Weasle Time

[old fart]

Hi Guys :

Don't let the title fool you it's not a Studebaker Weasel you know the nice kind. It is the four legged kind you know the pest type . Now that we have the mouses problem taken care of this white weasel appeared in our back porch yesterday when I was letting our 12 lb Bichemo pup out for his nightly business run . I looked up what the weasels habits are and food and our alarm mutt falls within the weasels boundary along with rabbits and chickens . I have set out some Wilson's Warfarin poison pellets and a large rat trap with some raw hamburger in it then wired it to the door hinge Both are not accessible for the mutt . Does anyone have any other ideas on how to get rid of this pest .Live trap not an option .

Old Fart

[fargoguy]

I think this probably belongs over on the stove huggers forum and not here.

[(S)]

I would not use poison, what if if wanders off to die and Hawks and other birds eat it.......

[rockinhawk]

Other options; >22, .22 Magnum, 410 Gauge. 12 gauge. .243... the list goes on...

[ndynis]

I think Neil has the best solution, quick, easy, and clean!
Nick

[jclary]

What's so bad about using a "live" trap? You can safely catch, remote release, or kill the critter at your convenience. Store bought "Have a Heart" traps can be bought at local farm supply stores, hardware stores, and even Harbor Freight for very reasonable prices. However, I grew up trapping critters that raided our livestock feed room, and we ate the bunnies, squirrels, and quail.

Instead of buying traps, I make my own, just because I can. Here's one I made from expanded metal and sheet metal. The door frame is aluminum angle pieces.
This one was made for mid-size animals like fox, raccoons, and this possum I have caught & released so many times, I'm thinking of naming him "Otis" like the friendly neighborhood drunk who frequented Sheriff Andy's jail in the Andy Griffith TV show. I merely take the door off the trap, and "Otis" ambles off and disappears into a large cedar tree in the pasture.

I make these traps in sizes for different size animals. For mice, I use small square weave wire cloth. As I type this, there is a mouse caught in my pole barn freezing its little tail off. This afternoon, I'll invite the barn cats out to the field, release the mouse and see if it can out run the cats to the fence line. So far, none have. There are creative ways to dispatch the little critters. You can use an awl, BB gun, or haul them off to a remote location & release. Whatever method you have the guts for, is a choice you have to make.

[rockne10]

John,
Looks like you caught yourself a possum.
Hope you safely released it. These critters are pretty harmless to us, and eat thousands of ticks, as they are impervious to Lyme disease. Opossum=good.

[gordr]

Why not just let the weasel be, unless it's taking chickens or something? They really aren't a pest, and they eat mice, too. My dog chased one this past summer, and it was funny to watch. The dog would outrun it, and get it sort of cornered, and it would rear up and hiss at her, and she'd jump back, and the weasel would run again. This went on for some time. Finally I shooed the little critter into some bushes where the dog couldn't reach it.

[Buzzard]

Our British Columbia forest wilderness home has tons of critters. Most everything is OK with us with one exception-Packrats. Their excrement is the foulest smelling messy ooze you have ever smelt. I use a HavaHart like John so I know I am only trapping these bad guys and not other squirrels, chipmunks, marmots etc. THEN I have a plastic Plano tool box into which I secured a 2" pipe fitting in one end. Once I have determined that I do actually have a packrat, I place the HavaHart inside the tool box, seal it shut and connect a HD hose to the tailpipe of my old CJ7 V8 Jeep or GMC pickup and voila, Mr.Packrat simply goes to sleep for good. This doesn't work for later vehicles with converters, just the early polluters. This is the most humane method I've found.
Happy New Year to all.
Bill

Bill

[61Lark]

Don't ever use poison, too many different animals can get into it including pets. https://www.petmd.com/dog/emergency/...lant_poisoning

I'd love to have a weasel around to keep the mice and rabbits in check. We had a fox in the area last spring that nearly eliminated the rabbits, but we found it dead on Easter likely due to poisoning. As much as I hate mice I never use poison. If you can't live trap it and relocate it then leave it alone.

[old fart]

Hey guys > If you look up on how dangerous weasels can be you wouldn't let your dog chase it around the yard for laughs . Weasels are known to kill animals ten times there size and when your dog costs you more than a 2 months worth of pension checks you would have second thoughts . The trap and poison that is set out is in a section of the back porch that only a human can open up with a crow bar or claw hammer . I also think Neil has a good point but digging out all that buck shot leads me to think I'll stay with what I've got for now until the little bas_____ pees me off to go with Neils idea . Take care folks , stay sober and have a great New years .

[jclary]

John,
Looks like you caught yourself a possum.
Hope you safely released it. These critters are pretty harmless to us, and eat thousands of ticks, as they are impervious to Lyme disease. Opossum=good.

Not sure if you read my post closely Brad (I'm guilty of that too). As I stated, I have caught & released this possum several times.

Hey guys > If you look up on how dangerous weasels can be you wouldn't let your dog chase it around the yard for laughs . Weasels are known to kill animals ten times there size and when your dog costs you more than a 2 months worth of pension checks you would have second thoughts . The trap and poison that is set out is in a section of the back porch that only a human can open up with a crow bar or claw hammer . I also think Neil has a good point but digging out all that buck shot leads me to think I'll stay with what I've got for now until the little bas_____ pees me off to go with Neils idea . Take care folks , stay sober and have a great New years .

The problem with shooting these critters, is having a clear target zone. Back when I didn't have a neighbor within a quarter mile, I once shot a field rat in a small metal utility building. I figured that the thin sheet metal wouldn't be much of a problem. What I didn't consider was the heavy gauge frame at the bottom of the building where it was bolted to the plywood floor. I was using a long barrel .22 revolver with long rifle bullets. I shot the rat, the bullet bounced off the frame and zipped by my ear on the way out the door!
No rodent will ever be worth that kind of risk.

In fact, that was the incident that inspired me to begin making these traps out of wire. In my youth, I made them from scrap wood and hollow logs. Except for certain animals, (mice, possums, and your neighbors cat) real wild animals are reluctant to go into a shiny metal trap. It is best to age and weather a trap before attempting to catch truly wild animals.

Here is one of the small "mouse" traps I use for capturing "cat snacks."