Category: Predators & Varmints

Among midwestern states, the bobcat is protected in Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and in most counties of Kentucky. It is managed as a furbearer or game animal in the plains states. Western states generally exempt depredating bobcats from protected status. They can usually be killed by landowners or their agent. In the more eastern states and states where bobcats are totally protected, permits are required from the state wildlife agency to destroy bobcats. Consult with your state wildlife agency regarding local regulations and restrictions. 

Most damage caused by badgers results from their digging in pursuit of prey. Open burrows create a hazard to livestock and horseback riders. Badger diggings in crop fields may slow harvesting or cause damage to machinery. Digging can also damage earthen dams or dikes and irrigation canals, resulting in flooding and the loss of irrigation water. Diggings on the shoulders of roads can lead to erosion and the collapse of road surfaces. In late summer and fall, watch for signs of digging that indicate that young badgers have moved into the area. Continue reading Idenifying Badger Sign

Coyotes may respond to predator calls. Calling, like other methods of predation control, should be used sparingly and only when needed. Coyotes can be called at any time of the day although the first couple of hours after dawn and the last few hours before darkness are usually best. Call in areas where there are signs of coyotes, such as tracks or droppings. Continue reading Calling and Shooting Coyotes

Badgers are strong animals that can cause a lot of damage. They can den under homes and buildings and create problems for residents. The successful trapping of badgers can eliminate or prevent these problems. Badgers can be removed by using live traps and/or foothold traps set like those for coyotes. Snares have been used with mixed success, but they can be effective in the right situations.

Badgers often return to old diggings, so this is always a great place to trap. A good bait for badgers is a dead chicken placed within a recently dug burrow. Fur trapping may reduce badger populations locally, but badger pelts are generally of little value and most badgers are caught incidentally.

Foothold traps in the sizes #3 or #4 are adequate to hold even a large badger. However, rather than staking the trap to the ground, it is better to attach it to a drag such as a strong limb or similar object that the badger cannot pull down into its burrow. The problem with stationary stakes is that badgers will often dig in a circle around a stake, sometimes enough to loosen the stake and drag the trap away.

Badgers are neat animals when living in their natural habitat, but removal through trapping is sometimes necessary for both the badger and people. Before trapping, I recommend trying to “bother” the badger with enough activity to push the animal out of the area. This can include the continuous playing of a radio close to their den or continual filling in of their den. This harassment may be enough to get the badger to leave the area and move off to better, more appropriate habitat.

Snaring is the technique of setting a steel-cable loop in an animal’s path to capture it by the neck, body, or leg. Snares usually consist of a 2.5- to 10foot (0.75- to 3.0-m) long piece of galvanized aircraft cable containing a slide lock that forms a loop in the cable (Fig. 31). On short snares, a swivel to prevent twisting and breaking the cable is attached to the end of the cable opposite the loop. On longer snares, swivels can be located near the middle of the cable and at one end. Continue reading Setting Snares for Coyotes