# Only 3 in 30 Years



## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

When I see a door down on one of my fox cages, I except to see a fox look'in out at me. Today, I saw two big round eyes in the dim light of the cubby set. What the heck!!!. As I pulled of the pine branches off that covered the cage, I was a bit surprised to see a ringtail had taken the bait. They are pretty rare up in this country--- I've only seen 3 in 30 years. This fella was about 22" long (just the body). The thrid picture is him after I cut him loose.

























awprint:


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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

Location:Up High in the Great Colorado Rocky Mountains Westcliffe,CO.

They are legal to take. The market is 12-15 dollars per. I could probaly get 100 dollars from the taxi guys.

Yep--- I figure if everyone leaves them alone for awhile,we can get a good trap'in population go'in.

I teach some of the young kids how to trap when I have the time (a couple of them really like it). Today one of the boys was with me and when we got back to the bronco he asked me "Why did I let it go?" We had a good discussion about ethics, and the reasons to chose to take a life or not.

awprint:


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## bar-d (Feb 3, 2010)

I haven't seen a ringtail in quite a while around here. One of the last ones I saw was hanging from the transformer he shorted out.

:hunter:


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## beavertrapper (Dec 31, 2012)

cool pics..never seen one so its cool to see.....really like the fact that you let it go and talked to the boy about why you did it...this country needs more of that....


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

Thats a nice looking ringtail, glad you let him go. We use to have them get in our groceries when we would hike down a certain canyon here in Az. to trout fish. Woke up one morning and they had taken a whole loaf of bread and had it stuffed up in a large crack in a rock wall.


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## hassell (Feb 9, 2010)

Thanks Cat for sharing.


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

nice work Cat.....I trapped a few in 1980 in Arizona but haven't seen any since then....thanks Cat!


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## Antlerz22 (Apr 18, 2011)

Glad you let him go, beautiful creature he was. He hopefully will start populating in that area, and maybe one day they will be commonplace and seen more.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Good choice letting him go Cat, he sure is a pretty guy, although in the pic after you freed him he looks a little peeved.


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## jswift (Dec 24, 2012)

Nice pics and Ditto on the excellent release!


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## coyotejon (Feb 4, 2010)

Very cool animal. Never seen one before.


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## Rick Howard (Feb 25, 2012)

Hats off to you capper. Thanks for sharing too.


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## Ruger (Jan 22, 2011)

That is pretty cool, my dad used to catch em years ago but I never have. I think they are such a coil looking animal.


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## Daamud (Aug 28, 2012)

I seen one about 5 miles north of Menominee Michigan (lower U.P.) run across the highway!

Must have hitched a ride on a flatbed or maybe a exotic pet turned loose.

A Google search turned up a few others seen it around.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

Thanks for the pics. He sure is a perty thing.


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## LeadHead (Feb 11, 2012)

Whal, Ah'l be! All my life I've been intrigued by animals and am fairly well-knowledged about them, however, I didn't realize ringtails were native to the US. That is so cool!


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## coyotejon (Feb 4, 2010)

Just curious where there are sustained populations of them? If they are selling them and there is a market there must be a trappable population somewhere.


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## Scotty D. (Feb 23, 2012)

Those are beautiful animals....Nice pics...

Sometimes letting them go is the best thing to do--you were right on the money w/ that call..Getting the numbers up is what it's all about. :teeth:


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## Jonbnks (Jan 21, 2012)

Great pictures. Very cool to see a ringtail.


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## SWAMPBUCK10PT (Apr 5, 2010)

*Thanks for sharing with us-----Neet critter--Good job teaching the lad----sb*


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## Varmintnv (Aug 17, 2012)

Very cool little critters!! Never seen one 'cept in a zoo. Don't think we have em around these parts. 


Life's too short not to hunt coyotes!


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## bones44 (Jan 7, 2011)

Nice catch Cat. Thanks for being such a great conservationist and showing folks the right way too ! That would be cool to see one close-up. I wasn't aware we even had them in the U.S.


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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

Pretty sure they're related to raccoons. I think I heard they were AZ. state animal. :smiley-confused005:

awprint:


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## azpredatorhunter (Jul 24, 2012)

coyotejon said:


> Just curious where there are sustained populations of them? If they are selling them and there is a market there must be a trappable population somewhere.


We have a bunch here in Arizona, no one traps them because their isn't a market for them... people don't see a lot of them because they are nocturnal.


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## Dakota Dogs (Nov 19, 2012)

Neat catch and cool photos - first time I've ever seen one. Like others I wasn't aware we had ring-tails in the US. You learn something everyday. Also, awesome job on passing on the ethics of sportsmanship - that's what its all about with the next generation. I've often found you can tell a lot about how people treat people by watching how people treat animals.


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## catcapper (Feb 11, 2010)

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: " I've often found you can tell a lot about how people treat people by watching how people treat animals."

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

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