Bleah. Wrong turn into a horror movie

tutaepaki

tutaepaki

Barefooters
Jun 7, 2010
37
0
0
#1
Yesterday, while doing a trail run that I regularly do, I inexplicably took a wrong turn.

The trail is marked with blue rectangles on the trees, occasionally joined by pink squares. I occasionally wondered what the pink sqares were about - now I know.

I guess I wasn't paying attention, and after a few minutes, noticed the trail was unfamiliar, but I could see regular pink squares ahead, so just followed them...then, oh look, they're trialling new possum traps. About 1.5 metres up a tree is what looks like a smaller letter box. A minute later, another, this one occupied. Obviously, when they 'catch' something, they spring open, showing the contents in all their glory. Then another, and another, all occupied. (and obviously hadn't been cleared for a week or so)

So, now I know what the pink squares are - they mark the trappers trail, off the main trail. I'm now obviously heading in the wrong direction, and on the wrong ridge to get back to the main trail, so I had to back track past the 'house of horrors'.

Yuck!!

(possums are a major pest in the New Zealand bush - an introduced species with no natural enemies, and an ideal habitat)

Marc
 
#2
Hi tutaepakiA good thing

Hi tutaepaki

A good thing about running barefoot in NZ would be no poisonous snakes or spiders, I think your trails are a bit softer to (not from a difficulty point of view).

Most of the trails around here are stony and not exactly barefoot friendly but then again I guess its just a case of building up a bit more toughness on the feet.

Neil
 
#3
There's gotta be something

There's gotta be something poisonous in NZ, no?
 
#4
Nope...the closest is the

Nope...the closest is the katipo spider, and that is extremely rarely fatal. (there needs to be some other extenuating circumstances) There are no poisonous or dangerous wild critters in NZ - the most dangerous things you're likely to come across in the bush are a marijuana plantation, or maybe a stag in rut
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#5
It's good to know if you ever

It's good to know if you ever got stuck there, you could fry up some possum for dinner. ;)

So how did possum get introduced to the NZ bush, anyway?!
 
#6
Heh, yup..I bet they taste

Heh, yup..I bet they taste 'just like chicken'
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They were introduced by european settlers in an attempt to establish a fur trade, with their usual lack of regard for the potential impact of introduced species
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#7
Yeah....because opossum fur

Yeah....because opossum fur is so........awesome. I mean, who would want to wear fur from beavers, mink, or chinchillas when you could have opossum. Those Europeans were full of great ideas.

Opossums are just like rats, only not as cute and less useful. They do a good job of cleaning up dead stuff, I guess, but that's about it.
 
#8
I love opossums!  Now how can

I love opossums! Now how can you say such mean things about these sweet little critters? Aren't they just so cute? I have opossums at my back door eating all the leftovers I put out all the time. They come late at night. It's fun to watch them eat. They have the cutest little hands for holding their food. see... Need I say more? (Miss you, Joe. You should stop by more often.)

These are opossums. Possums are a slightly different critter. They live in different parts of the world from one another.

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opossum1.jpg
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#9
Good G*d!  She even hands out

Good G*d! She even hands out little blankets to them when they look cold! We're not dealing with your usual nature lover here folks.
 
#10
Those aren't mine.  I've

Those aren't mine. I've never touched one actually. But aren't they ADORABLE! Look at those little toes! They're so cute. I could just squeeze them.

The closest I came to an opossum was about three years ago, I think. I heard this loud noise, fighting going on outside. I thought it was two cats, but it didn't sound like cats. I looked out the side lights, saw two opossums, opened the door, and began running straight at the one who seemed to be the bully, yelling, get, get, get. I figured it was beating up the other opossum. It didn't even flinch, didn't even budge. It stood its ground, turned at me, and ran right at me growling with its teeth snarling. I ran backwards into my front door as fast as I could. I barely got the door shut in time. It was fast. Shaking, I watched it through the side lights, as it stomped its feet, then went back after the other opossum that was waiting for it in the front pine island. The two of them proceeded to "make whoopie" right then and there. Apparently, what I thought was fighting was really "getting it on." Note to self: Don't mess with opossums when they're horny.
 
#11
I will go so far as to agree

I will go so far as to agree with TJ that the babies are cute. That's for a reason, tough. God makes baby everythings cute. I mean seriously - how many children would survive to adulthood if they came out looking like teenagers? The big doe eyes and other adorable features are survival mechanisms.

I am not a hunter, but I have killed a TON of opossums. They used to slaughter our chickens when I was a kid. Later, when we didn't have chickens, they would get into the barn and crap all over the hay for the horses. The opossum poop contaminated hay can't be fed to the horses, because it contains all kinds of nasty diseases.

One night at work my partner ran one of a pair over with the car. We came back through about 15 minutes later and the one that hadn't been hit was eating the one that had just been run over. Nice.

They smell really bad, too.

I really can't think of one redeeming quality of a mature opossum. The babies are rather cute, though.

On another note - thanks for missing me TJ! I've been lurking - I've been more or less not running for over a year - a lot of stuff popped up and it just wasn't happening - still not liking shoes, though, and I've been running again over the past week. Feels good to be back!
 
#12
  I'm not sure I want you

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I'm not sure I want you back now. ;-)
 
#13
haha...chased back into your

haha...chased back into your house by an oppossum. Excellant.

I've seen possum fur slippers and gloves in the tourist shops here. It is wonderfully soft, and apparently when blended with wool, is every bit as good as the boutique wools.



Marc
 
#14
 More tears to you, Tut!

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More tears to you, Tut!
 
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