Rats/Mice numbers this year

I went for an overnight trip into Lake Daniells hut over the weekend and was shocked by the number of rats & mice I saw. 17 in total either on the track or crossing the track. I know it is the beech mast but Ive never seen so many on a single track before, it is disturbing to think these would be but the tip of the iceberg.

Yeah I'm not surprised. We have 40% more rats in the Waitakeres this year compared to last year.

Same experience both in the Tararuas behind Otaki and in the Craggieburn. Seems to be very widespread.

Sitting on the Arete sidle track last week, stoat came hopping down the track. Long way in the range. first one I've seen for many years.

Here in Golden Bay the 'rodent monitoring tunnels' went up to 100% overnight positive, a month or two ago. In other words every tunnel had a rodent pass through it in 24 hours! We live in the bush, with beech trees, and last week I caught 6 rats in my workshop alone. BTW I use those stoat traps that flatten the critter and bait them with those rat baits that look like a tea bag. The attractant really works and I get up to 5 or 6 on one tea bag. Sometimes other rats climb over the dead one to get at the bag!

"Sometimes other rats climb over the dead one to get at the bag!" I remember someone from a project on Stewart Island (or possibly nearby) a few years ago commenting that they'd get a stoat in a trap, then another stoat would show up to eat the first stoat's corpse. Is this a common thing with stoats?

Yes, must be nearby as there are (currently) no stoats or any other mustelids on Stewart Island, thank god and this makes it such a special place.

Mind you, the cats must make up for the lack of stoats down there. We were in Mason Bay hut where overseas trampers were shocked when I made moves to kill a 'nice pussy cat' which was wandering around at the door! Didn't get it though. Later, at another hut we thought we were going to have venison for dinner when we heard a 'bang' close to the hut but the guy had only shot a cat!

Im no hunting man, but honestly, if i saw a cat wandering around in the backcountry and had the opportunity, i would kill it myself. Same with possums, stoats, deer, rabbitts etc. I think we need to be a bit harder about introduced pests, they are all attractive in their ways but they are killing machines. If we want to try to make NZ pest free we are all going to need to do our part. Ive taken to carrying a couple of rat traps with me when i go out tramping, I caught a couple of rats up at Lake Daniell last weekend. It is my small contribution to the current war on pests.

Cats are a difficult one. Yes I know they kill birds but the rats etc they also kill would of killed those same birds anyway. In a perfect world I know they shouldnt be there but right now I think they make little difference.