Stoat Focus for 2023: Deployment in the Field at Sandy Bay

After several months break we have just started with a deployment at a location in South Taranaki.  We have deployed the first phase of a number of testing units at a location just outside of Opunake.

The location is part of an actively monitored trap line protecting an area of sand dune/beach that is an expansion of an existing monitored location.   It is the intention to use the DOC 200/DOC 250 at the locations to test the viability of the units.

To briefly explain the deployment - the units have been placed within existing DOC 200 units, with the sound lure mounted externally.  We have returned to using some of the original sounds that have been developed, although we have modified the sound level coming from them to ensure that the sound is not so loud (in particular we have significantly reduced the 'distressed rabbit' noise in both volume and frequency, although we intend to look at developing these further.   

The units have just gone in yesterday and we will start to look at how they are preforming over the next few weeks - although this is intended to be a long term project.   There are currently no 'motors' attached to any devices at this location, as it is close to a beach we want to protect the motors before they are deployed.

There will be further information and update about this site and deployment shortly.