What won't you kill?

DoubleLungRage

DoubleLungRage

Active member
Even though I call in a decent amount I don't kill foxes. I just don't feel a need to kill them. It's also been YEARS since I've seen a red in these parts.

So like the title says (even whenever legal)

What won't you kill and why?
 
Interesting. As a matter of fact, I have also let several fox walk away. When I was in Tennessee we saw very few and I just didn't see the need to kill one.

And for some reason, I never got any enjoyment out of shooting squirrels, raccoons, or other things. Just my personal preferences.

Other than that .... coyotes and bobcats were taken if the opportunity presented itself.
 
Hidalgo said:
Interesting. As a matter of fact, I have also let several fox walk away. When I was in Tennessee we saw very few and I just didn't see the need to kill one.

And for some reason, I never got any enjoyment out of shooting squirrels, raccoons, or other things. Just my personal preferences.

Other than that .... coyotes and bobcats were taken if the opportunity presented itself.
Click to expand...

Oh man. A big pot of squirrel stew is one of my favorites. When I was a kid my grandma would cook two pots of squirrels. One for my pa and the other for everyone else. Pa liked the heads left on them. He cracked them open with a nut cracker and sucked the brains out.
 
Locally I've given bobcats and fox a pass because I don't want to buy a furbearers license and I'm to cheap to tan them and won't leave them lay.
I've also given jacks a pass as they are food for coyotes and I'd rather shoot coyotes than jacks.
 
Foxes. We have no shortage of them and I call in quite a few. I just don’t feel the need to shoot them. If one has mange or appears sickly I’ll put it down, but in general they get a pass. For the record, I’m not against others taking them if they so choose. It’s just a personal choice of mine.
 
Reds. When I was a kid that’s all we had, then coyotes moved in and no more reds. I’ve caught 3 in the last 6 years, they all got a pass. For some reason our Greys aren’t around this year. The property I’m trapping is usually good for half a dozen or so, none this year. I tell every landowner, dispatch is at my discretion.
Pretty much everything is money, so other than Reds, not much gets a pass.
 
Possums, for whatever reason I have a soft spot for them. I know they raid nests but I just don't want to shoot them.
Skunks because we don't leave anything laying in the field and I don't want to pick them up.
 
Last edited:
Jacks because we don't have many. Coons, possums and skunks die if the shot is safe and there are no coyotes coming in.

Edit to add foxes, we have a few reds around and I shot the first one I called and got it tanned but I have a soft spot for them.
 
Last edited:
I have let bobcats and fox walk more than I can count. Gray fox in particular get a pass. I have trapped and shot many in my life, but the last few years I just let them go.
 
Fox or Bobcats aren't night legal here in NC. I've called in so many over the years that I don't think I would shoot them even if NCWRC made them night legal. I haven't seen a gray fox all year but call in reds pretty regularly.
 
In the predator world? Nothing really, though I pass on more and more foxes these days. Had to pass a bobcat last October because it wasn't season yet. I guess I haven't called enough cats to get that point, so I still take them and get the hides tanned.
 
Back
Top