Kia ora, at the Pekapeka Hui a couple of weeks ago there was some discussion about using blaze trails to increase traffic to traps (particularly live capture), I was interested in the fish oil flour blaze which sounded like it was attractive to most pests. I wondered if anyone can share a recipe (ratios) for this?
I have used the cinnamon/icing sugar/flour blaze for possum traps in the past with mixed success, so interested to see if the fish one would increase catches at some of our sites where catch numbers have dropped off.
Any other tips & tricks for making traps more attractive also welcome!
I am Taane Mills from the Otuwhero blue duck project-saving whio.
Check out my website: Savingwhio.nz
If you are interested in catching feral cats you can get a feather on a string and have that above your trap or put a long screw into half way into the tree above your trap or inside a cage trap alog with your lure to attract birds so the cats see them going into the trap and thinks its a good spot to hunt and go into the trap.
Always put your traps (if you are targeting cats) out in the open so the cats can see it from all directions.
Cats are not scared of going out in the open.
It was roughly 700gm of flour to roughly a tablespoon of fish oil. You’ll be aware you’ve handled it when eating your lunch so it’s more than enough to make an effective trail.
You raise some interesting questions about fish oil, I run traplines (DOCs, FTs and bait stations) on a couple of parks on the east coast of the North Island. I use pure human grade fish oils capsules to enhance bait blocks, ditrac and brodi. Outside the bait stations I haze with ‘weaker’ fish oil. Sometimes the oil is waste oil from a fish smoking venture. They smoke salmon, kahawai, snapper and other species. As another alternative I sometimes mix Kilwell Tuna oil and rice bran oil usually 50/50. I might use an old spray bottle from Connovation to dispense the liquid. I use the highest quality fish oil inside the bait station so the rodents know they have reached the end of their journey. Well that is my thinking.
Research into feral cat attractants indicate the cats respond positively to fish oil within about 10ks of the coast line. Outside that line it appears fish is not on a cat’s diet list.
I have also had great success with mustelids (weasels and stoats) using a blaze of 50% flour and 50% blood and bone. Bait in the DOC is beef fat from the local butcher who does home kills. I also smear calves’ livers towards the trap, at the trap entrance, inside and on top of the trap. I find putting a peace of liver as bait attracts flies and they blow the liver. Therefore I only use a good piece of fat as bait. I also smear fat outside the trap to help key the predator to the smells coming from inside the trap.
Just some other methods to consider which I hasten to add I am continually trying to improve.
Cheers.