Targeting Feral Cats: any tips and tricks?

[Gwion]

So, i'm now convinced we are having issues with toxoplasmosis on our property. Doing research tells me that i have to limit the number of kittens parading around the place. To do this, i have to limit the number of adult cats.

I've known of a few feral cats around the place and have made a few half hearted attempts to trap or locate them for shooting, with very little success. My best chance to drop one so far, i was 3 beers down catching up with a mate (not keen on shooting) when one wandered across the back paddock. The beer obviously precluded any shooting, as did the company at the time.

Now i am determined to search and destroy as many feral cats as possible.
Bare in mind that my property is hilly, well forested and has many hidy holes due to limestone karste, with caves and crevices abounding. We have about 40acres of pasture out of 190.
We have a heap of threatened native carnivores as well, so jaw traps and baiting (poison) isn't really an option and cage traps haven't been much help.

Anyone got some good, practical tips how best to locate or draw out the Sylvesters for effective pest control?

I really need to formulate a good plan and any help would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

[Title_II]

You bait them.

Canned tunafish is probably best, but peanut butter is also really good.

When I picture you guys in OZ, I am generally thinking Crocodile Dundee. Sorry. Scrub brush, desert, and swamps.

But if you have trees nearby, bait near the trees. I guess rocks might work, or artificial constructs, but let's stick with trees. Once the bait has them coming around, move the bait about 2-`1/2 feet above the ground on the tree. Clear your lanes of fire of bushes, etc., and set up your computer or TV to do some work or relax while you look out the window. The cat will extend its entire body vertically in front of you, exposing its back, to reach up on the tree and get the bait. With the best target you ever had in your life, and the tree as a good backstop (provided there is nothing behind it in case you miss), you can pick the organ you want to put the bullet through.

[southeast varmiter]

You need to hunt them when they are active - nighttime. Only thing that has worked for me is using pheromone spray and a night scope. Very effective.
Bagged 15 in one night

[on_one_wheel]

I've had some good luck lately hunting cats with a shotgun loaded with BB rounds and a whistle that's made from a .243 spent piece of brass with the primer pocket drilled out right through to fit a squeeker from a dog toy in it.
I make lots of short fast squeaking sounds loudly for a minute then pause for a minute or two then I keep squeaking using my hands to muffle and adjust the sound.
Then I use the spotlight to find their eyes.

Often the won't come within 100 mtrs probably because of their brilliant eyesight and hearing they must get suspicious easily, when that happens I keep my headlamp trained on their eyes and close the gap on foot only moving while im squeaking.

Typically I can get within 50 mtrs and blast them easily.

I have also managed to trap a few lately, that's quite easy but when they are out of control the way they are you've got to hit them any way you can.
You can always pop the trap open and hit them running with the 12 gauge to save ruining the trap.

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[Gwion]

Thanks.... keep 'em coming.

I baited an area on a known cat pathway for about a week last year. Set trail cams to try get an idea of the times it was coming and going. Only ever got photos of the sheep wandering passed in the early morning.

Night sight would be awesome but out of my budget.

Will def try the baiting/cams and whistling. Might have to recruit some extra hands once i have an idea of their movements and locations.

Any tips on how to find where they are denning up? One obvious place is the hay shed in the bottom paddock but i trapped it for a week a few months ago and only got a possum and a quoll.... both enjoyed the sardine cat food but less so their night's stay in the new Wire Hotel.

[on_one_wheel]

Considered a feeding station ?

I'm looking at trying a chicken feeder full of cheep dry cat food soon.

[Gwion]

Not such a bad idea. I have a couple of spare chook feeders. Would last longer than a can of tuna or cat food. Fill it with kibble and put a trail cam on it.

Bloody cats can be so sneaky, though; wouldn't want to feed them up and still miss them.

[bigfellascott]

I've called quite a few in when whistling and using the fox pro, (Daytime) and any I see out spotlighting get shot too.

[Gwion]

Can't really afford a foxpro but i have an app with mouse distress calls on my phone: was thinking of a cheap bluetooth speaker set up near the hay shed while i bunker down behind a pile of logs about 50m away, or just with in bluetooth range.

[bigfellascott]

Can't really afford a foxpro but i have an app with mouse distress calls on my phone: was thinking of a cheap bluetooth speaker set up near the hay shed while i bunker down behind a pile of logs about 50m away, or just with in bluetooth range.

Yep can't see why that wouldn't work either mate, there are plenty of free sounds out there too if you have a look around You can also buy cheap speakers on Ebay that would work well with a bit of wiring etc to work with the phone (I'm sure I read somewhere how to do it) so pretty sure it can be done and also set up with a remote from memory.

Nailed this one last year from memory using the Foxpro and Howso 204 - he came from a good 300m that I know of (I sat there watching this black thing stalking along for about 5mins or more) I've shot a few on the same property using the FP so they do respond to it well, I've even had rabbits and roos come running up to the bloody thing not to mention the foxes, crows and all manner of other bird life and bloody cows, they seem to love the fox pro

[Title_II]

I've had some good luck lately hunting cats with a shotgun loaded with BB rounds and a whistle that's made from a .243 spent piece of brass with the primer pocket drilled out right through to fit a squeeker from a dog toy in it.
I make lots of short fast squeaking sounds loudly for a minute then pause for a minute or two then I keep squeaking using my hands to muffle and adjust the sound.
Then I use the spotlight to find their eyes.

Often the won't come within 100 mtrs probably because of their brilliant eyesight and hearing they must get suspicious easily, when that happens I keep my headlamp trained on their eyes and close the gap on foot only moving while im squeaking.

Typically I can get within 50 mtrs and blast them easily.

I have also managed to trap a few lately, that's quite easy but when they are out of control the way they are you've got to hit them any way you can.
You can always pop the trap open and hit them running with the 12 gauge to save ruining the trap.

2015-12-08 13.50.42.jpg

Do you guys eat them?

[Gwion]

Nice work, Bigfella.

What is it with ferals... seems to be a heap of black ones around. Black or tabby... or failing that a deep grey.

[on_one_wheel]

Do you guys eat them?

Funny you should ask ... we made jerky out of the one I pictured above.

My mate who made it also did a batch of rabbit jerky at the same time ... no one could pick the difference between the two.
Mind you it was heavily seasond.

2015-12-08 15.27.16.jpg (409.53 KiB) Viewed 10578 times

[Title_II]

Do you guys eat them?

Funny you should ask ... we made jerky out of the one I pictured above.

My mate who made it also did a batch of rabbit jerky at the same time ... no one could pick the difference between the two.
Mind you it was heavily seasond.

2015-12-08 15.27.16.jpg

That's pretty gross

We don't have the same feral cat problem you do. Sometimes there will be too many and they'll get shot. Heck, sometimes A-holes will shoot their neighbors' cats for pooping around or spraying their doors.

But most of us look at cats like pets first, pests last. I've never seen a Yank post a hunting photo of a dead cat. And certainly never see one admit to eating one. Well, in the English language, at least

Not criticizing at all. I understand life and death, and hunting, and pest control. This is just something a little weird to Yanks, so I am trying to share our culture. Especially that you eat them And yet you won't eat the damn rabbits. But you will also eat the dead wallaby that looks like a muppet.

[on_one_wheel]

Ha ha ... yeah , eating them is rare here, it was more a matter of curiosity . Most people turn their noses up to cat meat probably because of the thought of it but the inland Aborigines love em.

[Gwion]

So... speaking of eating cats and my original problem with Toxoplasmosis.

The VAST majority of cats have been infected with Toxo when they were young. After a short time, they build a resistance to the toxo which then migrates to organs and muscle tissue, developing cysts of dormant toxo thingymajigs. When actively infected (toxo breeding in cats gut, which is the only host it can complete its life cycle in), the (usually) young cat spreads toxo everywhere in it's scat.

Point being, you can get infected with toxo from eating meat with cysts in it. The only way to kill the dormant toxo in the cysts is to freeze or cook it to above 68C. Eating cat jerky will most likely infect you with toxo.

Symptoms in humans are not severe unless you are immunocompromised, or a pregneant/soon-to-be-pregnant woman. In preganat women it can cause miscarriage or physical/mental retardation in the baby.

Grazing animals can also pick up toxo from infected feed (contaminated with cat [usually kittens] poo). It causes pregnant animals to abort, still birth or animals are born alive but weak and with an inability to suckle and so die soon after. This has happened with goats in one of our paddocks in the last 2 kidding seasons and recently happened with a ewe that lambed out of season.

An estimated %50 of adult humans have been infected with toxo at some point in their life and have dormant cysts somewhere in their body. After initial infection and flu like symptoms subside, the parasite goes dormant and the host (YOU) develop a resistance to any further infections by toxoplasma gondii.

Still.... don't eat cats, man! (unless they are very well cooked or have been fully frozen for a period of time)

[on_one_wheel]

Yes all true ... this meat was frozen for 2 weeks prior to it being put into the oven.

[OODAH]

MMM yum Cat

[Gwion]

phew....

[bigfellascott]

Nice work, Bigfella.

What is it with ferals... seems to be a heap of black ones around. Black or tabby... or failing that a deep grey.

Yeah they seem to come in all colours, Blacks, greys, tabby's, ginger you name it, some are real cunning and others well not so much - either way I poke holes in em when they show up.

This one tried to outrun the 22-250 - nailed him in the freckle at around 80m



This one I nailed with the 22 between the eyes

[bigfellascott]

I've eaten cat before (Chinese Restaurant we use to go to got busted with frozen ones in their fridges) true story all I can say is it tasted like chicken after they'd finished cooking it

I did notice it had a slightly diff texture to it but honestly it tasted fine (I didn't know it was cat at the time) but realised what we'd been eating after seeing the story in the local cocky cage liner.

[Gwion]

Man... that's just gross! I just have something against eating carnivores. Not based on anything other than gross factor.

This doesn't apply with fish, obviously.

[on_one_wheel]

I've eaten cat before (Chinese Restaurant we use to go to got busted with frozen ones in their fridges) true story all I can say is it tasted like chicken after they'd finished cooking it

I did notice it had a slightly diff texture to it but honestly it tasted fine (I didn't know it was cat at the time) but realised what we'd been eating after seeing the story in the local cocky cage liner.

bastards!

[Heckler303]

Nice work, Bigfella.

What is it with ferals... seems to be a heap of black ones around. Black or tabby... or failing that a deep grey.

Yeah they seem to come in all colours, Blacks, greys, tabby's, ginger you name it, some are real cunning and others well not so much - either way I poke holes in em when they show up.

This one tried to outrun the 22-250 - nailed him in the freckle at around 80m


-gross image-

We need a smilie that shows pure disgust.


thats a bloody mess. literally

[brett1868]

Nothing wrong with eating a little pussy... Just not one you've shot first.

This one had 2 kittens in tow which unfortunately took off into the long grass before I could get a shot at them. We spotted them in the open on the edge of a wheat paddock wandering in and out of the crop chasing mice. Mama cat moved into the longer grass so I aimed low and ahead of the tail as it was walking but couldn't get the kittens as they took off after I dropped the mother.

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[Gwion]

Looks pretty mangy, Brett. Good shooting, but!

[Heckler303]

Any particular reason you guys have to go and make a complete bloody mess?




Using calibres far too heavy for feline, causing explosive bodyshots, at least get it over quick without having to make it look like a mass murder crime scene.

[bigfellascott]

Any particular reason you guys have to go and make a complete bloody mess?




Using calibres far too heavy for feline, causing explosive bodyshots, at least get it over quick without having to make it look like a mass murder crime scene.

Well we don't all run around with 10 rifles on the back see waiting for the perfect opportunity to use em, I shoot em with whatever rifles in the hand at the time, dead is dead and that's the name of the game after all.

What cal should we be using by the way?

[bear foot bowhunter]

Nice work, Bigfella.

What is it with ferals... seems to be a heap of black ones around. Black or tabby... or failing that a deep grey.

depending on the aria different colours stand out more and are more vulnerable to predators such as hawks and our native on_one_wheel

[on_one_wheel]

Any particular reason you guys have to go and make a complete bloody mess?




Using calibres far too heavy for feline, causing explosive bodyshots, at least get it over quick without having to make it look like a mass murder crime scene.

It's called ethical hunting.