Page 23 - Kansas Sportsman

removal of animals that are causing property damage, as long have restrictions like this is that we need to be able to target
as they are not federally protected by the Endangered Species the species that we are intending to control, and it is nearly
Act, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, or a state protected species. impossible to put out a product that smells and tastes good
enough for a raccoon to consume a lethal dose without also
Raccoons are a furbearing animal in KS, so there is a season on exposing non-target wildlife, pets, livestock, and even people
their harvest, but landowners, legal occupants, or a Nuisance to that product.
Wildlife Control Operator (NWCO) may use lethal means to
remedy a problem that they are causing outside of the legal In addition to being illegal, it is unethical to place a poison in an
season and without a license to harvest as long as they use a indiscriminate way, especially when there are options available
legal method of take and do not try to utilize the animal that that are humane, relatively easy to implement, and are highly
has been removed. selective.

A licensed NWCO in Kansas can make use of animals taken
outside of season because of property damage that they are
causing. One challenge after doing that internet search that
I mentioned earlier is determining what methods of take are
legal.

There are no registered pesticides for raccoons, opossums,
skunks, armadillos or any similar species in Kansas. It is illegal
to place fly bait, rodenticides, or any other product with the
intent to kill raccoons. If these products will kill raccoons effec-
tively, then why is it illegal, and why shouldn’t you do it?

There are too many reasons (a lot of them legal issues) to cover A dog-proof raccoon trap.
here, but one of the main, common sense, reasons that we Darcy Daniels, Darcy D. Photography

THE KANSAS SPORTSMAN | SPRING 2024 23