Just finished raising my new chickens in the garage. 7 wks old and fully feathered ready for the back yard. On their 1st night out I hear the neigbors dog barking. Look out the window and 4 HUGE racoons are on and around the coop. Now I built the coop well, but these guys looked like they could pick it up and walk away with it.
I went out back with a baseball bat and a flash light..... Well I won't do that again. These guys had zero fear of me. They did move out of my way, but they were not running. After getting them to jump the fence to the neigbors yard they lined up on his shed and I swear they were laughing me. I went back in the house and they came back immediatly. They hung around the coop for about 2 hours. I guess they couldn't find a way in, but I am not confident that they won't in the future.
So what to do?
I live in a suburb in California. The community does not allow guns to be fired anywhere near the city. I have neighbors very close on 3 sides of the coop, so flying projectiles are probably a bad idea. I don't have a dog and with the size of these coons I would need a wolf hound to hold his own, so that is not going to happen in our small yard.
I guess that leaves trapping as my only option. So a couple of questions please!!!!
1) What should I use as a trap?
2) What do I do with them once I have caught them? I am not looking forward to being in the coon relocation business.
Any other ideas?
Thanks!!!!!
I went out back with a baseball bat and a flash light..... Well I won't do that again. These guys had zero fear of me. They did move out of my way, but they were not running. After getting them to jump the fence to the neigbors yard they lined up on his shed and I swear they were laughing me. I went back in the house and they came back immediatly. They hung around the coop for about 2 hours. I guess they couldn't find a way in, but I am not confident that they won't in the future.
So what to do?
I live in a suburb in California. The community does not allow guns to be fired anywhere near the city. I have neighbors very close on 3 sides of the coop, so flying projectiles are probably a bad idea. I don't have a dog and with the size of these coons I would need a wolf hound to hold his own, so that is not going to happen in our small yard.
I guess that leaves trapping as my only option. So a couple of questions please!!!!
1) What should I use as a trap?
2) What do I do with them once I have caught them? I am not looking forward to being in the coon relocation business.
Any other ideas?
Thanks!!!!!