ONSLAUGHT ON 'POSSUMS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume IV, Issue 159, 17 June 1936, Page 4

ONSLAUGHT ON 'POSSUMS

INCREASE AT STRATFORD Phenomenal Demand For Traps. FARMERS ON WARPATH. A phenomenal demand for opossum traps- at Stratford indicates a record haul of opossums for the season which commenced on -June 1. Last year the season was a poor one, but it is expected that this year all previous records will be eclipsed. Oco prominent seller of traps, interviewed by The Post this morning, said that his firm had been totally unprepa.td for the unprecedented rush on opossum traps. They had already fold, more than double their usual quota and enquiries for large orders were still coming in. Local trappers, going to the Egmont reserve, he said, had purchased the usual number of traps before stat'jng out, but after two or thre9 days were sending in orders fJr double and treble the numbers. Trappers in other parts of the country had apparently hoard that opossums were p'entiful in this district this year, as one of his customers came from as L;r away as Nel?cn dist. ict. Enquiries made by The Post at the Stratford Post Office revealed that 13 licenses have been issued, compared with 12 last year. Unlike most other seasons, however, application for licenses has not been-confined to the first few days of June. Four licenses were issued last week and it isexpected that more will be sought. The opinion of retailers, however, is that the increase in demand for traps is not so much due to trappers as to farmers, who, setting tiraps on their own land, do not require a license. A number of farmers around Stratford who have not previously troubled with opossum trapping iiave been inspired by ti'.ie frequency with which they have seen the anima.'s to set traps, and many of those 'who are regular trappers are increasing their; stcck of traps.