Depredation

[OhZark Biddies]

View attachment 1857196 What is your preferred method of predator disposition and why? This excludes barrier enhancement and applies to predators who must be dealt with directly either by deterrents or hands-on methods. Do refrain from trying to proselytize others to your method or championing one view or the other.

Mine is deterrent wherever possible. I use amonia, urine, and sometimes lighting to ward off shy vermin. But too often I must resort to a weapon, like this Henry 22lr lever action carbine with the loop/glove lever and CCI MiniMag copper plated round nose ammunition (or at night a Mossberg Plinkster with the same ammunition). Although a shotgun is more effective and is what I used for predator control on my parents' property as a teen, I have recently encounteted predators atop my 6 foot fence, which would be a less than advantageous angle at which to throw a gameload through the woods toward the neighboring culdesac. The 22 is much quieter, seldom fully penetrates (and when it does I have often recovered the projectile within a few feet of the area of impact), and is more than sufficient for medium sized predators with the high velocity, round nosed ammunition. The only reason I do not use my Beeman 22 caliber air rifle is that I can not reliably ensure a fast follow-up shot for humanely and quickly dispatching an already-shot animal. A still hunt with an air rifle is a much more controlled sequence of events than shooting a frantic canid trying to escape with a chicken dinner.

By the by, my easter egger has recovered from the coon-napping well, (she was dragged from the pen the following night but came back as the rascal was too weak to flee with yer in it's grasp). I have eliminated the current threats, relocated my remaining chickens to a secure enclosure, and plan to start reconstructing the unsecure run yard within the next month. Thanks to everyone for their comments on my previous (and first) post.

Welcome to BYC!

That’s quite a photo

 

[roosterhavoc]

I like to pile dog crap a foot high all around my coops. Stinks to high hell but works like a charm.

 

[Shadrach]

If they’re using methods and hours that are illegal, then they are poachers not hunters

I'm not sure that's true. I think to be a poacher you need to be on someone else's property without permission stealing their wildlife/animal stock.
The night hunters here get permission from the owners of the land and usually supply a proportion of the wild boar they kill to the landowner.
Whichever definition you choose the night boys with crossbows are infinitely preferable to a bunch of idiots running around the woods every Sunday, blowing horns, mistreating their hunting dogs and letting off canons because it makes them feel macho.

 

[OhZark Biddies]

I'm not sure that's true. I think to be a poacher you need to be on someone else's property without permission stealing their wildlife/animal stock.
The night hunters here get permission from the owners of the land and usually supply a proportion of the wild boar they kill to the landowner.
Whichever definition you choose the night boys with crossbows are infinitely preferable to a bunch of idiots running around the woods every Sunday, blowing horns, mistreating their hunting dogs and letting off canons because it makes them feel macho.

Here the state owns the wildlife... any one who violates the regulations are considered poachers ... so indeed it might be a difference in local laws as to how you and I define the term.

I’m an archer and have hunted with a bow for decades.... here a recent change in the regulations just allowed crossbows to be used in our archery season.... most of the folks that ran out and bought a crossbow so they could “bow hunt” are what I would call “slob hunters”... but if they are following the regulations they are still hunters.

I think you and I feel the same about “slob hunters” it’s just the terms and culture are different

 

[cmom]

I have electric wire around my coops and pens, heavy duty netting covering all of the pens, concrete under the pen gates and in some places buried wire hog ringed to the bottom of the fence. All because of predators. Years ago I used leg traps but now live traps.

This rifle is a Ruger 10/22 with a 10-round rotary magazine.

 

[cmom]

I don't bother the predators unless they bother my birds.

 

[cmom]

Also,

 

[m1chelle1]

What about a crossbow? Lots of jurisdictions either dont care or dont address them at all.

ive actually been wanting to get into bow hunting (actual bow) for a while. thats not a bad idea. i like it

 

[m1chelle1]

To those who have already replied, in regards to a sling shot or pellet gun particularly, do you worry about your birds potentially eating your ammunition (whatever that may be) if you miss a shot? I find myself a bit paranoid at times about stray lead in the run.

Has anyone used a paintball gun as a deterrent on larger predators? I know DOW encourages hazing of animals that have grown used to people in populated areas, and sometimes a kill is not warranted. Sometimes we want predators to simply move on and not grow comfortable in our neighborhood and not view our coops or our trash cans or our compost piles etc. as a food source. I feel this applies particularly to bears, but also coyotes and raccoons in this part of the country. I have often thought a blast from a paintball gun would scare off a predator and perhaps it would hesitate to return. I also thought if there was a purple painted coyote running around I'd know it's the same one coming back vs. a new one in the area. I've yet to try a paintball gun myself, and never really hear anyone talk of it, and wonder if that's because it's inefficient or just seldom used.

ive never used a paintball gun to deter predators, but i can see how it could work if youre not trying to kill, just deter preds. My pellet gun does unfortunately use lead pellets and thats def a concern. ive only used it once (one shot) to deter the crows and it worked like a charm, as i said. but yes, id be concerned about copious amnts of lead around the birds where they could pick it up and eat it. Like someone else said, you can get pellets made out of non lead materials such as steel and copper (like BB guns). thats prob a better way forward, i may even look into that as well

 

[PirateGirl]

ive never used a paintball gun to deter predators, but i can see how it could work if youre not trying to kill, just deter preds. My pellet gun does unfortunately use lead pellets and thats def a concern. ive only used it once (one shot) to deter the crows and it worked like a charm, as i said. but yes, id be concerned about copious amnts of lead around the birds where they could pick it up and eat it. Like someone else said, you can get pellets made out of non lead materials such as steel and copper (like BB guns). thats prob a better way forward, i may even look into that as well

We often use the pellet gun for rodent control in summer, but they are quick and there are definitely missed shots with the little food thief critters.