Possum numbers going off in Tasmania?

[Warrigul]

I have just finished repairing a couple of traps as the local possum seem to be multiplying out of all proportion and I am running out of gear. Looking through my diary I am at last years total already with four months still left in 2014.

Last night I shot 52 off a 1500 hectare property, this morning when I went back I found possum in 9 of the 10 traps I set as I drove about last night. We will see what is in them tomorrow when the farmer checks them for me.

Very productive night, I feel a bit bad because I just haven't been able to get to him, I referred him to an acquaintance a couple of years ago but he only went a couple of times and lost interest . He's been saying he has a plague but most blokes say that and you end up finding their definition of a plague is three or four possum in the fruit trees around the farmhouse.

Anyone that lives in Tasmania would have noticed the weather has been a bit off lately, I was also bogged for an hour due to my own carelessness and didn't get home until after 2.00am, I've also got a shhitty great tear in the sidewall of a steer tire so that pisses me off as well.

Gotta love having hobbies, anyone else get up to something unusual last night?

[RoginaJack]

Well, that didn't take long to restock. I was down there in March and did my bit in reducing the numbers and just by driving on the road, Talk about traffic hazards.

[Warrigul]

Well, that didn't take long to restock. I was down there in March and did my bit in reducing the numbers and just by driving on the road, Talk about traffic hazards.

Yep they are everywhere aren't they,

Assistance from mainlanders is always appreciated, keep up the good work.

At least with possum it is "bump" and keep driving, with a womby it is "BUUUMMPP" and then for the rest of the journey steer in which ever direction is needed to offset the front end realignment you were given as a parting gift.

Wombats revenge........

[1290]

They are an absolute menace... they keep us up jumping on the roof then running on the roof sounding like a stampede... crapping everywhere.. but of course theyre protected here, if you trap them you "must release them within 50m"....
Maybe we can 'find' a sub-species of possumus tasmanius and shoot them here in Vic too!!!

I shake my head at the 'PETA' and 'SPCA' types who find a need to rescue every injure animal, it would be more humane to give them and easy & quick way out..... for the injured animals too

[Warrigul]

They are an absolute menace... they keep us up jumping on the roof then running on the roof sounding like a stampede... crapping everywhere.. but of course theyre protected here, if you trap them you "must release them within 50m"....
Maybe we can 'find' a sub-species of possumus tasmanius and shoot them here in Vic too!!!

They are protected down here too, you need permits to shoot and also to trap and shoot. There are regulations to stick to as well. I shoot more than I trap but the traps are useful for the owners to watch and call if something is in them.


Bloody pests.

[Mr.x]

Excuse my ignorance but are they not meant to be in tassie? I know there a bounty for em in NZ But knew nothing of them being a pest in tassie, seen afew vids on youtube of kiwis popping em with 22s in the spotlight, looks like a fun was to spend a night that's for sure I hate the barstards !

[Mr.x]

Well did a bit of research for my self, turns out that it's near on impossible to find any credible info on the matter that's not heavily biased to animal welfare groups pushing there own agender, luckily this worth of rubbish is pretty easy to pick up on and didn't waste too much of my time . There quiet welcome to come to place I got plenty of them they can have.

[Patrol66]

Mr X , you might be thinking of foxes. No foxes in Tassie, plenty of possums by the reports

[scrolllock]

Dunno about Tassie, but just observing in VIC they're are surely more and more.

I live in the burbs and it used to be I'd see 1 a week some times.

I see them just about every day now, daytime and night.

It's one big field day for the neighbourhood cats.