KiddenAround
161 posts
Oct 22, 2008
5:16 PM
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I need help QUICK!
I keep the chickens in the same house with the pigeons (for now) -- they roost in there at night. There is a fully enclosed yard attached with chicken wire.
Night (or early morning) before last, something murdered one of the chickens -- I didn't find anything but feathers so I know it wasn't my dogs.
Last night, another victim -- this time, I had both my dogs tied up, so I am positive that it wasn't them.
This varmint drug one of the hens at least 50 feet trailing feathers, which I assume means that he either was trying to eat it on the run, or was constantly changing bites to get a hold. This tells me (I believe) that the murderer (I am really upset!!!) is not much bigger than the chicken, don't you think?
So . . . this evening, I got all the chickens into the hen yard and I discovered that whatever has been after them has climbed to the top of the pen and torn a hole in the wire. Also, I discovered a fresh backbone and leg.
I am thinking raccoon? Possum? Skunk? I cannot for the life of me find any tracks.
This is not off topic, because after the chickens are gone, the pigeons will be NEXT!!
I am setting up a live trap and when I catch it, I won't have a problem settling this problem with my .410 but I would like to know anyone's thoughts on this -- I know a possum and a coon will climb. Will a skunk? If it is a skunk, how close can I get to it to shoot it, and how in the world will I get it out of the trap?
I will post pictures soon . . .
Thanks!
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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kopetsa
1940 posts
Oct 22, 2008
5:19 PM
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If this thing got through tiny chicken wire, it is definitely a weasel of some sort.. Good luck!
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Andrew C.
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kopetsa
1941 posts
Oct 22, 2008
5:20 PM
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Mind you that I think of it, a weasel would've taken several more. How big is the chicken wire?
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Andrew C.
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RED
13 posts
Oct 22, 2008
5:29 PM
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sounds like a coon have caught ten of them
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sundance
831 posts
Oct 22, 2008
5:42 PM
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probably a coon. I`ve had them get into my chickens here also. And it wont stop till the chickens are all gone. A live trap should work, I`d close up the coop real well with heavy wire mesh and use some of the leftover chicken parts for bait in the trap. They`re smart critters, but right now its used to an easy meal and trying to put on some winter weight. it`ll be back....
Good luck. And if its a skunk, well, a head shot with a 22 cal. rifle and a long rope tied to the trap ahead of time would be the best I can suggest. Oh ya, and shoot from a distance. pee-yew !!!!
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Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
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Indy
40 posts
Oct 22, 2008
5:48 PM
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Sounds to me like a coon or possum or possibly a cat. It has been my experience that weasels will not eat their kill, they just leave them all piled up around the loft. I lost over 50 birds to a weasel or pair of weasels in one night out of a kit box and small loft. They had get through my flypens that were made out of 1x2in welded wire. As far as dispatching a skunk, keep as far away as you can. LOL. Actually they can spray about 10-12 feet but you do not have to be that close to really smell it.
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JohnL
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KiddenAround
166 posts
Oct 22, 2008
6:07 PM
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  Create Your Own
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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TT
58 posts
Oct 22, 2008
6:15 PM
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If its a skunk it cant spray without raising its tail, lol
So make sure the live trap isnt larger then 10" i think,
cat trap works best.
And if you do get skunked ill be the first to send you some
Tomato Juice.
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Tony.
Calgary, AB
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KiddenAround
167 posts
Oct 22, 2008
6:19 PM
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LOL Game -- don't hold back now, tell us how you really feel! LOL
Tony, does Canadian tomato juice work better than USA tomato juice? Because it didn't work so good on my dog! ;)
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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PR_rollers
1794 posts
Oct 22, 2008
6:22 PM
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Well if you do get that SOB...shoot him then hang em or hang em than shoot him..
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Ralph
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sundance
837 posts
Oct 22, 2008
6:22 PM
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possum is too lazy to kill a fast moving chicken. I still think a coon. Also the possum would probably still be in the pen or under the coop. way dumb animal...
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Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
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sundance
838 posts
Oct 22, 2008
6:25 PM
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a friend says the vet has a new stuff " skunk out" . he sais it worked great on his dog. Just in case you need it. LOL
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Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
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KiddenAround
169 posts
Oct 22, 2008
6:25 PM
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LOL, Ralph -- that's about how I feel! I love my chickees!
Butch, I was thinking possum because I could see a possum sitting right in front of my dog eating a chicken, not scared. I've shot many possums just sitting there staring at me. But then I know raccoons are much more ferocious.
It's raining here tonight. I wonder if that will slow the varmint down?
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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TT
60 posts
Oct 22, 2008
6:28 PM
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Laura,
Probably not,LOL,
Just thought I would offer.
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Tony.
Calgary, AB
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rtwilliams
226 posts
Oct 22, 2008
7:28 PM
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good luck on the capture. FYI Skunks usually will not spray if covered. Usually... Place an old sheer or something over the trap. When you catch the animal place it over so it completely covered. Some Animal control officer will lethal inject skunks in cages using a pole and shot. They get good at not getting sprayed.
Anything else just shoot it.
Good luck
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RT Williams
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Santandercol
3264 posts
Oct 22, 2008
8:31 PM
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Hope you catch that critter but I just gotta say it's not a good idea to house pigeons with your chooks.Chooks can pass on salmonella to pigeons real easy.
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
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PR_rollers
1797 posts
Oct 22, 2008
9:17 PM
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Laura I agree with Kel .....when I had mine I kept them separate at all time..
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Ralph
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KiddenAround
170 posts
Oct 23, 2008
7:00 AM
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SHAZAAAAAM!!!!!!!! Look what I found this morning!!! You guys were right!!
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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Santandercol
3269 posts
Oct 23, 2008
7:04 AM
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Just a little guy,eh!Good one.Now relocate him far away and keep that trap set.There may be more than one.
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
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silver tail
538 posts
Oct 23, 2008
7:15 AM
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Where there,s a little one theres more then likely another keep your trap set good luck.
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KiddenAround
171 posts
Oct 23, 2008
8:47 AM
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Good advice that I intend to follow. Yep, afraid that my gun will damage the cage, and I hate to admit that when it comes to this point, I sometimes turn into a softy, so I have talked myself out of terminating this little murderer and relocating him on the other side of the river.
And will set the trap again tonight for his brothers or sisters. Can't believe that the trap worked in spite of the big storm last night.
And if she doesn't stop landing on the refrigerator and trying to tear up the seal, this is what I will be using for bait tonight!
"Lucy Ricardo", a/k/a 'coon bait!
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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KiddenAround
175 posts
Oct 23, 2008
11:30 AM
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I am freaked out!
I was starting to feel UNsorry for the 'coon, because I'm finding tracks everywhere this morning, including these, on the 4-wheeler:
(If that was my Harley, he'd already be dead! lol)
Now, I got ready to relocate the 'coon, and wondered where the can went that held the sardines I used for bait? It doesn't fit through the wire . . .
Then, to my horror, I saw this -- what in the world is going on here? Did I catch two in that little cage last night, and one got away after mutilating this guy? Or is Cujo alive?
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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Otis
170 posts
Oct 23, 2008
12:29 PM
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Hey Laura, Like the guys said, keep the trap set. All those paw prints mean is you have a family of them and they don't fear the dogs because they have numbers and know when the dogs are tied up. Get your self some 1/2" x 1/2" wire mesh and use heavy duty staples to secure it to the lumber. Do your pigeons a favor and put them in their own pen. That critter was eaten up because the others were trying to set him free! Notice the mud near the wound! Good Luck, Otis
Last Edited by on Oct 23, 2008 12:32 PM
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sundance
842 posts
Oct 23, 2008
6:38 PM
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Laura, you will have to carry him very far away if you dont want him back. A coon can travel several miles in a night. Sometimes they are too smart for their own good !!! Best thing is to terminate him.
They are cute and all , but he will be back. And you can bet theres several more to take his place. A friend caught 17 so far just in his garden this year.
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Butch @
Sundance Roller Lofts
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TT
75 posts
Oct 23, 2008
6:49 PM
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"Attack Of The Coon's"
It comes down to this, relocating them doesnt really work, Theres more right behind them, best thing to do is reinforce everything and live together, Or whoop the little @%!#*, and everyone other one you see and make that a new hobby.
Good luck with whatever decision you make.
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Tony.
Calgary, AB
Last Edited by on Oct 23, 2008 6:49 PM
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Santandercol
3270 posts
Oct 23, 2008
10:00 PM
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Yeah,I have coons and river otter around here but NOTHING gets through the wire on my pens.Not even mice.Seen coon prints on the front of my plywood lofts tho and poison is set for the rats and mice all year round.Them otter are smart ,and can move the bricks holding the nets over my fishponds.Chased one of them buggers outta the yard like 4 times in the last year.The dogs always alert me to their presence when I let them out at 5:00am.Quite funny to see a 22 lb Aussie Terrier chasing a 35lb otter across the yard.The dogs know to keep their distance but it is their bark that scares off the otter.
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
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Double R
293 posts
Oct 24, 2008
5:41 AM
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Laura,
If you have a .22cal. rifle it will work better than your .410 and won't damage your trap, as long as you place the end of the barrel through the cage. Where there's one 'coon there's more, I have a picture taken with my deer trail camera of 4 'coons at the same time feeding! Keep the trap set!!!
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"Double R Roller Lofts"
________Robby_________
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KiddenAround
176 posts
Oct 24, 2008
5:58 AM
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Thanks, everyone for the good advice. I'm definitely getting the 22 -- what am I doing out in the country without one, anyway?
Yesterday, my feet couldn't carry me fast enough to the trap to see what was in there. I was HIGH I was so excited!
I was up 'til 3am working on projects, and couldn't resist checking the trap a couple of times. Nothing. This morning, nothing. I know that wasn't the only 'coon out there. I'm definitely keeping the trap set.
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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KiddenAround
177 posts
Oct 24, 2008
6:04 AM
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Hey, Butch and Tony -- I took the 'coon to lunch with me yesterday, where several farmers and ranchers eat, and you'd think one of them had a 22 in the truck, but none did. After I had lunch with a friend, I drove about 8 miles and set the critter loose. I thought releasing him on the OTHER side of the river would be a deterrant to making his way back, but even with his huge injury, he made a beeline for the river, swam up current for awhile and then across to the other side, scrambled up the bank and disappeared.
The next one will get no mercy. I started with 25 Cuckoo Marans and I'm down to 10 (gave 3 away, so I lost 12!).
The pigeons are in kit boxes with 1/2" x 1" wire so they have not been attacked, but I'm not sure a 'coon couldn't pull the wire away. The war is on!
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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Double R
294 posts
Oct 24, 2008
6:09 AM
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Don't be surprised if you catch the same 'coon again! If he comes back he will be harder to catch next time. They get smarter!
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"Double R Roller Lofts"
________Robby_________
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KiddenAround
178 posts
Oct 24, 2008
10:13 AM
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I thought about that . . . I'll sure recognize him -- if he comes back anytime in the next couple of weeks, he'll have a hole in his hindquarter large enough for me to put my fist in! That is such a strange mystery to me, what in the world happened to him, and where did the sardine can go?
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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Pumpkin Man
14 posts
Oct 24, 2008
12:56 PM
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I got lazy and left my trap door open the other night and lost some birds-totally my fault. Wood generally keeps them out but they can tear through about anything that's not totally secure.
Shooting them makes a mess of the cage. Drowning them makes no mess if you can stand to do it. Just make sure you keep the cage under the water for at least three or four minutes. Also, canned cat food is my bait of choice.
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SSLOFTS
145 posts
Oct 24, 2008
2:34 PM
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When I trap them,I take them to the dairy farm up the street.It has woods for them to live in,acres of corn to eat and a small stream and pond for them to frolic in.I open the trap and they take off,If I miss all six shots they are free to go. I aint missed yet!!!!
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Santandercol
3276 posts
Oct 24, 2008
3:29 PM
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With a handle like Sharp-shooter,ya better not miss,eh!!
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Kel.
Rum-30 Lofts
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Windjammer Loft
446 posts
Oct 25, 2008
8:33 AM
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Laura....I had a similar problem with my chickens. But in my case it was a weasel, not a coon.
One suggestion you might try to have the dog housed closer to the chicken coop. I did that and no longer have any critter problems. Just my suggestion though.
Fly High and Roll On
Paul
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KiddenAround
180 posts
Oct 25, 2008
8:30 PM
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Hey, Pumpkin Man -- thanks for the advice about the cat food. I thought about the drowning option, because I have a deep tank that the cattle drink from, but I have to toughen up a bit I guess before I am capable of doing that. I don't know why -- I am furious when each chicken is murdered!
SSLofts -- I like the way you think!!! lol
Hey, Paul -- my dog was tied 6 ft from where the coon left a pile of feathers, and my other dog was free to roam. I don't think my dogs wll be a big help, but they sure keep the salesmen from getting out of their cars, and I like that! lol
Last two mornings, I got up like a kid on Christmas morning, eager to see what Santa Claus brought, but NOTHING in both cages!
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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PR_rollers
1815 posts
Oct 25, 2008
8:35 PM
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laura come on I can tell you a softy ..harden up ..think chicken chicken chicken coo coo rooooo..:)drownn the SOB.:)..
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Ralph
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KiddenAround
184 posts
Oct 26, 2008
3:33 PM
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You're right, Ralph. I'm gonna get better . . .
Two more dead coons on the road this weekend -- yahoo!
Left one of the traps set this morning, and laughed when I saw one of the Leghorn chickens trapped in it!
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-- Laura
Professional Thrill Seeker
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