Using Havahart traps to relocate animals

[dadiOH]

Why do you like to torture cats? :)

[Stormin Mormon]

I presume you're aware that the folks in Lake George have a racoon problem. They have been relocating to your town.

[Stormin Mormon]

You should stop on a bridge, and drop the animal into the center of the flowing water.

[Jim Elbrecht]

The live trap can be 'on duty' 24 hours a day. It beats a snap trap as it guarantees you don't kill your pet weasel or whatever.

That said- this is my squirrel medicine-

cal single shot, break barrel pellet gun. Always a head shot at 50ft- I'm about 50% at 100 yds but the gun is more accurate than I am.

Jim

[Stormin Mormon]

Or some other racoon. It's like trying to make a hole in the lake by taking buckets of water from one side of the boat, and pour out the other side of the boat.

[HeyBub]

God provided us with cats and Aggies so we could have something safe to torment.

[Jeff Wisnia]

I've had one of those for about 8 years and it certainly does the job. But the squirrels learn fast and about the only time we get to enjoy seeing a squirrel flipped is in the spring when the next generation of them goes through their learning process.

I mounted the solar panel from a photoelectric powered battery charger on top of mine to keep the NiCads topped off, because it was a PIA to have to go out and plug the factory supplied wall wart charger into it every week or so. The "green" solar power works just fine.

Jeff

[LouB]

Many folks consider squirrels to be furry tailed rats.

[LouB]

Be careful about size and time. We left a decent size trap out at night trying to catch a squirrel and got a skunk. It did not seem to mind - no spraying - and animal control came and let it loose.

[Frank]

I've got one of the older traps with 2 doors specified for ground hogs. Have caught numerous squirrels, groundhogs, possums, raccoons and one skunk in it. Wish I had a slightly larger one as one annoying raccoon was too big for it.

As others point out, laws on trapping, relocating and killing the animals vary and may vary between game and non-game animals.

I heard trap and release was illegal in my county but once released a squirrel in the presence of a county cop and he said nothing about it. Apparently it is OK here to trap and kill and I have a neighbor that drowns ground hogs caught in his Havahart. Figure that out.

[gfretwell]

I agree squirrels are just rats with a publicist (a roof rat is just a "palmetto squirrel" around here) but the squirrels haven't come into my house. One running around the bedroom and my wife said they all have to die. I rolled that particular one with birdshot out of my .22 colt revolver. Hit him running.

[Jim Elbrecht]

They wouldn't do that. It is illegal. They just shoot the possibly rabid raccoon and the guy who brung it.

Jim [honestly- any 'animal control officer' who relocates a raccoon from NYC or its environs *ought* to be shot.

]

[Joe]

Most admirable tolerance.

Joe

[mm]

My mother had that view, and I wish i had thought of a reply before she died.

I think the difference between a rat and a squirrel is much like the difference between an ugly girl and a pretty girl. And that's a big difference.

[hallerb]

no matter what you do more weill move into your now vacant area......

better to feed wildlife or at best ignore them

but do keep them out of your home, where they can do damage

[mm]

Squirrels or pretty girls?

Or both?

[Don Wiss]

Easy. Havahart traps are readily available. Drowning is mess free, no blood. And a snap trap could leave the animal in pain for many hours.

Don (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Don Wiss]

Amazing. When I posted this the price was $41.20. Now it is $61.99. I would not have expected all the people here viewing the page to drive up the price.

Don (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Don Wiss]

I like the page. I wonder why the animal care people told us we were on our own for trapping and relocating the raccoons, and that we couldn't kill it. Anyway it is nice to see that no squirrels have been found rabid and my borough only had a bat.

I was reading the Amazon.com reviews for the six raccoon size Havahart traps. Seems all of them get plenty of negative reviews for various reasons. I see no point in it being collapsible, and some have had the raccoon bend it an escape. Then the easy set and easy release mechanism can break.

A friend argues that it needs peanut butter spread on the pan, instead of seeds. A review also pointed out that this reduces the eating the bait without setting the trap. My problem is the opposite. The trap is sprung with no squirrel inside. As for mice and chipmunks squeezing through the holes I have never seen them around here. One thing the new traps have, which my 50 year old one doesn't, is spring loaded doors. I'm thinking the fat squirrel's tail is keeping a door open so it can get out.

Don (e-mail link at home page bottom).

[Stormin Mormon]

I've heard that they are good eating.