How should captured animals be handled?

The appropriate way to handle captured animals is to either dispatch them in a humane manner or release them in a hunting area. This approach not only aligns with ethical wildlife management practices but also ensures compliance with legal regulations. If animals are captured during nuisance control efforts, they may be in conflict with human activity and are often not suitable for release back into populated areas. By either dispatching humanely or relocating them to approved hunting areas, wildlife operators can mitigate potential future conflicts and promote the overall balance of the local ecosystem.

Other methods, such as random releases, do not consider the welfare of the animals or the implications for the ecosystem. Keeping animals in captivity for evaluation might require special permits and can lead to stress for the animals. Providing food until picked up is not a long-term solution and doesn't address the underlying issue of wildlife management effectively.