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Index of Subjects --14dae93409b742512c04b0cbb5da Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Hi Jeff, I agree with the responses you featured in highlighted text in your email. Relocated animals are taken from their food source and territory, have no idea where the food/good habitat in their new place , and are often driven from the new territory by existing animals. Many of them simply try to make their way back to their old territory, constantly having negative interaction with animals whose territory they cross. Fact: many relocated animals will not survive. Also, depending on the time of year, you may be leaving orphans. There is also not a lot of open territory left for these animals. The main thing to consider though...is the reason they are hanging around in the first place. Most times ( as in your situation with feeders, suet, nesting sites), there is an attractant that keeps them coming back. Often trying to figure out why they are there and dealing with that issue will make them leave. Raccoons are largely nocturnal and follow predictable patterns each night based on previous experience. If they know you have food available or a desirable nesting place ,they will return. If you take your feeders in at night and repair the spots where they gain access to nest sites, they will move on. Wildlife solutions start with home repair, truly. Also simply removing a few "problem" animals is not going to solve anything. If raccoon A figures out you have a good spot and you remove him, that territory is opened up to raccoon B who undoubtedly will find the same bonanza of food/territory. Remove Raccoon B and C moves in.and so on. There are humane ways to discourage most wildlife, and they often start with removing the attractant and setting up barriers to accessing desirable spaces ( i.e. fix the hole in your fascia, soffit, etc). Other thoughts. ..during nesting season, the most common wildlife invasion time..they are looking for warm, dark, quiet places to have their litters. Make it NOT warm dark and quiet and they will usually leave with their young ( one at a time) over a 24-48 hour period. Some suggestions include illuminating the area with a light or spot light..and placing a radio on a talk station playing LOUDLY during their most active time...that will usually make them leave. Most animals have alternate den sites and can relocate the family there. If anyone has particular issues where I can help advise on humane solutions to wildlife interaction issues, please call or email me and I will see what I can do. Also, try to have a little empathy where you can, habitat loss means many of these animals don't have a lot of options. Try to work with them instead of always wanting to get rid of them. There are ways to do this. thanks Helene On Wed, Nov 2, 2011 at 10:29 AM, Jeff Hiltz <4x4play@gmail.com> wrote: > I'm just curious on the good, the bad and the ugly of relocating wildlife= . > > Last year we were having issues with Raccoon's around our residence here > in Springhill, a family of Raccoon's had taken up residence in our > neighbor's garage. They had dug a tunnel and ripped a part of the garage > wall down and where living in my neighbor's old car that he has plans for > restoration in the future. Then in the evening the raccoon's were stealin= g > our suet's, suet baskets and knocking our feeders down and being an overa= ll > nuisance. > > Frustrated with the damage that they had done to his garage and old car, > my neighbor told me that he had plans to kill the Raccoon's. After hearin= g > this and my wife and I being compassionate nature and wildlife lovers, I > told my neighbor that I will get a live trap from DNR and relocate them t= o > the banks of a river about 5 km outside of town. > > I waited until the raccoon's were grown enough that they were out and > fending for themselves, then set the trap up in the backyard and was > catching and relocating one raccoon a night. I did this for two weeks > relocating nine raccoon's until I wasn't finding any more in the trap and > not seeing anymore raccoon's around our yards. > > My neighbor was happy and filled the hole and mended his garage and hasn'= t > had a problem since. > > On a message board that I frequent often I told my story of the raccoon's > and my relocating them. Then just recently another member of the forum wa= s > telling us how he was dealing with a couple raccoon's which got one of th= e > other members thinking about reason's raccoon's should not be relocated, = he > seems to have some very valid points but even so, I would not have the > heart to allow my neighbor to kill them or to take them somewhere that > will euthanize them. > > I know this forum has some very well educated nature and wildlife persons > and I would love to hear what the experts think. > > Here is the message that the other message board member wrote: > > *Why is it sometimes necessary to euthanize a nuisance animal that has > been trapped rather than releasing back to the =93wild?=94* > > There are several biological reasons why it=92s generally not a good idea= to > move wildlife to new areas. It is difficult to find rural areas without a= ny > humans nearby. And moving wildlife only puts it into another animal=92s > territory, which can create stress, injury and even death. Other reasons > include the following: > 1) Relocation can be stressful to wild animals. They may experience > elevated heart rates and breathing rates, high blood pressure, acute > changes in blood chemistry and depressed appetites. These factors, in tur= n, > may make them more vulnerable to disease or predation. > 2) Relocated animals have no prior experience with their new homes, which > immediately puts them at a disadvantage for finding food and shelter. Man= y > wildlife species, such as bobcats, foxes, opossums and raccoons, are comm= on > and widespread. That means when they become nuisance animals there is no > place to relocate them that doesn=92t already have established population= s of > those animals. > 3) Animals released in a new territory are often out-competed for food an= d > shelter by resident animals. > 4) Relocating nuisance animals can increase the spread of disease. In som= e > cases, animals become nuisances when they get sick because they look for > easy sources of food and may become less fearful of people. Just as we > humans spread disease among our populations by traveling, animals can bri= ng > diseases into new areas when they are relocated, thus affecting the > resident animal populations. > 5) Animals that are relocated often leave the area where they are > released. Relocated animals may wander for miles, leading to further > interactions with wildlife and people. &g