TDHP,

I'm not sure if I missed something, but are you saying that all you use to trap those animals is a simple cage trap?

The bigone - why must you stay so far away from the barn? Who made that rule? Here in Ohio, there are distances that a trapper must stay away from buildings and homes. However I include in my contract a waiver of that and specifically state that the customer is knowingly authorizing me to set traps in, around, under, and next to any manmade structure.

Wanna - Yes, feral, unowned, free ranging, and wild spirit cats are killing machines. Do to technicalities and political foolishness we can do nothing about it.

Too Tired. Brain shut off. Time for bed.

Yes Sir, simple cage along with bait and lure with knowledge of the animals I'm after which is continuous learning and a skill set I continue to work on everyday. I'll be honest with you, there aren't any tricks when it comes time for trapping the above typed animals, I know some want you to believe there is but they will all enter cages without the assistance of 30+ years of experience in a little jar "convenience for the trapper" or being in the business for 40 + years and doing it for a living or any other bs excuse. If there was a trick it would be hard work and lots of time in the field working on the objective.

Experience is only as good as how the individual comprehends and interprets it to then apply it in a practical application. As we seen in the past here, just because folks go and learn something doesn't mean they will understand it and have the experience work for them without working on it, no two jobs are the same and the methods taught don't always work which is why people need to be able to think on their own, because once the puppet master is done with the class and they enter the field and what they've been taught is just not working..now what?

You'll find you don't need a lot of that if you have somewhat of an understanding on what is going on with the jobs or area you're trapping, pretty basic stuff. Which is why turning down opportunities to get the experience needed in the field would be silly and people listening is even more confusing, like pawns. The "experts" may have a different opinion, but there is no magic to the end result, it's long days and being dedicated and focused on solving the issue at hand.
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No one made that rule that I know of, I just simply thought that it might be a better approach given the situation and my skill level/skill set. I asked for the guys address so that I could study the property on a map. It's looking even worse as far as setting a distance away on a possible travel route. He only owns about 3/4 of an acre and has neighboring properties to both sides and beyond. There's a road in the front of his house and another major road on the back of his property. The best that I can do is explain to him the problems that I'm presented with, along with the actual probability of making such a catch. Whether those reasons of probability are my experience, the problems presented by him and his neighbors, or a combination of both.

No big secrets over here, I set up in an area where I have sign and if no sign, I use my best judgement on habits and with a little luck if they come by the traps it's more probable than not that they will be in there for the morning check. We trap year round, and trap with the same method during breeding seasons as well. If it isn't broke, I don't fix it.



Adc bait and lures that offer a variety are my best producers. Take into consideration, just because a lure has a strong distinct odor doesn't mean it is appealing to the critters. That is why building bait and lure to your nose instead of the critters nose in my book is putting you at a disadvantage. The coon was trapped in the secondary cage at the other end of the wall, same lure no magic.

I really appreciate this. It won't only assist me in any help that I may be able to offer someone, but it also gives me a different look and understanding of animalistic nature in general which will help me during trapping season. It's all very interesting for sure.

Again, please feel free to share more. This is definitely good information for any trapper.

I'm adding my two sense in this, and I mean sense. Canines without a live bait, do not readily enter a live trap or they would be in common use. You already know you have an impossible situation with free roaming cats and dogs. I am reminded of reading the adventures of Major Boddicker of Colorado in dealing with coyotes killing sheep, in if you can not catch a problem animal close, you have to do your work catching them off sight. That means finding the travel routes predators take which are far enough away from the cats and dogs.
While you did not say how urban your area is, if you have access to areas far enough away from the dwellings that is a start. I have caught dogs a half mile from their homes. No damage done in #2 traps with two coils as all that is required on fox, and they get a sore foot and stay out of the traps. Cats in offsets still get dinged up, but tend to learn the lesson too, but the owners sometimes do not appreciate the education of keeping their roaming creatures on their own land.

I would though defend landowners and their right to have free range poultry. They pay the taxes and they have the right to run chickens unmolested by predators. Rights though come up to realities and I wonder about the fox. In my experience, I have never had any predators just take one free meal and showing self control. Predators tend to keep coming back until there is nothing left. Your poultry owner may have had a number of predators over a year's time. It could have been hawks that migrated through, fox that were caught and this fox just happened to be the one seen and is now the current problem. Horned owls get overlooked, but that is an issue for wildlife agencies.

In my area, I turn to snares for problem predators. I do not know what the regs are for them in your state, and snares are like kill traps in no second chances for non targets.

Setting up for fox on areas where they have live food is usually difficult. I usually set up off location as noted, and do a Leggett step down with a plain skunk scent to age in. I have had those take weeks to connect, but one of the most pleasant experiences I had in control work was connecting on a fox that was killing a woman's farm cats at midnight. I happened to be setting up nearby when I heard the fox be caught. I have never heard an animal scream more angry than that fox did. It was educated to traps and thought it knew everything.

I would though have the owner pen the birds up until the problem is solved. I hope something in that helped as it is a different game trapping a specific animal to just setting up a line.

What would really make "sense" is for individuals to improvise and adapt to their current situation, especially for the folks who are a cage state only. Just like many say fox won't enter a cage during breeding season, prove that theory wrong every year. If it were easy everyone would do it.

Star Flakes, thank you for your reply. I'm really enjoying trapping, even though right now I really stink at it. There's so much to learn and I love reading well written explanations of techniques and animal behavior from those who have more experience than I do.

Nothing's going to be easy about trying to help this guy. I'm meeting with him tonight at 1700. I looked up his address on a map and, I think that I stated it previously, but he only owns a 3/4 acre lot, bordered on the front and back with roads and side to side with neighbors. A guy with my experience and knowledge has absolutely no clue on what to do in a situation such as this given the other facts of feral cats, etc... All that I can come up with in my mind is to set out a cage trap and hope that it works. And I'm going to be completely upfront about all of this with the man. As you all may have noticed, I'm not a great trapper, hopefully that soon gets rectified, and I'm definitely not a professional ADC guy. I'm just trying to help the guy out is all.

Ill ad my name to the list of caution. Don't have any advice but becareful and have fun.

Thank you Steel, I’m still not sold on it myself.

You are required to have a nuisance control permit in PA in the off season .

Thanks Rick, I appreciate that. Not that I want to become an ADC guy, but can you point me in the direction on a website or some reading as to how one might accomplish getting said permit or certified in PA? I’m just curious as to what it takes.

Thank you Rick, I appreciate that.

Ok all, met with the guy and low and behold there’s actually a connection that I kind of know him. Long story though. I’ll simply be giving him advice on things that he can try.

He said that the fowl will roost on his deck and the fox will come up there after them.

Check my idea. He had a big plastic dog crate for his pit bulls to go to the vet. I told him to put the rooster in it as live bait. Then to butt up against the front of the carrier with the cage. What do you think?

Just a little redneck ingenuity, not much of an ADC method I’m sure. But if it works it ain’t stupid.

Oh, and we’re taking my 10 year old daughter out next weekend for the PA youth spring turkey hunt to get this fella or his brother.