For human-wildlife conflict, live-trapping and relocating is NOT the humane solution. Studies show that wildlife depend on their home territories for survival and during spring and summer you will likely be separating a mother from her babies leaving them to starve. This is a very cruel consequence of trapping wildlife. It's a tough life for wildlife. Please remember that, and have compassion when they cause you some inconvenience in their simple efforts to survive.
PLEASE NOTE: If you hire a nuisance wildlife control operator the most likely outcome for the animals they trap is death. In Nebraska, the only two legal options they have are to either release the animal within 100 yards or to kill it. They CANNOT relocate the animal. Please save your money and help keep baby animals from being orphaned or killed and follow the steps on these pages or contact us and we will assist you to humanely exclude the animals from your home.
In the state of Nebraska, it is also illegal to trap and relocate a wild animal more than 100 yards from its original location. This means that you may only move an animal the length of a football field, and it will likely return in a short period of time.
Studies have shown that a large number of relocated adult animals will die very soon after relocation. They may be unable to find appropriate food, water or shelter in their new habitat, they may be killed by predators, or run out of a territory already overwhelmed with wildlife. Please see the pages in this section that deal with specific species and solutions for additional assistance.
Top Reasons Why You Should NOT Trap & Relocate Wildlife
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When you trap and relocate, someone's mother might not come home.From early spring until late fall, chances are 50/50 that the animal you trap is a mother, whose babies depend on her for their survival. Taking a mother away from her babies condemns them to a very cruel fate - starvation and death.
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It is not an effective solution.
If you remove one animal from your property, another will come to take its place.
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You will never succeed in eliminating wildlife from your property.
As long as you have a source of food or shelter (e.g. accessible trash, pet food left outside, grubs in your lawn, uncapped chimney, holes in your eaves) they will come. Eliminate, fix or secure the source of your problem, and you will solve it with much less wasted effort.
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Trapping is indiscriminate.
You may trap your neighbor's cat or another wild animal completely unrelated to your nuisance problem.
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"Humane" traps are anything but humane.
Frequently animals do serious injury to themselves trying to escape during the hours they are confined in a live trap.
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It is highly stressful to an animal to be trapped and to be relocated.
Most animals do not survive in unfamiliar territory. Resident animals will drive off the intruder, or the animal will not know where to find food or shelter, if it is even available. A recent study notes that over 90% of relocated raccoons die within a short period of time.
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It's illegal in the state of Nebraska.
In Nebraska, you cannot legally relocate a wild mammal more than 100 yards from its original site. You also cannot legally relocate a reptile or amphibian more than 50 yards from its original site.
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Fear, as a reason for trapping, is irrational.
Wild animals have no interest in attacking you, your pets, or your children. Their only reason for aggression is self-defense, and their first choice is always to escape the perceived danger.
With just a little effort, we can coexist peacefully with wildlife. If they cause you minor inconvenience, please remember their only motivation is survival. They have no concept of property or damage. There are many more effective and less disruptive alternatives to trapping. We're here to help!
