Feral cat hunting

[45Marlin carbine]

a well fed cat will hunt for the pleasure of kiling. a well fed dog will not hunt. nothing against cat owners that keep then de-clawed and nuetered and bells on the collar. I like to scratch their backs like many people. my sister (one of 5) lives in the country and her cat (de-clawed) catches mice and lays them on the door mat. fairly good-size Tom he is. and he has no cojones also.

[tplumeri]

It would appear (to me) that at least a few of these people are posting with us here at TFL.

Thats a good way to get noticed here, newbie.

If you haven't noticed, the presidential primaries are almost entirely emotionally-driven (and you can bet the full presidential election will be as well), as they have been for as long as I can remember.

REALLY? Now I'm no expert, but I think MOST people vote for a presidential candidate based on facts and past performance now days.
Gone are the days when a "pretty boy" was elected over an "unattractive" man. (i'm referring to the jfk election)

as they have been for as long as I can remember

Just how long is that?

[Wayward_Son]

"Getting noticed"?!

"Newbie"?!

That is your response? It speaks for itself. Good lord, I'll let that rest right there.

"Now I'm no expert, but I think MOST people vote for a presidential candidate based on facts and past performance now days."

And I would argue that most people are fooled into believing that they are voting on a factual basis (for reasons I don't care to explain here because it is outside the scope of the topic at hand), while they are actually voting based on the manipulative, subtle (and not subtle), calculated and constructed strategies of the mud-slinging candidates (in virtually all parties) and their strategists. But, again, that is not within the range of this discussion. The only reason I brought it up is because of your thinly-veiled plea to the admins to close this thread because of "emotional" posts, and how absurd that is to use as a reason for justifying the closing of a conversation-provoking topic. If you'd truly like to discus politics, then please reply to me in a private message.

"Just how long is that?"

For one, that doesn't matter. For another, it's not your business. For a third, if you'd like to continue a discussion of politics, then we can continue in private.

More importantly, it seems your entire response focused only on the political example I briefly brought up, while ignoring everything else I posted. Perhaps you'd like to respond to me with something on topic?

[tplumeri]

And I would argue that most people are fooled into believing that they are voting on a factual basis (for reasons I don't care to explain here because it is outside the scope of the topic at hand), while they are actually voting based on the manipulative, subtle (and not subtle), calculated and constructed strategies of the mud-slinging candidates (in virtually all parties) and their strategists.

You're kidding, right? You propose that the rest of us are too stupid to know fact from fiction? That we are easily "fooled' by "manipulative".........."mud-slinging" candidates and their "strategists"?!

Perhaps you'd like to respond to me with something on topic

I did. You brought politics into the discussion.
I was talking about emotions about killing.

[tyrajam]

Wayward Son, thanks for bringing a thoughtful and focused response to this topic. While most of the posters on this thread take the other side of the argument, you've provided a good example of how to disagree and make your point. I just wish The Tourist would come up with on topic responses like you.

I grew up in farm country, and we had 5-15 barn cats at any given time. Our neighbors had dogs and cats and we knew whose they were. Nobody ever shot a neighbors dog or cat that I know of, but I guarantee that if our lovable golden retriever would have been seen chasing a neighbors sheep he would have been shot. We were only about 15 minutes outside Salem Oregon, and we often had people dump cats in our area. Many of these were adopted by neighbors or simply moved in with somebodies barn cats, and I have no doubt that some were shot by farmers. How much of a problem was it? I have no idea. We had TONS of songbirds, hundreds of quail, but practically no rabbits.

Today, the only way I would shoot a cat is if I was either in an area away from houses-like 1/2 mile-or if I was on a farmers property who asked me to shoot any cats I saw, but that's just me. I guess the question of if all of those barn cats are feral is opening up a whole new subject.

[prime8]

Thank God, cause thats the right of free Americans.

Every piece of property needs management. Your lawn, retaining walls, livestock, wild game, crops, and even feral cats!
A pack of wild dogs mauled a girl to death a couple years ago. Even fido needs a good check every once in a while!
I also see nothing wrong with finding targets of chance. I love to shoot. Hunting saves me ammo. I dont break any laws, and am as courtious, and safe rifleman, as anyone else. I dont always hunt for food and dont really care what Wisconsin thinks about it. I served my country, and quit caring about public oppinion shortly after.
As far as townies, and bubba's poluting the woods. It urks me a little that others arnt as courtious as Id like them to be. All I can really do is make sure I do my part, and pack out as much of others trash as I can. I may even pick up a couple empty beer cans on my next big cat hunt!


JMO

[Art Eatman]

Wayward Son: Lemme repeat; you missed it first time around (maybe it was the second time around; I don't always backtrack over these endless threads).

A study by the Wisconsin game department concluded that one feral cat kills as many as 100 songbirds a year.

An educated guesstimate from field surveys was that there could be as many as a million feral cats in the state of Wisconsin.

Even if they were off by an order of magnitude--which I doubt--it still would mean at least ten million songbirds a year. One state. Probably less of a problem in the states of the Great Plains; equal or more in the more forested states of the south (my own guesstimate as to that.)

I further noted that a trapping effort here in south Georgia at my wife's cousin's place next door to us, the humane society folks trapped some 72 cats within a month or so of effort. That's most likely from an area of no more than two or three hundred acres around us. At most.

[Wayward_Son]

"You're kidding, right? You propose that the rest of us are too stupid to know fact from fiction? That we are easily "fooled' by "manipulative".........."mud-slinging" candidates and their "strategists"?!"

I'm not proposing that anyone is stupid. That is your word, not mine. Please do not put words into my mouth. And please realize when I said "most people", that includes me. I am not exempt. My point was that emotional appeals are prevalent in virtually all human discussions, including politics (which was an easy example because of the present primaries in our social context, but certainly not the only example I could have chosen). And emotional appeals are not legitimate grounds for closing informative, debate-stimulating threads. Emotional appeals are everywhere, and if we were to ban all emotional appeals then we would have to ban nearly all advertising in the USA. And that includes advertising for corporate entities and potential political leaders.

Emotional appeals are not legitimate grounds for closing a thread!





"I did. You brought politics into the discussion."

Again, as an example, not as a point of contention. I could have chosen to point out emotional appeals of advertising (of cars, shampoo, or computers) or of finances (banks, credit unions, lenders, or investment angencies), or even entertainment (movies, music, television).

I chose the current political climate and the primaries because of its immediate influence on the gun issue. It was not only convenient, it was relevant in our context of responsible gun usage. I could have chosen anything, from overclocked computers to preferences in the different styles of Karate.

"I was talking about emotions about killing."

Then you should have clearly stated that. But you didn't. You vaguely mentioned something about this thread being "now driven by emotion", as if it was ever driven by anything else. Whether you (or others) wish to admit that this topic of shooting cats (feral or otherwise) with various calibers of firearms was ever based on an emotional foundation of feline hatred or not is moot. The fact is that these discussions are emotionally driven by both sides, so you should stop asking the mods to close the thread. IF you want them to close it, then do it based on something legitimate: Thread is Off-Topic, Thread is Vulgar, Thread is Somehow in Violation of Terms of Service. But after reading through the posting guidelines (of which I was recently reminded by an admin), there is nothing wrong with making posts of an emotional, on-topic nature. Because of that, it should not be closed simply because you, sir, wish it to be closed. Emotions are an everyday fact of life, and they are no reason to close a thread.

There is a term for your method of argument, and it is called RED HERRING. Others might even call it STRAW MAN, but I'm not one of them.

Cat's often (but not always) love fish.

Tyrajam: Thank you. If I can reach one person, then I consider my efforts successful.

[Lawyer Daggit]

A well fed dog will not hunt...

They will and they do. I used to own a Belgian Shepherd who looked like a Wolf and when walking her off the lead on occasion around a country town she has taken off after sheep who had escaped from paddocks. She has always in such situations returned to me on my command and been thereafter placed on a lead, but by the look in her eye she and I know damned well what she would have done to the throat of a sheep if she caught it.

I loved that dog dearly, but there is no doubt in my mind what she was capeable of and I used to exercise appropriate control over her.

Dogs, particularly when in a group, will hunt for fun, cats will, and Oh yes, Man will as well.

Just as we need to ensure that we hunt in an environmentally sensitive way, a pet owner needs to ensure that appropriate limits are placed upon their pet to ensure that they do not take wildlife and stock.

I will hunt wild cats because the area I hunt in adjoins a National Park that people are given to dumping unwanted cats and kittens in. Sadly that they hunt and are feral is not the cats fault, but they are good breeders and someone needs to apply some checks and balances to their burgeoning population.

[Rigby1962]

For those against shooting the cats, is it you don’t feel there’s problem and they should just be left alone or there is a problem, just handle it in some other way?

[The Tourist]

To my knowledge, there isn't even a report with hard numbers, just projections.

I know of no committee studying the 'problem' or other answers.

I do know that two other programs for two other species were voted down.

It doesn't seem to be a local issue here with much traction among real hunters, conservationists or communist hippies. I'm surprised this thread has run this long for something that doesn't even exist.

[hogdogs]

To see what florida thinks of the feral cat problem just look to myfwc.com. We have many invasive species that can be taken year around. Many are subtropical "exotic" pet snakes and lizards as are some fish. We also have the ring neck dove to hunt year around. Tasty little buggers those are!
Brent

[Lawyer Daggit]

For a problem that does not exist....

Boloney. The problem of feral cats is a globally recognised problem and is a major divisive factor in relations between the animal rights activist and the conservationist here in Australia where the uncontrolled domestic cat , be it feral or otherwise has lead to the to loss of native species- particularly song birds, and other species defenceless of them.

I have tried to understand Tourist's arguments by trying to think in terms of a species that does some, though not as much damage, the dog, on the basis that I am a dog lover and not a cat lover, that has not worked for me.

I think here we are dealing with a personal value problem that cannot be resolved through discussion. Even allowing for the occasionally rude, objectionable and perhaps over enthusiastic comment I have enjoyed this thread, although I think it has now about run its course.

[The Tourist]

Originally Posted by Lawyer Daggit

Boloney...I have tried to understand Tourist's arguments...I have enjoyed this thread, although I think it has now about run its course.

I agree. It's time to be civil. All points of this discussion have been touched. From this point on we're liable to make lasting enemies of each other.

It's time for the experts in game management to find out just what is a stressing the environent in Wisconsin and lay down a plan for improvement. And that's an answer that should satisfy everyone but a slob hunter who is breaking every statute already.

[cole k]

On my hunting club lands, feral cats, feral dogs, feral hogs, beavers, bobcats, coyotes, musk rats, raccoons and nutrias are to be shot on sight when legal. Feral cats, feral dogs, feral hogs and nutrias are classified as "invasive predatory / destructive species" and in Mississippi we are encouraged to kill them. We do have a season on beavers, bobcats, coyotes, musk rats, and raccoons.

What ever firearm is handy will work but I like 22 Mag for the small stuff, .223 or 25-06 for mid-size stuff and a .308 for hogs.

Oh, by the way, I have always owned cats and dogs.

[hogan]

Whew, this will be my last attempt at starting a humorous thread.
Come on guys, it was supposed to be funny.
Maybe some of you guys have a touch of the cabin flu

[JohnKSa]

http://library.fws.gov/Bird_Publicat...ngbrd.html#Cat

[Mannlicher]

I read the first few replys, and then the last page. Wow, how a simple thread morphs.

I do what I can to thin down the population of feral and non feral cats in my neighborhood. I use a wonderful old Remington 521T .22 bolt rifle, and CCI CB longs. Head shots only. I have yet to have one do more than twitch and wiggle after shooting it. Those CB longs are really quite, just a 'pffffffft' and its over.

[MyGunsJammed]

I'm noticing a problem in my neighborhood here.....there are plenty of feral cats around living in the streets, but mainly in peoples back yards and garages.....

how do they survive through the rough northeast winters????

[ActivShootr]

Personally I would not hesitate to shoot a feral cat or dog. I have done both on several occasions when the dogs were chasing deer and on one occasion ME. I guess that makes me a bubba. Oh well.

[hogan]

FERAL CAT SEASON JUST OPENED AT MY PLACE.
Came home from work last night and turned up my lane and had a cat run across the lane right in front of me.
I just thought that I had spooked the cat when I drove in, but much to my surprise the cat ran across the lane and pounced on a full grown rooster pheasant.
I have always thought that the cats were more of a problem with the wild bird chicks. Never dreamed that they would take a full grown pheasant.
It's open season on cats at my house!!!!!!!!!!!

[hogdogs]

Hogan, HAPPY HUNTIN' BUD! Shooting over bait and electronic calls is 'tween you and sylvester and morris! It would urk me more to see a pheasent killed by a feline than to find my truck pissed in cuz of no windows in the doors!
Brent

[MyGunsJammed]

I shot at a feral cat with an air rifle once but missed.... but it sure scared kitty pretty well when he jumped like 3 feet in the air....

[tplumeri]

Interesting how we can change our outlook.
I am (was) a big fan of feral cat "population control", didnt really give a crxp about songbirds but didnt want them around the chickens.
last year i built a new chicken coop and run. covered the entire run with wire and burried the wire 6 inches into the ground along the perimeter. i did that mainly for cyotes but it has worked well to keep cats at bay.
lately, my two barn cats have taken in a couple of feral strays. at first you couldnt get near em but after about a month of eating the barn cats food (and realizing where that food is comming from) they have gotten very tame.
the new, expanded "posse" has managed to controll the mouse/rat population in the barn and corrals and i havent found an excess of dead birds around.
so, i guess i disagree with the idea that feral cats cant be tamed and they kill (for pleasure) even if well fed.
having said that, i WILL thin the "herd" if more than 6 total.
JMHO
tom

[45Marlin carbine]

on my home from grocer this a.m. about 11 on a fine fair day I saw 2 cats stalking around the street-side I drove on. no doubt hunting birds scratching for seed. domestic cats should be de-clawed, nuetered and wear bells on collars.