Relocate or Retaliate?

[luvmychicknkids]

Quote:
LOL (umm...I was laughing about your post, not his dead mommy, just wanted to clarify so I don't sound evil!!!

...from the pouch of his roadkill mother.

He is a sweetie and would totally change your opinion of them.

He has even been neutered now, and his vet loves him.

Yeah, you have to learn to zone out the noise of the monitor unless something sounds amiss....a mom talent I believe.

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
Yes, EVIL creatures!!!!
http://www.imagehostplus.com/v2/usr/77/Ham_n_Topaz.jpg

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I KNOW, there is a difference.

I don't know how old this picture is but babies are often cute & docile & at the mercy of those around it simply cause they're babies, but yes there's a HUGE difference between baby and the grown version. I had an adorable litter of fox here one year under my shed & they were so cute popping their heads out & coming out to see what was going on or who was in my drivewawy. They were very curious creatures & again just adorable. But I wouldn't make a pet out of them because their a wild animal & getting too close they're not going to be "cute curious creatures" anymore.

 

[ChickPeas]

I wish we could eliminate ppl the same way we do "useless" animals..they're far worse to deal with than a raccoon or possum. I'd say relocate it. It may have babies somewhere that might suffer needlessly. Is there animal control in your area? Maybe let a pro deal with it. that would take the stress off you.

Good luck!

 

[luvmychicknkids]

Quote:
Yes, EVIL creatures!!!!
http://www.imagehostplus.com/v2/usr/77/Ham_n_Topaz.jpg

Sorry, I couldn't resist. I KNOW, there is a difference.

I don't know how old this picture is but babies are often cute & docile & at the mercy of those around it simply cause they're babies, but yes there's a HUGE difference between baby and the grown version. I had an adorable litter of fox here one year under my shed & they were so cute popping their heads out & coming out to see what was going on or who was in my drivewawy. They were very curious creatures & again just adorable. But I wouldn't make a pet out of them because their a wild animal & getting too close they're not going to be "cute curious creatures" anymore.

Ummmm....he is obviously not a "baby" in that pic. A young adult, yes, but nowhere near a baby. That pic is several months old and he is now a full adult, neutered and still as sweet as ever. I wouldn't have gone out with the intention of capturing a wild animal, either, but his mom was roadkill and he was slowly dying while attached to her cold, dead, nipple. I bottle fed him for a long time, when he truly WAS a baby.

 

[Mr_Jeff]

Personally, If I have to put a coon down then I relocate it to the freezer. They are tasty. Sorry if that is a little bit crude. But it solves the problem and takes care of dinner too.

 

[Chicabee19]

good reading in this thread!

animal control they have someone who will come out and trap it for you

yeah right...

When we called several city offices about a vicious dog loose in our neighborhood, we were told our (backward) town doesn't have a "dog-catcher"

 

[thewarriorchild]

Quote:
That is the way it should be and should be allowed to be done

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
This is where we get back into the subject of disease spread.

If you kill predators, then more predators will move into the empty space left behind. That increased movement of animals from one place to another actually INCREASES the spread of diseases such as rabies (references supplied on request). So by killing predators you are actually increasing the spread of rabies instead of decreasing it.

I have to disagree, rabies can have a long incubation period and once symptoms are present death will occur within 3 to 4 weeks, thats a long time to walk around spreading it.

When I started my removal program this spring, I was busy, now the traps go untouched, tracks on the creek and lake bank are few and far between, no trash cans are gotten into, and for me the tell all is my corn is untouched, coons love to pull down the ears then eat the tips.

I would agree that if you defensivly remove one dominant animal from an area and do not become offensive,,you open up territory for another to freely move in,however we are after them seven days a week and are winning by keeping our area unsafe for predators.

It isnt 3-4 weeks its 7-10 days.

 

[thewarriorchild]

Quote:
LOL (umm...I was laughing about your post, not his dead mommy, just wanted to clarify so I don't sound evil!!!

...from the pouch of his roadkill mother.

He is a sweetie and would totally change your opinion of them.

He has even been neutered now, and his vet loves him.

Yeah, you have to learn to zone out the noise of the monitor unless something sounds amiss....a mom talent I believe.

I am a Mom

I still couldnt block it out. I guess her being 13 has something to do with that??
Not at all evil! I had squirrels and raccoons to raise, back when I lived in a town and had no idea what a pain in the neck they were!!

Do they get shots? I know we have to let the racoons go when they are young, is it the same with the opossum? or different cause he is fixed?

 

[bluey]

Quote:
This is where we get back into the subject of disease spread.

If you kill predators, then more predators will move into the empty space left behind. That increased movement of animals from one place to another actually INCREASES the spread of diseases such as rabies (references supplied on request). So by killing predators you are actually increasing the spread of rabies instead of decreasing it.

I have to disagree, rabies can have a long incubation period and once symptoms are present death will occur within 3 to 4 weeks, thats a long time to walk around spreading it.

When I started my removal program this spring, I was busy, now the traps go untouched, tracks on the creek and lake bank are few and far between, no trash cans are gotten into, and for me the tell all is my corn is untouched, coons love to pull down the ears then eat the tips.

I would agree that if you defensivly remove one dominant animal from an area and do not become offensive,,you open up territory for another to freely move in,however we are after them seven days a week and are winning by keeping our area unsafe for predators.

I have to report the same results as Nautical Buoy. After 2 months of active predator removal, my game cam has not captured a predator in my coop area in the third month at all. I'm not naive enough to believe that the predators are gone, it's just that I have removed an easy meal choice.

And to those posters who suggest eliminating people in favor of animals,

.....I'd be glad to offer a few psychiatrist's phone numbers.

I always feel sorry for the OP on threads like this. They are looking for some advice, options and advantages/disadvantages and unfortunately they usually get a litany of "morality plays", which are usually counterproductive to the original topic and usually results in the topic being closed.

The argument for relocation that I'd love to see is one that utilizes radio collars and telemetry units that actually offers positive evidence of the success of that option in different species. But, because they are such a disease vector and naturally abundant, I doubt anybody would ever waste resources on such a study for raccoon and possum.