Originally posted by Tim Barnes:
James, thanks for the reply. They definitely WILL come to a lake and from what I've been reading, they will stay until the food supply is exhausted. I'm a pretty decent shot. I learned that in another country long ago and far away, perhaps that's why I'm soft hearted about killing. I think I'll go with attempts at trapping before resorting to more drastic measures.
I can relate to the soft heartedness. I didn't have to do any killing in any far off land although I was in the service, but my dad who was a Green Beret in Vietnam and Cambodia doesn't like to kill anything anymore either.
The first stray I got in live trap, we both felt sorry for and released.
But after having my dog run after them repeatedly and once across the highway (she could have been killed on that busy highway) I've decided enough is enough. I snuffed one out this morning for the first time. The cat was dispatched instantly so I didn't feel bad. A friend that is big in Pheasants Forever says they do a lot of damage to wildlife. One of the few fence rows around is near where this cat resided, and a Bob White call I heard over there last year was short lived.
I have otters within a half a mile of me in a local lake. I can assure you if I see any sign of them in my ponds they will be history. I don't have the time or patience to deal with bureaucrats that have no clue to what it's like to make a living in the private sector where a paycheck is not guaranted every Friday.
