Rangers Report - May 2014

Bream Head MapThe ranger team has continued the servicing of bait and traps to a high standard. Autumn has yet again seen a spike in rodent numbers (particularly mice) as they feed load for the winter months. We have had to be vigilant with our quality and quantity of bait and trapping. The new boundary line in the Newbold Valley to Ocean Beach is pulling in the expected high take of bait and trap catches as this final bastion for pests gets added to the intensive management system.

Busby Head tracked 0 rats which is a great result and a reflection of the effect of intensive control implemented by the Busby Trappers – well done team! Only two rats from 122 tracking tunnels were tracked over areas 1-3 (450ha) which have now been subjected to predator control for a sustained period. However two tracking tunnel lines (18 tunnels) right on the boundary to the unmanaged northern section of Area 4 tracked nine rats. For the months March through May there have been no feral cats caught and only a very low 0.13% Possum and 0.17% mustelid catch rate.

A new fence has just been completed at Urquhart Bay, this new fence runs from the stock yards above the car park to the fence line just north of the gate access to Mt Lion (Maturiki). A huge thanks to Murray Jagger for his very generous volunteer time and use of his tractor and fencing tools, we greatly appreciate his support, especially when he is very busy with his farming business.

Read the May 2014 Rangers Report (643kB pdf) for more details on this and other stories.