How do you get rid or Opssums & Racoons ???

[dawg16]

Don't leave extra food laying in sheds, or where ever they can into places they shouldn't and looking for food. I have dogs that run loose during the day. That keeps them away. The best thing is if you are a shooter to keep a pistol or something with you at all times to rid them when you see them. I'm a concealed carry person, so I always have my sidekick with me...... I've ridded lots of critters just because we came face to face right in the barn......sucks to be them when I'm packing......hope I didn't upset any people with my comments.

 

[Flyingbavarian]

Quote:
LOL! A Have-a-heart trap andf then a bullet to the head. The irony.

lol The irony wasn't lost on me. But its the only brand of live traps that I know. I have seen other brands but I only have havahart

. I have used conibear body traps but those are indiscriminate kill traps. At least with a live trap if a squirrel or the neighbors cat are in it i can let it go. I have even seen an owl in one.

 

[georgiagail]

We've used our Hav-a-heart trap with great success on racoons. I agree with your comment that it's safe for cats and squirrels.

BTW, I love your picture of (I'm assuming) a greyhound. ?A rescued retired racer? (I had three of those and love them).

Gail

 

[aprophet]

Quote:
LOL! A Have-a-heart trap andf then a bullet to the head. The irony.

lol The irony wasn't lost on me. But its the only brand of live traps that I know. I have seen other brands but I only have havahart

. I have used conibear body traps but those are indiscriminate kill traps. At least with a live trap if a squirrel or the neighbors cat are in it i can let it go. I have even seen an owl in one.

Using the right size conibear goes a long way in targeting a species for example I have never caught a coon in a muskrat sized conibear only muskrats

 

[foux003]

Quote:
I never had a predator problem until 4 years ago. I have 6 and 7 foot chain link fence for wire and something was getting up and over. I put up 2 strands of electric wire 6 inches apart with a ground wire in between. Have you ever heard a COON SCREAM ? Lots of Laughs. This works out better for me than having to waste time waiting for something to come along. I live near a Wild Life Refuge and he critters never let up. The one night that the fence was down I lost a 16 lb turkey and all 14 of her chicks.

foux

 

[jacoblipford]

trapping and relocation dosent work you can trap a coon and take it 5 to 6 miles from your house he will be back if you relocate them it has to be a good bit away or they will just come back i dont have problems with coons or possums


not many wild animals come close to my house with 5 hounds hanging around

 

[cafarmgirl]

Quote:

Even if my electricity and my hotwire goes out there's still no way into my coop. Well I'm sure a bear could get in, not a problem here. So for me a Fort Knox coop is the easiest, cheapest, least time consuming way to prevent losses. And I do have dogs as well.

For folk's with neighbor's who feed the darn things because they think coons are just so cute, or are just careless in leaving food out etc. then yeah, additional measures are a necessity.

My point was really just that coop security should be the first line of defense. If coons/possums are actually getting in there that should be the first fix and go from there.

 

[GarlicEater]

Ft. Knox coop and SSS are the ways.

If you have a softy neighbor, you may have to be stealthy but you still have to assassinate 'em.

I had a nice landlady I was renting a room from in Colorado Springs, just the nicest old lady ..... we noticed the starlings had discovered her bird feeder, and I could tell it was going to be "watch the starlings trash the bird feeder" instead of "watch the interesting and cute/native birds" for that season ... I gently floated the idea to her of the airgun solution. She didn't like that very much, I guess she hoped the starlings would just go away. Well, she went off for a trip for a few days, and targer air guns are very quiet and accurate. When she got back, no starlings. And she never said a thing.

 

[aprophet]

Quote:

Even if my electricity and my hotwire goes out there's still no way into my coop. Well I'm sure a bear could get in, not a problem here. So for me a Fort Knox coop is the easiest, cheapest, least time consuming way to prevent losses. And I do have dogs as well.

For folk's with neighbor's who feed the darn things because they think coons are just so cute, or are just careless in leaving food out etc. then yeah, additional measures are a necessity.

My point was really just that coop security should be the first line of defense. If coons/possums are actually getting in there that should be the first fix and go from there.

They are stopped from getting in at my place and several other farms I trap for again my traps do not use electricity etc etc

24/7/365 of course one side benifit is we dont have coons and possums going through the trash either here

 

[chickortreat]

Should I feel the need to put up an electric deterrent around my coop, it'll be 110 volts. I'll just put up a wire on insulators, strip the ends off an old extension cord, wrap the end of the hot wire to the "fence" wire, and plug it up. Guaranteed, no coon, possom, or anything is gonna climb past it.