Neighbor is BIG TIME feeding the raccoons.

[duluthralphie]

I'd kind of like to be Shortgrass's neighbor. It would save me the trouble of shooting the coons myself! 

Amen!

 

[PamperedChicken]

I’ve caught skunks on three consecutive nights.

@ridgerunner Do you use the tarp/blanket technique to get the cage? Then what? Shoot? Asphyxiate? There are plenty skunks around here, as my boxer can attest, so I'm sure it's just a matter of time before I snag a Pepe' le Pew.

 

[shortgrass]

Gosh I'm glad I'm not your neighbor!

Lol if you feed and gather rabid animals for pets, I'm glad I'm not your neighbor too


Wow! I was concerned for the lady and suggested a call to do a welfare check, and you think that's bad?

Wow, just. Wow


* oh, it was the shooting comment.... Why pick on me lol, half this thread would shoot the buggers anyway, ESPECIALLY since I'm a property owner, and yep, I will shoot and kill ANY predator that threatens my livelihood. I live in CO, too, so I can shoot a PERSON threatening my livestock as well.... To each their own

 

[Ridgerunner]

I’ve caught skunks on three consecutive nights.

@ridgerunner I have a question about skunks. I've never trapped one, surprisingly, but what would I do if I did? I certainly don't want to be sprayed or have my dog sprayed. What do you do?

I do something that a lot of people will not like. I’m not going to get into that “show me a law” thing, though it will be a state, county, city, HMO or some other local law or rule, not a federal law you have to worry about. Where I am it is legal but check your local rules and laws. In some places drowning is legally considered animal cruelty.

I wired a piece of plywood to the bottom of my trap for stability and to keep anything from going underneath. When I set the trap I put a box over it so the only way a critter can approach the bait is from the front of the trap.

I drown whatever I catch that I want to kill in a 55 gallon drum filled with water. I had to size the piece of plywood the trap is wired to so the trap and plywood would fit in that 55 gallon barrel. I tie a piece of light rope to the trap so I can pull the trap back out. I have two different types of live traps, the raccoon-sized one in the photo that locks when shut and a rat-sized trap with a guillotine type door. The guillotine door has been known to open when I put it in the water so I make sure that end goes in first. The rat’s buoyancy helps keep it in the trap.

Skunks do not like to spray in tight places, they don’t like to get hit with that stuff any more than you do. You can check that statement out with a little research. When I lift that box enough to see what I have, never knowing for sure if it is a skunk, possum, raccoon, dog, cat, or bird (I’ve caught them all, some I release), your heart can get to pounding a bit, but I have never had one spray. I am kind of carefully when I check.

When I confirm it is a skunk, I first carefully tie my rope to the trap, then cover the box with a sheet of plastic. Just because one has never sprayed doesn’t mean one never will, I don’t believe everything I read on the internet. Then I put that trap covered by the box covered by the plastic in a wheelbarrow and take that to the 55 gallon barrel. This takes some physical strength but I then slide the trap out of the box into the water and walk away for a while.

My primary goal that no human, including myself, gets hurt. I also do not want to injure any other animal. The neighbors have a lot of horses and cattle on pasture around here that a ricochet could injure. Lastly, I don’t want property damage, including damaging the trap.

Wild animals have sharp teeth and claws and will defend themselves. In Arkansas the majority of reported rabies cases are from skunks. That’s something else that varies state by state, different states have different patterns for which rabid animals are reported.

Other people will use other methods. I’ve personally found that drowning best meets my goals.

 

[duluthralphie]

I suspect this thread will be closing soon.

We have to lines of thinking going on here and always do on this thread. Just like the country is Red and Blue politically. Amazingly the line of thought on handling predators is the same divide.

I would never tell someone how to live in the cities, unfortunately here in Minnesota the city people have no problem telling us how to live.

I kind of chuckled when I read the post about whatever state it was going on a killing spry on Raccoons to eliminate rabies. Rabies are in so many wild animal populations. I was bit by a rabid bat 50 years ago. I took the 21 shots in the stomach and still remember the pain and how sick I got.

I have city friends that think we need to control skunks and raccoons to stop rabies, while they set up their bat houses to make sure rabies is going strong for years. I want to burn their houses down, but I refrain. They just laugh when I tell them bats spread rabies.

I was told by someone they were glad I was not their neighbor when I wrote on here I had a gun by the front and back door loaded and waiting for the "neighbors" dog to visit. Again a city/country thing. I lost poults and 12 chicks to the neighbors dog, The neighbor thought it was too hard to keep the dog in his yard, a mile away from me! I will tell you now, that dog is most likely not going home ever again.

I live surrounded by wildlife refuge on 3 sides. Anything that takes my birds will meet an ugly death. I protect my animals as if they were my family. They get to run around my yard, eat bugs, get fat and feed my family. I really only care about the law to the extent it means I have to be more careful in what I do.

Quoting a law from another jurisdiction has no bearing on anything. Calling me a name accomplishes nothing. Telling me I can't kill a predator does nothing, I will still listen to reasonable suggestions. I am not spending a thousand buck to protect a 10 dollar chicken.

There is only so much a farmer can do to protect his flocks with fences and fort knox enclosures. I am not going to call those that disagree with me idiots or anything else. I just know we have differing backgrounds. I have shot my own dogs, why would I not shoot a raccoon, skunk or neighbors dog?

BTW I have malfunctioning life traps, many animals are caught alive in them, none ever get out alive, something happens during the release process that kills them.

Yes, I know I can never kill every raccoon, skunk or other fur bearing critter that likes Chicken for dinner. However, everyone kill we do helps, it is the same argument some use when talking about putting criminals in prison, we will never get them all, but everyone we do helps. (Country Logic versus City Logic)


This got long, sorry, Hopefully I did not offend too many.

Shortgrass you can move next door to me anytime you want. See you on the next predator thread after this one is closed

 

[AmericanMom]

Well I don't doubt the thread will be shut down soon. Why my response was deleted who knows, I simply posted a link for the person who demanded a link to Federal laws concerning the removal and relocation of wild life..

 

[ChickenChaser9]

Same here. I guess some people hate facts.

 

[shortgrass]

I suspect this thread will be closing soon.

We have to lines of thinking going on here and always do on this thread.  Just like the country is Red and Blue politically.  Amazingly the line of thought on handling predators is the same divide.

I would never tell someone how to live in the cities, unfortunately here in Minnesota the city people have no problem telling us how to live.

I kind of chuckled when I read the post about whatever state it was going on a killing spry on Raccoons to eliminate rabies. Rabies are in so many wild animal populations.   I was bit by a rabid bat 50 years ago. I took the 21 shots in the stomach and still remember the pain and how sick I got. 

I have city friends that think we need to control skunks and raccoons to stop rabies, while they set up their bat houses to make sure rabies is going strong for years. I want to burn their houses down, but I refrain. They just laugh when I tell them bats spread rabies.

I was told by someone they were glad I was not their neighbor when I wrote on here I had a gun by the front and back door loaded and waiting for the "neighbors" dog to visit.   Again a city/country thing.  I lost  poults and 12 chicks to the neighbors dog, The neighbor thought it was too hard to keep the dog in his yard, a mile away from me!  I will tell you now, that dog is most likely not going home ever again.

I live surrounded by  wildlife refuge on 3 sides.  Anything that takes my birds will meet an ugly death. I protect my animals as if they were my family. They get to run around my yard, eat bugs, get fat and feed my family. I really only care about the law to the extent it means I have to be more careful in what I do.

Quoting a law from another jurisdiction has no bearing on anything. Calling me a name accomplishes nothing.  Telling me I can't kill a predator does nothing, I will still listen to reasonable suggestions. I am not spending a thousand buck to protect a 10 dollar chicken.

There is only so much a farmer can do to protect his flocks with fences and fort knox enclosures. I am not going to call those that disagree with me idiots or anything else. I just know we have differing backgrounds.  I have shot my own dogs, why would I not shoot a raccoon, skunk or neighbors dog? 

BTW I have  malfunctioning  life traps, many animals are caught alive in them, none ever get out alive, something happens during the release process that kills them.

Yes, I know I can never kill every raccoon, skunk or other fur bearing critter that likes Chicken for dinner.  However, everyone kill  we do helps, it  is the same argument some use when talking about putting criminals in prison, we will never get them all, but everyone we do helps.  (Country Logic versus City Logic)


This got long, sorry, Hopefully I did not offend too many.

Shortgrass you can move next door to me anytime you want.   See you on the next predator thread after this one is closed

Lol thanks, Ralphie, I'd be glad to have ya next to me

As long as you don't start feeding the natives with my birds we'll get along great!

I'm not condoning a killing spree either, I've just had a few life experiences like yours and dont want to repeat it, especially since I have little ones besides the birds to watch out for.

Well I don't doubt the thread will be shut down soon. Why my response was deleted who knows, I simply posted a link for the person who demanded a link to Federal laws concerning the removal and relocation of wild life..

I'm afraid we might have some trollish types on BYC... Always a difference in opinions but not always handled with the most maturity... Sigh....


And now somebody will get offended at that statement and it will get shut down ROFL

I might be on the next coon bashing thread though, so ooooooo watch out ha-ha

 

[PamperedChicken]

I’ve caught skunks on three consecutive nights.

@ridgerunner I have a question about skunks. I've never trapped one, surprisingly, but what would I do if I did? I certainly don't want to be sprayed or have my dog sprayed. What do you do?

Thanks. That's a tough one with the spraying.

 

[Lilki]

So I emailed California Dept. of Fish and Game. I'm curious as to what their response will be..