Do You Have An Opinion On Killing Predators?

[bigoledude]

This is not meant to provoke anyone or to be antagonistic. I used some of this material on a "reply" post earlier. I hope it is legal to post it again.

Many folks feel that predators have a right to kill their stock if they manage to get past their best attempts of repelling them. They give the predator the right to kill but, choose to make their stock always and only a victim! The chicken, duck or turkey can justifiably be killed but noooo, don't kill the killer. That stance is fine as long as their opinion affects only THEIR stock. Some use catch phrases like "live-and-let-live", "it's what predators do", or they say "they're part of the ecosystem". Well, botulism, e-coli and anthrax have been part of the ecosystem for many years also. But, I don't want them intruding into my life. Not being mean spirited but, when people use terminology like ecosystem or, live-and-let-live, we should remember that the survival-of-the-fittest doctrine is purely THE WAY of nature or, the ecosystem if you will. Only humans make the conscious choice to place ourselves or, our stock, in a LOWER position on the food chain. I believe in taking any legal means to prevent a killer from killing your stock.

Hardly anyone ever quotes some "humane" doctrine when referring to ants, rats or moles. We tend to take the "righteous route" when it comes to an animal as stately and beautiful as a hawk or, as cute-n-cuddly as a raccoon or fox. Once a person witnesses how absolutely horrible the death of a chicken is by fox, raccoon or by hawk, they usually overcome any sentimental feelings about these killers. These three literally tear their victims apart piece-by-piece while still alive. It takes a while for them to finally die, screaming the whole while. Neighbors show up at my house all the time looking for trapping or killing advice, with a new-found disdain for predators, after seeing their lovely chickens, littering the yard, killed just for the joy of killing. Many times with just the heads of only a couple eaten off. There is nothing exotic or mysterious about these killers. Your chickens deserve your very best efforts to be protected from them!

Relocating predators is wrong on many levels.

We keep chickens at a few rural locations. We hunt wild Russian boars very near to EVERY place we keep our chickens. Dozens of raccoons, possums and rabbits frequent the feeders we have for the hogs. We do not shoot or in any way harm these animals. I only kill those predators that come into our poultry-keeping areas.

Hawks are a serious problem where we live! I do not harm hawks because it is a FEDERAL violation to do so. If it were not, I'd kill them also. We made some small NETTING pavilion-like shelters, open on all 4 sides, about 24-inches off the ground, for my chickens to run under when under aerial attack. I pull palm fronds into strips and weave it through the webbing to hide the chickens from view and to give the chickens a sense of being concealed. I stake them down ridiculously strong because of their kite-like design. At the first alarm call from the rooster, the others make a beeline for the shelters! My wife wants to plant some small shrubs/vegetable greens around the shelters to help soften the effect. The shrubs should also help keep the hawks from walking into the shelters on foot.

 

[RedStarLady1207]

It depends. If I lived on a farm or other rural area where I was allowed to shoot I would shoot just about anything, except federally protected birds, that came on to my property to harm my property. If I lived where you cannot shoot I might use a live trap and then call animal control to euthanize the animal or ask a rehabber if they wanted it, depending on the species. I would not release anything elsewhere to be someone else's problem or have the animal that is released not make it either. I would only do this if I found the predators to be a problem or saw some attempt at entry, or an actual loss.

Predators are doing what they do and it is our responsibility to protect our pets, stock, herd, flock, whatever. I have a pond and blue herons were eating my fish so I put a net over it. Problem solved. Proper coop and run protection, depending on the threat, is paramount. Chickens running loose are fair game and losses are a real possibility. Something someone has to live with if you free-range or don't construct a predator proof enclosure.

One can't set out a buffet of easy pickings and expect predators to not take advantage of it. To do harm to animals that have easy access to livestock are not the problem, the animal husbandry practice, or lack thereof, is the problem.

 

[Mattemma]

I have no problem killing predators and pests.Will not put up with peoples roaming pets either.

 

[Baymule]

:Live and let live" .............. Not if the predator is killing my stock or even thinking about it.

 

[chickortreat]

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[centrarchid]

I kill a good number of predators each year and try to stay within law. With some predators killing is easier (raccoons and oppossums) but others like foxes, coyotes and raptors I find repelling through use of dog (or with some hawks a rooster) a more effective use of my time. Relocating with some would be effective (oppossums and raccoons) if you take them far enough and know somebody you do not like with chickens to drop them in on and have a large river like Missouri between you and the drop point to block return. Some years I kill almost none others like this year I have killed many times more predators than I have lost chickens. I like my wildlife, including the predators, so I try to moderate killing efforts to prevent excessive loss of birds. Some loss is tolerable as it keeps me on toes and fresh on how a given predator species does its business.

 

[questions543]

When people say dont kill the predators because theyre part of the ecosystem they say that because technically we arent supposed to be on the foodchain and neither is livestock in the places with predator problems. We being there is unnatural for us to be there in the first place. The reason they dont belong in the foodchain is because they get killed by the predators! And what do you think a hawks gunna do if it sees a buff orpington on a field? Thats like leaving a treat on the floor when theres an untrained puppy in the room... And then people go ahead and kill the predator. This makes no sense to me. Even if the person has feelings for the animal that died. Then put up protection for the completely unnatural livestock so they dont die. I care alot about my livestock but I realize that its unatural for them to be thereso I try to make as little an impact on the envirement around them as possible.

 

[Dwkuska]

My only view on killing predators is"do it right the first time every time!" This includes all kinds of predators and pests, Rats, dogs, coons, possums, bobcats, pedophiles, terrorists, wife beaters... I got a shovel and I know folks with alot of land... just saying.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I have strong opinion on the matter, and wild or domestic they will not attack my animals and live.
A few years ago, i lost my bottle raised pigmy goat to a wandering pair of dogs.
Sable was 5 weeks old, his brother Billy luckily survived.
Ripped him right through a gatepost and killed him, left him lay. This was enclosed overhead, 6 ft chain link fence.
All my Dad had, 75 years old, was his Sunday paper in his hands, and as he walked from the mailbox, witnessed the entire thing.
they then went after Dad, so he threw rocks and was able to protect himself.
I saw my Dad cry that day. He kept saying, senseless cruel dogs..
I spoke with animal control and the sheriff when all this happened, they were there within minutes.
We were told that we are within our rights to protect our livestock, and a dog that kills them is considered dangerous.
We never caught the dogs but every neighbor within a few miles knew about it.
Dad bought a shotgun the next day.
We now have Dad and Mom living with us as well as all the animals.
I still take the shotgun out every day, and will protect my Parents, home and pets.
As far as wild life, i have seen a group of raccoons wipe out an entire coop and not actually eat a single bird, just shred them.
In my home, and my yard, the predators lose.

 

[The Big Dog]

Gday, yeah, not a bad post. But I still cant get used to the idea of........"you cant kill that, 'cause the law says you cant".
Well, Im master of MY domain, and I make the Laws in MY domain.

Cheers.........The Bog