- Dec 5, 2012
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The whole concept of the "vacuum effect" is at best a theory. I often hear the same thing applied to feral cat colonies.
IMO, you kill off a couple marauding coons and you won't have several more moving in behind them. Its all about supply and demand. If there isn't enough of a supply (population of coons and food source like chickens to sustain such) in a given area, there isn't a demand for outsiders to move in. Coons don't have epic ranges like wolves or grizzlies, perhaps several acres in the city to several hundred in the country.
I had animal control trap a coon which was raiding my garbage several years ago. When it was finally caught, I was under the impression they would relocate it. They don't. The only reason they use Hav-a-heart traps is to portray a humane public image in capturing the critter. Fact is, any caught wild animal is euthanized.
Frankly, if a critter is dumb enough to attempt to predate my chickens, its going to wind up dead. Use a 220# conibear trap. Screw a 5-gal bucket (sides cut out enough to accommodate the springs) atop or adjacent to whatever structure the coon is attempting access to and bait w/ a dead bird (songbird) or fresh fish in bottom of bucket. Cut out notches in sides of bucket to accommodate trap springs. The end. If conibear traps are too "scary," then use a dog-proof can trap and be prepared to dispatch a lively coon.
For some, losing birds is no big deal. For others, they are valued pets or the difference btwn feeding a family a bird or can of beans.
IMO, you kill off a couple marauding coons and you won't have several more moving in behind them. Its all about supply and demand. If there isn't enough of a supply (population of coons and food source like chickens to sustain such) in a given area, there isn't a demand for outsiders to move in. Coons don't have epic ranges like wolves or grizzlies, perhaps several acres in the city to several hundred in the country.
I had animal control trap a coon which was raiding my garbage several years ago. When it was finally caught, I was under the impression they would relocate it. They don't. The only reason they use Hav-a-heart traps is to portray a humane public image in capturing the critter. Fact is, any caught wild animal is euthanized.
Frankly, if a critter is dumb enough to attempt to predate my chickens, its going to wind up dead. Use a 220# conibear trap. Screw a 5-gal bucket (sides cut out enough to accommodate the springs) atop or adjacent to whatever structure the coon is attempting access to and bait w/ a dead bird (songbird) or fresh fish in bottom of bucket. Cut out notches in sides of bucket to accommodate trap springs. The end. If conibear traps are too "scary," then use a dog-proof can trap and be prepared to dispatch a lively coon.
For some, losing birds is no big deal. For others, they are valued pets or the difference btwn feeding a family a bird or can of beans.