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Getting rid of coypu and babies


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We have a large pond and there's always been a coypu in there. Despite having the chasse place a trap, for some months, the coypu has always evaded it. The banks of our pond are riddled with holes so it's been a longstanding mission to get rid of it.

Now the other evening I looked out and saw the coypu with ... and I couldn't believe my eyes, eleven babies. They were wriggling across the grass while she was munching away so hubby ran out with an air rifle and shot one of the babies at point blank range while the others ran away. (At this point please don't shout because we killed the baby ... what else can you do? It's illegal to transport them and at least it was an instant death, but it gave us no pleasure!). So there's ten rapidly growing baby coypus out there somewhere.

Now the air rifle is only effective if you are close up, which may not be possible again. I could ask the chasse to bring down a trap again to see if the babies go in but it would be one at a time, and that's time consuming.

Any ideas please?
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I found this information on line - don't know how easy they'd be to source though! (and what is a gar?)

 Their primary predators in the wild are alligators, turtles, gars, large snakes, birds of prey, and to a small extent now, humans (for fur or meat).  They are nocturnal and thus may not be easily preyed upon by daytime predators.  Their lifespan is approximately six years over which time the amount of offspring produced is tremendous.  

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thank you both ... I'm not sure where I would get an alligator from and it would certainly make my daily walk around the lake both exciting and unpredictable! Mr. Nectarine suggests if someone has a shotgun it would take out several babies and perhaps the mother in one go. I really don't like to kill animals but it's got to be done!
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I think the chasse is your only legal option. They will probably (or should) dispatch the captive animal in the cage so no transportation is necessary. Bear in mind that if Mr N has not got his own licence to chasse (he's passed his exam etc) then it's illegal for him to be shooting anything. I don't suppose anyone locally will care but...

Ensure your chasse doesn't put poison down for them - can be a very painful and drawn-out death and indiscriminate in what it kills.

Can you scare them off? We have a couple of visiting ragondin for a few weeks each spring but they seem to object to us tramping round the pond so they eat some of the surrouding foliage, renovate a few existing holes and then disappear again.

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heh heh it's very tempting ... we shot another one last night, and were shocked to see how big the babies have grown in just a few days. I think the chasse is our only option although Mr. N. intends to sit down at dusk with his airgun. Thanks for all suggestions ..
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Well a quick Google search found this egg roll recipe (Americans call them 'nutria' not coypu)

NUTRIA, WILD BOAR, AND CRAWFISH EGG ROLL TOWERS

What’s not to love about this recipe, which calls for not one but three invaders?

Makes 20 egg rolls

2 1/2 pounds ground nutria

1/2 pound ground wild boar

1/2 pound crawfish tails, chopped fine

1/2 cup water chestnuts, chopped

1/2 pound shiitake mushrooms, chopped

1/4 cup sliced green onions

11/2 tablespoons Thai-style seasoning

20 egg roll wrappers

1 egg, beaten

Peanut oil for deep-frying

1. In a large bowl, mix the nutria, wild boar, crawfish, water chestnuts, mushrooms, onions, and Thai seasoning. Brown the mixture in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Remove from the heat, drain, and cool.

3. Place 2 ounces of the mixture in each egg roll wrapper. Follow directions on the wrapper package for rolling and sealing the egg rolls.

4. Pour 3 inches of oil into a heavy, deep saucepan. Heat the oil to 350 degrees. Fry the egg rolls until golden brown.

5. Place three egg rolls in another wrapper and brush the edges of the wrapper with the beaten egg. Fold the edges over to create a bundle. Repeat until you have used up all the egg rolls. Fry the bundles until golden brown.

6. Slice open each bundle across the top on the bias. Place the egg rolls upright on a plate and serve with a sweet and spicy sauce.
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The names have several derivations, they were called nutria in the UK in the 60's when people were encouraged to raise them for their fur (of the same name). Many were turned loose when the bottom fell out of the market, together with mink, for the same reason.

What is the bore size of your husband's "airgun", please? Legal air rifles we have owned were not capable of killing anything bigger than a small mouse....

 

 

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It's a normal air rifle, nothing added and entirely legal. But we have a hideyhole in the garden and the coypu are on the grass, so he can stun from a short distance, then at point blank range to despatch . But I think we will give in and get the chasse ... they have the equipment and maybe will lend us a cage or find some way to despatch them ...
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