What animal is pooping on my stuff???

[MarkLeininger]

Mossroad I hear you. We've probably got $1000 invested in protecting chickens that we got for free and don't produce but a dollar's worth of eggs a week. And they wake us up at 4:30 in the morning. The horses are another brilliant investment. They cost us a couple thousand dollars a year, and do absolutely nothing. You don't want me for an investment counselor.

I always wondered how the solar chargers work. We don't actually use wire, we use that rope that has wire filament embedded in it. It's easier for horses, humans and idiot snowmobilers to see, and it doesn't look so junky because it's white. Seems to give as big a shock as best as I can determine after touching both.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="green"> Seems to give as big a shock as best as I can determine after touching both. </font>


And why would you do that? /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif But I do admit to licking the top contacts of 9-volt batteries when I was a kid. And I wanted to try one of those "shock" collars for dogs, but the lovely Mrs_Bob wouldn't let me.

 

[beenthere]

Bob
What is the poison that you use? Available over the counter?

How quick does it work on a racoon?

I'm interested in that method, albeit with my present method, I control and know where they are buried, and qm not stumbling onto a two to three day old carcass in warm weather on the edge of my lawn that I have to quickly bury. Whew!

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Via PM I was directed to a poison that is available at TSC, I looked up TSCs website and found the poison, went to the local Home Depot and found a different brand using the same poision. They actually had a couple different brands, so I checked the strength and bought the one with the highest concentration of poison in it. It is a rat poison.

Supposedly it takes a couple days to kill. It gives warning on it that it will kill raccoons, possums, dogs, etc.

I did try to take care to place it in areas that would limit the exposure to non-target animals, but any animal that can climb a tree and eat could get to any of the bait stations I placed.

 

[slowrev]

I use about 6 strands of high tensile wire with a low impedance charger. I haven't seen anything yet that wants to argue with it.

Had a 4 wheller(deliberate mispell) run into a section of it last year. Heard a crash and a scream, went over to find a banged up 4 wheller and his broken toy. He got real aggrivated that someone would put up a fence to get in his way and threatened to sue. I had fence properly marked as electrified and No trespassing signs posted a proper intervals. His lawyer called, I invited him over to survey the scene, never heard anything else. Some country lawyers have a little sense.

Fence survived fine /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[MossRoad]

<font color="blue"> And why would you do that? </font>

I'm a curious cuss... so I grabbed it. Just a little shock. Nothing like I expected. I've had worse static shocks on carpet. So I kicked off my sandal, put my foot on the grass and grabbed it again.

BZZZZTTT!!! Up through my right arm, down through my right side and right out my right foot.

YEOWYOWYOWYOWYYY /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

I liked it so I did it again.

YEOWYOWYOWYOWYYY /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

One more time!

YEOWYOWYOWYOWYYY /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Take that Mr. Woodchuck!

But I will not do it again. Once was thrill enough. The real reason I did it was to make sure my kids could survive it. They easily could. From what I have read, mine is a very weak charger and the one's for horses and livestock are much more powerful. But it has done an excellent job of keeping out rabbits and woodchucks.

Poisons have always made me nervous. I think the most humane way to dispatch an animal is with a well placed bullet or very strong trap. Much faster than drowning or poisons. I have a personal fear of drowning, as I had to overcome a huge fear of it as a child. Several close calls. Funny, I went on to become a lifeguard and WSI. Only problem with bullets is they can travel increadible distances, as you already know. Perhaps a shotgun would be better. But for racoons, you'd be out all night chasing them around with flashlights, dogs, etc... Is there a local racoon hunting club around you? There are a few around here. But then you run into liability issues. YIKES!

Sounds like you have a large population of critters there. Best wishes on thinning them out. Sometimes it just has to be done. Sad but true. Just ask me about our mole problems. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="red"> Poisons have always made me nervous. </font>

Me too. To the point that I am not a big fan of simple things like Weed & Feed because we almost killed a large dog by using that stuff as per the manufacturers recommended dose! However, I also think that while a bullet is the most humane choice, it is not often the most practical choice. Land covenants permit me to control pests, but not to hunt, so bringing in the hunt club is not an option but sitting up all night with a gun and a mag light is an option. I prefer to spend my nights in bed asleep so I am opting for poison and taking what precautions I can to limit the exposure to the target animals. Everything is a trade off in life, this is one of those.

 

[Freds]

Make sure you tell the squirrels and other climbing critters (that will no doubt be drawn to the rat poison) to die somewhere that dogs and other none target animals can't get to them.

Seriously, you may want to let neighbors in a large radius know what kind of poison you are using in case their pet gets suddenly sick, possibly from eating something you poisoned, but chose to die on their property. Knowing the poison affecting an animal can mean life or death in getting prompt treatment.

My vote is for the live traps, but then I'd like to see how many I could catch. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Fred, you made some really good points and I will mention to the neighbors that I am using poison. But, dogs are not allowed to run unattended in the neighborhood, and I don't know of any that do. My dogs are not even allowed near the area that I baited unless they are with me, and I plan to remove any remaining bait this weekend. The farmer up the road has one that walks the road when people walk the road, but he stays on the road and generally near the farmers house, which is about 2/3ds of a mile away. Any cats that roam the area are wild, while they keep the mouse population down, they kill the pheasants, woodcock and other ground nesters, so if they die in the process I won't be too upset about it.

When I checked the bait stations today, some were disturbed with the bait completely eaten, and some were totally undisturbed. I replaced the bait that was gone and moved some of the undisturbed bait stations.

 

[GRUMPA]

Bob this may be on the late side but my uncle lives in Co. and used to have the same problem. He would just nail a cut in half aluminum can (bottom half of course) to a tree and fill it with anti-freeze. Shortly afterwards there wasent a problem. Seems anti-freeze and animals dont mix, works wonders on cats as well.