what to do with predators?

[pullonyourboots]

sometime between last night and this morning, something killed one of my ducks They are in a large chain link fence with plastic garden fencing around the bottom. It looks like the duck got stuck between the pool and fence and whatever ate it pulled its leg through the fence so it couldnt escape. So now were obviously moving their pool which we were planning on doing anyways but my question is... what do i do with the animal when i catch it? tonight were setting up a few have a heart traps but i dont live in the country or near woods where i could let it go. I called animal control and they only take animals that appear to be rabid or attacking people. If you catch predators... what do you do with them? Kill them?

 

[crissycriss]

I think that most people kill what ever they catch. Some people release but chances are they will find their way back.Others feel like if you release you are just causing it to become someone else's problem. Myself i would have to have someone else to do the killing for me as long as its not protected.

 

[laughingdog]

Shoot it with a high powered bb/pellet gun if can get clean close and/or hold it still as have it bite down on or pinned with stick ect. or get bucket big enough to fit havahart trap in and just drop in after filling with water. my old neighbors would do this when borrow traps for anything coon sized or smaller (the preds always come back once they get a meal). If they haven't actually gotten anything yet for future, you can trap and then just terrorize till they're exuasted ect with banging stick on cage and yelling or spraying with hose, if you have no dogs to set on them.. i snipped tip of tail or tip of toe, to test those theories, and not terrorized animals always came back. on my own areas i just keep dogs trained by me (don't trust dogs trained by someone else alone with your animals as seen that not work a lot).

 

[jetdog]

Yup drown them, no noise to awake the neighbors.

 

[jdywntr]

As stated, most people kill predators including myself. Relocating often results in the animal finding its way back to its territory or else just putting the problem on somebody else. It sounds like a raccoon or an opposum killed your duck.

I would set out the traps, but be warned that I used some of the same and while I caught an opposum, the raccoon I trapped was able to escape from the trap within 20 minutes. He was then trying to break into the coop when I shot him.

You want to catch it but you need to do something to prevent this from happening. Lining the inside 3' of the area with 1/4" metal hardware cloth will prevent preds from grabbing them. Also, a secure nighttime house will solve many problems.

I am no longer in the suburbs. But I used to work at the SPCA in FL and we would have people drop off raccoons, opposums and such. Opposums, we'd rehab but raccoons were euthanized. It was state law in Florida. I would check with a county extension office. While rabies is not at all common these days, areas where there have been cases usually don't allow for the release of potential carriers. If you don't have any luck with shelters or animal control, call a nuisance animal remover. They may charge you for picking up the animal but they may also be able to tell you what your options are.

I forgot to add, I wasn't able to kill an opposum with one shot, point blank with a hollow point 22 so I don't think a BB gun will help. Drowning is a slow way to go too. I will kill whatever is going after my birds but I still try to be quick and as humane as possible.