Feeling like a total idiot

[Tre3hugger]

I'm so sorry..I hurt for you. I was just looking at hardcloth..to put on top of hardcloth..that's under plywood... I stress..and I don't have weasels. But we know something's been out there bc it knocked over the container I keep zeolite in at the back door.
Are weasels abt the size of a squirrel? If so, the small trap wld work. I got the bigger one bc our early spring invaders were raccoons and opossums.

Thanks for the condolences. It was a hard lesson,
Weasels are usually smaller than a grey squirrel. I ended up reinforcing the brooder, and caught a raccoon that night under the brooder. It may or may not have been the culprit, sticking its little hands and nose through the HWC. Maybe it was a weasel who evaded my trap and can't get through the new floor of my brooder. Since my alterations, so far so good.

 

[Tre3hugger]

Me again! So I would be pretty careful with a rifle unless you have training however an airgun or wasp spray could work wonders! This is the wasp spray that shoots out almost 16-20 ft. I have a couple of cans for safety against predators including human ones. The pellet air guns may be a better option because of the safety factor. If all else fails just remember that gun injuries can be lethal.

I agree with you entirely. I have been reasearching places to get my Firearm Safety Course, which is required in my state to obtain your FIC. I will be attending one early next month. Once I get my FIC, I can apply at my local police station for a license. Learning how to use a gun will be $100 well spent.

Does bee spray work because it is a nerve agent? Will it kill a coon or just freeze it so I can use an ax or sometung? Im intrigued...

Are air rifles more expensive? Have any recommendations for ones comparable to a beginner .22?

Thanks!

 

[Tre3hugger]

I totally agree that live trapped raccoons (and released into wooded forested non-residential or farming property) is fine! We’ve been dealing with an infestation of raccoons because some idiot neighbours think it’s fine to feed them because they are so ‘cute’. So we have live trapped and released to our nearest forestry along with the kits.

Also —raccoon scat is lethal to humans and they are not afraid of tearing a dog or cat apart. Also do you have the means to build a shed for your birds? I repurposed the back of my shop exterior storage area and enclosed the run with 1/4 inch wire mesh buried 8 inches down with broken sharp pieces of metal and rocks then wrapped chain link fence over the whole circumference. Then the top has 1/2 inch chicken wire nailed and stapled within a inch of its life! Also a motion detector surveillance camera with a light for evening that is on a solar battery charger. I can get the motion detection images on my iPhone!

By the way, after I smashed a branch at the raccoon in my neighbours’ open fenced chicken yard I learned my lesson! I grew up with weasels and dang if they aren’t the worse!! Good luck and keep us posted on the outcome! Also? Maybe get a big ass tomcat to live with your chickens! My cats chase raccoons against my better judgement after I just put the pullets outside a few months back. My cats babied my chicks from 1 day old so everyone knows their pals.

Nice setup! I certainly didn't lose any sleep over moving the raccoon. And I am actually in the middle of building a 10x12 shed for the girls!

 

[Tre3hugger]

#1 I'm sorry for your loss
#2 You should not feel like an idiot, dealing with predators is never easy and no one in the livestock world is immune.
#3 I wish you success in ridding your coop of invaders
#4 Seriously you are not an idiot your are someone who took a risk and lost despite your best efforts, for that I am sorry

Thank you so much for your kind words.

 

[Tre3hugger]

You should be able to find a Ruger 10-22 starting at 189$. It is one of the perfect weapons to have around a small farm to get rid of nuisance creatures. I have never been able to get rid of a coon I have caught in one of my traps, they get really aggressive and want to chew you up while your trying to open the trap door and they often have rabies. Shooting them is the only good option I have found. Possums are totally different, all you have to do with them is be real mean for a couple days and set the trap out in the sun. They will calm down real quick and let you open the trap door to release them way down on the other end of the creek!

If your in west Ga I can help you with your firearm.

Yhanks for the recommendation and the offer! I am on the East Coast. I'll check out the 10-22 though!

 

[ezerhoden]

I agree with you entirely. I have been reasearching places to get my Firearm Safety Course, which is required in my state to obtain your FIC. I will be attending one early next month. Once I get my FIC, I can apply at my local police station for a license. Learning how to use a gun will be $100 well spent.

Does bee spray work because it is a nerve agent? Will it kill a coon or just freeze it so I can use an ax or sometung? Im intrigued...

Are air rifles more expensive? Have any recommendations for ones comparable to a beginner .22?

Thanks!

I can’t vouch for wasp spray, however I have a small fortune invested in some air rifles. That being said I can not recommend the use of an air rifle without extensive experience and practice. A .22 caliber air rifle only generates 20-30 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle, this drops significantly as distance increases. a .22 caliber rifle using LR ammunition generates 130 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle and has over 90ft lbs at 100 yards. this brings in the necessity of shot placement and getting it right. a firearm will be more forgiving for an inexperienced user and offer greater results.

 

[ezerhoden]

I can’t vouch for wasp spray, however I have a small fortune invested in some air rifles. That being said I can not recommend the use of an air rifle without extensive experience and practice. A .22 caliber air rifle only generates 20-30 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle, this drops significantly as distance increases. a .22 caliber rifle using LR ammunition generates 130 ft lbs of energy at the muzzle and has over 90ft lbs at 100 yards. this brings in the necessity of shot placement and getting it right. a firearm will be more forgiving for an inexperienced user and offer greater results.

to add to this point, I use my .22 rifle over most of my pellet rifles because of ease of use. my pellet rifles range between .177 caliber and .357 caliber. which are all capable of taking game from rabbits .177 up to whitetail deer .357, but requires precise shot placement to remain ethical.

Also sorry for your loss.

 

[countryladyNH]

Game cam is def on the list. Do you guys have any recommendation for cheapish options? @Yep I Talk To Chickens @M Brennen

We just got one aq couple months ago and really like it. Got it on sale. It was apprx. $70-$80. We had bought a cheaper one in a different brand and took it back immediately. It was bad. This one was the Moultrie Bundle Model 14001---(comes with card and batteries). Working GREAT!

 

[Sydney65]

I am not offended and appreciate your input. I agree this wasn't ideal but I had to do something last night to protect my birds. Period. I got off work at 6 pm and borrowed the only trap I could get my hands on...it worked.

I too live in deep woods, nestled in 13000 acres of protected forest land that has a state park in it. There are only four residents in a five mile radius of me. I brought this raccoon deeper into the woods, farther away from people. My birds are safer, no animals lost there life, and it is farther from humans than it was before. I fail to see how this was "seriously unethical"...as far as the law...

If I lived in the burbs and dropped it off at a playground I would fully concur with your conclusion, but in this instance I believe I did what was best first for my animals. I will most likely continue to set the trap for a few nights in case it comes back.

That being said...I NEED A .22 BAD.

Man, I had to dig backto figure out where this was coming from before I ->. Lol. In the spring, we had a raccoon. He relocated it abt 20 miles away, then I read the laws saying it was illegal to do so (here you can deposit it on private property if you have the owner's permission, but not on public property, parks, preserves, etc.). I'm not sure if she came back or not. If my memory serves, over the course of 2 weeks, we trapped 16 raccoons and 1 opossum-and that's w/o attempting to exaggerate. After the initial road trip, the .22 had a special place out of site and out of reach of little hands, by nearby the back door.
The thing is, aside from rabies, the scat harbors multiple bacteria that can make animals and humans sick, they're pretty much fearless of us and take up residence quickly, inside as well as outside, creating $$$ damage. And then there's rabies.

 

[countryladyNH]

You should be able to find a Ruger 10-22 starting at 189$. It is one of the perfect weapons to have around a small farm to get rid of nuisance creatures. I have never been able to get rid of a coon I have caught in one of my traps, they get really aggressive and want to chew you up while your trying to open the trap door and they often have rabies. Shooting them is the only good option I have found. Possums are totally different, all you have to do with them is be real mean for a couple days and set the trap out in the sun. They will calm down real quick and let you open the trap door to release them way down on the other end of the creek!



REPLY:
The Ruger 10/22 is a nice rifle. I got one at age 16. I ended up selling it to a friend before I had chickens. Then there was a fox attack. I needed to get a .22 and quick. I went up to my local Walmart and got a Savage Model 64F. Its based on the old Winchester Cooey 64. Its a really nice rifle and I paid a price of 99 bucks!
It has a steel receiver, rather than alloy, a 22" barrel and a 10-round box magazine. Most online reviews rate the gun highly. Some say better accuracy than the 10/22.
All I know is its a great little gun.