Jun 18, 2011 – Trap And Release
QUESTION:
I have recently become certified in vertebrate management. I am looking for places in my local area where I can release the animals that I trap. What other options are available if I am unable to find locations to release these animals?
ANSWER:
I attended a seminar on wildlife trapping a couple of years ago, presented by someone with many years of extensive experience in this area. He had some thoughts that may not be popular with everyone, because quite often the best answer to dealing with the trapped animal may be euthanasia - a politically correct way of saying killing it. When you trap a pest animal alive because it was causing a problem in an urban area, taking it somewhere else and releasing it may just transfer that problem to other people. For this reason wildlife agencies often have very strong restrictions on this release of any wildlife outside of its normal habitat, which means where you captured it. Their guidelines often require you to release the trapped animal "on site", so if you caught some tree squirrels in an attic your obligation would be to take them outside that structure and let them go, relying on Exclusion work to prevent them from re-entering.
The expert at this seminar works very closely with his local animal control agency, and probably for a fee he can drop off animals he has captured and they will dispose of them in the most humane manner. As much sympathy and love we may feel for squirrels, raccoons, and other urban wildlife we also recognize the potential they have for serious structural damage and even public health issues. We may enjoy them in the proper settting but should never be required to live in the same structure with them. So, my suggestion is that you begin by consulting with several local agencies - Animal Control, Wildlife, and your Dept. of Agriculture. All of these folks can offer their thoughts on what you legally may or may not be able to do, and staying legal is very important. You run the risk of incurring the wrath of local animal rights groups if they do not like what you are doing, so knowing that it is all done above board and legally will back you up.
We humans really have upset the apple cart with respect to Nature. When we create housing developments where only natural areas existed before we change the dynamics of that whole area. Predators generally are eliminated (no one wants coyotes or mountain lions in their yard) but the prey (squirrels, snakes, skunks, opossum) continue to live just fine, and now their populations may swell out of control. If we transfer these animals to some other area, even thinking it is a "natural" place for them to live, their sudden appearance can throw off the balance that may exist in that area too. Regardless of what vocal animals rights groups may try to tell us, "catch and release" is not always the best answer. However, there are plenty of times that it may be, so finding out for your region how you can do this legally and with minimal impact on the release-area is important to know ahead of time.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
I have recently become certified in vertebrate management. I am looking for places in my local area where I can release the animals that I trap. What other options are available if I am unable to find locations to release these animals?
ANSWER:
I attended a seminar on wildlife trapping a couple of years ago, presented by someone with many years of extensive experience in this area. He had some thoughts that may not be popular with everyone, because quite often the best answer to dealing with the trapped animal may be euthanasia - a politically correct way of saying killing it. When you trap a pest animal alive because it was causing a problem in an urban area, taking it somewhere else and releasing it may just transfer that problem to other people. For this reason wildlife agencies often have very strong restrictions on this release of any wildlife outside of its normal habitat, which means where you captured it. Their guidelines often require you to release the trapped animal "on site", so if you caught some tree squirrels in an attic your obligation would be to take them outside that structure and let them go, relying on Exclusion work to prevent them from re-entering.
The expert at this seminar works very closely with his local animal control agency, and probably for a fee he can drop off animals he has captured and they will dispose of them in the most humane manner. As much sympathy and love we may feel for squirrels, raccoons, and other urban wildlife we also recognize the potential they have for serious structural damage and even public health issues. We may enjoy them in the proper settting but should never be required to live in the same structure with them. So, my suggestion is that you begin by consulting with several local agencies - Animal Control, Wildlife, and your Dept. of Agriculture. All of these folks can offer their thoughts on what you legally may or may not be able to do, and staying legal is very important. You run the risk of incurring the wrath of local animal rights groups if they do not like what you are doing, so knowing that it is all done above board and legally will back you up.
We humans really have upset the apple cart with respect to Nature. When we create housing developments where only natural areas existed before we change the dynamics of that whole area. Predators generally are eliminated (no one wants coyotes or mountain lions in their yard) but the prey (squirrels, snakes, skunks, opossum) continue to live just fine, and now their populations may swell out of control. If we transfer these animals to some other area, even thinking it is a "natural" place for them to live, their sudden appearance can throw off the balance that may exist in that area too. Regardless of what vocal animals rights groups may try to tell us, "catch and release" is not always the best answer. However, there are plenty of times that it may be, so finding out for your region how you can do this legally and with minimal impact on the release-area is important to know ahead of time.
View past Ask Mr. Pest Control questions.
