Feral cats

Feral cat? BANG!
 
As a buddy of mine once said about feral cats and them having a season on them, " l didn't know the season ever closed."
 
PeteRevvv said:
You can't ethically shoot anything on on anyone's private land without permission so that's not the question. On public land or right of way roads/ditches, how do you make the decision to remove an invasive species? If I roll up on a cat and it stands there looking at me and I can visually see a house, I pass it up. If it darts to cover like a wild animal and I'm in the middle of nowhere, I take it out. Feral acting cats near a homestead are a tougher call. Friendly cats miles from home are going to end up as feral soon enough or are predating like a feral cat so that an easy call to shoot. There are plenty of SD locals who will take out any cat anywhere outside of the legal shooting boundary beyond the house whether it acts feral or not. They have a code of ethics for predator control that is widely followed and shows in their bird numbers. In addition to cats we are instructed to take out fox, racoon and badger with shoot on site. We are expect go further to chase down coyotes as best we can get access to them. For many locals where I hunt, it come down to weather, winter cover and then predators as the third most significant factor in bird numbers. It's why I think SD has the numbers that IA/MN/KS and similar topologies don't.
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Do you just shoot anything that moves? ...
If the person I'm hunting on says to kill jackrabbits or coyotes or dillos or whatever maybe. Otherwise I shoot what I am there to hunt and that's it.. code of ethics, that's funny.
 
Not a cat guy, but I don't make it a habit to shoot them. In Iowa, I don't think we have much of a cat problem. I might (do) shoot coyotes, used to shoot racoons (in season), wouldn't shoot a fox (willing to share the birds with them). I the habitat I created, I will decide what I will tolerate residing there. On public or someone else's property I would not shoot anything that wasn't my target species (or a coyote) and I expect the same of my guests.
 
To all you cat killers!! Why, because you don't like them or they are killing 'Your Birds' or upland. How about just allowing them to live? Are they hurting or endangering you?? They too have a right to live. You are disgusting! I love to hunt upland as much as the next person, been doing it 60 years. I only shoot what I can eat & what is legal & leave everything else alone, so should you..
 
In 1995 I rented a farmhouse that had been empty for several years. There were coveys of quail everywhere, including a nice covey by the outbuildings. My landlord brought out a pregnant cat the next spring. In no time the covey around the house was gone, followed by nearby coveys. I had to shoot the cats for the next several years until they were gone. They were hungry and generally looked miserable. It was a sorry situation. The only other creature I killed out there was the occasional skunk that would come around the house, because they carry so much rabies and aren’t scared off easily.
 
We have been hunting the same land in Kansas for the last several years. There is a gorgeous draw we hunt that always produces a covey or two of quail. We hunted it this year, and in that general area there was more quail everywhere except in that draw. All we saw were 2 feral cats.
 
mlmich@pldi.net said:
I only shoot what I can eat & what is legal & leave everything else alone, so should you..
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OK lets not turn this into a meat hunter vs trophy hunter argument. There's a lot of hunting out there for animals that aren't consumed whether you agree with it or not.

Keep your cats indoors. Whether that be in the house or the barn or the shed or the outhouse. They are not a part of the natural landscape.

I have heard that coyotes actually seek out and hunt feral cats so that is one reason I might let the next coyote get a pass.
 
I don't shoot cats, but I don't get upset if folks do on public land or on their own property. Same thing with fox, coyotes, etc., I just don't feel the urge and I don't sell furs, but that's me.

The issue I've found is that the guys I know who kill cats aren't doing it because they feel they are helping the pheasant population, they do it because they enjoy it. Which, again, that is their prerogative, but if truly concerned about conservation of pheasants, plant some treebelts, put in some pollinator mixes, etc. Eliminating wild cats isn't going to make much of a difference in the long run. Increasing habitat is the only thing that will increase and sustain higher pheasant populations.
 
gimruis said:
OK lets not turn this into a meat hunter vs trophy hunter argument. There's a lot of hunting out there for animals that aren't consumed whether you agree with it or not.

Keep your cats indoors. Whether that be in the house or the barn or the shed or the outhouse. They are not a part of the natural landscape.

I have heard that coyotes actually seek out and hunt feral cats so that is one reason I might let the next coyote get a pass.
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The purpose of cats on this operation is to control mice and rats. There was a time when I did not have any cats, it was a disaster. I had to bring cats back on to the place. Keeping them locked in a building would defeat the purpose of having them. They need to be able to roam from building to building and everywhere in between. When I bring haystacks home I am bringing mice home with them. The cats tend to hang around the haystacks and that is a great place for them. I am sure that cats kill some pheasants. Even though I am in the pheasant hunting business I can't afford to not have cats that are free to roam as they please. As long as they are on my land that is no concern of anyone else.
 
I live on the edge of town in the city limits and have rabbits, quail and pheasants in the yard. Also have feral or stay cats. They wreck havoc on baby rabbits. They also jump on the hood of my vehicles and pee on the garage doors and porches. I keep a live trap baited 24/7 year round. I would venture to say I have trapped some 3 dozen cats or so the last 5 years. I don't kill them but I do water torture them and make them miserable before relocation in hopes that they won't return. I would much rather look out my window and see a rabbit than I would some irresponsible pet owners stray cat. Last week I got a skunk that has been living under the wash house. I have one more to go. I relocate those as well.
 
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haymaker said:
The purpose of cats on this operation is to control mice and rats. There was a time when I did not have any cats, it was a disaster. I had to bring cats back on to the place. Keeping them locked in a building would defeat the purpose of having them. They need to be able to roam from building to building and everywhere in between. When I bring haystacks home I am bringing mice home with them. The cats tend to hang around the haystacks and that is a great place for them. I am sure that cats kill some pheasants. Even though I am in the pheasant hunting business I can't afford to not have cats that are free to roam as they please. As long as they are on my land that is no concern of anyone else.
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I have better luck controlling mice with bar bait.
 
Feral cats are nature's own moving targets...
 
mlmich@pldi.net said:
To all you cat killers!! Why, because you don't like them or they are killing 'Your Birds' or upland. How about just allowing them to live? Are they hurting or endangering you?? They too have a right to live. You are disgusting! I love to hunt upland as much as the next person, been doing it 60 years. I only shoot what I can eat & what is legal & leave everything else alone, so should you..
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It is legal to shoot cats and prepared right they are excellent table fair.....so Phhhtttt....
 
my buddy 5 years ago was doing box traps near a place we dumped our goose carcasses. Figured he would get a coon or 3 in and around that area. nope- he trapped 12 feral cats instead. in a 2 week period. yes 12!
 
westksbowhunter said:
I live on the edge of town in the city limits and have rabbits, quail and pheasants in the yard. Also have feral or stay cats. They wreck havoc on baby rabbits. They also jump on the hood of my vehicles and pee on the garage doors and porches. I keep a live trap baited 24/7 year round. I would venture to say I have trapped some 3 dozen cats or so the last 5 years. I don't kill them but I do water torture them and make them miserable before relocation in hopes that they won't return. I would much rather look out my window and see a rabbit than I would some irresponsible pet owners stray cat. Last week I got a skunk that has been living under the wash house. I have one more to go. I relocate those as well.
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Does not relocating feral cats make them someone else's problem?

That being said, I relocate feral cats too.

Some assembly required.
 
Apparently there are fair percentage of the participants on here that are not the type of people that I care to associate with. Up until now I thought the opposite There are some really fine folks here but I think I will take a break from this group for awhile and get some fresh air. Best of luck to the good ones and to the rest, get some help.
 
Used to live at the end of a gravel road outside a population center in Northern Michigan. People regularly dropped off unwanted dogs and cats near my house. More than once, I dropped off dogs at the county dog pound. Stray and feral cats were impossible to get in my car, even if I wanted to.

I did not really appreciate people abandoning unwanted animals near my house.
 
haymaker said:
Apparently there are fair percentage of the participants on here that are not the type of people that I care to associate with. Up until now I thought the opposite There are some really fine folks here but I think I will take a break from this group for awhile and get some fresh air. Best of luck to the good ones and to the rest, get some help.
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Well 2.4 Billion birds are killed by feral cats each year. The bad people are the ones that help populate the feral cat population. Those who help eliminate them to protect birds and rabbits are good stewards to nature. Give me your address and I can drop some that I trap by your place. See you!
 
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