Huka Trapping 2024 wrap up

The Huka Trapping volunteers have been doing an amazing job throughout the 2024 year. As a result of this we are starting to see bush areas such as the Waikato River Corridor getting native birds returning there. This is really encouraging and hopefully provides the motivation to continue the great work into 2025.

We have been gradually expanding the areas we have covered by traps, but as always would really welcome any volunteers that would be prepared to come and assist in the ongoing work of monitoring and resetting these. If anyone is interested in helping out please get in touch with Stu Hutchings on hukatrapping@biketaupo.org.nz

Recently we added a series of AT220 traps to the Great Lake Trail, including along the W2K and around the headland. These traps are self setting so require a lower level of maintenance from the DOC 200 and Timms traps that we utilise across many of our other lines.

While we are a subsidiary of the Bike Taupo Group, we have many volunteers working the trap lines and wish to sincerely thank them for their excellent work during the year.

Trap catches seemed to slow down over the late winter, spring period but have increased again now with some juvenile possums being caught as well.

When the totals across all our trap lines are looked at for the year, there has been an impressive number of rats, possums and mustelids caught.

Across the three sets of trap lines we have caught a total of 2958 rats, 988 possums and 53 mustelids over the last 365 days. Adding up our grand total across all lines and all catches since 2018 it comes to 14,770 pests caught meaning there is a significant reduction in the challenge our native birds face throughout our trapping areas.