Predators are us. Catchy title but a serious problem for anyone trying to raise livestock or grow a garden. From the masked bandit (raccoon) to the wily coyote and everyone in the middle. We don’t want any of these seeing our flocks, herds, or gardens as a food source.
I have learned over the years that the there are two times of the year that these rascals are much more determined to raid for food. In the early spring when mothers have extra mouths to feed and the dead of winter when food is much more scarce. When you have to hunt for a living, that big fat duck in that cage over there, I’m sure looks to them like the McDonalds drive through looks to us at lunch time. When they come a knockin’ and they will, all that hard work, time, and money you’ve put into your families next meal, is snatched and taken to some den in the woods to feed something else. Oh buddy! You want to talk about upsetting! That’s not the worst part, after they have learned its there for the taking, they will just keep coming back! So I have a few tips for you, some on how to help prevent them from getting started and others on how to get rid of them once they do.
Prevention is simple and not very costly, in the garden for instance a pie pan on a string tied to a post can make a world of difference, along with a scare crow or a fake owl sitting on a post. A radio left on in the barn can deter a lot of animals while keeping your livestock nice and calm. An electric fence or other breeds of 
livestock can be placed with your animals to protect them. Breeds such as llamas, donkeys, and Great Pyrenees mountain dogs are great examples.
If you are a hunter like me, you don’t really need a reason to go ‘coon or coyote hunting. What better reason to hunt, than to exterminate something that’s stealing your food and possibly turn it into a meal. You could also sell the pelt to make back at least some of the money you had invested. Understanding that not everyone lives in a place where you can just “strap up and shoot”. There are many DIY trapping methods out there, but I prefer the live traps we carry at Buchheit’s, baited with what ever the little pest have been eating. It’s extremely effective and if you don’t want to put them down. After they’re trapped you can call your local game warden and have them relocated.
