL need maintenance at some point. Our field crews in Wanaka and the Whakatipu come across all sorts of issues with malfunctioning, rusty or broken traps. Fixing these issues immediately is all part of running a good trap line. If an animal has a bad experience at a trap and then escapes, it is unlikely to ever return.
We highly recommend setting your traps off regularly to test they are actually working as they should. For DOC150’s, 200’s and 250’s, put a tennis ball into a long sock and use that to set off the trap. Or use a short length of garden hose.
Learn how to calibrate DOC traps if you manage a trap line (contact us for help).
Give the trap a decent clean regularly (not sterile but clean) to ensure that fresh bait is the only thing attracting the predators.
And think about how and where your traps are positioned to maximise the three R’s… rivers, rises and roads. Good luck!
(Credit to John Bissell for a few of these trapping tips.)
Posted in: News, Tips and tricks