What 123 days did you trap? Was it prior to and during nesting season?
I’m always stunned by these numbers or talks about how folks don’t think trapping makes a difference. While I’ll agree if you trap a 123 days a year, it may not make a difference. To make a difference you have to trap all year. Not sure how rare you realize wild bird plantations are, but you won’t find a manager or biologist that would agree trapping isn’t necessary. Within our State, coons, possums, and coyotes, can be trapped year round. Most all plantations have nuisance permits as well. Without trapping there wouldn’t be any wild bird plantations.
I laugh when I hear “leave some for seed.” Does anyone here think they’re good enough to wipe out a population? If so, have I got some work for you. But, you better be able to put it in writing for the amount of money they’ll pay you and be ready to pay it all back if you’re wrong. There is no leaving anything when management trapping. There’s wipe out all you can and wait for others to fill back in and wipe them out too.
My main place is hit hard 9-10 months out of the year. My other places are hit before/during nesting season and again late summer after survivors give birth. There is no remorse or empathy in management trapping, there’s eliminating numbers as fast and hard as you can. If I can catch a female possum during the Spring, I’m eliminating up to 8+ possums. Most I’ve ever seen was 13 pinky possums.
My son was just shy of 1K critters on 5K acres in a calendar year April-April. And that’s with professional trappers coming in as well…local and from the UK. Trapping makes a HUGE difference down here and if landowners and managers didn’t see a difference then I’d be without my extra income, lol.

That is interesting. Still doesn't each animal cause some devastation to some eggs or the young of the prey species. Doesn't it stand to reason that a cumulative effort of trappers in an area over years could increase the nesting success rate? When do our efforts make a difference? I'm thinking it may have to be measured in a long range mindset.

We trapped 15 Mar-15 July. We were trapping 36 square miles. The ducks start showing up about 15 Mar. The ground is still snow covered and sloughs are froze yet. Skunks and coons are holed up most the winter and just starting to come out regular. I am not saying trapping won't help, I am saying trapping one opossum won't help. From what I saw you can trap the the same number of animals off a block year after year. They just fill back in.

That’s correct, that’s why it’s a never ending battle. I’m not one to get upset when possums and coons plug up my coyote sets. I look at things a little differently because I can actually see the results from daily interactions with the prey. Just yesterday I saw 2 coveys of this year’s birds that were without parents and could already fly quite well. That means the hen will most likely nest again and raise another brood, it been documented of one pair of quail raising 3 successful broods during the Summer. With predators running around rampant we wouldn’t have much successful nests. I’ve seen quail the size of field mice in May and the third week of September. February-May is prime time to help those ground nesters.
With that said, I don’t think we have anything that hibernates down here. I don’t know of a single month I haven’t caught coons and possums. Can’t think of a single month I haven’t caught coyotes either. So we have a huge advantage over being able to trap year round and make a difference all year. Plus we don’t face snow conditions. Our or my biggest issue is Summer or dry time trapping and the ground turning to cement. Plus we use cages, footholds, and DP’s. We don’t leave many areas untouched either. If I’m not trapping an area I’m thermal hunting it. Yes, I will bust a possum or armadillo in a heartbeat, lol. My son and I rode around the other night shooting dillo’s on his plantation. When his owner supplies the bullets, you use them!! You take out anything and everything that could possibly destroy a nest.

And off the topic of possums, heard a recent study about hogs and turkeys. Remove the hogs and turkey numbers increase. Again, you won’t wipe them out, you may move them, but they’ll be back.

Like Leftlane said EMP in horses