I believe that the local cats in my small town suburban location are facing extinction because of some unknown factor(s). I plan on bringing this to the attention of a wide range of political bodies, local animal authorities, private cat-huggin' groups, the national cat service and any others who might be able to help reverse the trend before they become really extinct. Maybe they can sponsor a cat stocking program or fund a cat house operation locally with money out of the pork barrel. I saw on the news that a lady in a spiffy neighborhood in Raleigh was cited for having 87 cats. Maybe she has been stealing them? How do I know of this disappearing cat problem? I haven't even seen the track of one on my f-150 hood for months. My flower beds are undisturbed. None slink aroung the backyard looking for something plump to eat. Rabbits are plentiful in the backyard and ranch cougars are not hiding out in the shrubbery. No yowling at night either. I've been checking the pound and they aren't giving any away like they used to. I used to be able to get a dozen or so every few weeks for release at the hunting lease in the country. But not now. Even the measured 37 yard lap lynx feeding station I set up out back has been taken over by squirrels. Now we did have two New Hampshire ladies, Butch and Martha move to town last fall, but they like dogs, BIG dogs, so I don't think they are involved in underground railroading cats up north. But this is a real panic, like the 5-legged Minnesota frog die out of a few years ago. I don't want to go back to shooting rocks, tree stumps, and pine cones and paper in the spring. Who has sane, sensible ideas on this problem?

Perhaps you need to start using more primitive hunting methods, such as a muzzleloader or bow and arrow, spear, etc.

hugh, Ned DOES use a flinter, modern bows ain't primitive. Spears, well the only one I think is sporting is a spear gun with the string attached. On big crats. In Africa or the Amazon Basin.

Ned, don't know what to say, I don't have any spares at the moment. Between me, the foxes and coyotes, and Big Al, there are only 2 in the neighborhood and I'm savin' them to train my nephew. Wild animal populations come and go, wax and wane. Mebbe you're too soft of step in the woods and cleaned 'em all up?

BTW, read a post the other day somewhere, guy claimed his 36th turkey using an airgun. I thought I was pretty damn good goin' 6x6 on squill with my benjamin....guess I got another think comin'...

Dan

Pres., TYHC

www.TurkeyIn.TheSmoker

Starting this evening,I'm gonna set the 'Hav-A-Hart'back up on my front porch.
It is good for one a night.I can get two on Sat./Sun.I'll figure out how to ship them to you after I fill up the garage.
You can keep all the lil collars and tags if you want.
It has been awhile now since they posted'Have You Seen Fluffy' signs on the phone poles 'round here.
Thanks to you,Ned,now I have something to live for.You're a god.

Ned, you could try posting a "Lost Cat - Reward" sign in a few neighborhoods. Just be fairly non-specific on the description of the missing lap lynx, and say something like "Sadly missed by little old lady" or something like that on the sign.

Just put your address on the sign, instead of a phone number. I guarantee people will be showing up at your door with all kinds of seed stock.

All you have to do is tell them "No, that's not the cat we lost, but my dear old mother will be tickled pink to have it as a replacement for Fluffy." and then you don't have to pay out the reward.

Pure Genius,Fischer,Pure Genius.

Once again the shooting/hunting community has come together in the wake of near extinction to help out an old conservationist. Guess I have to write to Peter Jennings soon with a cat hugger story about all the help. Thanks Hughjass for the primitive angle. I have to revisit that. I resolved many years ago to limit my cat yard and field work to flint round ball, 25-20, a few other old cartridges(big fifty),.222, and similar, sort of like a conservationist. None of that precision air gun stuff for me. Oh yeah, I admit to one I got with a .451 ball and a slingshot when I was into the "Shoot a few squirrels with your Whammo while deer hunting" craze many years ago. Poletax is a real gentleman too offering to save lonesome cats and send them to me for re-introduction into the wilds of suburbia. Cats are like clays, though, some get broke. So I'll need plenty. I'll send you my address right after those 25 pre-fab rabbit, I mean, cat, cages get here from the "Little Meows&Paws" cat mill breeding Co. and get set up out back. Sorta like when I raised quail for release. Fischer has some great ideas too about the lost signs and cat repatriation techniques I'll have to try. Works just like buying dental insurance off signs on telephone poles. But Dan, I'm wondering about you though. Only two left in your neighborhood? Even though I'm hurting with extincted cats here, I going to send you a couple of bred pussies. You got any pre-ferences? With care you will soon have a herd you can be proud of. I know you have a lot of hungry mouths to feed in Yankeetown, particularly with barbecue season coming up and you having a good stock of black jack oak laid by. Thanks, everyone, for all the hepl. ned

Digital Dan, there is no need to be sporting when it comes to crats. Maybe a good ball bat would be something that will sharpen you stalking skills. I have the same problem around here. I have just the wife's porch panthers around for seed but people keep shooting them. Only three left.

Easy solution, once the prowling pumas are gone move on to squill, woodchucks, skunks, possumns, coons, wild dogs, starlings, coyotes... you get the picture.

Around here in the last 2 weeks it has been Mink. Big, Black and stupid. My neighbour catches them in his Hav-a hart and I introduce them to the tailpipe of my Accord. We have gotten 7 in the last 2 weeks and now have enough to cover our quivers and our possibles bags! derf

In the late 70's mink were my cash cow,,,,was getting 15-20 bucks a hide for them,they can't resist the smell of a fresh dug hole,,or the smell of piss from the previous victim,,,unfortuneately round the same time I discovered titties and beer,,,,Clay www.110conibear.com

You will appreciate this one then Clay, last evening we got a very large and very wild one in a silvery colour. It now resides in my freezer after an exhausting ordeal with my Honda! derf

derf, what is the nature of their death? Do they try to sire offspring with the Honda tail pipe? Until they're dead?

Ned, appreciate your generosity, prefer UNBRED red ones.

Dan

Pres., TYHC

www.RaininCratsN.Dogs

Some times we do our jobs rr hobbies to well.
338vt

I wish I could win an all expenses paid cat hunting trip to Oz soon. I heard they an excessive number of them there. It would be good to be a conservationist there too. I once saw a documentary that showed several native women out cat hunting in the savannah and they chased the cats a little into a thick brushy spot, knackered 'em with a thrown rock or two, had a fire going as quick as you could roll yer own smoke, and then took their ease after tossing the whole cats on the fire. One of them produced a chip of glass after the dinner was cooked, used the glass to get the hides off and share out the meat. Looked good enough to eat, which they did! Probably much tastier than spam too. I guess I'll have to ease off the locals here lest they become like Yeti. ned

They get the 3 minute plastic bag surprize Dan. The Mink after trying to snack on expensive exotic fish in a pond go for the Tuna Crat food,provided by yours truly(such a hardship!) in the Hav-a-hart trap. Then it is a quick trip in an industrial strength garbage bag to the Accord Auchwitz! 3 minutes later it is into the freezer to preserve it till it is time to make new coats for toys. All in all, a minimum of fuss and trauma. I was just thinking that with the appropriate bait material and a lager trap and bag combo,it would also work for crats used in demonstrations(Demo-Crats aka,Lieberals). derf

Wow, you guys are lucky. I'd love to get some mink furs. How many do you need for a good coat?

A herd of them, I think.

Hog Killer

quote:

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Originally posted by G. ned ludd:
I wish I could win an all expenses paid cat hunting trip to Oz soon. I heard they an excessive number of them there. It would be good to be a conservationist there too. I once saw a documentary that showed several native women out cat hunting in the savannah and they chased the cats a little into a thick brushy spot, knackered 'em with a thrown rock or two, had a fire going as quick as you could roll yer own smoke, and then took their ease after tossing the whole cats on the fire. One of them produced a chip of glass after the dinner was cooked, used the glass to get the hides off and share out the meat. Looked good enough to eat, which they did! Probably much tastier than spam too. I guess I'll have to ease off the locals here lest they become like Yeti. ned

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Ned, Are these girls of marrying age?
Do they just need a place to stay 'til they get citizenship ?

Just a brief note to indicate that I have legally changed my name to N. S. Sherlock. Yes Mr. poletax, they looked to be of marrying age and much more besides. I think they actually inquired as to the whereabouts of God's country, something about tired o'eatin dam cats! Wanted to try groundhogs. I think they were citizens of Oz already. ned

Herro Mr. Sherlock, how you do GI? Dragon Lady have hard time find this prace, good be back! Have beau coup customer Golden Chopstix, chop chop cat too much! Must go now but wirr be back soon, have much to tark about.

Rove arr you crazy GIs!

Princess Li

Sorry Ann, I have no idea how many it would take to do a coat. We are going to use them for Quiver and Possibles Bag covers. Well except for the last one, it is such a beautiful silvery color that it is going to the taxidermist's. derf

Fond memories of childhood days spent on a friend's mink farm. At harvest time they would drive a cart down the aisles with a big box on the back with a one-way trap door. The exhaust fed into the box and they'd reach into the cages, wearing heavy-duty leather ovenmits, and stick'em into the box. After a few dozen they'd gun the engine and a few minutes later a trap door at the bottom spilled out the minks.

As to the extinction problem, these little bastards re-populate very easily. Just start a wildlife management program. You'll have to restrain yourself a little at first. Introduce some breeding stock and while the population is rebounding you knock off the weakest members. At some point you'll have a healthy population and can start hunting again. And consider this little side bonus: you can be very visible about setting out food for the cats so that all the area pansies think you're one of the good guys. When cats start mysteriously disappearing you'll be beyond suspicion.

Hello Mr. FreakPower. The info about your mink farming experience was great. I had never really considered how the little minky buggers are put down in a "chicken ranch, pig parlour, mink menagerie" type of situation such as you described or as we have here in N.C. for ribs and chicken strips. Good to know information. You are right about having to start a conservation and restocking program to bring them back from extinction in my neighborhood. But since the others here didn't express much more than mild sympathy to the problem I figured the darn things were still like a plague most everywhere but here and Yankeetown and I was wondering if I should drive a little and shoot a lot instead of hanging in the 'hood . Dan is an almost old time crat whacker and suggested(reading between the lines) that he was a little short of 'em too. I have to admit also, that some posters appeared not to be as dedicated to fixin' a cat problem not in their own backyards(nimby), and that others, if the truth were known, were still in the closet concerning their North American Cat Lovers Association membership status. I dunnow for sure about one that and its not in my nature to accuse anyone regarding something that serious however. To make a short story long, I'll just be patient till the natural increase in surrounding areas catches up with demand and supply to improve the outlook right here in river city. I'll keep on leaving out of date tuna from the supermarket in nearby yards but I don't care for the fame that would come with visibility to the public. Just keep jogging at dusk wearing my backpack. N.S. Sherlock