OPOSSUM SEASON

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 32, 7 August 1934, Page 5

OPOSSUM SEASON

MANY TRAPPERS OUT

MORE PERMITS, FEWER SKINS Speculations vaiy as to tnc probabjo total of skins foi the opossum tiappmg season in "Wellington, but tho» general opinion ib that it will not be so largo as that of ltibt season, when 78,000 skins weie taken. Many nioio Uaps aio being, sot thia season, Owneio' peinuts exceed thoso of last season by at least oQ per cent, to date, and applications aie still doming m. So fai, 400 tiappeis' licences have been issued by the Wellington Acclimatisation Society, and Shis numbei may be considerably increased by the end of the season. It has been necessaiy to have two extia supplies of licences printed, an unhcaid-of position in this distuct. So many traps aie m use this season that scarcely any available countiy will be missed. Hoivcvpi, in view of the fact that the dtstuct was well flapped last season, and the lakes weic laige, it is convideiecl that the ictuins will not be at all commcnsuiatc with the number of tiaps out. One forecast, based on obce vations oi the opobaiim population last year, is a total or 30,000 skins. This is consideied b} others too conservative, e\en assuming the cstunateil number of availablo opossums to bo coiieet. In -we\ ot the unpiCLcdeutcd flapping1 actniU, tlit v e\ppi t a total ot not tcwui than 40,000 skins One oJ the i canons toi the popularity, ot the Wellington diatnct 'amongst tiappeis ib Ihe amount of toiested high countiv tuid the losulting piepondeiauee ot thick tuned ptlts A laigo hilumsc in the numbei of opossums tiapped to this date in tho Auckland season, which ib eailie^r than tho Wellington season, is shown. Tho Gisboine season, also caiher, is giving tiappeis bettei numerical l etui us. Puces aie slightly lowei than thoso of last season A\eiage pnees realised at a sale of 15,000 bkins fiom various paits of the Dominion held m Dunediu. last month langed fiom 4s 6d to 6s, con.paied witn Uibt ycai's langc of between 5b and 7s 6d. 'Somo of thesft skins had not reached their best quahtv, owing to early taking, and it is anticipated that the Wellington district skiuv with full wintei coats, should be of slightly bettei quality.