Trapping finally

FCSpringer said:
All right, not sure where to find the info any more but, surveys were taken some how some where a long time ago. Back when the smell of money was the trapper. And they did have a nasty mink smell. Those were the days people crashed cars trying to run over a coon, people had hounds and fur was booming. The study was for coon, and they determined that combined with hunters and trappers, they only accounted for 10% of the population harvested. Now we have hardly any one doing it. That would suggest a population boom for varmints is eminent. I keep my traps active around home now as needed. It has worked great keeping them under control, including cats.
I can tell you when I ran a long line, I kept track the last year of cats. I had a couple hundred sets out. I counted skunks,coon, and fox as one number. I caught 13 cats for every fox, coon, and skunk combined. Cats are in fact one of the worst. They kill chicks in droves, they love the play and pounce as we all know. Sure mice are one of the favorite games as well. But when they encounter chicks, their dead. The rest yes are the nest raiders and hurt that way. My theory has been, kill every feral cat you can, and control the rest as best you can, cause your never, never, going to get them all. It has helped me maintain a few birds at home.
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I live on a golf course and the neighborhood and course had a coon issue issue one year. I trapped 13 at the house (in a live trap), killed around 10 more on the course (plus possums and skunks) and the golf course trapped something like 32. When I lived in TX I'd end up having to collect around 30 coons in a new pig trapping location before the pigs would ever get a chance at the bait in the traps. I only wish there were that many coons when I was a kid. I would have to say that based upon emperical evidence (the fact where I live now and where I lived in TX was filthy with coyotes) that coyotes have zero impact on coon numbers.
 
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morrismike said:
I live on a golf course and the neighborhood and course had a coon issue issue one year. I trapped 13 at the house (in a live trap), killed around 10 more on the course (plus possums and skunks) and the golf course trapped something like 32. When I lived in TX I'd end up having to collect around 30 coons in a new pig trapping location before the pigs would ever get a chance at the bait in the traps. I only wish there were that many coons when I was a kid. I would have to say that based upon emperical evidence (the fact where I live now and where I lived in TX was filthy with coyotes) that coyotes have zero impact on coon numbers.
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LOL, I could believe that, considering the fact that after years of hunting them with dogs that scrapped with them on a nightly basis. I saw dogs get there butts kicked often. And good dogs, what we refered to as kill dogs. Dogs that had the nack of getting the throat and holding on till death. I saw many times where it became a stand off even with the strongest of kill dogs. One time one bad a$$ had 3 real good dogs backed off in a field barking and yipping at him. So no doubt they can kick some coyote butt as well.
 
Declaring war on vulpes vulpes (red fox) is not going to impact your pheasants nearly as much as declaring war on skunks, coons,coyotes, and feral cats. The red fox certainly is an opportunistic feeder, but pheasants arent very high on his list.

If there ever was a predator that got a bad rap, it was old renyard.

I have killed more red fox than any man ever should. I started hunting them with my dad(spot and stalk) when I was 13 years old.(I'm now 54) Between the current mange cycle (which has been going on for 14 years, 12 years longer than any other mange cycle in my lifetime) and coyotes moving in behind the fox. The red fox is fighting for his very meager existence right now.

In 1998, my hunting partner and I shot 129 reds between Dec 15th and when the season closed on Jan 20 (in Iowa), and we had plenty of pheasants back then.

I'll give them a pass whenever I see one, and ask that anyone else at least give them some consideration for a pass
 
Don't get me wrong . . . I was a prolific trapper in my younger years & have pursued Coyotes my entire life . . . still do. I'm in complete agreement with the impact of several factors. If fur prices were still what they were, I'd still be trapping, as I thoroughly enjoyed it (as well as issues of Harding's "Fur, Fish, & Game.").
 
If coyotes are hunting or trying to eat skunks and coons, you can be sure most all other food sources are depleted. Coyotes will not go after the toothy critters if other food is available. A male coon or a female with young is a tough battle for a yote. Skunks, their very good a giving dogs, yotes whatever a dose in the mouth and eyes, yotes know this and stay away.
Coyotes hunt pheasants year around and hard on Wintering hens. Kill the hen and you won't have a nest. Coons and skunks are terrible critters to have around if you want game birds, don't think the coyotes will help with that problem.
You can have the best pheasant habitat around, if you overrun with predators, birds will be scarce.
Good for you guys that go out and get them all, feral cats for sure.
 
Feral cats are ALWAYS in season! I built a custom .25 caliber & highly-accurate air rifle just for them & depredating crows.
 
koja48 said:
Feral cats are ALWAYS in season! I built a custom .25 caliber & highly-accurate air rifle just for them & depredating crows.
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I have a 25 caliber webley patriot that has killed a great many squirrels, coons, possums, skunks, and one coyote. I haven't shot any cats yet though. It shoots a #3 buck pellet (or 26.5 gr hollowpoint) at 820 fps.
 
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