Raccoons...they just keep on coming!

[CarolAD]

At any given time there's 4 to 9 raccoons that cross or loiter around my 16 acres. Mostly it's the younger, dumber ones that are brazen enough to come by the house and chicken coop / run.

The only way I get any respite is to shoot one and leave the body out for a few days. If I'm feeling vengeful I'll leave it where I can fire from cover when any of the rest of the family come to check out their deceased relative (and they often do). Either way, that usually buys me a year or or two or three of respite from raccoon visits.

It's unpleasant work, and if your temperament can't handle it or your local landscape doesn't make it feasible for critter sniping, you're just going to have to focus on defense. Apart from coop security, also eliminate any other food sources they can get to: garbage cans, compost heaps, pet food, etc. If you're lucky, one your neighbors is a slob that leaves their cats food dish and garbage bags on their porch every night and the raccoons may lose interest in your place.

I was wondering if they were smart enough to be deterred by a dead one of their own. Good to know