I am a rural non-gun owner

[JoeyT]

64. They're not all that uncommon either.

I've only seen one this year, but a few years back I caught three in as many months. Not just guessed they were rabid, but tested positive for rabies. It tends to come in...epidemics probably isn't the right word, but you know what I mean. (I think you're in the same state as me, just on the opposite side.) We had a minor outbreak of it with a bunch of rabid foxes, raccoons, coyotes and eventually dogs and cats running around about fifteen years ago.

I don't think I could kill anything that way no matter what it was or what was wrong with it. Sorry you had to go through that. :/

Like I've said before, if it ain't rabid, a hog*, or injured beyond help I'm not shooting at it. Most things can be kept away with a bit of effort, and if they can't there's always livetraps. And it isn't like I have an arsenal anyway.

*Hogs are a special case. They're the only thing more destructive to an environment than humans. We've got a handful of ground dwelling endangered species here that the hogs are annihilating. Course there wouldn't be so much need to get rid of them if the fucking hunters would stop carting them around and turning them loose.