Recording Trap records when walking a line

#1

HI
We are new to Trap NZ and were wondering what the ususal practice is for entering data when checking a line of traps?
If all traps are checked and rebaited , is it ususal to enter a trap record for each site, or just the trap with catches or strikes?
Does the same apply to A24 or A12 if between service, they are not speificaly tested other then to observe as you walk past?

1 Like
#2

Hi and welcome!
Speaking specifically of single-fire traps, there are a few reasons that it’s a good idea to record both kills and non-kills. When you record a check or re-baiting that is a non-kill:

  • the ‘days since last checked’ information for each trap is kept accurately which is useful for your team to know when each trap or line of traps was last done
  • it keeps the correct information about the most recently used bait (assuming you change baits now and then) so that when a kill does occur you also know what bait the kill was on, and
  • it keeps the correct information about the number of nights that each trap has been “available”, i.e., ready and able to fire.

None of these things will actually change the way your trapping project or your traps perform, but they are meant to give you more accurate information for when you’re analyzing your trapping setup and wondering what you might adjust.

Regarding multi-kill traps (Goodnature and NZAutotraps), while not necessarily the same benefits, there are some things you might check with these traps when walking past even though it’s not the scheduled date for servicing. For example on Goodnature traps you might gently un-twist (is that a word?) the CO2 cartridge just to check if there’s still gas. If not, maybe you’ve killed 24 rats or maybe your trap is leaking gas. Good to keep track of those suspected problems. Similarly with the Autotrap you might check the battery voltage for an early failure or maybe just pump the pump to be sure it’s still baiting okay.
If you do any or all of these things, it’s easy to record a check in trap.nz that says everything is ok (or not) so you have a permanent record that the whole team can access.

And trap.nz allows you to record a picture with any trap record, so particular anomalies can be photographed and similarly permanently stored.

That’s all IMO of course.
Happy trapping!!

1 Like
#3

Thanks for the information
It’s really helpful

#4

Hi there, I use the “walk the line” function on TrapNZ every single time I go out. You enter in a default trap record that is added to every trap you walk past on the line - but you can still go into a trap on the app to enter a kill or a problem etc. As you resume your trapline walk the app will go back to adding the default the record that you’ve set up at the beginning. Don’t forget to save and submit the line at the end! It’s great for tracking your volunteer hours and is really easy once you do it a couple of times.