Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[sean donato]

I don't know, but if I was a sheep or cattle farmer and the ravens posed a problem to my livestock, I would take "some kind" of action. I'd have to do some research first, and see why the ravens were protected. But if I was losing animals, at least I don't think I'd have to worry about coming across a "collared" raven. I don't know if that comment will make sense to everyone, but I won't say too much more about it other than if I was a livestock farmer, I I wouldn't lose too much of my livelihood to freaking flying rats regardless of what the government tried to tell me.

The Amish farmer down the lane from my parents house had a lot of chickens killed off by a hawk.(free range in the truest sense) It had nested in a tree near their one field. Hale had contacted the GW about having it removed and was basically told there was nothing he could directly do to the hawk... so the neighbor cut down every tree in and near the field. There's always a way to handle the issues.

Right after we moved into our house, we had sightings of a juvinal Mt lion around our immediate area. My uncle had found big cat prints around his pond and had a bunch of live stock go missing. plenty of neighbors had footage on trail cams of it too. My wife had quite a scare coming home the one evening, said she parked her car got out and felt like something was watching her. Turned around and shined her light over to the edge of the woods and saw 2 eyes light up just inside if the wood line. She got back in her car and called me. Took me about 20 minutes till I got home. Pulled in in my truck and did a quick scan of the woods with the head lights. Didn't see anything, but I had to agree with her, something just felt off. Got her in the house. After we got in I flipped all the outside lights on and caught that fricken cat running from the edge of our patio back into the woods. I had contacted the GW the next day and was officially told my loins don't exist in PA. so I told him, good, then I can shoot it. Which I was sternly told I was not allowed to shoot a Mt lion. Asked him how I couldn't shoot something that didn't exist? Got a blank stare from him. I left at that point. Few days later I ran into the Jr warden, and asked him about it, and he said the official stance is they don't exist in PA, but he had seen plenty of proof that we had one in our area. Said if it became more of an issue to dispatch it and just keep quite about it. I don't know if it moved to another area or one of the farmers or hicks shot it, but I haven't seen or heard of anyone sighting it recently. Coyotes are gonna be an issue here soon though. Keep hearing more of them at night. They have open season...

 

[JustPlainJeff]

That is fine. I have never had a problem admitting to doing things. As I have said in other posts I have a good relationship with our game warden and she knows how farming is. Her husband ...not so much.

Well, I also wouldn't want to put her in a position of "having" to do something, because I was talking about her letting me slide on stuff either.

 

[H-Ranch]

Went to the neighbor's last night for a bonfire GTG - they were tossing brush, branches, and a few large poplar rounds in the fire pit. I had a beer and then went to get the ATV trailer loaded with seasoned maple and pine splits to make a proper fire. They were very appreciative as I don't think the brush would have lasted the evening. We left at midnight and they were still going strong.

After lunch today I went back to pick up the empty trailer. But not wanting to waste an opportunity, I loaded it with splits from a few large rounds from the white oak windfall from last Monday.

 

[North by Northwest]

You've never heard the saying the fox in the hen house. They are awful their sneaky and attack at all hours of the day. My buddy up in Ontario has had countless chickens killed by them. Roosters will try their hardest but it's just going to prolong the inevitable that unless you get there with a 12 gauge a rooster is only going to slow a fox down not stop it. If I didn't have chickens I'd let them be. But once they know the chickens are there they are crafty and they will keep trying to find ways to circum the vent your fortification until they find a way in. It's best to just eliminate the problem before they find a way in.

Yep , Fox's are extremely stealthy predators . I remember one early morning I heard a commotion down at hen house , a weasel had gotten into the back window vent . I got there in time to chase it out . However forgot to investigate its entry point . I left for breakfast and within a hr , there was another ruckus at the hen house . No sooner do I get to the fence line then a Red fox was jumping out the back window vent that I had not investigated previously with a chicken in tow . Only loss the 1 bird however apparently the fox had been eyeing up the weasel activity & liked the odds on the chickens ! I never killed any Fox's rather potshots kept them at bay , since the coyote population had increased by then in the 70's & was knocking down their numbers accordingly .

 

[Bill G]

Well, I also wouldn't want to put her in a position of "having" to do something, because I was talking about her letting me slide on stuff either.

She understands. She told me a story about a situation that occurred a good number of years ago that she got a bit of a stern warning on. She was working outside of this area and a farmer called her because he had a litter of young foxes that had no mother. Well when she arrived he admitted he shot the mother because he thought it was eating his chickens. He then found the babies. She said "why didn't you just kill them to". Well apparently her boss heard about what she had said and was not too happy. She says..what the he... was I supposed to tell him. He thought they were a danger to his livestock and he had every right to protect them" Guess what she is the boss now

 

[svk]

Wolves have been off and on the protected list. It’s a vicious cycle. They get delisted and then the lobbyists find some animal-rights leaning judge to put them back on the protected list. The last hunting season was 2014-I did successfully harvest one that year.

At this point in time the only way you can legally harvest a wolf in Minnesota is if you own farm animals and they are immediately a threat to the farm animal. There is a course of vigilante justice as well but it doesn’t seem to put a dent into them. There are just more and more of them every year.

 

[svk]

My former neighbor at my cabin trapped the heck out of the wolves in the 80s… Deer hunting was absolutely fabulous after the wolves were taken out. Course he was a dumb ass and went into the bar and bragged about it to everybody on the feds caught him. He ended up losing a bunch of stuff and his right to hunt and fish for several years. Can’t say I feel sorry for him as he had it coming.

 

[SS396driver]

slick paint job, dint see no dirt and no runs, neither...

Thanks , been doing paint and body work for a long time

 

[Lionsfan]

Wolves have been off and on the protected list. It’s a vicious cycle. They get delisted and then the lobbyists find some animal-rights leaning judge to put them back on the protected list. The last hunting season was 2014-I did successfully harvest one that year.

At this point in time the only way you can legally harvest a wolf in Minnesota is if you own farm animals and they are immediately a threat to the farm animal. There is a course of vigilante justice as well but it doesn’t seem to put a dent into them. There are just more and more of them every year.

They busted a guy just across the bridge from me a couple years ago that had snared , tanned and sold quite a few of them. There were also incidental catches of bobcat, deer, coyotes and even a couple bald eagles thrown into the mix.

 

[Bill G]

They busted a guy just across the bridge from me a couple years ago that had snared , tanned and sold quite a few of them. There were also incidental catches of bobcat, deer, coyotes and even a couple bald eagles thrown into the mix.

Incidental? doubt that. That probably ended with fed time

 

[Lionsfan]

Incidental? doubt that. That probably ended with fed time

If you're targeting Timber Wolves, anything else you catch is consider "incidental". His fines were pretty steep, lost his possibility of ever having a license again (as if he gave a ****), but I don't recall how much time he got for it.

 

[mountainguyed67]

a framer called her

Well, at least he could swing a hammer…

 

[Bill G]

If you're targeting Timber Wolves, anything else you catch is consider "incidental". His fines were pretty steep, lost his possibility of ever having a license again (as if he gave a ****), but I don't recall how much time he got for it.

Well I have trapped my entire life and have a pretty good understanding of incidental catches. They do unfortunately occur. I have never, nor will I ever trap wolves but they are trapped using a dirt hole set and a coilspring trap. They are not baited and a lure is used as the attractant. In most situations that method prevents incidental catches. If one does occur since it is a leghold trap you can release the animal. I have released ones that were two small or not what I was after. Rarely you do catch a unintended species that is still leagal to take. I once got a baby beaver in a coon set. It actually drowned whereas a coon would not have as odd as that seems. They were in season so I kept it. I catch possums in coon sets every once in awhile and keep them as they are legal. In muskrat sets Dad used to get a few beaver and mink but both were legal. I caught one coon dog and of course turned him loose. Had the owner been responsible enough to put his information on the collar I would have brought the sacred guy home and called the owner but I just turned him loose. I have caught a few cats. Some are dispatched if I believe they are feral others are let go. Any idiot that cames he had a "incidental" catch of a deer or bald eagle is a bald face liar. The coyote and bobcat are possible and both legal here.

 

[Bill G]

Well, at least he could swing a hammer…

One of my common and frequent typo's

 

[Lionsfan]

Well I have trapped my entire life and have a pretty good understanding of incidental catches. They do unfortunately occur. I have never, nor will I ever trap wolves but they are trapped using a dirt hole set and a coilspring trap. They are not baited and a lure is used as the attractant. In most situations that method prevents incidental catches. If one does occur since it is a leghold trap you can release the animal. I have released ones that were two small or not what I was after. Rarely you do catch a unintended species that is still leagal to take. I once got a baby beaver in a coon set. It actually drowned whereas a coon would not have as odd as that seems. They were in season so I kept it. I catch possums in coon sets every once in awhile and keep them as they are legal. In muskrat sets Dad used to get a few beaver and mink but both were legal. I caught one coon dog and of course turned him loose. Had the owner been responsible enough to put his information on the collar I would have brought the sacred guy home and called the owner but I just turned him loose. I have caught a few cats. Some are dispatched if I believe they are feral others are let go. Any idiot that cames he had a "incidental" catch of a deer or bald eagle is a bald face liar. The coyote and bobcat are possible and both legal here.

I trapped for many years myself, maybe not to your level of expertise, but I've made my share of dirt holes, and I certainly understand how to properly construct one to catch a canine. He never set any footholds, all snares.

 

[Bill G]

I trapped for many years myself, maybe not to your level of expertise, but I've made my share of dirt holes, and I certainly understand how to properly construct one to catch a canine. He never set any footholds, all snares.

I am NOT an expert at all. Never used a snare never will. I doubt they are legal here as I know they did not used to be. I hate conibears to but unfortunately this year I maybe forced to use them. I have used and have no issues with 330 conibears under the water for beaver as there is almost a zero chance of anything but a beaver. I do not like them in muskrat runs as some guys will clean out entire dens/houses.

I have always hated 220 dryland sets for coon because they are dog killers and will lead to incidental catches that cannot be released. The problem is my work schedule is such now that if I use legholds I would have to start running traps at 3AM. I get home in the afternoons at 3PM or a bit later and I am not a believer in an animal sitting in a leghold all day. It is cruel and leads to more chew outs. The trade off is 220s are dangerous so it limits where I can put them

 

[Lionsfan]

I am NOT an expert at all. Never used a snare never will. I doubt they are legal here as I know they did not used to be. I hate conibears to but unfortunately this year I maybe forced to use them. I have used and have no issues with 330 conibears under the water for beaver as there is almost a zero chance of anything but a beaver. I do not like them in muskrat runs as some guys will clean out entire dens/houses.

I have always hated 220 dryland sets for coon because they are dog killers and will lead to incidental catches that cannot be released. The problem is my work schedule is such now that if I use legholds I would have to start running traps at 3AM. I get home in the afternoons at 3PM or a bit later and I am not a believer in an animal sitting in a leghold all day. It is cruel and leads to more chew outs. The trade off is 220s are dangerous so it limits where I can put them

220's have to be 4ft. above the ground and in a box if set on dry land in Michigan, I've seen guys cut a couple notches in a square kitty litter box so a 220 will fit inside, you wire a bait /lure container in the bottom, and anchor them up in a tree 4 ft. off the ground. Never used them on dryland myself.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Anyone who allows wild animals to kill their farm animals and doesn't take action to stop it, deserves to lose them! Law or no law!

shoot, shovel and sutup!

SR

 

[JustJeff]

Maremma is the great Pyrenees looking sheepdog. A friend of mine has one and it looks lazy as heck but it protects the goats and chickens. It definitely kills coyotes and drags the carcass home. Coonhound will also go after anything in its realm.

 

[Bill G]

220's have to be 4ft. above the ground and in a box if set on dry land in Michigan, I've seen guys cut a couple notches in a square kitty litter box so a 220 will fit inside, you wire a bait /lure container in the bottom, and anchor them up in a tree 4 ft. off the ground. Never used them on dryland myself.

What are you trapping 4 ft up? I am not at all familar with your wildlife. Our coons are to lazy to climb. Cats (house) will definitely make the climb. Depending on placement coon dogs will jump up and get a "snap" Possums will never go up there. I understand the reasoning but seems a bit odd. As I said I am not a fan at all of 220 dryland sets. In fact I hate them. The problem is my neighbor's wife is feeding coons dog food and and her husband has asked me to thin them. He has no cats nor dogs. I have a doggie but he stays at my side in the Mule. This is the one year I have to use 220's

Is the 4ft law based on square inches? A 220 is 8" square. How about a 160 at 7" square, Here we have to completely submerge 330's as they are 10"