What Predator...?

[BigBlueHen53]

Dispatching it would be best. None of your neighbors have a .22 you could borrow?

Not at this hour. Not going to let this animal hang out in this cage all day till people get home from work.

 

[DuckWhisperer06]

Not at this hour. Not going to let this animal hang out in this cage all day till people get home from work.

I see what you’re saying, but for future reference, I wouldn’t release it. You just run the risk of it possibly coming back or getting into somebody else’s chickens.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

Oh..... yes that would be ideal, but we have no way to dispatch it.

We may have to invest in a "critter gitter" at some point but at this point we don't have one. Sorry.

If you're going to trap, then you need a critter gitter - sounds like you need to get yourself a rifle
For some reason, I thought I saw that it was mentioned that you had a shotgun in a previous post, must have been another thread.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

I may have mentioned a shotgun but I but don't have one. Wishful thinking, I guess! Tell the truth, one reason I don't have a weapon is I don't know what I need. A rifle? A handgun? If a pistol, what caliber? A .38, a .22? What model is best? Ruger, Glock? Sigh, the joys of being bipolar, I get overwhelmed with options and can't make a decision. DH does not want ANY guns in the house, so there's that. ... I know all the reasons why I should not release this critter, but for today, that is what I am going to do. We do live in very isolated areas. I can put him far from people's houses, deep in the forest. I believe it will be okay.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Again, let me stress that this is an isolated incident. The last time we had a predator was at least 4 years ago and it was a coyote during the day while the birds were free-ranging. We kept the birds up for a week or so and have had no problems since. Until now. I don't plan to be trapping as a regular practice.

 

[Wyorp Rock]

I may have mentioned a shotgun but I but don't have one. Wishful thinking, I guess! Tell the truth, one reason I don't have a weapon is I don't know what I need. A rifle? A handgun? If a pistol, what caliber? A .38, a .22? What model is best? Ruger, Glock? Sigh, the joys of being bipolar, I get overwhelmed with options and can't make a decision. DH does not want ANY guns in the house, so there's that. ... I know all the reasons why I should not release this critter, but for today, that is what I am going to do. We do live in very isolated areas. I can put him far from people's houses, deep in the forest. I believe it will be okay.

Well, there are a lot of choices out there LOL
You need to have a long talk with the Hubby and come to some type of an agreement about a firearm. He may be more comfortable, if you both took a few firearm safety classes?
Everyone has an opinion on caliber, brand, etc. Once you make up your mind that you do need/want a firearm (along with the Hubby), then go to your local gun shop, tell them what you need it for and they will show you what's what. Do do some research online, but don't necessarily get hung up on "brand" (yes, I have Ruger, Glock and others). Imho, what you need is a basic .22 rifle, that will do the job of a critter gitter.

 

[ValerieJ]

we lost a couple of hatchlings to hawks last year but there's not much one can do about that.

Actually there is. You can create obstacles so they don't have a place to swoop in and grab.

 

[Shadrach]

Actually there is. You can create obstacles so they don't have a place to swoop in and grab.

Have you ever seen a hawk strike?

 

[ValerieJ]

I know all the reasons why I should not release this critter, but for today, that is what I am going to do. We do live in very isolated areas. I can put him far from people's houses, deep in the forest. I believe it will be okay.

We were going to trap a young raccoon and move it to another part of the forest until I looked up how long baby raccoons need their mums. Turns out the mums teach them how to forage for some 6 to 8 months, which means I'd have to wait until about October to set a trap. Not sure he will survive on his own, so in that case shooting him would be better.

 

[ValerieJ]

Have you ever seen a hawk strike?

Well, I just lost 3 chickens to a bald eagle...must be similar. How do hawks strike?