Hunting Methods
1. Poisoning Possums
2. Shooting Possums
3. Trapping Possums
1. Poisoning Possums
Using poisons are the most effective method for catching large
numbers of possums and this method tends to be less labour
intensive than all other hunting methods.
Handling poisons
When handling poisons:
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You must be a registered handler of poison and follow the
safety requirements with caution
Keep poisons well labeled, locked up and out of reach from
children
When applying poison make sure you hold your breath before
opening the lid and keep the bottle as far away from your head
as possible when applying, put the lid back on and step away
from the site before inhaling oxygen
Make sure that the poison is off the ground and out of reach of
non-target animals
Make sure all access points to the poison area are well sign
posted with your details and poison dates
When collecting poisoned possums make sure that you check
the possum before picking it up as poison maybe around the
month, on the chest area or in the claws of the possum – wear
thin gloves if possible
Be very careful if you need to touch your face at all when
handling poison or picking up poisoned carcasses
When disposing of poison baits dig a hole in the ground and
knife the poison into the hole and then cover the hole with
mud, step on the turf to force the poison into the ground
Make sure that your poison removal knife is cleaned well
before moving onto the next bait station
Different poisons used
There are six different poisons currently registered for possum
control in New Zealand - 1080, cyanide, cholecalciferol, phosphorus,
Brodifacoum and Pindone.
Brodifacoum, cyanide and cholecalciferol are the commonly used
poisons.
These poisons are usually put in bait stations, which helps keep the
bait dry and away from non-target animals.
Bait stations are pre-fed with non-toxic baits to attract possums in
large numbers prior to laying the poison. Hunters use different prefeed cycles depending on the bait takes and possum sign in the area.
Some hunters will lay a secondary poison if numbers are high from
the first kill.
Working from a 2 pre-freed and then 1 poison cycle
usually should be enough.
Brodifacoum
Brodifacoum come in green dyed cereal pellets which can be
expensive and should be used if possum number are low and you do
not intend to collect possums for harvesting fur as you will only need
to lay pallets once a month to control possum numbers. You do not
require a license to use this bait.
Using Brodifacoum:
 Brodifacoum bait must be placed in a bait station
 Place the bait stations on possum runs or in areas with good
sign or 50 to 80 meters apart
 For the first feed, fill the bait stations with about one kilogram
of bait
 Refill the bait stations a month later with about 500 grams of
bait
 You may have to refill the bait stations again the next month
with another 500 grams of bait to get rid of remaining possums
Cyanide
Hunters require a license to store, handle and use cyanide.
Cyanide can be encapsulated or in paste form.
Encapsulated cyanide:
Feratox™ is the trade name for encapsulated pellets containing
potassium cyanide. This is great for controlling high possum
numbers. Cyanide pellets can be placed in bait stations or small,
specially labeled bags stapled to trees. Space the bait stations or
bags 75 to 150 meters apart:
 Bait stations - place about six poison baits in each station.
Before using the bait, use non-toxic feed pellets to encourage
possums to feed.
 Bags - place one or more pellets in the bag along with some
non-toxic lure, such as peanut butter or Ferafeed ™ paste.
Cyanide paste:
 Place pea-sized baits of cyanide paste on a handful of flour
‘lure’ on the ground or at the base of trees. Smaller baits
generally work better than large baits.
 Place bait stations on possum runs or where there is plenty of
sign or at 50 to 80 meter intervals
 Remove and bury baits after poisoning and pick up
Cholecalciferol
You do not require a license to buy or use this product.
Feracol™ is the brand name for cholecalciferol paste otherwise
known as Vitamin D paste.
Cholecalciferol baits can be expensive to buy, but are effective in low
doses and can be reasonably cost-effective.
Feracol™ paste can be put into bait stations but is often put into
specially labeled bags and stapled to trees or posts, 20 to 30 meters
apart.
Around 25 grams of bait should be enough to kill one possum. Keep
livestock well away from poison baits.
Disposing of poisoned possums
Poisoned possums are not suitable for human consumption.
However, as dog food we have been feeding our dog’s poisoned
possums since we started harvesting possum fur.
It is very important that after skinning or plucking the possum that
you remove the head, claws, tail and guts of the possum before
feeding to your dogs. These parts are the areas of the possum that
would come into contact with the poison.
2. Shooting Possums
If you are planning on shoot possums you must either hold a
current firearm licence, or be under the supervision of a person
who holds a firearms licence.
Make sure you warn your neighbours where and when you are
going shooting just so they don’t get the armed defenders out
on you.
If you are planning on keeping the possum for plucking or
skinning it pays to use a .22 caliber riffle to avoid damaging the
fur or skin too much. Make sure that your sights are in for the
head shot. Avoid using a shotgun as not only will you damage
the fur/skin you will also scare any other possums off with the
noise.
Make sure that your spotlight battery is fully charged and you
know the area well. You must ensure that you positively
identify your target before shooting and that if you are hunting
with others that they are behind your line of fire.
Look for the red-orange ‘eye-shine’ of possums. Make sure you
do not mistake possums for the red-pink ‘eye-shine’ of rabbits,
while the ‘eye-shine’ of sheep and cattle is yellow-green.
Try to work different areas as repeated night shooting in the
same area may become less effective, as possums can become
light and gun shy.
Keep an eye on the season and hunt in areas where the
possum’s favorite food sources grow - for example, willows and
poplars in spring.
This hunting method will enable you to hand pluck the possum
fur immediately as the carcass is still warm and the fur will
pullout easily.
Disposing of shot possums
Because no poisons have been used and the possums have
been shot they make great pet food or are delicious as a stew!
Check out the recipes available through this website…let me
know if you have any others to share with people.
Make sure you cut off the claws, head and tail. Gut the possum
and Bon Appétit
3. Trapping possums
There are a number of possum traps available to hunters such
as cage traps, leg-hold traps and kill traps.
Using lures
Using lures is a great way of increasing your kill rate. Possums
are curious animals and like magpies with their great eyesight
they are attracted to shiny silver objects. Coupled with this
their amazing sense of smell will enable you to lure them by
mixing oil essences or powdered spices with flour and icing
sugar to sprinkle around traps.
Make sure that you place the lure around the leg trap and not
directly on the activation mechanism as these are leg-hold
traps not head-hold traps.
Leg-hold traps
When you are setting your leg-hold traps make sure that they
are on their possum runs or in areas where there is a lot of
possum sign. Rub your lure around the leg-hold trap and
finally make sure that your trap is secured to a solid object or a
tree so once activated the possum will not run off with your
trap attached to its leg. Make sure that the chain is as short a
length as possible.
Trap humanely by:
 Set-up your traps on level ground, so that trapped
animals are not left hanging
 You must check your traps at least once a day
If you are hunting in areas where there is a risk of catching
non-target animals use the raised board trapping method:
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Set your board up on a 45 degree angle against a tree
Place the trap on the board and secure the trap chain to
the tree
Make sure that the chain is long enough to allow the
trapped animal to fall to the ground without being left
hanging.
Cage traps
Cage traps are the most humane method of catching possums
and great for catching possums live. These traps are commonly
used in urban areas where there is a much higher risk of
catching your neighbours cat.
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Firstly, check that the door closes properly when the
trigger is activated. Make sure that the trap is placed on
flat ground to ensure it does not tip over
Face the trap door in the direction that you expect the
possums to come from
Try and place the trap in a clearing if possible to avoid
having possums climb down on the top of the cage and
trigger the door too early
Make sure that your bait is attached to the trigger to
ensure that the trap door is activated once possum is in
the cage
Make sure that the trip pin is set correctly and that you
follow the traps set-up instructions
Disposing of trapped possums
It is illegal to release live possums in New Zealand. All live
captured possums must be killed humanely.
When killing a trapped possum, try and get hold of the tail from
behind and then whack it over the back of the head with stick
(just behind the ears/top of the neck), this may only stun the
possum so you may have to hit it a second time to kill it. Make
sure that you avoid the teeth and claws of the possum as they
can really hurt you. Remember that it is fighting for its life!
Because no poisons have been used and the possums have
been trapped they make great pet food or are delicious as a
stew!
Check out the recipes available through this website…let me
know if you have any others to share with people.
Make sure you cut off the claws, head and tail. Gut the possum
and Bon Appétit