the biggest raccoon I have ever seen **caution graphic pics**

[yotetrapper]

Yes, they normally get much bigger than that. Thats about average for a southern coon, but many northern coon top 30 lbs. Check out this thread for some pics of some really big coons.
http://www.trapperman.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/1651142/Re_Coons_coons_and_only_coons.html

 

[Dora'smom]

If I am gauging the size of that one right, they do get bigger than that around here. We actually had a mama raccoon in our chimney a few years ago. She decided to have her babies there. Not much you can do once they set up a den, but wait for them to leave. They finally left on the night of the 4th of July---too much noise, I think.
I have heard that there is quite a black market for raccoon meat back east. Supposedly it is great, but you have to prepare it in several steps. I think you have to brine it, then boil, then roast.

 

[yotetrapper]

Black market? I know a ton of people that sell coon carcasses for meat, but mostly it's all legal....

 

[dntd]

We have ones bigger then small dogs, huge. That's just a itty baby

 

[Tailfeathers]

Yes, unfortunately you will likely have more of the marauders visit you. Where there's one there's usually many. Yes, they are good eating. They make a fine chili, stew, and for those who get a bunch at one time, they make great summer sausage. They also make a nice wall decoration if you case them out and tan the hide. I have done that will several of the bigger ones.

God Bless,

 

[SilkiesAndSuch]

Nice Coon! Glad it can't harm your birds now. Even if there are more, my philosophy is "every dead predator is guaranteed to never hurt your birds"

 

[Rooster#3]

that is preety big but they can get huge one less coon

 

[Mervin]

Here in central PA, the big males can be much larger than that. Without pictures it is hard to relate, but early last summer we had a very large male around the house. It was large enough to stand on its hind legs, take the lid off of a 35-gal trash can and reach inside without knocking the cans over or climbing inside. I heard him out there once and went running out to get a shot (he got down over the railroad bank before I could) and he was easily as big as my 4-year daughter. After that I considered getting metal cans and hooking a fence charger to them. Fortunately I haven't seen him since although I know we still have a number of coons in the area.

Several years ago, at a different home, we shot a couple that had rabies. So, we pretty much killed/trapped any that we saw through out that summer and fall. By the next spring, it didn't seem like we'd made any difference at all. That is why I'm considering a hot wire around the coop now. I really don't want to be messing with traps, especially those that will catch non-targeted species (neighbor's cats and dog) more often than not. To be perfectly honest, I really don't like to kill wildlife just because it shows up where I don't want it to. If a small fence charger can help with that, than so much the better. Hopefully my kinder, gentler approach will work. I really got tired of disposing of carcasses that summer.

 

[Sunny the Hippie Chick]

Thats actually looks small compared to the ones we have around here.. My dog weighed 35 pounds.. And many here were almost as large as she was.. Huge things they were. I guess it was from all the pet food in the neighborhood they snuck into..

 

[jjpiper]

http://havenkimmel.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/the-truth-about-raccoons/