I've read alot of posts about using catch poles to release nontargeted animals, but i've also seen where people have used a piece of plywood with a hole to place over the animals foot to release it. Just wondering what everyones opinion is on this, and what would you think would be less stress on the animal. Thanks in advance.

For the most part I would say the catch pole works best for me. Easier to carry than a piece of plywood but then it has it's place too.

The piece of plywood works very well if you are trapping out of a pickup and have room to pack it, not so well on a snowmachine or atv. Also I'd be pretty leery of using a piece of plywood to release a truly large animal by myself, like a cougar or bear. On the other hand I don't look forward to the day I have to release a lion by myself with a catch pole either, and I've never dealt with a bear and don't really want to, regardless of what tool I have.

Gulo I know catches a few most years summer trapping wolves, and maybe he will chime in on release methods. Most of the guys I know that have caught bears have called fish and game to come release them if they were adults, but that pretty much wastes your whole day.

Regardless of what you use, plywood, catch pole, handy forked stick, whatever, it is a lot easier if they are staked solid on a short chain, if they are on a drag with 8-10' of chain it can become more interesting.

I use a plastic tote to release bobcats. Less stress for me and the critter.

I think saying one method is less stressful than the other on the animals is just making an assumption. The most stressful part for the animal is being that close to a human that they perceive as a threat, after that everything is kind pointless. Both methods are animal friendly and acceptable in my opinion. Both methods if applied correctly are safe for the animal. I personally like the idea of having the end that bites you under control.

I came across a bunch of mineral tubs very HD I think they would be the ticket for that.

Catch pole is the ticket for me, always one in the pickup.
Then if I'm trapping off the the wheeler I can just go back to pickup and get the pole if needed.
We released fox last year, and a bobcat never had a problem.
Animals never seem to stressed out to me, they sure run like wind

I use my death ray to release critters I don’t plan on keeping it’s always in the truck.

I know from past experience to much catch pole stress on a cat will kill It . I used a tote to release a otter and It ran Into the brush. Next day It was still at the catch site stone dead.

The otter was dead?
Too much catch pole stress will kill most everything

If you are using a catch pole to release a cat, get one front leg in the loop. That way, you can hold it securely and reduce the injury potential.

Had a lot of rats ripped out of my rat sets. Caught a young of the year otter and I didn't have a catch pole. So I had a tote in the boat so I placed It over the otter and my buddy pulled the foot and the trap out and released the otter. It ran back In the cat tails a bit and sat there looking at us. Next day that otter laid there stone dead.

I think animals are like humans, if you deal with enough of them you are going to find some that have weak hearts and don't handle stress. I remember as a teenager shooting a young buck, I didn't know at the time that my stock was cracked on my rifle. At 75 yards standing broadside I pulled down behind his front shoulder and shot, down he went. He got his front legs under him and got half up and paused looking at me, so I put the crosshairs between his eyes and touched another one off. Bang flop. When I got to him and flipped him over to gut him I discovered the first shot had busted both hind legs right above the knee and both front legs right above the knee the second shot. Laying in about an inch of snow it was obvious I hadn't hit an artery or anything, hardly any blood. And he was in the open, never out of my sight, no struggle, just as dead as quick as if I had hit him right between the eyes where I was aiming, just couldn't take the shock.
I also remember a time when a buddy had a young dog he was trying to make a bear dog out of. Our dogs were baying a bear on the ground and he turned him loose, he ran up the bank of the road, made a little yip like he got stung by a bee and fell over and rolled back down to the road stone dead.
For a third example, I remember years ago having my hounds tree a bobcat during summer pursuit season on bears. I've treed and released hundreds of bobcats over the years, it has no ill effects on them. But this cat didn't look healthy in the tree at all, it was hot out but he hadn't run hard at all, yet he was gasping for air and looked to all the world like a man suffering from a heart attack. I took the dogs back to the truck, and being as it wasn't that far from the road and he did not look normal, I decided to walk back in there and check on him. Walked back in there and he was laying at the base of the tree, dead and stiff as a board.
All these animals were young, my theory is that they had weak hearts that couldn't handle stress, and the reason that I've only seen it in young animals is that in nature they get enough stress and adrenaline causing events that such animals with a weakness don't live long enough to be old animals, they will die of stress in a natural event with no interference by man, before that. I suspect it was the same with your young otter.

A 6 ft release pole made by Katch-All is money well spent in my book

I have done the plywood and that was not a good method for me. I then did the low cost catch pole and that was not a whole lot better. I bought one about 15 years ago that has plastic coated cable and a stop system to hold the loop tight and you can use your one hand for other duties. It cost about $90 then, I am sure they are that much or more now. The other advantage of a good catch pole is you can not only release non target animals but you can also catch target species and remove from the trap and dispatch at a different location and not right in the trap bed. Can't do that with a plywood sheet. There are other advantages as well, plus just being much easier to use in a vehicle, trailer ATV, canoe, boat etc. I have probably released more otter than any dry land species and plywood and an otter would be a long, long day.

Bryce

Released a number of cougars with a six foot Katch - All, and a helper. Gets pretty western in a hurry with a mature cougar. Just gotta take enough fight out of them to safely get the trap off. And when you get the trap off and take the cable off, be prepared to just back away, because they have always just stood their ground until after we left. Luckily, I have not had to release any with a back foot catch. If I ever do, I'll wait for the game warden to show up with drugs.

I would like to see someone do it by catch pole around a front leg and neck on a full-grown cougar! LOL.

Katch-All pole for releases and Lee Steinmeyer's Death Ray for clean humane dispatch is the way to go.

Does Katch-all make a 6 ft. solid pole or is it the 4-6 ft. adjustable?

I believe they just make a 4'-6' adjust able one.

Contact Lee and buy a Death Ray

Got ray a new loop when in Spencer.
Thanks lee