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dennishoddy

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For me it is disheartening when trying to grow some organic field corn or sweet corn and them bastards rape, pillage, and destroy a fine crop.

That is the main reason I got the dog proofs from TrapsUSA

Next on the hit list is squirrels, been eyeing up methods of using 110 conibears.
Two ways for squirrel. Actually three if you use Okie4570's method.
The small live trap cages with the trap door opened for a week or so using corn scattered around and mostly in the trap to get them used to feeding in there.
When they are comfortable going in and out, remove the zip tie or wire holding the door open and get ready to live trap squirrels. If you don't want to kill them, they can be relocated.
The 110 conibear in a modified cubby hole trap is a good kill trap. I've used the old white plastic newspaper holders you see along rural roads to make the cubby. Drill a hole through top and bottom to anchor it with a steel rod on the ground near an active tree.
Same technique, set the trap but tie it up so it can't trigger, throw corn around and inside the cubby until they get comfortable going in and the rest is up to you. One can use a big 64 oz fruit juice can or anything like that.
 

OHJEEZE

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Two ways for squirrel. Actually three if you use Okie4570's method.
The small live trap cages with the trap door opened for a week or so using corn scattered around and mostly in the trap to get them used to feeding in there.
When they are comfortable going in and out, remove the zip tie or wire holding the door open and get ready to live trap squirrels. If you don't want to kill them, they can be relocated.
The 110 conibear in a modified cubby hole trap is a good kill trap. I've used the old white plastic newspaper holders you see along rural roads to make the cubby. Drill a hole through top and bottom to anchor it with a steel rod on the ground near an active tree.
Same technique, set the trap but tie it up so it can't trigger, throw corn around and inside the cubby until they get comfortable going in and the rest is up to you. One can use a big 64 oz fruit juice can or anything like that.
And there is this.



And I have saw the same, but in a box standing vertical, tied to the tree.
 

Ians 17/22

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For me it is disheartening when trying to grow some organic field corn or sweet corn and them bastards rape, pillage, and destroy a fine crop.

That is the main reason I got the dog proofs from TrapsUSA

Next on the hit list is squirrels, been eyeing up methods of using 110 conibears.

Here's an answer to the squirrel problem....simply make a "Colony Trap" out of 1/4 - 1/2 mesh wire , 5-6 inches square , 24 - 36 inches long , using same material fasten a vertical swinging door on each end so that door swings in but not out , peanut butter , stale bread etc. are good baits.....
Yrs ago i BOUGHT a doz. "Colony Traps" only because they folded up for easy carrying , placed them in Muskrat runs , WOW , in 1 instance had to cut the trap apart to get the rats out as they were frozen & jammed in the trap....put 1 out back & in the morning had 6 Squirrels , 4 gray , 1 black & a white....let the black & white go , then made Squirrel Pot Pies....YUMMY.....
This WILL fix your problem & create a few hearty meals for this cold Winter......
 

OHJEEZE

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Here's an answer to the squirrel problem....simply make a "Colony Trap" out of 1/4 - 1/2 mesh wire , 5-6 inches square , 24 - 36 inches long , using same material fasten a vertical swinging door on each end so that door swings in but not out , peanut butter , stale bread etc. are good baits.....
Yrs ago i BOUGHT a doz. "Colony Traps" only because they folded up for easy carrying , placed them in Muskrat runs , WOW , in 1 instance had to cut the trap apart to get the rats out as they were frozen & jammed in the trap....put 1 out back & in the morning had 6 Squirrels , 4 gray , 1 black & a white....let the black & white go , then made Squirrel Pot Pies....YUMMY.....
This WILL fix your problem & create a few hearty meals for this cold Winter......
I have saw a picture of muskrats packed so tight in a colony trap, like you mentioned above. Awesome!

I am not a fan of eating squirrel, would do it if starving, but think they would make a good chicken feed! Then I could eat the tasty eggs!
 

Raido Free America

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Last year, i decided to start trapping raccoons in an effort to see the turkey population return. I had only seen one turkey between two small properties in 2020 and both offered decent habitat. A friend that owns 5 acres was losing chickens to raccoons so i offered to trap them. In turn, he let me deer hunt (I've taken two nice bucks there between last year and this year).

I started trapping August 1st 2021 on 12 acres and the 5 acre place. By March 31st, i had trapped 129 raccoons between both places. This made it very apparent why turkey recruitment was failing.

Still no turkeys but Rome wasn't built in a day.

I started trapping September 15th this year on just the 12 acres as we've moved and with work, it's not feasible to check traps at the the other place (he's not lost any more chickens). I'm up to 29 as of today. Mostly juveniles, which tells me a lot about the population.

During rifle season, i saw my first turkeys here! 7 walked to 10 yards and flew to within 4 yards, over the neighbour's fence (he's told me to hunt the fence line). View attachment 331734

Yesterday, i put out some stuff for deer in the backyard. An hour later, the turkeys were there! They walked right up to the house before continuing their journey. A flock of 7 in the winter is terrible, but it's better than before and I'm looking forward to another year or two really showing a return on investment here. View attachment 331735
View attachment 331736
I suspect house cats are doing as much, or more damage to quail population than racooons, at leasst where I live. I don't know if house cats can take nesting wild turkeys, hatching maybe? I have been here 45 years and the quail population went from huge, to zero, in that time, due to cutting up, and developing land near me.
 

dennishoddy

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I suspect house cats are doing as much, or more damage to quail population than racooons, at leasst where I live. I don't know if house cats can take nesting wild turkeys, hatching maybe? I have been here 45 years and the quail population went from huge, to zero, in that time, due to cutting up, and developing land near me.
Feral house cats are the #1 predator on quail when they roam in their habitat. Baby rabbits, endangered species and so on.
People like to dump them around where we live. If I see them, I kill them.

https://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/hunting/birds/2006/10/muffy-quail-killer/?amp
 

Okie4570

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I thought this was interesting about the controlled hunt results last year. MCAAP is the only place with birds? And apparently lots of them?

20230408_164747.jpg
 

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