Depredation

[TheBlueShepard]

What is your preferred method of predator disposition and why? This excludes barrier enhancement and applies to predators who must be dealt with directly either by deterrents or hands-on methods. Do refrain from trying to proselytize others to your method or championing one view or the other.

Mine is deterrent wherever possible. I use amonia, urine, and sometimes lighting to ward off shy vermin. But too often I must resort to a weapon, like this Henry 22lr lever action carbine with the loop/glove lever and CCI MiniMag copper plated round nose ammunition (or at night a Mossberg Plinkster with the same ammunition). Although a shotgun is more effective and is what I used for predator control on my parents' property as a teen, I have recently encounteted predators atop my 6 foot fence, which would be a less than advantageous angle at which to throw a gameload through the woods toward the neighboring culdesac. The 22 is much quieter, seldom fully penetrates (and when it does I have often recovered the projectile within a few feet of the area of impact), and is more than sufficient for medium sized predators with the high velocity, round nosed ammunition. The only reason I do not use my Beeman 22 caliber air rifle is that I can not reliably ensure a fast follow-up shot for humanely and quickly dispatching an already-shot animal. A still hunt with an air rifle is a much more controlled sequence of events than shooting a frantic canid trying to escape with a chicken dinner.

By the by, my easter egger has recovered from the coon-napping well, (she was dragged from the pen the following night but came back as the rascal was too weak to flee with yer in it's grasp). I have eliminated the current threats, relocated my remaining chickens to a secure enclosure, and plan to start reconstructing the unsecure run yard within the next month. Thanks to everyone for their comments on my previous (and first) post.

 

[ButtonquailGirl14]

nice pic.. hope your chickie recovers well!

 

[Shadrach]

Slingshot.

 

[PirateGirl]

I just want to say I have the same Henry and have been quite happy with it, though due to proximity to neighbors cannot use it to protect my flock. I also have a pellet gun, but I agree with the down side. A follow up shot is often needed, and hard to take quickly with my pellet gun as I have to reload (only holds one round) and generally reposition, or move in closer to the injured critter. I want any method used to be quick and painless and efficient.

Fencing has become my priority. Each coop has a small attached run with welded wire on all sides including the top and a no-dig skirt. My runs are constructed with my most likely predators in mind and may fall short when it comes to protecting against other things. My main goal is to keep out coyotes, neighbor dogs, and hawks. I also put two latches (as a fail safe) on any door or hatch that opens. We have recently constructed a secondary run that encloses both coops and runs. This adds an additional layer of protection at night when predation is high. This larger area is only used for a few hours a day when someone is home and the dogs are outdoors. It is not predator proof, but then the dogs add a layer of protection. The dogs are trained to stay on property but will chase off predators at a longer distance on command and we have sent foxes all the way home to their dens.

I also keep a solar powered motion sensor light on the coops, but I’m not sure how much a deterrent this is.

 

[TheBlueShepard]

Slingshot.

A traditional wooden slingshot with glass marbles is your friend in any situation. Even when there are metal detectors.

 

[m1chelle1]

TBH i wish i lived somewhere where i can do steak outs and use my 22 and fantastic pellet gun to get them coyotes and coons. But alas, my neighbors would call the cops, and i suppose its also prob not safe to use around here, too
i HAVE used my pellet gun to get rid of crows trying to eat the chikin food, worked well. Theyre smart after being shot at ONCE, they have stayed away. I need to do the same with the night crawlers, too.

 

[PirateGirl]

To those who have already replied, in regards to a sling shot or pellet gun particularly, do you worry about your birds potentially eating your ammunition (whatever that may be) if you miss a shot? I find myself a bit paranoid at times about stray lead in the run.

Has anyone used a paintball gun as a deterrent on larger predators? I know DOW encourages hazing of animals that have grown used to people in populated areas, and sometimes a kill is not warranted. Sometimes we want predators to simply move on and not grow comfortable in our neighborhood and not view our coops or our trash cans or our compost piles etc. as a food source. I feel this applies particularly to bears, but also coyotes and raccoons in this part of the country. I have often thought a blast from a paintball gun would scare off a predator and perhaps it would hesitate to return. I also thought if there was a purple painted coyote running around I'd know it's the same one coming back vs. a new one in the area. I've yet to try a paintball gun myself, and never really hear anyone talk of it, and wonder if that's because it's inefficient or just seldom used.

 

[TheBlueShepard]

TBH i wish i lived somewhere where i can do steak outs and use my 22 and fantastic pellet gun to get them coyotes and coons. But alas, my neighbors would call the cops, and i suppose its also prob not safe to use around here, too
i HAVE used my pellet gun to get rid of crows trying to eat the chikin food, worked well. Theyre smart after being shot at ONCE, they have stayed away. I need to do the same with the night crawlers, too.

What about a crossbow? Lots of jurisdictions either dont care or dont address them at all.

 

[TheBlueShepard]

To those who have already replied, in regards to a sling shot or pellet gun particularly, do you worry about your birds potentially eating your ammunition (whatever that may be) if you miss a shot? I find myself a bit paranoid at times about stray lead in the run.

Has anyone used a paintball gun as a deterrent on larger predators? I know DOW encourages hazing of animals that have grown used to people in populated areas, and sometimes a kill is not warranted. Sometimes we want predators to simply move on and not grow comfortable in our neighborhood and not view our coops or our trash cans or our compost piles etc. as a food source. I feel this applies particularly to bears, but also coyotes and raccoons in this part of the country. I have often thought a blast from a paintball gun would scare off a predator and perhaps it would hesitate to return. I also thought if there was a purple painted coyote running around I'd know it's the same one coming back vs. a new one in the area. I've yet to try a paintball gun myself, and never really hear anyone talk of it, and wonder if that's because it's inefficient or just seldom used.

I would use cayenne pepper around the coup first. I have shot animals with firearms and they came back for more (a recent raccoon was shot with 6 rounds if 22lr, and it came back the following night and still took a hen, leaving its own blood all over the coop. See my previous post).

 

[TheBlueShepard]

To those who have already replied, in regards to a sling shot or pellet gun particularly, do you worry about your birds potentially eating your ammunition (whatever that may be) if you miss a shot? I find myself a bit paranoid at times about stray lead in the run.

Has anyone used a paintball gun as a deterrent on larger predators? I know DOW encourages hazing of animals that have grown used to people in populated areas, and sometimes a kill is not warranted. Sometimes we want predators to simply move on and not grow comfortable in our neighborhood and not view our coops or our trash cans or our compost piles etc. as a food source. I feel this applies particularly to bears, but also coyotes and raccoons in this part of the country. I have often thought a blast from a paintball gun would scare off a predator and perhaps it would hesitate to return. I also thought if there was a purple painted coyote running around I'd know it's the same one coming back vs. a new one in the area. I've yet to try a paintball gun myself, and never really hear anyone talk of it, and wonder if that's because it's inefficient or just seldom used.

As for the pellets, you could use alternate, lead free pellets, or steel bbs