Feral cat hunting
- Thread starter hogan
- Start date
Wayward_Son
New member
I understand the problems feral cats pose, but I'm also a lifetime cat owner. I sincerely hope that anyone hunting feral cats is making sure you're actually culling feral cats and not killing somebody's pet.
Wayward_Son
New member
Yeah, not funny. Not to me, anyway.
I own a cat as well, but I don't worry about anyone killing it. Because I care about its wellbeing and don't want it to be injured by other animals, exposed to diseases or run over and because I don't want it to be a nuisance to my neighbors, it is not allowed to run free.
In my opinion the fact that an animal is allowed to run free is ample evidence that the owner doesn't care about it or me.
MyGunsJammed
New member
Forgive my stupidity, but I always wondered what Feral Cats looked like....
so I googled it and got to see their pictures....
so I was like duuhh.... they just look like house cats gone stray...
so I googled it and got to see their pictures....
so I was like duuhh.... they just look like house cats gone stray...
MTMilitiaman
New member
I've only ever shot one cat.
Not really feral, but still nuisance, and I dispatched it cleanly with one shot from my scoped 10/22, right behind the ear at about 25 yards. I just waited under the porch for it to give me an open still shot, and the thing never left where it was standing.
Not really feral, but still nuisance, and I dispatched it cleanly with one shot from my scoped 10/22, right behind the ear at about 25 yards. I just waited under the porch for it to give me an open still shot, and the thing never left where it was standing.
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
Seems to me that part of controlling your environment--from a self defense standpoint--is knowing your environment. Part of that knowledge involves knowing who are your neighbors, what sort of vehicles they have, what they do for a living--and what pets they have.
IOW, even in town in a residential neighborhood, you should know who and what belongs there. It's much easier out in the country.
If I'm out in the pasture, and the cat I see is not one that belongs to some neighbor, it's obviously feral. "Sayonara, Feral Feline."
And, there is always the hard fact that I attach a higher moral value to native quail, over an introduced non-native predator.
IOW, even in town in a residential neighborhood, you should know who and what belongs there. It's much easier out in the country.
If I'm out in the pasture, and the cat I see is not one that belongs to some neighbor, it's obviously feral. "Sayonara, Feral Feline."
And, there is always the hard fact that I attach a higher moral value to native quail, over an introduced non-native predator.
If a landowner tells me which cats by appearance are off limits they get a free pass. But I am offended when someone says "What if it is MY cat you shot?"
Well than I woulda been trespassin on your land or in yer home... If it is on someone elses land or state land than you are in violation in most jurisdictions anyway.
I own several high strung hog hunting dogs and when I lived in the city I had to worry that a stray cat would get one or more of my dogs to bust the fence giving chase and end up car hit or arrested in doggy jail for doing what most dogs do... keeping their yard free of invaders while also scoring a fresh meat meal! Yes... I have several dogs that will consume their kill unlike most feral cats that kill just to kill quite often.
We have a city park I am itching to clean up! Someone has been feeding them for at least 2 years... I mean a 5 pound bag of food per day! Since it is in town and in close proximity to homes it would be an air rifle job but I could get 30 in 2 days probably!
Brent
Well than I woulda been trespassin on your land or in yer home... If it is on someone elses land or state land than you are in violation in most jurisdictions anyway.
I own several high strung hog hunting dogs and when I lived in the city I had to worry that a stray cat would get one or more of my dogs to bust the fence giving chase and end up car hit or arrested in doggy jail for doing what most dogs do... keeping their yard free of invaders while also scoring a fresh meat meal! Yes... I have several dogs that will consume their kill unlike most feral cats that kill just to kill quite often.
We have a city park I am itching to clean up! Someone has been feeding them for at least 2 years... I mean a 5 pound bag of food per day! Since it is in town and in close proximity to homes it would be an air rifle job but I could get 30 in 2 days probably!
Brent
MyGunsJammed
New member
^^ Who do you think is feeding the cats?
Cant they be fined? as here in NYC I think you can be fined feeding pigeons.
Cant they be fined? as here in NYC I think you can be fined feeding pigeons.
Mygunsjammed,
Here is my dilemma... I am a licensed nuisance animal trapper (trapper is the name the state put, we can use any legal take method). Yes the person and should be fined. However if the problem of the near hundred cats is not FULLY addressed than you remove the food source they will kill even more wildlife while they slowly starve out. Also they will disperse making it awful hard to eliminate them.
Where I am at is quite a rural area. The animal control officers will, at no charge to the caller, come out assess the situation, place traps (60-70 bucks each), bait them and return everyday checking them. When they capture one it goes to "center" it gets all of it's shots and gets to hang out for week eating food until no one claims it... than it gets killed by a hired vet. It was told to me that the cost is several hundred to a thousand dollars per cat in MY taxpayer dollars for this service. Who is going to show up and claim a loose, wild cat? They make poor pets if they are use to living wild.
Who would, as an individual, call me to do a service I MUST at least have my expenses covered for? I assure you I am humane but gas ain't cheap and bait ain't free so I get something.
At this point my only option is to offer my service to the city and county. That is a hard sell I don't know how to do...
I am just an uneducated redneck gonna try to sell the notion of quick humane eradication payed for with a SMALL % of the taxpayer dollars used to do the job now, to a bunch of politicians and resident council folks?
"What if shoot someones pet?" So frickin' what? it was loose and the fines for this would offset the "love" the owner feels?
BTW I also will target squirrels, possum, coons and many other nuisance critters MAINLY love to get on hogs... I ain't just a cat killer.
Brent
Here is my dilemma... I am a licensed nuisance animal trapper (trapper is the name the state put, we can use any legal take method). Yes the person and should be fined. However if the problem of the near hundred cats is not FULLY addressed than you remove the food source they will kill even more wildlife while they slowly starve out. Also they will disperse making it awful hard to eliminate them.
Where I am at is quite a rural area. The animal control officers will, at no charge to the caller, come out assess the situation, place traps (60-70 bucks each), bait them and return everyday checking them. When they capture one it goes to "center" it gets all of it's shots and gets to hang out for week eating food until no one claims it... than it gets killed by a hired vet. It was told to me that the cost is several hundred to a thousand dollars per cat in MY taxpayer dollars for this service. Who is going to show up and claim a loose, wild cat? They make poor pets if they are use to living wild.
Who would, as an individual, call me to do a service I MUST at least have my expenses covered for? I assure you I am humane but gas ain't cheap and bait ain't free so I get something.
At this point my only option is to offer my service to the city and county. That is a hard sell I don't know how to do...
I am just an uneducated redneck gonna try to sell the notion of quick humane eradication payed for with a SMALL % of the taxpayer dollars used to do the job now, to a bunch of politicians and resident council folks?
"What if shoot someones pet?" So frickin' what? it was loose and the fines for this would offset the "love" the owner feels?
BTW I also will target squirrels, possum, coons and many other nuisance critters MAINLY love to get on hogs... I ain't just a cat killer.
Brent
Art Eatman
Staff in Memoriam
To illustrate the magnitude of the problem in some areas: My wife's "micro-empire" is in rural south Georgia. Maybe ten neighboring homes within the immediate two-mile vicinity.
The next-door lady loves cats. Feeds cats. Has had many "house cats" inside, but they run loose during the day and there's food in bowls outside.
The animal shelter folks finally came out to reduce the numbers, via trapping. In a period of just over a month, from the nearby woods, they trapped seventy-two (72) cats. Seventy-two!
I hadn't seen a squirrel, rabbit or songbird in years. Now, there are a few around.
The next-door lady loves cats. Feeds cats. Has had many "house cats" inside, but they run loose during the day and there's food in bowls outside.
The animal shelter folks finally came out to reduce the numbers, via trapping. In a period of just over a month, from the nearby woods, they trapped seventy-two (72) cats. Seventy-two!
I hadn't seen a squirrel, rabbit or songbird in years. Now, there are a few around.
Rangefinder
New member
Wow Art, tell my wife that and she'd be there with my entire vault of weaponry in tow. She hates cats with a passion! 
If I was an AVID yote hunter i would have a bait pile goin'. I have no desire to skin them out as i have no decent market to sell the hides. It is a simple slit to drop the gut and toss to a hungry bulldog...
I have several of them to choose from...
Nowadays I doubt a furrier could buy them in the USA...
Brent
I have several of them to choose from...
Nowadays I doubt a furrier could buy them in the USA...
Brent