The opening of one Adirondack study area to hunting incidentally demonstrated the relationship between food availability and reproduction, before hunting was allowed, the overcrowded deer population in the DeBar Mountain region had a pregnancy rate of 57 percent, with 0.7 surviving embryos per pregnant female. Selective catching, which is possible through many means of trapping animals, changes the population content, often by raising the proportion of females, increases the survival rate of the remaining individuals, increase the tempo of growth and development, and thus intensifies mating. The productivity of the population thus grows, making for an increased total catch. Rather than attempting to eliminate a nuisance species which, over time, may result in actually increasing the population, several exclusion tactics, otherwise know as animal proofing, should be tried. Animal proofing can be as simple as not leaving pet food outside.
More complex tactics are available, depending on the animal and problem.
Specific animal proofing strategies can be developed for individual homeowners as well as larger public areas. In some cases, individual animals can be trapped and relocated. However, trapping and relocating is not always the most humane thing to do. If you have a question pertaining to raptors please visit the Birds of Prey Foundation.