TARARUAS 1080 DROP
1–10 of 14
Page: 12
Original post
Just to let everyone know in case they haven't heard, DOC dropped 1080 onto both flanks of the Tararuas this week. I've just been around the Holdsworth/Jumbo/Powell/Holdsworth circuit and found 1 pellet on the track near the aluminium bridge on the Atiwhakatu Stream track. I met a DOC guy at A'tu Hut who'd come down Rain Gauge Spur checking for bait on the track below Jumbo and he said the bait would all be gone by the end of the week. So from then on it's possum carcasses which are the worry. In summer I believe they take a couple of months to rot away. I'm giving my dog a 2-week break. He doesn't stray from the track. In fact I use him as a guide dog when I'm confused!!
Good, it'll get rid of a few rats and possums. But you are right, it's no place for a dog
Couldnt say im a fan of the stuff at all, but realistically what else is there? I hope in the neer future there will be an alternative found. Damn opossums.
in the kauri wood they use bait stations for the possums that are fixed to a tree and will be opened by the weight of a possum. I find it a very neat way to target just the possums with that, plus as far as I know the poison works faster than 1080 (they might be possums, but I still dont want them to suffer long).
Still 1080 is at least a feasible way to cover a big area.
We do possum control in 250ha of reserve near where I live. We use bait stations and load feratox, which is encapsulated cyanide. Cyanide is a lot more toxic to humans than 1080 but there is no fuss about that. As you say it kills the possums very quickly. It is a major exercise involving volunteers and requires a degree of bush sence and and fitness. This is a small area close to town. It would be difficult in the extreme to cove the many 1000s of hectares of NZ in this way and this is where aerial 1080 comes in. Yes hopefully there will be technologies that don't involve poisons in the future but in the meantime I don't see an alternative in the war against possums.
a question about 1080 and freshwater:
another german hiker asked me yesterday if it is safe to swim in rivers and lakes here and about drinking water supply when you are on a long hike. Especially concerning the 1080 stuff. In Europe, it is usually safe to swim in those places from the viewpoint of the waterquality and for drinking water in remote hiking areas, it is enough to boil the water.
Most areas in newzealand are ok to swim and drink water from but it is advisable to apply some simple rules. The closer you are to humans and intensive animal farming the more care you take. Boiling water in stressed areas like these is a good idea. Where 1080 has been recently applied there are usually plenty of signs on tracked areas to notify you of this.
I know the Tararuas well and unfortunately some parts of it are riddled with possums eg.Totara Flats and Mitre Flats.1080 isnt perfect but it does do a job and until theres an alternative what do we do.I have noticed there is a lot more birdlife around such as kakariki and kaka amongst others and generally the bush does look quite healthy since all the poisoning programmes.
maybe I should put my question differently.
1080 is called a "biodegradable toxin", how long does it last? into what parts does it desintegrate? How long after a 1080 drop should you wait before swimming in a lake in that area? does boiling the water effect it?
my question is not about the 1080 use, but more about what to do as a hiker in an area where there was recently a 1080 drop.
Well for starters, don't eat pellets and don't eat dead possum carcases. As far as I know, stream water should be okay (from 1080) unless there's some kind of very unusual circumstance.
According to Forest & Bird, 1080 breaks down in streams very quickly and is scientifically undetectable after 8 hours. Interestingly it also claims that Tea Drinkers "consume 1080 at 1.5 times the drinking water limit with every cup of ordinary tea". That's something I didn't know. http://www.forestandbird.org.nz/saving-our-environment/native-plants-and-animals-/protecting-native-forests-1080/1080-frequently-ask
1–10 of 14
Page: 12
Search the forums
| Forum | The campfire |
|---|---|
| Started by | davidm |
| On | 10 November 2010 |
| Replies | 13 |
| Permanent link | |
Participation in the forums signifies acceptance of forum rules.
In order to manage spam, new members are limited to 1 post every 10 minutes.
Formatting your posts
The forums support MarkDown syntax. Following is a quick reference.
| Type this... | To get this... | |
|---|---|---|
| Italic | *Italic text* | *Italic text* |
| Bold | **Bold text** | **Bold text** |
| Quoted text | > Quoted text | > Quoted text |
| Emojis | :smile: :+1: :astonished: :heart: | :smile: :+1: :astonished: :heart: |
| Lists |
- item 1 - item 2 - item 3 |
- item 1 - item 2 - item 3 |
| Links | https://tramper.nz | https://tramper.nz |
| Images |  URL/of/image |
 |
| Mentions | @username | @username |