Diseases such as rabies can run rampant when populations of furbearers like foxes and coyotes are not controlled by trapping .
along with the gate so that it was hard and fast . I put the pine boughs on the top of the trap to prevent the fox from jumping over . In my previous experience , this was the best set for a free-ranging animal that I would “ drive ” to an exit , and I had used the technique successfully many times in the past for other foxes , raccoons and bobcats .
Climbing over the fence from the other side of the house , I dropped down with catch pole in hand , ready for anything . I should also note that I had put on leg gaiters ( canvas to the knees ), full “ gauntlet ” gloves ( up to my elbows ), and eye protection . Safety is key when dealing with wild animals of any type , and a rabid fox is certainly no exception !
This wasn ’ t my first rodeo , and I expected the fox to do one of two things . One , the fox would immediately go on the offense and charge me , or two , the fox would try to hightail it out of the backyard through the fence gate where it had entered . Well , as it turns out , the fox chose both options . It first came at me but couldn ’ t get past the catch pole . While the fox was too quick for me to harness as it dodged back and forth , the pole was an effective shield keeping it back . Finally , after a few minutes of this awkward dance , the fox decided to turn tail and made a run for the gate . In its haste , the fox failed to take notice of the trap and ran directly into it , tripping the door and effectively catching itself .
I then called my good friend , one of the biologists at the state fish and wildlife agency , and we arranged to have the fox destroyed and tested . My field diagnosis turned out solid , as the fox was in fact rabid .
I share this tale of wildlife management in suburbia because most Americans have no idea how their safety is directly impacted when wildlife populations are left unchecked . When trappers are taken out of the mix , as they often are in suburban or urban environments , public safety is negatively impacted . In such cases , we are left with the “ last ” option , the 911 version of wildlife management , where a wildlife-damage or nuisance trapper has to be brought in to protect the public from harm in a much more immediate sense .
During my career , I also was asked to reduce the raccoon population within a specific area due to a rampant distemper outbreak . This was caused by a highly concentrated population , and through my interviews with folks living in the area , I came to learn that a number of homeowners had been live-trapping raccoons and releasing them in a nearby public park along a small river . Over a number of weeks , I removed more than 40 racoons from the area , all suffering the withering effects of distemper , a viral disease that ravages the host animal and is the second leading cause of death in raccoons .
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