Last week I was renewing my trapping permit with the Topeka Animal Control. Talking with the supervisor she said that they have been averaging 2 raccoons a day with distemper symptoms this year. Since then I have had 2 calls, one yesterday and just finished another one today, for raccoons acting funny. The one I finished for today, the raccoon had a run in with the client's dog. The dog is going to the vet tomorrow for it's shots, which were due any way. I am finally getting to use the catch pole I bought last year.

Are any of you seeing raccoons or other wildlife with distemper or maybe rabies in your area?

All the time here.

50% of sick animal calls distemper , 50% rabies.


Lots of mangy foxes and yotes too.

Same here, except we have 99 1/2% distemper and 1/2% rabies. Don't tell anybody, because the DNR tells everyone it's rabies and that's good for business. It's funny too; none of the customers seem disappointed when you tell them it's not rabies!

Around here there is such a big problem with distemper and parvo that raccoon relocation is not allowed in the state. Period.

Rescue orgs get away with it but they are typically bottle-feeding kit coons, but they go through tests during rehab.

got several this year with distemper. non with rabies yet.

Bugger,,I wonder if that means distemper will sweep all over the state this year.....?

I am concered with the fact that the city of Topeka, where I do most of my trapping, requires that ALL animals caught in the city limits MUST be released alive. Not just by me but by everyone trapping in the city limits.

Political no dought...Have you renewed your state permit yet?...We were talking about personalizing contracts if you have time sometime can you pm me on this.....Thanx.....

Uncle Mike, I don't know if distemper is the same everywhere. I can tell you that in Wisconsin we have both canine and feline distemper and I guess raccoons are susceptable to both. Some years we get quite a few distemper calls but we have enough raccoons that we have never noticed this disease affecting our overall catch.

Good to know.....Thanx

Does your state DNR have a seperate set of laws/regs for wildlife control? In Illinois, our state laws override any county, city, or local ordinances in relation to "public" or meandered water. If a small town "prohibits" trapping in the city lake, technically we can still go trap muskrats, beavers, etc. as the state wildlife laws take precedent over local laws. Might take a lawsuit to prove it, but the local small-town politics can be challenged and beaten. Of course this is a bit different situation, but worth looking into your state regs. It's very likely the city rules are actually "illegal" to follow if the state law prohibits relocation.

These are the state of Kansas regulations regaarding the prohibition of relocating wildlife:

K.A.R. 115-16-5
(E) Wildlife shall not be released if injured or if displaying common symptoms of disease, including any of the following:
(i) Lack of coordination;
(ii) unusual lack of aggressiveness;
(iii) unusual secretions from the eyes, nose, or mouth;
(iv) rapid or uneven respiration;
(v) malnourishment;
(vi) loss of muscle control; or
(vii) loss of large patches of hair.

It sounds to me like this state law trumps the local laws. I think I will stop by the KDWP today just to make sure.

In east Tennessee we can't relocate Coyote, Fox, Skunk or coon.

ttt

No rabies here. Distemper comes and goes. Nothing this year and the coon numers are up.

I have dispatched several coon in the last 2 weeks on one farm I am presently trapping that have been sick.I assume they had distemper but may get a couple tested just to be sure.If there is an out break in this area it would be good to know as to what to expect in the next few seasons.

Bob, I might have mentioned this before but we get distemper raccoons every year and it hasn't seemed to affect the amount of animals that we catch in the same area at all.

I've had three out of nine trapped this fall that have appeared sick. I don't know if it is distemper or not.

Last coon that went through the state lab was 5+ yrs ago. Distemper for most of the "sick" coon. but a study done a couple years back showed Lepto is a major problem as well.

A lot of it here!