Homestead mailing list

["Karen L. Black" <karen AT plamondon.com>]

Bobf wonders:

> > Is the "predator hunter" a state sanctioned job? I thought wild cats
> were protected everywhere.

It varies by state; but in Oregon at least, wildlife that is killing your
livestock is not protected (outside of birds of prey). We've had trouble
with raccoons, coyotes and bobcats going after our chickens. The last are
perfectly willing to jump an electric fence that stops the other two
predators.

Our state trapper works for Fish and Wildlife, and covers two or three
counties (paid for from our property taxes). We learned how to set snares
from following him around and watching how he did it. When our county
decided to stop paying him, we did it ourselves.

My son saw a cougar at the east end of our property, and our immediate
neighbor had lambs and goat kids taken by some predator. If it went after my
chickens, I would not hesitate to get rid of it, but I haven't seen evidence
that it does.

Karen Black
Norton Creek Farm
Blodgett, OR