Live trapping preditors and releasing.

[The Lazy L]

Just down the road from a Chicken Owner (CO) was the local Animal Shelter (AS). CO was losing chickens (presumably to coons) so the CO worked out a deal with the AS people. AS provided a live animal trap. CO would trap a coon and then take it to the AS for release and get another empty trap.

This deal was working good! CO was taking a coon to the AS just about every other day.

Today the AS was busy so CO had to park out back. CO took the trapped coon in. AS people gave him another trap. CO walked out the front door, around the building to the back to put the trap in his car. CO heard the backdoor of the AS opened and saw a worker release The Coon! CO figures he has been catching the same coon over and over!

So the next time the CO trapped The Coon he drove it several miles out into the country and released it. There. The CO avoided the responsibility of killing The Coon.


Out in the country was a Little Girl (LG). Her parents help her setup a little incubator with 2 eggs. The LG faithfully and very carefully turned those precious eggs several times a day. Every day the LG would place a "X" on the on the chart she had made with the numbers 1 thru 21. The number "21" had a big red circle around it in with child like lettering "bAby ChiCks birthdAy". LG would even wake up during the night and check that the eggs were tucked in and safe.

"MOMMY! DADDY! I CAN HEAR THEM!" They watch as the two chicks slowly pecked their way out of their shells. The LG was beaming from ear to ear. She was a mommy and these were her babies and their names are Gertrude and Henrietta and she as going to take care of them and protect them!

LG would set up her little table with her play tea set. In one tea cup LG put some feed and in the other tea cup water. Gertrude and Henrietta would have their "tea" as the LG explained to them how when they grow up they would be mommy's too and have little children to take care of and how that was a very important responsibility. The way Gertrude and Henrietta would cock their heads you would have sworn they understood every word the LG said!

It was a bright sunny day. LG decided to take Gertrude and Henrietta for a walk. The LG put them in the baby stroller and out the back door they went. LG was telling them that this is a tree, up there was a squirrel and here is where my Daddy is building you your very own house. You see Gertrude and Henrietta had never been outside before and they didn't know these things.

LG remembered that she had forgotten to bring Gertrude's and Henrietta's food so she ran back into the house to get them. The Coon took his opportunity and had Gertrude and Henrietta almost gulped down when the LG screamed.

So I've said all of this to say this. If you are not going to fulfill your responsibility by killing the coon then don't trap it and release it in some little girls back yard.

 

[sourland]

It's simple - do NOT trap and release.

 

[aart]

It's simple - do NOT trap and release.

X1000

 

[enola]

It is illegal to trap predators and then release them.

Coons are waaaaaaay to smart to be caught over and over in a trap. I would say if he was catching a coon every day for several days in a row, there is a LARGE population of coons in the neighborhood.

 

[MurrayRose]

Just had a coon try to get one of my hens tonite, Found a way into the coop. I guess I have to do some reinforcing tomorrow. I put my chickens in a safer place for tonite. Thank God I was able to scare it off. My hen got bit in the face, but she will be OK. I'll probably have to go the electric way. I live in the foothills of the Sequoias, lots of critters around.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

That was a long story to make a point. I remember when i first moved here i did the Hav a heart trap, caught several raccoons and the animal shelter told me to release them at the park about 1/2 mile away. One raccoon had a split ear, a few trappings later i caught him again and realized it, so they will get in the same trap again so the comment someone made about them being too smart was a waste of his/her typing. After I realized it was a waste of my time. I started dispatching each and everyone I caught and still do.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

.... i did the Hav a heart trap, caught several raccoons and the animal shelter told me to release them at the park about 1/2 mile away. One raccoon had a split ear, a few trappings later i caught him again and realized it, so they will get in the same trap again so the comment someone made about them being too smart was a waste of his/her typing. After I realized it was a waste of my time. I started dispatching each and everyone I caught and still do.

Trapping and releasing may or it may not result in trap shy coons. A coon in my experience only becomes trap shy if it has some negative experience while confined in the trap. Since I started giving all my trapped coons 30 minute scuba diving lessons, I have yet to catch the same coon twice. Does anyone know if raccoons hate water in their ears?

 

[sourland]

That was a long story to make a point. I remember when i first moved here i did the Hav a heart trap, caught several raccoons and the animal shelter told me to release them at the park about 1/2 mile away. One raccoon had a split ear, a few trappings later i caught him again and realized it, so they will get in the same trap again so the comment someone made about them being too smart was a waste of his/her typing. After I realized it was a waste of my time. I started dispatching each and everyone I caught and still do.

Animals including the 'human animal' vary in intelligence. Some learn about traps much more readily than others- they are the smart ones and survivors. One half mile is about a 15 minute hike for a raccoon. Trap and release is ineffective, unfair to the animal and in many places - illegal. Fortification of pens and dispatch of persistent predators works well.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I fully agree with everything Sourland just said. Some animals learn about traps better than others. Reality is not a 100% absolute each and every time. It’s not an either – or. There are varying degrees with animals. They don’t all react or learn exactly the same.

There are two ways to handle a predator issue. Fortify and manage the chickens to keep them out of harm’s way. All it takes though is a weakness, either in fortification or management, for a loss.

You can remove any predator that comes around. I also favor and practice permanent removal. Just because you get one does not remove the threat. Where there is one there are others. But removing the one that is hunting your area removes the one that is hunting your area. There will eventually be others hunting your area, maybe later that same night or maybe not until Mama gives birth and sends her babies out to find their own hunting grounds. Removing a predator that is hunting your area reduces the pressure on your fortifications and management. I consider that a good thing.

I’m pretty confident the OP’s story is a total fabrication from his imagination, created to make a point. That point is relocating a predator to a place far enough away from your area just gives someone else the problem. Sounds like a pretty selfish act to me.

 

[TnTom]

The OP may or may not have fab'ed the story but it sure sent a good message well done and made me chuckle . I have more of a problem with 'cuz" and live trap has been successful but usually it takes a while for the family to be erradicated. Possum aint too smart and easy trap but the families are large. I take them the pond and teach them how to swim, slow learners though, terrible at scuba. .