Today, I disposed of the latest dead raccoon from my barn. It defeated two traps set in plastic tubs of water (so my cats will not get trapped), which is very unusual...they usually get caught and I shoot them (illegally). This year, I have killed about a dozen or so, and about eight opossums, all in the Spring of the year when my geese are nesting. Both opossums and raccoons destroy the nests and eat the eggs. 'coons also will eat the young geese. Therefore, If I want goslings, I have to kill many raccoons and possums each spring. Note: in the Spring, raccoon and opossum pelts are worthless as fur; I just throw them in the field or woods.

In past years, I have lost entire hatches of goslings to raccoons and opossums. I have given up completely on chickens because of the high level of predation.

Years ago, when I was a trapper, the demand for fur was so great that predation on domestic fowl was not a problem. In fact, I remember an incident where I was driving a truck on a highway and passed a large dead raccoon along the way. I thought to myself, I have better pick-up that raccoon on the way back and harvest the pelt. However, when I retured on my route about twenty minuets latter someone had already picked up the raccoon. Such was the demand for fur; I got $45 for a single large pelt in those days. The demand for fur eleminated many such animals from rotting along the roads and kept their numbers to a level where predation on domestic animals was not a problem.

Since the anti-fur movement however, the numbers of raccoons, and opossums has increased many times over, as well as the damage to those who prefer to raise domestic rabbits, geese, ducks, chickens, and other fowl. I have spent a lot of money protecting my geese from predation...you anti-fur people own me! Will that be cash or check?

In my efforts to keep those preditors from destroying my geese, I have had to resort to poison, and trapping. The biggest problem is in the spring (when the pelts are worthless). The poison I use is a horrible method of getting rid of the egg and infant geese eaters, albeit one of the most effective methods. It causes such horrible cramps in the animal that they cannot even walk away from the poison dish. I would not want to wish such a death on any living creature. However, you can either raise raccoons and opossums or you can raise domestic fowl...but not both.

When I have made my prediciment with preditors known to anti-fur people on forums, they quickly try to minimize my problem, often stating that, "...you people exagerate your losses in order to justify your prepensity for distruction of innocent animals...", or something of that kind.

You anti-fur people have cost me a lot of money due indirectly to your emotional campain that ignores the cause-effect of a diminished fur trade, not to mention the waste of a dozen or so (eighteen one year) would-be prime pelts each year. The raccoons and opossums are thown out to rot to waste.