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Old May 3, 2012, 08:55 PM   #26
hogdogs
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I , along with many a hunter, will expend ANY round we have loaded for deer or hog etc. on a solo feral feline we see on the Eglin AFB WMA...

I, personally, am willing to wreck a hunt day for a single vermin feral field lion...
Brent
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Old May 3, 2012, 09:00 PM   #27
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A .300 Win mag or .30-06 in Core-Lokt or better or a 12 gauge in ANY buck ball or a slug of either $abot or a standard style Foster or Brenneke [sp] reeks havoc on even the healthiest feral feline body...
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Old May 4, 2012, 04:58 AM   #28
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^^As well as a finely tuned arrow tipped with a nice broadhead....

...but I must admit, when bow hunting, since I'm so cheap, in my quiver is always a shaft or two tipped with field points especially for field lions and other destructive beasts of the jungle.
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Old May 4, 2012, 06:42 AM   #29
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Any suggestions for catching one (ie, traps)?

Having problems with stray cats on a property inside city limits.
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Old May 4, 2012, 07:39 AM   #30
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Trapping feral cats can be tough if you have possums and coons as they will often hit the same baits...

Milk is really a good bait... catfood is the main bait I used besides milk...

Brent
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Old May 4, 2012, 08:03 AM   #31
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Milk is really a good bait... catfood is the main bait I used besides milk...
I don't know about down there, up here we get skunks and lots of em! I use PVC traps just in case. A skunk can't spray me from in the trap but occasionally they do leak a bit

Last edited by mquail; May 7, 2012 at 07:22 AM.
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Old May 4, 2012, 11:56 AM   #32
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Snares work too. Well kinda. I snared one just outside my house a little while back. He was big and healthy and murder on the rabbits and such around the house. The snare I sat was a little too strong for a cat but i proceeded anyway. I baited it with KFC. It took him maybe 20 minutes before he showed himself. My wife and I watched him take the bait and when the snare went off it slung him about 10 feet in the air and 20 feet down range. He hit the ground unhurt and came back and got the chicken anyway. My wife said that that was not a snare it was a cat-a-pault. I was laughing soo hard I couldnt shoot him. I did manage to get him a couple days later.
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Old May 4, 2012, 12:35 PM   #33
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Don't see a lot of cats or mean, stray dogs in my woods. But I put them down when I do.

Last cat was a big SOB, but birdshot got him out of that tree ASAP. Now my dog has more rabbits to chase!
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Old May 4, 2012, 01:14 PM   #34
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Savage Sniper

Your cat a palult thing is hilarious. P.S if you are baiting with KFC I might have to start being a stray cat in your yard!
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Old May 5, 2012, 12:30 PM   #35
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I think you did it just right. I am a dog and cat owner and a lifelong animal lover. My cats stay in the house (that way the mice don't), and I have a tall fence to keep the dog in the yard when he is outside. People who don't take proper measures to contain their animals are also not taking proper care of them, and if the animal gets dead, they don't really have much room to complain.
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Old May 5, 2012, 05:09 PM   #36
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I have adopted two West Highland White Terriers from a rescue organization here in Southern California. In the last 18 months the have killed 2 rats, 5 mice and 9 oppossum. They each weigh about 18 pounds. If the cats would come down off the fence, they would be history, too....
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Old May 5, 2012, 06:52 PM   #37
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I like the term "field lion", it makes the important distinction between pets and feral animals.
We used to have a lot of feral cats around here and I was debating hunting them, but then a fisher moved into the neighborhood, and they all sort of disappeared.
The coyotes take care of everything further back in the woods.

Nature seems to take pretty good care of it's self when you let it.

Last edited by Brian Pfleuger; May 5, 2012 at 08:37 PM. Reason: Suggestion of probable illegal activity
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Old May 5, 2012, 07:53 PM   #38
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Quote:
I think you did it just right. I am a dog and cat owner and a lifelong animal lover. My cats stay in the house (that way the mice don't), and I have a tall fence to keep the dog in the yard when he is outside. People who don't take proper measures to contain their animals are also not taking proper care of them, and if the animal gets dead, they don't really have much room to complain.
I completely agree Big Mikey76. I do the same with our cats and dogs.

Apart from the damage to smaller wildlife cats do when allowed to run free, they also become coyote snacks. Loose dogs cause problems too, killing chickens and chasing horses. A few weeks ago, someone down the road shot someone else's loose dog. The news channel started to make a big hoo-hah about it but I e-mailed them to tell them it is illegal to let dogs run loose out here, and the problems they cause when they do. The story died away.
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Old May 6, 2012, 01:35 PM   #39
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Interesting, I'm sure feral cats can wreak havoc on native populations and while I don't honestly know if I could shoot one personally, I don't begrudge those who do so when they become an invasive species.

I guess I grew up with a different angle on the matter, I spent a few years growing up in wheat country and it seemed they loved feral cats. Of course mice and songbirds can wreak havoc on grain-crops, so maybe that had something to do with it
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Old May 6, 2012, 06:17 PM   #40
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Any suggestions for catching one (ie, traps)?
I use a raccoon size Havahart live trap with a single door. I usually place a can of half open undrained tuna in the back of the trap then cover it with cardboard or wood. This helps collect the scent around the trap then as the wind gets to it it drifts out and is a great bait for cats and coons. The trap remains set up in a single location near my garbage cans. I don't seem to have any possum here in my neck of the woods so I don't catch any of them. I have however trapped over a dozen cats in the last couple of weeks and a few coons too. It seems the feral cats outnumber the coons here.

Every varmint that has gone into that trap has never made it out of the trap alive. They all enter the trap and leave by way of a .22short bullet to the top of the head from my single six. I use a .22short so I don't get overpenetration - I don't want to put any bullet holes in the catch plate of my trap.

Anyway cats and coons can't seem to resist the smell of tuna going bad. Try it and see what it does for you.

Quote:
I have adopted two West Highland White Terriers from a rescue organization here in Southern California. In the last 18 months the have killed 2 rats, 5 mice and 9 oppossum. They each weigh about 18 pounds. If the cats would come down off the fence, they would be history, too....
Two 18lb Westies would have difficulty with a healthy mature feral cat. Those things are lean, mean and agile killing machines. I've seen a single feral cat take on and chase off full grown german shepherds, pit bulls and even a small pack (4 dogs) of jack russels terriers - not the same cat but I've seen those incidents with different cats. Be careful with your wish for a cat to climb into your yard. While you may end up with a dead cat to dispose of you may also end up with one or two heavily wounded dogs to care for too.
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Old May 7, 2012, 01:07 PM   #41
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Just my 2 cents

Now I may be in the wrong, but my Mrs. works with a cat adoption place and I just couldnt kill a cat, but our cat also came back when called, just like our dog. The only feral animal I have **** was a rabid dog. I didnt like it, but it was either that or let it roam and bite/kill/infect other animals.
Now that said, I am not a PETA freak (to me PETA means people eating tasty animals) and I do hunt pests, I just like cats. But I live in the city limits where cats arent much of a problem. I hunt coyotes and can't stand to let one live if I have a firearm handy, I just have a soft spot for cats.
But to each their own and Brent, if they affect your wildlife, then put em down.
PS-I second that you tell a great hunting story
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Old May 7, 2012, 01:35 PM   #42
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I understand your feelings for cats, but feral cats are not friendly at all and are quite dangerous to domestic cats and dogs.
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Old May 8, 2012, 01:10 PM   #43
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Inside the city limits you should consult your local animal control office.
In some cases they'll lend live traps and expertise.

We have a neighbor that feeds strays. She also feeds possum and raccoons.
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Old May 8, 2012, 01:54 PM   #44
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In the city you have no choice but to rely on your local animal control office for feral cat issues or for that matter any feral/stray animals problems. More often than not they'll live trap the animal(s) and remove them to a shelter.

From there the shelter will either destroy the animal (if its found to be mangy or unsociable) or send the animal out to other shelters that will try and place them in homes. Personally I'm a huge proponent of destroying any and all collarless strays/ferals. People will say that some of those are pets even though they're not collared and tagged. Personally if someone really loved their animal they'd have the proper collar and tags on the animal - and not let it roam at large. In regard to the idea of placing them - the way I see it is they get placed in homes and then get free again to terrorize a new area... and then animal control is called and it all starts over again. Just a waste of time and money. I'd always been a supporter of heavy punishments for people who let their animals roam at will. Personally I'd be happy with a huge fine for people whose dogs/cats are caught roaming at large. Make'em pay before they get the animal back - and if they delay in paying make'em pay boarding fees. If they refuse to take the animal back take'em to court. It'll teach people to be more responsible with their pets in the city.

Out here in the country animals without collars die. Dogs with collars are captured (or killed if they prove to be of a dangerous temperament) then the owners are called. If I see the dog again law enforcement is involved - WI has a statewide statute against pets roaming at large off your private property. Third time I see the dog on my property it dies.

I just hate it when people either can't or won't (most cases its the latter) give their animals proper training and keep control of them. My dogs heel till released from heel (usually to go do something else), sit till I release them (again usually to go do something else) and don't leave my property (I don't have fences). In fact they don't wander away from what I consider my yard since that's what they've been taught as being their boundaries. Now maybe I've got a leg up on most people since I do train dogs on the side but then it really doesn't take that much time and effort to properly train a dog and keep it trained. I don't know about cats except that when they roam at large they are very detrimental to the native wildlife so they are shot on sight.
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Old May 8, 2012, 02:17 PM   #45
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My dad had a young dog he was training to be a hunting dog. One night it got out and went on the neighbors property and started chasing chickens and the neighbor shot it. My dad was a little miffed but in the end it was his fault because its his job to control his dog. He and the neighbor are still on good terms.
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Old May 8, 2012, 06:28 PM   #46
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My cats stay in the yard, they lay around and eat my food....I can't prove it, but I think they smoke weed....

My dogs have to be contained or else they would hit the road. I have one dog that gets to walk with me unleashed but he still needs supervision. I would probly give a collared dog a chance but not too many.
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Old May 8, 2012, 08:47 PM   #47
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feral cats are EVIL. Predation for boredom's sake? Cull them early and often.
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Old May 8, 2012, 10:43 PM   #48
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It is interesting to note the divide on this one between hunters and farmers / ranchers.

Feral cats don't bother me at all. They keep the rodents and birds out of my horses' feed.

For that matter, I like rat snakes.

Another thought - beware the culling out for predation due to boredom's sake rhetoric. Most of the hunters I know don't actually need to hunt. That's not to say they waste meat, but they hunt because they want to, not because they will starve if they don't hunt.
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Old May 9, 2012, 07:39 AM   #49
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Another thought - beware the culling out for predation due to boredom's sake rhetoric. Most of the hunters I know don't actually need to hunt. That's not to say they waste meat, but they hunt because they want to, not because they will starve if they don't hunt.
There's hunting for sport - which would be most of us here - then there's just killing every darned thing you come across that you can kill because you feel like it - which is every feral cat out there.

As sportsmen and hunters we only kill what we have tags for or what is allowed for us to kill during the specified season and that we have licenses for. We have a bag limit and a possession limit and we obey those limits. We also don't kill random song birds, protected species and anything else unfortunate enough to cross our path.

Feral cats on the other hand have no concern for tags, seasons, bag limits etc. They don't give a darned if a bird is a song bird, game bird or freaking protected species. They just kill it. Seen plenty of them stalk and kill then leave the carcass lay because they just saw the prey. That was really what proved to me they should be destroyed on sight.
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Last edited by Brian Pfleuger; May 9, 2012 at 09:40 AM. Reason: Language
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Old May 9, 2012, 09:28 AM   #50
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Its really hard to say 'Friday Feral Field Lion' three times quickly unless you practice.
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