I understand the county supervisors want the issue of trapping
coyotes to simply go away.
Editor,
I understand the county supervisors want the issue of trapping coyotes to simply go away.
This program is much broader than coyotes. The program includes trapping bobcats, foxes, skunks, raccoons, possums and other animals on ranches and in suburban areas. Suburban areas are in desperate need of possum and skunk trapping.
In 2001, it was evident to myself and several neighbors we had a serious neighborhood possum problem. From observation I knew the yard they were living in and their time and path of travel.
I had a professional trapper assess the situation from my yard. He determined he could set a trap in my yard at the location I designated and start trapping. He also cautioned the eradication would be cost prohibitive. The eradication expense was $793, which I bore the full brunt as neighbors chose not to help alleviate the expense even though they were benefiting. Over a 14-day period six possums were trapped in my yard and one of my neighbor’s dogs killed five.
What do you think our neighborhood would look like today if I hadn’t taken the bull by the horns and addressed the issue?
With the understanding and guidance of former city manager, I have been able to take the possums to animal control for euthanization. His common sense and logic told him the city had the capability to euthanize and I was performing a free service. My trap was used to trap two skunks on West Street. There’s still at least one skunk traveling the neighborhood. So supes, this is a necessary project.
Noreen Martin, Hollister
