North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Steve <sdw12986@aol.com>]

On 8/16/2012 2:24 AM, sherwin wrote:
> On 8/15/2012 6:50 PM, Louis Pittman wrote:
> > Squirrels are not an endangered species.  Please don't 'relocate' problem
> > wildlife:
> >
> > 1. It's ineffective - another squirrel(and another, and another) will take
> > the relocated animal's place
> > 2. It's often inhumane - either for the relocated animal or the existing
> > population you release them into
> > 3. It's biologically - consider the potential for introduction of
> > disease/parasites into the population you release into.
> > 4. You may just be dumping your problem on another person.
> >
> > Shoot or trap and terminate.
> >
> > On Wed, Aug 15, 2012 at 5:31 PM, Spidra Webster<spidra@gmail.com>  wrote:
>        I disagree about relocation being ineffective.  I have been
> removing squirrels for many
>        years using HaveAHeart traps.  At the beginning of the season, I
> trap close to a dozen.
>        Then, they stop appearing.  Although squirrels are territorial, it
> takes time for them to
>        move back into my neighborhood.  Since I started trapping, I see
> less and less numbers
>        at the beginning of the season.  I think trapping is an effiective
> way to control squirrels,
>        at least in my suburban neighborhood.
>
>        As for disposal, several people I know drown these critters by
> immersing the cages in a
>        barrel of water.  I personally cannot get myself to do this,
> although I don't have compunctions
>        about setting a mouse trap.  I remove the squirrels to nearby
> forest preserves.  Some of these
>        are only a mile or two away, but they need to pass through several
> neighborhoods to return
>        to my yard.  Because my traps start to go empty after a while, I
> feel they are not returning.
>        For trapping, I got a permit from my County Office.  Disposal is
> another matter, as most
>        Forest Preserves have signs disallowing that.  I try to do it as
> quietly as possible.
>
>        I feel it is more humane to give the squirrel another chance in a
> new location than killing
>        them on the spot.  Now as concerns the two pit bulls next door to
> me, that is another story.
>
>                                  Sherwin D.


Thanks Sherwin, yours was the best post for actually answering my 
original question.
By the way, your last sentence above.... did you mean that the pit bulls 
next door kill squirrels or did you mean you wish you could trap them 
and NOT give them another chance?

Steve