OPOSSUM SEASON

Taranaki Daily News, 16 July 1930, Page 11

OPOSSUM SEASON

TRAP P ERS’ ILL-LUCK.

HAMPERED BY WEATHER. Though eleven dayo of the season of a- month for taking oposoume in North Canterbury have passed, trappero report indifferent luck so far. The wet and frosty weather has made it difficult for them to get into the bush, but it is pointed out, stales the Christchurch Press, that there may have been more opossums taken than the number ox skins reaching city meveharita indicates. Last season was of two months’ duration in North Canterbury, but this year it has been cut down to a month, ending at noon on August 1. Moreover, the Forestry Department has declared a close season in its reserves to allow ihe animals to accumulate there. A trapper paye £2 IDs for hie license, while a land-owner may trap on his own property, after having secured a' permit. The number of skiim stamped in Christchurch last year by the Department of Internal Affairs was 12.424, These realised £621 4s in royalties—a charge of one shilling on each skin. Besides these there were 700'skina taken in this district stamped at Dimedin. If trappers consign their ekins to Dunedin this year without having thorn' stamped first,Stamping' will cost them threepence per fikin extra. The acclimatisation societies eecure a proportion of the opossum royalties. Practically all ■ the ’ skins secured in Canterbury >g<7 v to Diinedin lb 1 be golfl. A-1 i lie' fi nitl r 's';i le' Id's t yi;' th ey bro iiglj ■i i. v,‘- - ” rt ■■ f - "

from 10ft to ISs each, hut it is not expected that the price-, will be as high ibis year. But it has to be remembered that the present season..in Canterbury is only half ao longtao last year’s, and it is not expected Lhat-.many more than half last- season’s number of «kins will' be secured. This may- affect the price. Most, of the skilift.go to Britain to be made up into mtills and fur coats, and complaints have -recently readied New Zealand about burnt ftkina having been sent Home. A letter from the Department of Internal Affaire, to the different acclimatisation societies, etates that the suggested caufio of the burnt condition of- the skins is that they have been dried too long in the simp from another source the reason ascribed is that the skins have been fire dried, particularly in wet weather. “As it is desired that the. opofisum ftkins should leave the Dominion in the best -possible condition to prevent the namo of New Zealand .skins being affected, it is considered,fl .-•the letter continues, “that the matter-'-’sfiouid' , jmonght-.'midpr-. thq ; ilot-ieo-ul.■ L-fipers.” -•