bigben 2...raccoons 0(graphic pic)

[Over Easy in Adna]

Protect local populations of raccoons by not moving raccoons caught in one area to another area. What may seem like a good idea may be the worst thing you can do to your local population by releasing animals that may have rabies and/or distemper. Many times these raccoons may appear normal, but are actually in the early stages of these fatal diseases and they can be spread to the local population, actually reducing local numbers. Conservation organizations are opposed to this practice and in fact, it is even illegal in Georgia to relocate raccoons. Do your part to protect your sport by saying “NO” to translocation.

Found on Georgia DNR web site.

 

[Kojack]

Quote:
Long story short...Just kill the blame things and save your gas!

 

[Luna1968]

Thanks for the information! I still don't think I could kill the things though

I suppose I'll feel differently if they start attacking my hens though!

 

[cgmccary]

The DNR statute quoted to me for Alabama on a previous thread specifically prohibiting the relocation of a "protected" animal or bird species failed to realize that a raccoon is not one of the "protected" species. A careful reading of the statute plus additional statutes and exceptions & commentaries reveals that moving a raccoon within most states (not across a state line) from a human populated area to an unpopulated area IS NOT illegal. These statutes were and are intended from moving masses of animals or for commerce, hunting, the fur trade industry, etc. and not for relocating a raccoon or opossum harassing your chickens. Posters on these threads who claim to know what the laws are in their states, when I have delved deeper, are incorrect because they are quoting their laws out of context. You are selectively interpreting the law with a biased reading without even realizing what you are saying. I ask you to name one person cited, ticketed or arrested for trapping a raccoon in a have-a-hart trap when it is bothering their poultry and moving it away down the road from all the homes & poultry. These citations, arrests are public record so with the frequency of these transports, there should be plenty of arrests and/or citations. Use your good common sense.

These "legal eagle" habits are epidemic in this internet age. In my law office, clients come in who have found some snippet of a law on the internet and ask me why I have not considered this or that. I will have to explain to them why their interpretation of that law is flawed or why what they are quoting has no relevance or does not apply in their circumstance or why it is the weakest/ last resort-- because you must also consider other laws (companion laws), the exceptions, the laws intentions, case law, etc.

Furthermore, if the reason you believe a raccoon should not be moved to another area is because of a threat of spreading some disease to the other raccoon population, then perhaps you should rejoice as these habits will reduce the raccoon population significantly and maybe eradicate the species so none of us will have to ever deal with a raccoon again. However, I would bet relocation to the unpopulated area does not reduce these wild animals; it may even strengthen the other population with genetic diversity. I would like to see those "studies" you are referring to for the raccoons.

I will continue to humanely trap & move if I can before a problem arises. There are plenty of forests near me with no farms anywhere around whatsoever which are bounded by enough natural and artificial barriers to insure no return. If an animal is attacking my birds, I will shoot it. If any of you want, PM me and I will send you my name and address & you may report me to my State authorities for moving opossums to the forest. We will see who is right.

 

[allison finch]

cgmccary writes:

Posters on these threads who claim to know what the laws are in their states, when I have delved deeper, are incorrect because they are quoting their laws out of context. You are selectively interpreting the law with a biased reading without even realizing what you are saying. I ask you to name one person cited, ticketed or arrested for trapping a raccoon in a have-a-hart trap when it is bothering their poultry and moving it away down the road from all the homes & poultry.


Excuse me, but you know nothing! Firstly, I am a police officer and DO know North Carolina law. It is illegal to trap ANY wildlife without a trappers permit. It is also illegal to relocate any raccoons!

These "legal eagle" habits are epidemic in this internet age. In my law office, clients come in who have found some snippet of a law on the internet and ask me why I have not considered this or that.



Ah, you're a lawyer. That explains your argueing incorrectly about other state's laws. Before calling people ignorant, you should bone up on all fifty state's wildlife laws, IMHO.



Furthermore, if the reason you believe a raccoon should not be moved to another area is because of a threat of spreading some disease to the other raccoon population, then perhaps you should rejoice as these habits will reduce the raccoon population significantly and maybe eradicate the species so none of us will have to ever deal with a raccoon again.


That is not the arguement. There are few places where people don't live nearby. Would you want a raccoon, that may be starting to be symptomatic, released where your children might be playing? Read about the Mid Atlantic rabies outbreak and how relocation practices fed it.



I will continue to humanely trap & move if I can before a problem arises.

Come to NC and do that. You may learn our laws THAT way.


I trapped a raccoon on my property. I called the animal control officer, with whom I have worked on numerous animal calls. I expected him to just take the coon away. HE informed me that I could have been arrested for trapping wildlife without a permit. I told him I was trying to trap feral cats and caught it "by mistake". He said he could release the coon back onto my property. Only after much discussion did he agree to take it off my hands as professional courtesy. In NC, all trapped raccoons are destroyed by animal control. To relocate them is against the law! 500.00 fine...misdemeanor offense.

 

[wanda047]

I do a lot of hunting around the country and justify harvesting animals by putting meat in my freezer.

Coon Dumplings.... yum-yum!

 

[Emzyyy]

On ASPCA they trapped a whole family of coons in someone's home and relocated them after the vet checked them over, I think in some areas its illegal but not all.

 

[kstaven]

BEFORE ANYONE posts further on this thread please click this link https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5808
And READ VERY CAREFULLY.

This is the only warning I will give on this thread.

Kurtis

 

[raccoon]

Just wanted to say LOOK AT MY NAME I have been friends with and raised Raccoons as a child Now as a chicken lover I find it hard to dispose [kill] a coon But when it comes right down to it my birds are FIRST
I just needed to say this raccoons are cute but will destroy any thing for food
MY NAME IS RACCOON
THANK YOU aka Paul C

 

[Judy]

I was concerned to see the OP handling the animal so directly. Wouldn't be hard for that to become a dangerous situation. It's not just rabies. Many or most coons carry coon roundworms which are quite dangerous to humans, and easily transmitted via saliva. Best if kids don't even play where coons have been. Google coon roundworms; plenty of info. I hate to see these coon threads without some mention of how carefully they, and what they touch, must be handled.