Trapping Chicken Killers

[Gary Willson]

I didn't want to say anything about that but yeah, for sure.

Relocating is at best a death sentence to that animal. At worst it is a way to spread diseases like canine distemper and parasites.

So, help me out. Should I shoot him while he's caged up, or let him go to kill my chickens? Better yet, tell me where you live. I'll send him to you.

 

[ChicKat]

So, help me out. Should I shoot him while he's caged up, or let him go to kill my chickens? Better yet, tell me where you live. I'll send him to you.

For my part, I shoot them while in the trap -- sad but true. He will never hurt another one of my chickens.

 

[Gary Willson]

By "living the dream" you mean "was probably killed by the racoons local to that park" right?

In my experience on forums, I've noticed that there is always someone that tries to send others on guilt trips to show they are morally superior (I believe sanctimonious is the correct word). These are the types of people that write to organizations that rescue wounded animals and bring them to health, critisizing them for releasing them to the wild.

In my case, I had a choice.
1) Shoot the raccoon while he was trapped in a cage. Liberal activists would have condemned me for cruel abuse of the animal.
2) Let the raccoon go. Chicken lovers would have condemned me for wantonly having my flock killed.
3) Let the raccoon go in a park. Perhaps he might be killed by other raccoons, or perhaps he would find the girl of his dreams and live a happy life.

I admit I didn't consider the real and probable possibility that moving a raccoon 3 miles away may introduce an exotic disease never known to have existed in the park.


If this is the type of help and comradeire typical of this forum, I may not last long here.

 

[CrazyTalk]

So, help me out. Should I shoot him while he's caged up, or let him go to kill my chickens? Better yet, tell me where you live. I'll send him to you.

Yes, you should shoot him while hes caged.

 

[JJSS89]

So, help me out. Should I shoot him while he's caged up, or let him go to kill my chickens? Better yet, tell me where you live. I'll send him to you.

I'd shoot him while caged. That's what I've done in the past and what I'd do if you sent him to me.

 

[enola]

In my experience on forums, I've noticed that there is always someone that tries to send others on guilt trips to show they are morally superior (I believe sanctimonious is the correct word).  These are the types of people that write to organizations that rescue wounded animals and bring them to health, critisizing them for releasing them to the wild.

In my case, I had a choice.
1) Shoot the raccoon while he was trapped in a cage.  Liberal activists would have condemned me for cruel abuse of the animal.
2) Let the raccoon go.  Chicken lovers would have condemned me for wantonly having my flock killed.
3) Let the raccoon go in a park.  Perhaps he might be killed by other raccoons, or perhaps he would find the girl of his dreams and live a happy life.

I admit I didn't consider the real and probable possibility that moving a raccoon 3 miles away may introduce an exotic disease never known to have existed in the park.


If this is the type of help and comradeire typical of this forum, I may not last long here.

When you trap a predator, you have two options: 1) release him where you caught him. 2) end his life while still in the cage.

In most states it is actually illegal to transport any animal trapped to turn it lose.

And we are sorry if you think we are sanctimonious, we were just trying to let you know how it is in the world of chickens.

Just so you know, if you only took him 3 miles, more than likely he will be back.......

 

[Bawk]

We had issue with coyotes eating our Ducks. I wanted to get every coyote in the state! We didn't get to enjoy more ducks because of that.

We made a stong large run for our chickens which is hopefully predator proof. In the past we had issue with raccoons, Hawks, and neighbors' dogs. Our backyard is fenced also but dogs managed to get in! I had to call animal control 3 different times on two different neighbor's dogs.

One time my husband was working in the garden about 2 feet from the chicken run which had bird netting over it at that time. A hawk flew down and over and over tried to get our LF grown hens! It wasn't afraid of my husband.

The run we now have is made of stong fence panels on RR ties and RR ties are buried along the base too w fence under the ground some. It has a fence panel roof too, all panels are wood framed and the stong type wire screen. We were able to leave the window/door open with our last flock in the summertime and no predators got in. The tall chain link gate into the run has the same type fence screening over it. We haven't even seen birds in there!

The only thing I can think is a good lock on the run's door/gate. Will hold TIL we get new flock.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

In my experience on forums, I've noticed that there is always someone that tries to send others on guilt trips to show they are morally superior (I believe sanctimonious is the correct word). These are the types of people that write to organizations that rescue wounded animals and bring them to health, critisizing them for releasing them to the wild.

In my case, I had a choice.
1) Shoot the raccoon while he was trapped in a cage. Liberal activists would have condemned me for cruel abuse of the animal.
2) Let the raccoon go. Chicken lovers would have condemned me for wantonly having my flock killed.
3) Let the raccoon go in a park. Perhaps he might be killed by other raccoons, or perhaps he would find the girl of his dreams and live a happy life.

I admit I didn't consider the real and probable possibility that moving a raccoon 3 miles away may introduce an exotic disease never known to have existed in the park.


If this is the type of help and comradeire typical of this forum, I may not last long here.

You may or you may not introduce an exotic disease never known to have existed in the park that you referenced. However you may well have harmed an ongoing federal program intended to vaccinate Raccoons against rabies by air dropping and otherwise distributing fish meal baits that contain an oral rabies vaccine. These baits are distributed in broad bands from North to South in an attempt to create rabies free zones and the idea is to expand these zones each year from the East Coast Westward. It is good that people question conventional wisdom, but they should learn ALL the facts surrounding an issue before they act contrary to the general welfare of their fellow citizens. That is why you committed a crime by relocating said Raccoon.

https://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/health/zoonosis/laws/transport/

Part of the preceding link:


Quote:

Well intentioned but poorly informed individuals keep carting Raccoons willy-nilly around the country, these people keep reintroducing rabies into areas where it has previously been eradicated, putting pets, men, women, wildlife and children at higher risk for getting rabies.

If you don't want to shoot the captive coon and thus kill it in a heart beat, you can drown it in about 3 to 5 minutes by dropping trap, coon, and all in water deep enough to cover, or by gassing it with your car's exhaust fumes. These two less violent options will give you enough time to enjoy a cold Long Star Beer. So every cloud really does have a silver lining!!! The only approved alternative is to release the coon back into the wild where you caught it. In that case good luck with your chickens.

More on the USDA ORV program for Raccoons and wild K9s:
http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wps/porta...DJ0MjDzd3V2dDDz93HwCzL29jAwMTfQLsh0VAXWczqE!/

Here is an example of the typical raccoon population in many urban parks today. All a relocated coon has to do live the dream is to whoop all these coons so that he can steal their girlfriends, or maybe you prefer that he leads his new friends to your chicken coop.

 

[ivan3]

I have a question!

Is there some kind of way you can/should go about getting a protected animal declared a "nuisance"?  We had a big, female Cooper's hawk in the yard yesterday (on the body of my daughter's favorite chicken...), and nothing would get her to fly off.  I turned the hose on her, we threw sticks, made lots of noise, swung a shovel around.  Not only was it not moving away, it would actually lunge FOR us if we got too close.

I have two young kids, and given the way this bird acts around people, I am nervous about letting them play in the yard.

I know hawks are protected, but if you were to get a call like that, as a professional, is there anything you are permitted to do?  I'm in Southeast PA, but I believe the raptor laws are federal (??)

You can apply for a Depredation Permit from the Fish & Wildlife Service: http://www.fws.gov/forms/3-200-13.pdf

However, the FWS, does provide information on what nonlethal means one can take without the permit (from the pdf):

3. What activities can I do without a depredation permit? You do not need a federal depredation permit to harass or scare birds (except eagles and threatened or endangered species), provided (a) birds are not killed or injured and (b) birds sitting on active nests (nests with eggs or chicks present) are not disturbed to the point that it causes the eggs to not hatch or the chicks to die or become injured.

7. What are nonlethal measures? Nonlethal measures are methods that prevent or minimize bird damage without take (Take includes killing or trapping birds). Methods include harassment (e.g., loud noises, pyrotechnics, propane cannons, scarecrows, dogs, trained raptors), habitat management (e.g., grass management, vegetative barriers, fencing and netting), cultural practices (e.g., seasonal timing, landscape placement), and policies (e.g., no feeding policies). Wildlife Services, part of the USDA, can provide information and expertise about preventing depredation and nonlethal methods. Visit the website: www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/

A dozen bottle rockets, with fuses twisted together, and lit, the incipient "salvo" dropped into a length of pvc pipe capped at one end (or cardboard tube, duct taped on one end, with some tin foil crimped around the "cannon's mouth to prevent smoldering of cardboard on "launch"), aimed in the general direction of the raptor, will often be enough "convincing". This particular method is more appropriate in less densely populated locations.
Highly reflective toy pinwheels and/or cd/dvd - placed with reflective side up (suspended from fishing line) are good on windy days, in enclosed areas like runs (passive defense). One could try an air horn or the like..

However, I'd call your local State Game Warden? (Department of Natural Resources usually oversees activity in many States) and explain fully - maybe he/she can "Trap" or otherwise remove. Red Tails, here, are mating (mid-Mo), they pretty much ignore the usual human "threats" at this time of year - could be "your" hawk is hormonal (looking to nest nearby and trying to clear you all out of the neighborhood).

 

[aggiemae]

Dumbazzs feeding raccoons should be trapped and shot...My experience has been that when one predator is removed another soon replaces it.

Killing everything that threatens my animals would be insanity. We live on a rural urban boarder and have coyote, hawks, coons, eagles and even sight an occasional mountain lion. But most of our serious damage comes from deer eating our crops and getting our fish. Animals kill your animals or eat your plants out of malice.it's what they do to survive.

As humans we are (supposed to be) smarter that they are and figure out how to stop them or at least slow them down. I seem to be better at defending against preditors than I am with deer. We built a higher fence around the main garden. Coyote urine seems to be helping too. Shooting deers grazing in my yard seems to be over the top. Over kill.