Releasing Non-Target Animals
This week we share a video of Ryan actually releasing a raccoon from a trap.
Yes it’s true, the nuisance trapper let a raccoon go. And yes, he meant to do it.
We agree it’s not something typically seen on our website but we can assure you it’s not the summer’s heat getting to him.
Ryan let this raccoon go because it was not the nuisance groundhog that made an unsightly hole at this house and had presumably moved in.
This raccoon was just a curious spectator who wondered into the trap. Curiosity may have killed the cat, but this young raccoon gets a pass.
The Raccoon Release Explained
First, have a look at the video.
As you see in the video, this hole was clearly the work of a groundhog. And it is easy to see why someone, upon finding this new hole, would choose to remove it before it had the chance to dig any more.
It makes a lot of sense that a new hole would be dug right about now, as young of the year woodchucks are starting to venture away from their mothers and are beginning to look for places of their own. We blogged about this last week and you can read last week’s post here in case you missed it.
But, for some reason, the groundhog that dug this hole never returned. The little raccoon in the trap is proof that nothing could have gone in or out of this hole without setting off the trap.
Why it didn’t return is hard to say. Maybe the soil was too loose and deemed unsuitable by the groundhog. Maybe it was a young one out practicing groundhog skills and never really intended on setting up a living spot. Maybe the groundhog that did this was hit by a car. We just cant say for sure.
But, an animal digging a hole and not returning to it, does happen with some regularity. That’s why upon finding a new hole it’s not a bad practice to confirm that an animal has taken up residence in it. And how would one do that you ask? We’ve written about investigating to see if a groundhog is actually living in a hole and you can read about it here.
Releasing Raccoons in Ohio
Since we’ve just shown a raccoon release, it is probably a good time to review the Ohio laws in regards to releasing raccoons.
Yes, we have written about this before (find the post on raccoons and law here) but let’s review.
It is legal to release trapped raccoons in Ohio but only if they are released “on site”.
That means that if you catch a raccoon and want to release it, you may do so as long the animal is released on the same property where it was captured.
You see clearly in this video that Ryan captured the raccoon there and released it there. He didn’t drive it out into “the country” or take it to the local Metro Park as many people are apt to do. This is a text book “on site” release.
And if he or the homeowners didn’t want to release this raccoon “on site”? The only other option under Ohio law is to euthanize it.
Here is the link to the Ohio Administrative Code 1501:31-15-03 Nuisance Wild Animal Control to which we refer.
In Section E, Number 3, the code states: It shall be unlawful to fail to euthanize, or release on site, any nuisance raccoon, skunk, beaver, coyote, fox, or opossum that is captured, trapped or taken.
Because it’s the law, it’s what we do. We advise you to trust our wildlife officials and legislators and do the same.
Catching the “Right” Nuisance Animal for Akron, Canton, Kent
When people hire us to remove groundhogs, we don’t try to intentionally trap raccoons. We do everything we can to catch the groundhog that is causing the problem.
Do you have a animal that has become a real nuisance?
If so, expect us to target the actual problem animal. Trap selection, placement, and methods are very specific based on target species and site lay-out.
We sometimes catch non-target animals, but it is rare. If we do catch a non-target animal we make the situation right.
To find out more about any of our services please explore our web site or give us a call.
We provide animal removal for the Canton, Akron, Kent (Portage, Stark, Summit counties) area and are looking forward to helping you with your wildlife problem.
