North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Pat Armstrong" <rancher@carolina.rr.com>]

I agree Lucky, especially your last sentence...  Robins are not considered endangered by our household, I'd bet they'd cook up just like dove.   I've heard that you can get rabies from eating the brain of a diseased animal, so I'd probably be extremely careful when preparing any rodent or mammal for dinner...personally, I'm not fond of brains-as-food, so I would not plan on eating the them.. This link refers to a couple of cases where those who butchered were not careful enough.

http://www.wormsandgermsblog.com/2009/03/articles/animals/cats/eating-dog-or-cat-linked-to-rabies-/  

 

Pat 7b

----- Original Message -----

From: Dr. Lucky Pittman

To: 'North American Fruit Explorers'

Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 6:01 PM

Subject: [NAFEX] Was: Pear Thief, now hazards of relocating wildlife

Not bashing on you, Jay, and some may look at me as a heartless b@st@rd, but trapping and relocation is not a desirable solution; but I don’t bend over for the bunny huggers or anthropomorphizing public any more, so I’ll say it.

It’s better to terminate ‘em on the spot.  Shoot to kill, use quick-kill traps/snares, or live-trap and terminate.

 

Except in the case of threatened species – which squirrels most assuredly are NOT – wildlife biologists are pretty much all on the same page in opposing relocation/translocation of problem/depredating wildlife.

 

Relocated animals will immediately have to compete with the existing population at the site of release for available food, shelter, mates, etc., all while avoiding predators – in an area that may already be at ‘carrying capacity’ for that species.  The relocated animal &/or members of the pre-existing population are likely going to find themselves at a disadvantage – something may experience a slow, lingering death due to starvation or injury.

 

By relocating a problem animal to another location, you may also be relocating whatever parasites or disease organisms it may be carrying, thereby risking transmission to a naïve population. 

The raccoon rabies outbreak that’s been running up the eastern/northeastern US coast and is now heading west across PA & OH,  for the past 25 years is the result of some not-so-insightful members of then-President Carter’s staff/cabinet translocating raccoons(some carrying the raccoon strain of the rabies virus) from south GA to VA, because they ‘missed’  coon-hunting.

 

Depending upon season, you may orphan young which may or may not be able to survive without the care of the relocated animal.

And last, but not least, you may just be dumping your  problem animal onto someone else and creating problems for them.

In some states, there are statutes(though I doubt that they are rigorously enforced) prohibiting relocation/translocation of wildlife species.

 

I understand that not everyone is comfortable with terminating problem animals – even vermin, like squirrels – in a quick humane manner,  but it’s a preferable solution to trapping and relocating.   Trapping and relocation may assuage your own personal feelings of guilt, but it’s not the right thing to do.

 

Properly prepared, squirrel, rabbit, groundhog, raccoon, etc. are quite tasty, and very nutritious – especially if they’ve been eating all the fruits of your labors.

 

Lucky Pittman

 

From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Jay Cutts
Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 3:17 PM
To: North American Fruit Explorers
Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Pear Thief

 

I sometimes live-trap the offending squirrels who have learned a naughty behavior and relocate them some miles away. I assume other squirrels will move in to take their place but they haven't learned the bad habits yet.

Regards,

Jay

Jay Cutts

Director, Cutts Graduate Reviews

Lead Author, Barron's Test Prep Publications

800-353-4898 day or eve, 7 days

(In NM, 505-281-0684)

On 8/25/2010 1:18 PM, Robert Bruns wrote:

I've had squirrels chew through green apricots to get to the pits.  They are probably after the pips in your pears.  Once one squirrel does it, all the other squirrels see it and do the same, stripping even a large tree in a few days.

 

Fred

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 3:08 PM, Brungardt, Sam (MPCA) <Sam.Brungardt@state.mn.us> wrote:

Caren, squirrels can carry amazingly large fruit, even on power lines.  I think they’re your thieves. -- Sam

 

From: nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:nafex-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of Caren Kirk

Sent: Wednesday, August 25, 2010 1:09 PM

To: North American Fruit Explorers

Subject: [NAFEX] Pear Thief

 

Out of interest, could anyone suggest what would be stealing small pears off my Flemish Beaty in July before they've fully grown and ripened? It's a small, young tree that I planyed last year that set about 8-10 small fruit. However something came and took them at the beginning of July. There were absolutely no signs of damage to the tree and absolutely no trace of the pears.

 

Animalwise we have quite a family of squirrels in the area but it seems to me that they would be too big for a squirrel to carry off. We have the odd raccoon, but the tree is too spindly to hold that kind of weight without branch damage. My kids show no interest in my fruit until it's on a plate in front of them, and they know better. As do the neighbours.

 

Any ideas so I can work out a strategy to protect them for next year?

 

Caren Kirk

St. Jerome, QC

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