Trapping wildlife and relocating without proper licensing is illegal in many states. Best to check with your check your game warden to be sure.
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For the record, people, I drop the squirrels off at the wildlife refuge a couple miles down the road.
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I use two Squirrelenators to control my squirrel population.
Twice within the past month I’ve found that a trapped squirrel had been eaten by something situated OUTSIDE the trap. I knew this because an eaten portion of the squirrel was outside the trap while an uneaten portion was still inside.
The predator obviously would have pulled the squirrel completely out of the trap if it could, but the head is too big to fit through. In one case, all of the meat below the head was eaten; in another case, the hind quarters were eaten. In both cases, the skeletons were intact, but the skin was hanging loose and most of the muscle was stripped from the bones of the legs and hips.
Do you have any ideas what the predator might be? I figure that it would have to have reached through the mesh; grabbed the tail, back leg, or butt; pulled what it could through the mesh; then ripped away at the skin and flesh. Not a pretty picture. My best guess is a hawk.
One other time I found a mink inside a trap with a decapitated squirrel. But the mink was stuck inside and couldn’t get out until I released it. This scenario is very different.
I would guess raccoons. They pull chickens partially out of portable pens to eat whatever they can. When I lived at a different property in Virginia rats pulled chickens, too.
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Thanks. I considered raccoons briefly but assumed (!) that it would take both “hands” working through the wire simultaneously, which seemed a very difficult feat. And/or that the squirrel would bite any hand that tried to grab it. But now I’m wondering if a single hand could carefully and quickly grab the tail and pull. That would be very deft, but it would work if it could be executed. So I guess that so far, your suggestion is the best.
I got an extra large havahart and so far ave caught 4 of my chicken killers. I drive them way out into BLM land with a creek and let them go. I understand this isn’t an option for people who don’t live near federal and state forests.
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NIce! I have two normal size havaharts, baited from March through November. Most recent seasons I’ve caught an even dozen. This year so far I’ve nabbed 4 males and 2 females. I do live near a state park, which is a reservoir for the local population. But it’s too close to be a good destination.