What is the best Stoat Bait

Predator Control strategy
#21

Hey Bevan, based in Waitakere and run the Predator Free Waitakere group.

Where are you based?

Gary

1 Like
#22

Hey Gary

I am based in Whangarei.

#23

Has anyone tried the eggsellent lure from connotation for stoats?

Feedback on Traps.co.nz - BT 200 Trap and Box
#24

I did try eggsellent and although it looks like great stuff, it wasnā€™t overwhelmingly effective for me, but def get more opinions on that one. I think I gave it away to someone. Rats may have liked it, but Iā€™m a bit rusty on the details. I just use fresh rabbit meat which is awesome, although with so few catches now, Iā€™ll switch to those erayz bait squares for a while as our rabbit numbers are low right now. I havenā€™t seen a stoat here for many months.

1 Like
#25

There is a very thorough research paper on meat preferences for stoats available here
Spoiler: Plain rabbit wins by a mile.

1 Like
#26

We donā€™t bother with eggs here

  • Predator Free Aoraki.
#27

Hi Gary,
The basic principle with mustelid (stoats, weasels and ferrets) trapping is to provide their favourite food source but also to take in consideration the animal behaviour.
Stoats and weasels are primarily predators so they prefer fresh bloody meat (rabbit, possum or chicken hearts work really well - you find chicken hearts at the offal section on Pak N Save). This means traps have to be checked more regularly to replace bait before it goes ā€œoffā€.
Ferrets are both predator and scavengers, dried salty rabbit or possum meat works well and bait will last longer.
Traps should be set along fence lines, ridges, stopbanks and near waterways (ponds, streams etc - good practice to check weather forecast and remove traps, if possible before heavy rain or you run the risk of losing traps due to flooding). Move your traps every couple weeks, if possible.
As suggest by another user, eggs are a visual lure and you can also use golf or ping pong balls.
Smearing a dead animal along a fence line or trapping site may help increase trap catches however due to the large home range of these predators (in particular Stoats and Ferrets) trap catches can be frustrating.
The young juveniles are the easy ones to trap but male and female adults are harder to get.
Focus your trapping efforts between September and February (maybe a bit longer where you live) since they have an high mortality rate during winter and also tend to ā€œsemi hibernateā€ and not move around much.
Cheers

2 Likes