Feral Cats?

C

chewyman55

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I'm curious how many of you go out specifically after the wild cats when you've got time to burn? I dabble in the pursuit of the wild calico but I just read an article that makes me want to really light em up. Some SURPRISING numbers. I realize it can be a touchy issue with some that aren't birders or who are clueless, but I'm coming out of the closet on this one...I shoot cats.

http://blogs.suntimes.com/bowman/2010/12/feral_cats_economic_impact.html
 
HH is going to love this thread.




2311idiot.jpg
 
I've been known to dabble a bit in the shootings of the elusive ditch tiger. Suckers kill a ton of wild birds and other native critters. No poses with any of my big toms though yet.

"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway."
 
Read some of the comments. People will only believe what they want to believe.
Espescially the typical anti hunting types. They just have a hard time with reality.
 
I have nailed 9 since the end of November. For a while that was my lunch activity. But I apparently have thinned the herd enough that they are much more rare to see in the afternoon.

Plus the number of jogging moms has gone up with the warm weather.
 
Ditch Tiger. I like that one. I'm going to start referring to them as that. Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, kills a dude's chances with a woman faster then telling them you shoot cats. It's social suicide. Now a ditch tiger on the other hand...that'll get you somewhere :)
 
My wife would have ZERO problem with me shooting any cat, unless his name was Bob.

Had a neighbor in Clearfield (ferel cat central) that shot 150 cats from his back patio in 1 year. Had another neighbor that had over 50 cats removed from her house when she died.

Yelum
 
Ahh, the elusive lawn lion.....been a while since I got any, last time I got a two-fer with my camry, stopped them in their tracks while they were trying to make a new batch!
 
LAST EDITED ON May-22-12 AT 06:16PM (MST)[p]I visit the farmlands of SE Idaho frequently. It's hard to drive anywhere in those rural farm areas without seeing a few. I had one charge the truck once and had to fire in self defense (he may have been coming to get a rub down, I'm not sure).
 
I would have wondered the same thing coming from MT, but when I lived in IA and got into pheasant hunting, I was SHOCKED at the numbers of cats out in that country.

My drahthaar got pretty good at shaking the wizz out of cats. After the first of the dirty little bastages bit him in the ear giving him a pasteurella infection, swelling his ear up to the size of a dinner plate, he learned how to really kill them with out them getting so much as a claw in him.

The guy that got me into dogs and pheasants pretty much felt it was hunters' obligation to kill feral cats as they are so destructive to ducks and pheasants.
 
My uncle used to have several hundred acres of vineyards just outside of the town limits where he lived in central CA. It seems that everybody in town dumped their unwanted cats in his vineyards.

While in high school my uncle payed me and my buddy 25 cents for every cat we shot with our 22 rifles. We were making good money until my grandmother found out what we were doing to earn our money for theater shows and buyin more 22 ammo. She put a quick stop to that adventure of ours.


RELH
 
I used to know a guy who was in charge of a wildlife refuge out West. He took to shooting every cat that he saw on the refuge (don't recall the number). His superiors noticed almost a 500% increase in the number of pheasants that year and asked him what he thought was the reason. He replied that he had been shooting the feral cats. They told him to keep that quiet, as they didn't need the heat that would follow if the public found out.
 
I live in West Valley, have a few neighbors that are cat hoarders. I also have a female drahthaar, that I is a cat, skunk, coon killer. She actually baits them, when they swat at her, she dodges and grabs the back of their necks, a couple of shakes, and game over. She has actually dragged my 80# 12 year old down the stairs to persue ditch lions. Animal control has been over a couple of times. The neighbors behind me, who have put a rope around their bbq, due to starlings building a nest in it, called animal control after my dog made a valient kill. Animal control put her on house arrest, said that since it was in my yard, and the cat was off a leash, nothing they could do.
 
"Animal control put her on house arrest, said that since it was in my yard, and the cat was off a leash, nothing they could do."

If it was in your yard, they shouldn't even be able to suggest house arrest.
 
NOW THIS IS MY TYPE OF POST LOL DANG CATS COST ME ALMOST $3,000 in fines and even had to pay for the freaking cats Funeral but anyways just dont get BEST FRIENDS involved!!!!
here KITTY KITTY.........
ColorTouch-1.jpg

also dont shoot them with blow dart guns for some reason if by chance they do have an owner they dont like it when they make it home with a dart (or two) in them!!! The Gamo works wonders!!!!! also if you get it with an air gun you can enter it into the "##### n' PUMP" club!!!!!!







YOU AINT GOING TO KILL A BIG BUCK UNLESS THERE IS A BIG BUCK WHERE YOUR HUNTING!!!
 
Several years ago while side dressing corn with anhydrous ammonia I watched several of these critters roaming around a old house, and a barn that was half full of bailed wheat straw. After returning to my pickup I caught the distinct aroma of cat piss and faint paw prints on the windshield where one of the nasty felines had marked his territory. The next morning ....well needless to say a healthy dose of anhydrous ammonia in a confined space does wonders for a rodent problem.
 
This video cracks me up!

YOU AINT GOING TO KILL A BIG BUCK UNLESS THERE IS A BIG BUCK WHERE YOUR HUNTING!!!
 
Shooting domestic animals like cats is ridiculous. You never know whos pet you may be shooting. If someone were to shoot one of my animals, charges would be filed. Period. Thats like shooting someones pet dog. Would you like it if someone shot your dog that got loose? No. So why the hate towards felines. I have cats and chickens that coexist. Never had one of my barn cats hurt one. Although i did have a domestic dog kill one. Go figure.
Dogs are just as or more distructive as any other animal. Packs of domestic dogs will take down horses, deer, smaller critters, ect. So while your worried about a little domestic cat, id worry more about domestic dogs. Kinda like the two dobermans i saw take down a fawn a couple years ago. Unfortunately i was not armed.
Some of you are treading on thin ice 'hunting' domestic cats. I dont believe everything i read on the internet.
 
>Several years ago while side dressing
>corn with anhydrous ammonia I
>watched several of these critters
>roaming around a old house,
>and a barn that was
>half full of bailed wheat
>straw. After returning to
>my pickup I caught the
>distinct aroma of cat piss
>and faint paw prints on
>the windshield where one of
>the nasty felines had marked
>his territory. The next
>morning ....well needless to say
>a healthy dose of anhydrous
>ammonia in a confined space
>does wonders for a rodent
>problem.

That reminds me of a similar story. Right after I was married we lived in an apartment in a big city. An alley cat liked to spray my windshield which made for some wonderful smells when I turned on the heater. I got a pellet gun and I think I had more fun hunting the feral cats that lived in the abandoned house off the alley than I did deer hunting that year. I had to be careful because I think I'd still be in jail if I was caught. But I shot that mofo that was doing the spraying and I felt like I had just shot a 30" buck. I got a couple of the others also and the few that were left knew I was bad medicine and when my car came creeping down the alley all I'd see were cat asses.
 
Where I am shooting the cats at there is no way it is somebody's pet. They are way out on ditch banks etc. And yes I have killed my share of dumped off dogs as well. When I was a kid there was only 5 houses out around my house. No one else around for about 5 miles. We all knew each others pets, and we also knew when someone had set their now unwanted cat or dog loose, thinking that was nicer then taking them in to the pound.

Even as a 10 - 12 year old kid you get really tired of seeing the animal control guy drag a whining and scared pet away, and knowing that the animal will spend the next 3-5 days scares as $h!t, only to be euthanized in the end.

It seems a lot more humane to me when I can call the scared animal over, give it a hotdog, calm it down then dispose of it nicely. A quick shot behind the ears and all that critter remembers is how nice you were to give it a hotdog after being abandoned and hungry for the last few days.

A feral cat is a different story, but a shotgun loaded with a mix of number 6 and 4 shot drops them like a stone. Again, pretty humane way to kill them.
 
LAST EDITED ON May-24-12 AT 01:37PM (MST)[p]You post how bad is is to shoot furry little cats and then turn right around with this statement: "Kinda like the two dobermans I saw take down a fawn a couple years ago. Unfortunately I was not armed. Some of you are treading on thin ice 'hunting' domestic cats. I dont believe everything I read on the internet."
Kind of hypocritical don't you think, when it sounds like you would have wasted those dogs if you had been armed! I would bet that feral cats kill 10 times the number of animals that dogs do, but neither should be allowed to roam all over with no ramifications.
 
>LAST EDITED ON May-24-12
>AT 01:37?PM (MST)
>
>You post how bad is is
>to shoot furry little cats
>and then turn right around
>with this statement: "Kinda
>like the two dobermans I
>saw take down a fawn
>a couple years ago. Unfortunately
>I was not armed. Some
>of you are treading on
>thin ice 'hunting' domestic cats.
>I dont believe everything I
>read on the internet."
>Kind of hypocritical don't you think,
>when it sounds like you
>would have wasted those dogs
>if you had been armed!
> I would bet that
>feral cats kill 10 times
>the number of animals that
>dogs do, but neither should
>be allowed to roam all
>over with no ramifications.

So your saying two 80lb dobermans killing a fawn is the equivalent of a 7lb cat killing a bird or mice? No.
Your grasping for straws. You would bet feral cats kill 10 times more or do you actually have statistical proof of this? And kill more of what? Mice? Gophers? Snakes? I laugh when my neighbors complain of mice, gophers and other vermin tearing up insulation, their yards, ect. I dont have that problem. Does there need to be population control? Disease control? Yes. I just go for the more humane approach. Local vets have set up free clinics, euthanasia for diseased cats, and spay/neuter. I humanely trap feral cats, take them to the clinics, test and if diseased, they are euthanized. If healthy, spay/neutered and adopted out to farms with mice problems or companions.
However in my neck of the woods, i see more dogs running loose than i see cats. Ive never had a cat chase my colts around... but i have had loose dogs chase them through a fence.
I have the same approach with dogs. If found, they go to the free clinic, then to the pound so hopefully their owner can be found.
Do you know the biggest killer of pheasants, grouse, ect? The newly introduced wild Turkey's. They will destroy any nest they find and stomp the eggs. Wasnt the local felines killing off our pheasants, it was introduced wild Turkey's.
 
LAST EDITED ON May-24-12 AT 03:00PM (MST)[p]LAST EDITED ON May-24-12 AT 03:00?PM (MST)

"So your saying two 80lb dobermans killing a fawn is the equivalent of a 7lb cat killing a bird or mice?"

Funny, but I don't see anywhere in my post where I said any such thing!

"Do you know the biggest killer of pheasants, grouse, ect? The newly introduced wild Turkey's. They will destroy any nest they find and stomp the eggs. Wasnt the local felines killing off our pheasants, it was introduced wild Turkey's."

You mentioned something about statistical proof about my "10 times comment", so I'll turn the tables and ask you to show where you came up with that last quote of yours regarding the turkey being a big killer of wildlife, LOL! That one has been around for some time and biologists have proven it is false.
 
I'm blasting 10 this weekend in dreaminbouthuntin's honor. I'm not about to trap them and have them Bob Barker'd. Give me a break.
 
LAST EDITED ON May-24-12 AT 02:57PM (MST)[p]No kidding chewyman55! Maybe the reason he hasn't seen any cats chasing and killing stuff is because they do more of their hunting at night. Any feral cat or dog that is out where I'm hunting isn't close to a place where it is going home and they never come to you, but run when they see a human. That makes them open game in my book, as long as the law isn't violated in taking care of the problem. We had a terrible feral dog problem on one Texas ranch we leased and it was shoot on sight and ask questions later. In areas where they are someone's pet, it is the owner that should be shot (figuratively, not actually) for allowing their animals to run loose since they are just doing what God created them to do to survive!
 
Cats kill more small game, dogs kill small game to but also harass bigger animals.. Wild cats need shot, wild dogs the same..

I would be beyond pissed if someone shot my dog, however if she was chasing your cattle or horses when you shot her I don't blame you...

4b1db2ac644136c4.jpg
 
Someone's pet or not, if it is on someone else's property, it is liable to be killed. I tolerate strays (cats and dogs) more than I probably should, but if they mess with my stock, are stalking song birds, or doing other damage, I will kill them in a second. Those who express great love for their animals and then let them wander about have an interesting concept of love. We don't see too much of dogs or cats in the hills here as aside from the Pyrenees guarding sheep herds, they can't stand up to the natural predators. I would like to see the Pyrenees off the forest as well as there are indications that they may kill deer at a rate comparable to or greater than the average lion.

If you don't believe feral cats are a general detriment to wildlife, you are misinformed or making decisions based on emotion regardless of facts. There are numerous studies to substantiate they are a significant detriment. And yes, introduction of turkeys can also be a problem if introduced and not managed (generally effectively by hunting or killing them to keep them in check)like some are engaged in managing feral cats.
 
>LAST EDITED ON May-24-12
>AT 03:00?PM (MST)
>
>LAST EDITED ON May-24-12
>AT 03:00?PM (MST)
>
>"So your saying two 80lb dobermans
>killing a fawn is the
>equivalent of a 7lb cat
>killing a bird or mice?"
>
>
>Funny, but I don't see anywhere
>in my post where I
>said any such thing!
>
>"Do you know the biggest killer
>of pheasants, grouse, ect? The
>newly introduced wild Turkey's. They
>will destroy any nest they
>find and stomp the eggs.
>Wasnt the local felines killing
>off our pheasants, it was
>introduced wild Turkey's."
>
>You mentioned something about statistical proof
>about my "10 times comment",
>so I'll turn the tables
>and ask you to show
>where you came up with
>that last quote of yours
>regarding the turkey being a
>big killer of wildlife, LOL!
> That one has been
>around for some time and
>biologists have proven it is
>false.

Guess i will need to explain it like im talking to a 6 yr old.
I stated seeing two 80lb dobermans killing a fawn. You then came back and stated how is it any different than a cat killing a bird. I will explain further.. a 6lb cat killing a bird is no where near an 80lb dog killing deer.
As for a couple of you getting yur guns togthur tu go kil sum kats.. grow up. Seems immaturity on here is contagious. As i said, some may not find your way of doucing the population humane or ethical. Just making a point from the other side of the isle. Dont give non hunters anymore ammo. Many statements on here just adds fuel to the already out of control fire. Dont think they frequent pro hunting websites.. they do.
Btw, my father in law is a wildlife biologist. So your argument that biologists have proven it false, is well.. false. We had a lengthy discussion about it. Its like introducing wolves (and i say introduce, not re introduce. The wolves introduced are not native..) anyway, bringing in a species that is not native will always have adverse effects on the native animals. Not just game, but fish as well. Call the opinions or facts. Still up for debate.
As for the owners letting there animals run loose, it just ticks me off when they cry foul when they end up missing and blaming others for their stupidity of letting them run loose. Like it's my job to keep track of them. One had the audacity to state he movec out to the country so his dogs could run free.. free to chase and harrass game and livestock i guess. So when the farmer shot his dog for chasing calves, he pissed and moaned to the sheriff's office and wanted the farmer to pay for a new dog. He was never paid, but you get the picture.
 
Most people with cats, even "barn cats" think the POS things are just killing mice.
I think charges should be filed for people who willingly let cats roam around. Charge them with poaching ducks or pheasants where applicable, or fine them for killing songbirds in town.

Cats are utterly destructive and over-populated in the US.
 
Well that settles it. Wolves have just dropped off the radar and we have declared war on puzzy, public enemy number one. Keep it classy San Diego.
4abc76ff29b26fc1.jpg
 
There has been a lot of hand wringing on this subject. All you need to do is look how a real MANLY city like Santa Monica handles it's wild cat problem.
 
>Most people with cats, even "barn
>cats" think the POS things
>are just killing mice.
>I think charges should be filed
>for people who willingly let
>cats roam around. Charge
>them with poaching ducks or
>pheasants where applicable, or fine
>them for killing songbirds in
>town.
>
>Cats are utterly destructive and over-populated
>in the US.

Lmao. Geezus. Utterly distructive.. Get real. To answer your question.. yes. I prefer cats to dogs. I take care of my fair share of cats, but humanly and on my own property. If someone were to shoot and kill one of my cats, whom of which never leave my property, would be charged. I would hope someone wouldnt do that, but nothing suprises me anymore. The mentality most have towards felines is due towards misinformation and a lack of knowledge of cats. Call me cat lover, whatever. Dont care.
Flip the coin.
Add the idiots that let dogs run off leashes to the 'should be charged' argument. Mutt dogs or as i call the 'rez' dogs are worthless livestock harassing waste of breath. Guess we should charge the canine's as well for poaching birds, deer, ect. Remember while many of you are loving up on your doggy companions, they derive from those canines you hate.. wolves. You see the destruction those canines cause.
The US is overpopulated with dumb, trashy, uneducated, welfare dopes. I say forget the cats and put a bounty on lazy dumb americans. I find they are the most destructive.
 
I don't dislike cats or dogs. I do have a problem with entitled and irresponsible owners. Whether its letting fido or miss kitty roam off your property, or hounds running across private property without permission... not okay. The only feral animals or pets I've killed that I had ire toward were the dogs I've killed while they had some of my poultry in their mouth on my property.
 
>Do you know the biggest killer
>of pheasants, grouse, ect? The
>newly introduced wild Turkey's. They
>will destroy any nest they
>find and stomp the eggs.
>Wasnt the local felines killing
>off our pheasants, it was
>introduced wild Turkey's.

Got to hate it when a native bird that has been recently restored to it's original territory actually takes matters into it's own hands (or beak or feet) and tries to remove some competition from a non-native bird from China.

P.S. - Hands down the biggest predator of pheasants and quail around here are raptors.
 
>>Do you know the biggest killer
>>of pheasants, grouse, ect? The
>>newly introduced wild Turkey's. They
>>will destroy any nest they
>>find and stomp the eggs.
>>Wasnt the local felines killing
>>off our pheasants, it was
>>introduced wild Turkey's.
>
>Got to hate it when a
>native bird that has been
>recently restored to it's original
>territory actually takes matters into
>it's own hands (or beak
>or feet) and tries to
>remove some competition from a
>non-native bird from China.
>
>P.S. - Hands down the biggest
>predator of pheasants and quail
>around here are raptors.

Funny, in return you think Turkeys are native to the north west.. lmao. Neither at phesants, but at least they dont run off grouse like the NON Native Turkey.
 
>>>Do you know the biggest killer
>>>of pheasants, grouse, ect? The
>>>newly introduced wild Turkey's. They
>>>will destroy any nest they
>>>find and stomp the eggs.
>>>Wasnt the local felines killing
>>>off our pheasants, it was
>>>introduced wild Turkey's.
>>
>>Got to hate it when a
>>native bird that has been
>>recently restored to it's original
>>territory actually takes matters into
>>it's own hands (or beak
>>or feet) and tries to
>>remove some competition from a
>>non-native bird from China.
>>
>>P.S. - Hands down the biggest
>>predator of pheasants and quail
>>around here are raptors.
>
>Funny, in return you think Turkeys
>are native to the north
>west.. lmao. Neither at phesants,
>but at least they dont
>run off grouse like the
>NON Native Turkey.


There are turkey bones in the La Brea tar pits. Are you positive turkeys were not once in your region prior to re-introduction? No pheasant bones were found, though.
 
LMAO. I think i will try to slay me some this weekend. Maybe i can find a black one.

The amount of BS flying on this thread is reaching a new high. I particularly like the idea of neuturing stray cats, and the logic behind the non-native turkeys killing the native ringnecks.

Where do you all live that you see this many stray cats
 
>LMAO. I think i will
>try to slay me some
>this weekend. Maybe i
>can find a black one.
>
>
>The amount of BS flying on
>this thread is reaching a
>new high. I particularly
>like the idea of neuturing
>stray cats, and the logic
>behind the non-native turkeys killing
>the native ringnecks.
>
>Where do you all live that
>you see this many stray
>cats


The bs is of your own. You can choose to be inhumane and ignorant, and i will choose to be humane and factual. Btw.. how are those ringnecks 'native' to North America? Say more please. The more idiotic remarks you make just proves my point for me. Native ringnecks.. lmao thats rich. Geezus.
 
I guess I should have noted the sarcasm in my comment. Agreed ringnecks are not native to North America.

I will take this opportunity to thank you for helping make this world a better place for all of us by lopping the nuts off cats rather than killing them. My inhumane, ignorant butt will sleep better at night. You sir are a true patriot.

So you aren't further confused I am once again being sarcastic.
 

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