Need Advice in Florida

[PBluejay2]

I have been a permitted wildlife trapper in Florida for several months now and have prided myself of being a "no-kill" trapper/rescuer/remover. However, I received a letter today from the FWC saying that I can only transport wildlife for the purposes of euthanasia (in other words I can't translocate) beginning July 1. I've read several things on why relocation is not good (spread of diseases and parasites, glutting a habitat, territorial battles), but I'd like some input. I simply won't trap to kill, and as Florida seems to be determined to develop every square inch of the state, I'm feeling at quite a loss of what to do. No offense, but please, informed comments/input only.

[Mars]

And if you also held a rehabbers permit? What are the rules then?:thinking

[PBluejay2]

And if you also held a rehabbers permit? What are the rules then?:thinking

That's still up in the air. I don't have an answer, but on the basis of the FWC's logic, I'm not sure I want one.

[4skwerlz]

What if you had permission from a property owner (a different one from the one where you trapped the animal) to release it on their property?

[FallensMommie]

I would have to say that their biggest fear would be taking a animal that may be a carrier of a disease and introducing it into a new habitat and those wildlife occupying that area being dicimated.


Here is why FWC has a problem with wild life relocation:
http://myfwc.com/critters/Relocation.htm

[Apple Corps]

There are simply times when one needs to break the rules smartly. If you trap some healthy critters, I'd find a way of getting them to a safe area for release. Trapping a nursing Momma - I'd release her and reschedule the trapping session in a month so as to give the babies a chance to survive.

Fighting these idiotic rules is a waste of time - there are always common sense ways around them w/o risking your license.

My two cents - and thanks for caring about our native wildlife & fuzzers :thumbsup :thumbsup

[FallensMommie]

This why I could never have a job like trapping wildlife because there is no way I could do that job of killing the animal. Then to have them kill these animals during season females are carrying young or nursing young. :shakehead

I will say this: for the most part that there are many sensless rules, but some rules are in place for a reason. A animal may look healthy but are carriers of diseases that they do not exhibit simply do to they are immune to the disease but a carrier of it, or just inquired the disease and not displaying symptoms. Now take that animal to a new relocation area that has never had that disease and your talking wiping out animals in that area. My husband use to be in contact with FWC because of his job and this sort of stuff has happened due to relocation of a animal. I think FWC thinking is better for one opposum to be euth then to relocate and have 50 wiped out because of a disease that relocated opposum was a carrier of. It makes sense to me but then again like I said I can't kill an animal so I can't do the job of trapping.

Example by University of Florida at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW099
For example, live-trapping a nuisance raccoon with an inapparent infection of rabies, then transporting and releasing that raccoon in another area can be devastating to individuals in the new area, as it will likely enhance the spread of rabies. That is the main reason it is illegal to transport wild-trapped, live raccoons in Florida.

[CorgiLover]

First off, I too, commend you PBJ (hehe! "PBJ" ... too funny!) Ahem, anyways, I too commend you on your care and efforts. But as a native Floridian that has ALWAYS been very active in FL politics (even after moving to MS), you are fighting an uphill battle.

Florida's government cares about one thing and one thing only ... tourism. If they think that they can make one extra dollar building a hotel, motel, condo, theme park, or beach resort, they aren't gonna give a gnat's ass about wildlife. They aren't concerned about disease, that's a load of cow cookies! It's about TERRITORY and the food chain. Wildlife is at the bottom of the food chain---well, 'cept when the occaisional FL gator or Gulf shark gets lucky and catches that one unsuspecting tourist---so with the exception of people like yourself, no one really cares.

I know people in Pensacola that trap and kill squirrels and coons and all kinds of animals they see as "pesky" because they own waterfront property and don't want them around. My parents neighbors bait and kill the owls because they kill the baby doves. I think it's sick and ignorant but it's rampant behavior and local government could care less.

But tell the officials a hurricane is coming and good grief, they batten the hatches, call out the Guard, send in the lifeboats, fill up the sandbags, etc. Wildlife be damned but Heaven forbid a condo become extinct!!!:soapbox

*deep breath* Okay, I'm done now. Was this contructive??? lol!

[Sciurus1]

I had read some changes were going to be made in the regulations for wildlife in Florida. The trend is towards making it illegal to handle, or possess wildlife without a permit. I haven't read that the latter has of yet been put into place. Perhaps other members can keep us posted on that one.

Having read the above posts, I sincerely hope that some of this same fervor will be translated to the soon to be listed petition online petition, against the sales of small game animals online, or offline, for profit. Please join in supporting the protection and preservation of our National Wildlife, by taking a stand with the APPSC against animal exploitation! We need all the support we can get to take on the auction sites, and ultimately Fish and Wildlife State by State.

Thank you for your support!! S1

[TinyPaws]

I'd like to add my money's worth........When God created earth he first populated it with ANIMALS....t-h-e-n he created man to tend to the animals....not to hunt and kill them or to deplete their habitat......

It's simple.....the oceans belong to the sea life and that includes the shark...when you enter the water you enter the sharks house.....the forests belong to the critters, it is through them that forestry evolves....birds scatter seed, squirrels and such are the gardeners, keeping things trimmed so new growth can happen....every animal has a purpose to the survival of this planet.....when man interviens the only thing they accomplish is the destruction of this world......

Man is the only creature that is invasive, intrusive and down right selfish....thinking this earth belongs to them to do with what they want.....well we've seen the devistation of that kind of thinking.....our waters are poluted, our forests and that includes the rain forest are on life support.....the everglades and swamps throughout are being eradicated...man won't be satisfied untill every square inch of this world is developed to their pleasure and greed.....

They didn't learn from the extinction of the wolf in yellowstone, or the buffalo they drove off clifts to rob the natives of food in hopes of starving them out.....now they reintroduce the wolf and the bison back to yellowstone but give them boundries and kill them if they cross the line out of the area they are given.....like they know about boundries???????

People running around today trying to find ways of reversing the destruction that exsists while all the while continuing to contribute to it.....There is no reverse......and unfortunately the destruction of forests, lakes, oceans, skies, air, swamps, and everything else this planet offers is dying, do to the touch of man and his inability to share this world with it's original inhabitants......

well I better stop before I go into my rant on how man just about destroyed the native americans, of which I am proud to say is in my blood line.....or how greed and ambition of one man almost wiped out a nation of people....

Man does not respect the order of things or the circle of life.....and if they can't respect that they will never respect the wildlife that own thses lands....

Ok, i'm done.......

[Sciurus1]

As you have noted, by your own observations, this is a FALLEN WORLD we now share, just as is the Scriptures portray it to be, having not just effected man, but the animals too, along with the land we all live upon. It is written, that Man was given the responsibility to OVERSEE the Creation, that being over all living things, and the land itself, by God who commanded him to "fill the Earth and subdue it", not to damage, or exploit it! From what we know now, there is no doubt, that Mankind has populated the World, FILLED IT, yet NOT rightly managed the land, or the animals who live on it with him! Thankfully, it is written, that there will come a time, when God takes back this Earth, and restores it, that under His rule, "The Lion will lie down with the lamb, and the young child play in the adder's nest, and not be harmed", where no animal will again kill another, or man. Till that time, I will continue to support the humane care and management of our Wildlife, and their habitats.

[Sciurus1]

Very happy to hear that! Good research job! :wott :wott :wott

[FallensMommie]

However we still are not looking at the whole picture. I am not for relocating or euth, but to educate the public. Before panicking on the word not for relocating hear what I have to say:

If we relocate a animal that is pregnant we have just taken away her home where she has prepared her nest for soon giving birth. Relocate and we have not only stressed her but have taken away her nesting site and whos to say she will have time to rebuild, plus her food sources as she knows it has been taken away too and we all know that one of the highest death rate can be starvation.

Now relocate a mother animal and what about the babies, mom has now been relocated so babies are left behind to die!

I say we encrouched on the this animals and now they are a neuisance? Raccoons tipping over your trash....well secure it!

Raccoons were tipping over my trash too, so my solution I brought the trash into my garage were they can't get to it. Other's solutions that I have seen was fastening the trash cans to a secure object.

Animals getting under the house, make sure your crawl spaces are secure so animals can't get in.

Animals in the attic...make sure the undereaves air holes are properly screen with metal screening.

It's little things like this that can secure a wild animals life, security, it's homes and it's babies!

Just something to think about. It's public education and yea some people will just not care, but maybe a difference can be made
to those that do care, but don't understand these animals outcome!

[CorgiLover]

Raccoons were tipping over my trash too, so my solution I brought the trash into my garage were they can't get to it. Other's solutions that I have seen was fastening the trash cans to a secure object.


When we were stationed in Jacksonville, FL, we had raccoons get into our trash all the time. We finally started using bungee cords over the lids, looped through AND hooked onto the handles. We'd have to use 3 or 4 per can but it worked.

The one time we called the animal control on base they came out, trapped a couple of them and relocated them. I always thought that was kind of rude. I mean, what if they had families somewhere? :dono

[PBluejay2]

What if you had permission from a property owner (a different one from the one where you trapped the animal) to release it on their property?
That was the old rule. Now even with permission you can't relocate.

[GoldenEyes]

They seem to make laws to put people like you in between a rock and a hard place. What are we to do? I wish some of us could run for office to overturn some of these laws so you don't have to relocate or euthanize so we could just keep the animals where they are. Maybe we need to relocate some people though.:D

[PBluejay2]

I went back to find further info pertaining to the chgs. coming in July '08.

# 3 Transport & RELEASE of Nuisance Wildlife[from above listed regulation]
A. Live capture nuisance wildlife transportation under authority of this section may be done only for the purpose of euthanising the nuisance wildlife. EUTHANISING OF THOSE SPEICIES LISTED IN SUBSECTION 68A-6.0022(2). FWC is NOT REQUIRED [see above list]

About your concern for release on private prop. with owner permission, new regs. from FWC in 68A-9.010 TAKING OF NUISANCE WILDLIFE states:

Any person owning property may take nuisance wildlife or may authorize another to take. Section B also states: LIVE CAPTURE NUISANCE WILDLIFE MAY BE RELEASED ON THE PROPERTY OF THE LANDOWNER PROVIDED THE RELEASE & CAPTURE SITE ARE LOCATED ON ONE CONTIGUIOUS PIECE OF PROPERTY. All this data came off the FWC web site and pertains to chgs. begining 7/1/'08.

I hope this helps explain the new laws a little better. It seems pretty straightforward from what I see in the FWC forthcoming regulations. I received your pm & responded. Just pm again if you have any other concerns or questions. :)

I had the list of species before I began this post, and I'm certainly glad squirrels are on it. However, most of the calls I get about nuisance animals are raccoons, Virginia opossums, and foxes. The ones on the list (aside from squirrels) are basically pet store animals. As far as "contiguous property," the average house lot is 75 X 150 feet. If I trap an opossum living under a deck, most owners wouldn't want me to release it back into their yards. By law, I'd have to have it euthanized (kill it) even though there might be a hundred acres of woods across the street.

[PBluejay2]

I love racoons & foxes too, and do they really differentiate between the sup species of possums? Several other types of possums seemed to be protected from euth. Why are they not included with the squirrels & buns?;.. the threat of disease, overpopulation, etc.? I hate when these game people deem themselves to be the wildlife authority and decide to obliterate specified species by un-protecting or even culling them!

In the case of the 3 frequently trapped animals that are not on the protected list; you may have to wait 'till dark & tiptoe across the street to the woods to release the coons, foxes, & posses, until activists feel strongly enough to protect these animals also, by changing ignorant, needless, old laws. You can probably imagine how many people 'skirt' around legislation that insists on killing innocent animals. You may not believe this, but there are actually states with ludicrous wildlife regulations that are far more evil then your own Fl.

I know that doesn't help you with the foxes & coons, [most of us here, which I see you've also been a member here at TSB for a long time; love all animals, not just squirrels] - so the exclusion of the other animals from the protection does not sit well.

Hope you can continue to do what your heart says, keep your head down, & keep yourself and all the animals safe.

Thanks Pbluejay2 for being such an animal lover.:)

Kindismom--thank you for your interest. I got your last PM and want to clarify for everyone that the statues state that "honey possums" and "brustail possums" do not have to be euthanized and CAN be relocated/translocated. However, these "possums" are both exotics from Australia--NOT our common Virginia opossum. I've spoken with the FWC in Tallahassee, and the rule about not translocating but rather euthanizing if can't be released on the property where captured applies to Virginia opossums as well as raccoons and foxes.

Also, the statues that you can get online have not been revised to show the new rulings.