SSS is a disgusting practice and people need to stop encouraging it.

[RosemaryDuck]

I've been on this site off an on for years (first as a guest, now with a profile) and frequently I've seen people suggest to 'SSS' (Shoot, shovel, shut up) a predator or a bird of prey that is federally protected. I don't care if this subject is 'taboo' or 'hush hush'. I'd like attention brought to just how disgusting it is.

I don't care if you're protecting your farm animals or not. I love my animals above anything else, but if a predator takes one it's /my/ fault for not giving them a secure enough run. I don't shoot a /federally/ protected or endangered animal and throw it in a hole and pat myself on the back.

Killing a protected, endangered or critically endangered predator or bird of prey is a federal crime. You can receive over $5k in fines and a lengthy jail sentence. And I really hope people doing this, or that have done this are caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We are rapidly losing wildlife to humanity and it disgusts me to see anyone support SSS.

 

[Weeg]

I've been on this site off an on for years (first as a guest, now with a profile) and frequently I've seen people suggest to 'SSS' (Shoot, shovel, shut up) a predator or a bird of prey that is federally protected. I don't care if this subject is 'taboo' or 'hush hush'. I'd like attention brought to just how disgusting it is.

I don't care if you're protecting your farm animals or not. I love my animals above anything else, but if a predator takes one it's /my/ fault for not giving them a secure enough run. I don't shoot a /federally/ protected or endangered animal and throw it in a hole and pat myself on the back.

Killing a protected, endangered or critically endangered predator or bird of prey is a federal crime. You can receive over $5k in fines and a lengthy jail sentence. And I really hope people doing this, or that have done this are caught and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. We are rapidly losing wildlife to humanity and it disgusts me to see anyone support SSS.

YES! You worded this perfectly! I can't agree more!

 

[cluckmecoop7]

I agree with @tripletfeb.


I will not kill endangered animals/birds....but if something like a raccoon or coyote is attacking my girls, I will not hesitate to kill it if I can.

 

[gimmie birdies]

This is kind of a odd story I remember... I have a neighbor from the south who killed a hawk (over 10 years ago) I was at his house, because he was going to dog sit for me. He was telling me about the hawk attacking his chickens, and a neighbor lady showed up. She was very old and from Germany. She over heard the conversation. She said she wanted to see the hawk and then asked if she could have it, because she wanted to eat it.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I agree with @tripletfeb.


I will not kill endangered animals/birds....but if something like a raccoon or coyote is attacking my girls, I will not hesitate to kill it if I can.

Oh absolutely, I understand that. I'm talking about specifically endangered and protected species.

 

[tripletfeb]

While I don't agree with killing endangered animals, I do agree with killing anything that harms my flock. Whether that be the SSS method is up to me and not you to judge me

 

[BoogieWight]

I tend to agree, though probably not for the same reasons. I could care less about the legality of something, but killing wildlife should always serve a purpose and have good reasoning behind it. I have completely free ranged a majority of my chickens for years, and I still have yet to kill any of the raptors around here.
That being said, I have eaten a lot of coon and have the hides of just about every land predator here with the exception of opossum. They are just so dumb, and I ain't got the heart to kill them for their scraggly hide so they get relocated.
My point is that like most decisions we make in this world, it is a little grey. We shouldn't kill the last fox we have seen for months on our property, or coon, or bear, or whatever. I don't believe we have the right to drop every predator we see just because we chose some dumpy or flightless chicken with no chance of survival.

 

[RosemaryDuck]

I believe in prevention for most things, not just chicken keeping. I’ve only been keeping chickens for six months, most of which have been winter, so I have no real experience with predators yet. But my only role model and information, before joining here, for chicken keeping was my sister. And she brags about how she shot a whole family of raccoons who kept getting into her chicken coop. Well her coop and run aren’t secure like I learned they should be. The raccoons could literally just walk in the door and take what they wanted. I honestly thought it was what everyone did. Just left the coop and run open and shot whatever came their way. Well then I joined here and learned there are multiple ways to handle a situation. We also live in NYS and this state has super strict laws on what you can and cannot shoot and when. Like its legal to shoot raccoons as long as you do it at a certain time and then bury the body. Even removing things from your property is strictly regulated. If you follow the laws that is. I believe everyones situation is different. My sister might have shot the raccoons because she felt she had no choice. Or she was uneducated about how to house chickens. I know i was before joining this community.

Yes but unfortunately in this case 'SSS' isn't uneducated people. It's people knowingly (and encouraging) illegal killings of these animals. A raccoon is not protected, as their population is in no danger of going down right now. But I do agree that regular predators shouldn't be massacred either. We have to learn to live with the wildlife we have. We're building houses and developments further and further into their land. They have nowhere to go. Their food sources are being demolished. It's really awful, and sooner rather then later we'll be dealing with the consequences.

 

[cluckmecoop7]

Oh absolutely, I understand that. I'm talking about specifically endangered and protected species.

Okay, then I agree with you completely and will give your OP post a " " reaction! (instead of not reacting at all, cause I don't use the " " reaction. See my signature)

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

This thread is locked pending staff review. Please don't start any like threads. Thank you.

oldhenlikesdogs