Trapping in a suburban environment...

If you were going to trap an animal in a patch of woods that is surrounded by houses, how would you dispatch the animal? Can't shoot it with a .22

Reference the deer and a rope post a few weeks back. Good question

Throw blanket over his head and smack it with a hammer.

If I wasn't gonna use a gun I would probly use a bow. Anything else would be a lot of trouble by yourself. Figure a spear or catch pole and knife would be tuff.

Pistol Bow


Good for Zombies also.

Good hickory stick across the head.

.22 quiets

Use your release stick to choke them down.

CB short or long. Less noise than a pellet gun. After that a choke stick.

I've literally dispatched hundreds of critters with the old Burford Pusser hand made hickory stick back in the early 80's when I made money trapping. You may want a choke stick in case you catch a pet though.

I made my release stick from a piece of conduit and would just whack them over the head with it. I found that caused a lot of blood clotting and sometimes turned the color of the hide, so I bought a .22 pistol and started shooting them in the ear.

I read a book by a longliner and he dispatched fox by hitting them in the nose with his digging shovel and knocking them over, then stomping right behind the shoulder. I tried it and found that produced less hide damage than any other method. Obviously wouldn't wanna try that with a coon or bobcat.

Even popping a coyote in the nose stuns them easily. From what I have read, a lot of the western and northern trappers use this method so there is no holes or blood on the pelt.

I can't belive this wasn't asked, and I assume it would help to know, but what kind of animal are you try to trap?

Jono, what I use at the Vision is a catch pole (requirement to have if you are trapping). Pole around the neck, boot on the head, sinch tight. Tap them on the nose or head with a stick (or rebar stake gently) to knock them unconscious.

This is what I do for skunks and cant use a 22

I got some big ol fat grey foxes all over behind my house. I have 3-4 on camera at once.

Check the city ordinance if you are in the city. In mobile I can't use any steel traps only cage traps. I would be surprised if birmingham didn't have something as well. You don't want to end up on the 6 o'clock news when someone walking their dog finds one of your traps. Not trying to discourage you though. I catch a lot of nuisance animals in mobile. Just have to be careful.

Oh yeah, good point. Thanks!

Choke stick.
Trapping around houses you will catch every roaming dog in the neighborhood before catching anything else probably.

My dad is probably one of the nicest people you'll meet but back in the late 70s they were very poor. He would trap for pelts and help his parents with money. Anyways when he'd trap a fox etc. he had a old hickory stick, that he'd smack whatever right on the head with, really hard to dispatch it. This way there was no bullet hole in the pelt

In Birmingham just say it was a drive by