We've been having quite a time with raccoons as of late. They had found out how to use the cat doors on my sister in laws trailer and were helping themselves to anything and everything that they could find. My chickens hadn't been bothered by them but it came time to thin them out a bit. I ended up trapping and permanently relocating 4 of them (3 feet under) and had one manage to tear the end of my trap loose. It is now referred to as the Houdini coon. The remaining coons have become very wary of flashlights (especially when strapped to a rifle). So I did the obvious. I picked up an ATN nigh vision scope.
So now Houdini coon roams our compound. Two nights ago I spotted him by my SIL's trailer eating birdseed on the ground. It had walked right past the trap loaded with strawberry jelly and M&Ms. When it heard me step on some gravel or a branch it took off running. Last night I went out with the rifle and night vision and swept treelines and other areas where they've been known to frequent. As I swept past one of my chicken runs I spotted 2 bright eyes looking back at me from the edge of my chicken coop. I managed off a shot before it turned and fled followed by a succession of other shots.
Going after cat food in my SILs trailers is one thing, but slinking around my coops trying to get at my chickens is a much more serious. Houdini coon will be going down.
So now Houdini coon roams our compound. Two nights ago I spotted him by my SIL's trailer eating birdseed on the ground. It had walked right past the trap loaded with strawberry jelly and M&Ms. When it heard me step on some gravel or a branch it took off running. Last night I went out with the rifle and night vision and swept treelines and other areas where they've been known to frequent. As I swept past one of my chicken runs I spotted 2 bright eyes looking back at me from the edge of my chicken coop. I managed off a shot before it turned and fled followed by a succession of other shots.
Going after cat food in my SILs trailers is one thing, but slinking around my coops trying to get at my chickens is a much more serious. Houdini coon will be going down.
