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Human aspect #7698672
10/23/22 02:56 PM
10/23/22 02:56 PM
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,198
WISCONSIN
W
Wild_WI Offline OP
trapper
Wild_WI  Offline OP
trapper
W

Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,198
WISCONSIN
Not a moral debate, just wondering if you ever come up to a trap and say we'll I'm just going to release this one. Whether it's small, non target or what not. I ask because I'm averse to Killin possums, eat a lot of bugs is my reasoning but some folks just want everything you catch dead. Also don't kill stray cats, or any yearlings of any species I like to give them a fighting chance because trapping is like the ultimate chess game for me and I only want to beat the skilled players

Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698675
10/23/22 02:59 PM
10/23/22 02:59 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 25,426
Georgia
warrior Offline
trapper
warrior  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 25,426
Georgia
Nope, the thought never crossed my mind. If it's in my trap it's gonna get thumped.

I particularly like doing away with non native invasives.


[Linked Image]
Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698678
10/23/22 03:02 PM
10/23/22 03:02 PM
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,758
West Virginia,age 49
cathryn Offline
bvr-takr-upr
cathryn  Offline
bvr-takr-upr

Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 16,758
West Virginia,age 49
We routinely turn loose possums and small raccoons...also rubbed foxes..and even some rubbed coyotes that were 100 plus miles away from home.

I know some of you will holler about that but it's a fact.

If it was a paying job or near the farm,they are dispatched,regardless.

Trappers aren't heartless individuals ..I actually think most trappers are a little more soft hearted and sentimental than most people know.


IF IDIOTS GREW ON TREES THIS PLACE WOULD BE AN ORCHARD !

Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698694
10/23/22 03:21 PM
10/23/22 03:21 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 25,426
Georgia
warrior Offline
trapper
warrior  Offline
trapper

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 25,426
Georgia
I'm paid to trap. Were I after fur I would be very selective since so little southern fur grades high.


[Linked Image]
Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698700
10/23/22 03:36 PM
10/23/22 03:36 PM
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,535
Champaign County, Ohio.
K
KeithC Online content
trapper
KeithC  Online Content
trapper
K

Joined: May 2009
Posts: 15,535
Champaign County, Ohio.
I've never kept a red fox. I can only remember letting two other furbearers go. I released one small, bluish silver colored opossum, which is the only one I've ever seen like that. It was beautiful. It was colored like a silver fox, without any of the darkness. I also released a probably 5 pound raccoon, that looked like a midget, rather than a young one.

Keith

Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698704
10/23/22 03:45 PM
10/23/22 03:45 PM
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,834
Michigan
M
Michigander Offline
trapper
Michigander  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 1,834
Michigan
I let stuff go all the time. Anything not worth my time dealing with like dink coons or badly rubbed animals gets let go if the conditions allow for it.


Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698706
10/23/22 03:46 PM
10/23/22 03:46 PM
Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 4,739
Beatrice, NE
L
loosegoose Offline
trapper
loosegoose  Offline
trapper
L

Joined: Jun 2018
Posts: 4,739
Beatrice, NE
I've let a few possums go when little kids didn't want me to bring em home.

Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698730
10/23/22 04:17 PM
10/23/22 04:17 PM
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 622
Swords Creek, VA
A
ABeardedTrapper Offline
trapper
ABeardedTrapper  Offline
trapper
A

Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 622
Swords Creek, VA
I’ve released some small fox and raccoons, but all opossum are dealt with. Eric

Last edited by ABeardedTrapper; 10/23/22 04:17 PM.
Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698745
10/23/22 04:33 PM
10/23/22 04:33 PM
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 2,842
Wy
G
Giant Sage Offline
trapper
Giant Sage  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 2,842
Wy
If I ain't skinning, being paid or some sort of management it gets turned loose.

Re: Human aspect [Re: Giant Sage] #7698749
10/23/22 04:40 PM
10/23/22 04:40 PM
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,672
Ohio
W
Willy Firewood Offline
trapper
Willy Firewood  Offline
trapper
W

Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 2,672
Ohio
Originally Posted by Giant Sage
If I ain't skinning, being paid or some sort of management it gets turned loose.


Agreed, same here.


FRAC LIVES MATTER
Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698912
10/23/22 07:56 PM
10/23/22 07:56 PM
Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 4,165
Eau Claire Wi
Trap Setter Offline
trapper
Trap Setter  Offline
trapper

Joined: Oct 2014
Posts: 4,165
Eau Claire Wi
Yeah really depends on the situation, but I look at trapping like fishing in a way. I don't throw back legal fish too often unless they are a true trophy or don't taste good. Same with trapping if I can't eat it or sell it , or it's a one of a kind deal it might get a pass. I feel hooking a fish just to let them go so someone else can hook the same one seems mean. So does trapping for no reason. If I am actively trying to provide for myself or someone else then it is a part of the natural order of things. If I am just interfering with another living things life for fun I should just stay home and watch TV.


Life sure is tough when you don't learn from the mistakes of others.
Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698921
10/23/22 08:03 PM
10/23/22 08:03 PM
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,382
Green County Wisconsin
G
GREENCOUNTYPETE Offline
trapper
GREENCOUNTYPETE  Offline
trapper
G

Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 18,382
Green County Wisconsin
I have never let a possum go , but I trap farms and if the old man at one found out I was letting possums go I would be done

he lost a horse years ago to what the vet told him was possum or raccoon feces in the hay that made his horse sick.

they also have a LOT of free ranged chickens

so there is no mercy on either at that farm doesn't matter size or age

Last edited by GREENCOUNTYPETE; 10/23/22 08:04 PM.

America only has one issue, we have a Responsibility crisis and everything else stems from it.
Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698937
10/23/22 08:11 PM
10/23/22 08:11 PM
Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,787
Asheville, NC
C
charles Offline
trapper
charles  Offline
trapper
C

Joined: Aug 2010
Posts: 10,787
Asheville, NC
Used to release small possums mostly.

Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7698985
10/23/22 09:11 PM
10/23/22 09:11 PM
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,726
SW Georgia
W
Wanna Be Online content
trapper
Wanna Be  Online Content
trapper
W

Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,726
SW Georgia
Only thing I’ve released is a couple Red Fox, yes it cost me money, but we don’t have many and dispatch is at my discretion. Everything else no matter how big or small gets counted.

Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7699016
10/23/22 09:45 PM
10/23/22 09:45 PM
Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 16,951
OH
Catch22 Offline
trapper
Catch22  Offline
trapper

Joined: Nov 2015
Posts: 16,951
OH
Originally Posted by Wild_WI
Not a moral debate, just wondering if you ever come up to a trap and say we'll I'm just going to release this one. Whether it's small, non target or what not. I ask because I'm averse to Killin possums, eat a lot of bugs is my reasoning but some folks just want everything you catch dead. Also don't kill stray cats, or any yearlings of any species I like to give them a fighting chance because trapping is like the ultimate chess game for me and I only want to beat the skilled players

I see more and more post like this and I see my comments getting less popular, I'm ok with that as far as myself goes, worried though for trapping and hunting. I believe that it's been proven time and time again that possums don't consume a ton of ticks and bugs as you say.

It's all propaganda IMO. Possums are in the top three of ground nest raiders, ie turkey. I feel like most of these kind of post are from people that are doing data mining. If you are in touch and care about huntable, trappable #'s for the future then you wouldn't have a problem with managing predators which include grinners.


I wonder if tap dancers walk into a room, look at the floor, and think, I'd tap that. I wonder about things.....
Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7699021
10/23/22 09:52 PM
10/23/22 09:52 PM
Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,726
SW Georgia
W
Wanna Be Online content
trapper
Wanna Be  Online Content
trapper
W

Joined: May 2018
Posts: 10,726
SW Georgia
If you like possums don’t ever trap during the Spring. One can equate to 12 or more. We don’t “count” those, in fact we just call them pinky’s. They all join their mothers. And yeah, the myth has been debunked about possums and ticks. The nest they raid would eat more insects than any possum ever could.

Re: Human aspect [Re: Catch22] #7699061
10/23/22 10:25 PM
10/23/22 10:25 PM
Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,198
WISCONSIN
W
Wild_WI Offline OP
trapper
Wild_WI  Offline OP
trapper
W

Joined: Dec 2019
Posts: 1,198
WISCONSIN
Originally Posted by Catch22
Originally Posted by Wild_WI
Not a moral debate, just wondering if you ever come up to a trap and say we'll I'm just going to release this one. Whether it's small, non target or what not. I ask because I'm averse to Killin possums, eat a lot of bugs is my reasoning but some folks just want everything you catch dead. Also don't kill stray cats, or any yearlings of any species I like to give them a fighting chance because trapping is like the ultimate chess game for me and I only want to beat the skilled players

I see more and more post like this and I see my comments getting less popular, I'm ok with that as far as myself goes, worried though for trapping and hunting. I believe that it's been proven time and time again that possums don't consume a ton of ticks and bugs as you say.

It's all propaganda IMO. Possums are in the top three of ground nest raiders, ie turkey. I feel like most of these kind of post are from people that are doing data mining. If you are in touch and care about huntable, trappable #'s for the future then you wouldn't have a problem with managing predators which include grinners.

I'm just going oh hearsay thought they ate more bugs wasn't meant as a dig at anyone

Re: Human aspect [Re: Wild_WI] #7699173
10/24/22 02:16 AM
10/24/22 02:16 AM
Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 986
Louisiana
M
MattLA Offline
trapper
MattLA  Offline
trapper
M

Joined: Dec 2021
Posts: 986
Louisiana
Well whats not fiction is how important possums are to the ecosystem. They are one of the only mammals naturally immune to snake venom, and they eat so many snakes, mice and moles. In my opinion, unless you are in a fenced game preserve I wouldnt worry about animals eating eachother management wise. There are bigger tracts of land than 99.9% of people will ever see that are just hunted for deer & turkey across the USA with no problems number wise.

There is something called natural ecological thresh hold, that every piece of land in the world can be measured. In simple terms its how many animals, insects, plants, trees, etc can any piece of land support naturally? Once you have a good idea of that number, then you can understand how something so simple like cutting your grass for instance severely diminishes that capacity. Oh, you want to plant non native plants to attract animals to a certain spot? Yeah you can kill the possums off that land and see an increase in turkeys next year, but you are just making it harder on yourself in the future. Manage the animals as you see fit, but atleast try to have some method about it to help propogate the entire piece of land for the future.

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