Best Bait for Raccoons?

[neo71665]

Peace and balance? Have you ever seen what racoons will do to a flock of chickens? They will decapitate every bird they can catch and just leave the bodies on the floor. They do not eat them, they do not only take what they need, they kill everyone they can, and the next night they will be back to get the ones that got away until there are no birds left.
I have a very secure coop with an electric fence and an Auto door. Racoons dug (clawed) through 3/4" plywood to get into my coop. They did it from underneath where it would not be noticed until it was to late. If you have racoons trolling your coop, they are not interested in peace and balance, and they get a vote on the matter.

Their vote on my property is stay out my birds or get a free trip to my grill with a nice bath of BBQ sauce. Nothing around here dies simply because, I try to make the best use of it all.

Except the disease ridden coyotes. They are so mangy the hides are not even worth skinning out. Plus they pass it on to pets and livestock. They get shot on spot and drug off to past the back gate so the cows can't get close to them.

 

[spartacus_63]

Nothing around here dies simply because, I try to make the best use of it all.

Chickens enjoy a roasted racoon every now and again. Personally, I find them to oily.

 

[Cherterr]

Meow Mix is a REAL favorite around here. BUT I stopped feeding my cat so much so nobody gets 'leftovers' anymore.

My raccoons (I live near a state park) have all but disappeared since I cut back on the food. BUT... when they were around it was ALWAYS at night. Your chickens might be okay to free range in your fenced yard in the day time, but ... I have cameras... A stupid CAT jumped one of my hens two days ago. (Another EX freeloader) SO.... Definatley lock em up at night, and be on standby during the day.

 

[neo71665]

Chickens enjoy a roasted racoon every now and again. Personally, I find them to oily.

Possums are greasy. I've had everybody and they momma tell me I aint had them cooked the right way but just gotta grin and be polite about the nasty stuff. Coon cooked right isn't and one of my favorite meats. We soak all wild meat in salt water for a day to remove the gamey, most "rodents" (coon, rabbit, and tree rat) we would also boil before cooking to remove the gamey grease. Then ya gotta slow roast it like a good brisket or pork butt with plenty of tame pork fat to keep it from getting stringy, low and slow. Only 2nd fave behind swamp rabbit as wild meats. Rabbit (even tame) is a different and graphic process to keep the meat edible that would get me banned from here.

And yeah the chickens love anything slow roasted. I might be evil but my pet coons love it too but very little left over after we cook one to feed the trash pandas as my son calls em. We mostly use the bones to bait live traps.

 

[spartacus_63]

We soak all wild meat in salt water for a day to remove the gamey, most "rodents" (coon, rabbit, and tree rat) we would also boil before cooking to remove the gamey grease.

I have lived my entire life eating game, rabbits, squirrels, deer, duck, goose, pheasants, quail, doves, grouse, frogs etc. Everything got a salt bath before cooking, but I never took to racoon or goose meat. It is always, "How it is prepared", but the chickens are not as particular as me and since food is a plenty in my current station in life, the chickens get first dibs on Ricky. As far as possum, The birds are not even fond of that, even with BBQ sauce. Most disgusting critter I have ever run across.

 

[BarredRockMom]

Peace and balance? Have you ever seen what racoons will do to a flock of chickens? They will decapitate every bird they can catch and just leave the bodies on the floor. They do not eat them, they do not only take what they need, they kill everyone they can, and the next night they will be back to get the ones that got away until there are no birds left.
I have a very secure coop with an electric fence and an Auto door. Racoons dug (clawed) through 3/4" plywood to get into my coop. They did it from underneath where it would not be noticed until it was to late. If you have racoons trolling your coop, they are not interested in peace and balance, and they get a vote on the matter.

Lol, I am FULLY aware of the havoc that predators can wreak. Personally, I kill them all. But I do understand that not everyone feels that way, that try as I might to understand why or how that can be possible, I also realize that no amount of evidence or experience---be it personally witnessed or anecdotally gained---is going to change some minds. I wonder how the flocks of the "no, don't kill them, they're all god's creatures" are doing, but also realize that I can only hope that Ft Knox designs are implemented. I can't fix that.

 

[BarredRockMom]

I so agree with you. I think raccoons are such fascinating creatures. I volunteered in our wildlife rehab center here in north Florida and raised several kits. They are amazing little beings. And possums are great to have in your area. They kill thousands of ticks, insects and other annoying varmints that live in your yard. We had people calling in asking us to release our possums in their yards for that reason. They are all just trying to survive in the world they live in. And low voltage electrical wiring (buried) is an amazing deterrent, btw.

To be clear, I understand your point of view but I don't agree. I kill 'em all. I was just stating that not everyone does or can.

And for those who advocate the sanctity of all god's creatures and the circle of life, I can happily say that we now have a "pet" turkey vulture that comes to call. So it's a win-win.

If I didn't have chickens, I would have no reason to do so, however, and bear predators no ill will outside of the boundary of my property.

 

[mdees88]

 

[gpresdo]

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WOW...there are times but, that approach is not a justification for failure of us to manage our environment. After all we are considered the intelligent ones...aren't we?

I have always considered myself a failure when I must shoot and remove one of God's creatures because of trouble. Even though that consideration is the final one in the basket.

 

[mdees88]

WOW...there are times but, that approach is not a justification for failure of us to manage our environment. After all we are considered the intelligent ones...aren't we?

I have always considered myself a failure when I must shoot and remove one of God's creatures because of trouble. Even though that consideration is the final one in the basket.

I hope insinuating that I'm a failure, unintelligent, and a heathen makes you feel better about yourself. Have a nice day!!!