Caught and Relocated a Raccoon

[lagrange chicks]

Believe it or not killing the coons help the coon population now days. They are way over populated due to there fur not in demand, so hunters / trappers are not targeting them. So if the one's we do catch and kill will help keep sickness like rabies and distemper lower.

 

[Apis mellifera]

Relocating is difficult as most animals will try and find their way back. Raccoons are recommended up to 10 miles. They can be a problem here and Ive only had to bury a few. It reminds me of the New Jersey bear hunting controversy. When the governor of NJ decided to ban bear hunting on public land they became a problem. Secretly trying to relocate them up to NY didnt work, black bears can travel a thousand miles and the ban ended. Luckily I haven't heard that anyone was killed hitting a bear. I wouldn't be surprised if a racoon could find its way back 10 miles away or more from were it was trapped.

 

[Folly's place]

'Acting normal' isn't how you determine illness! This critter might be incubating anything, and 'act sick' tomorrow. Trap and shoot, or don't trap.
Having a predator proof coop and small run, so your birds aren't at risk, at least at night, solves many problems without trapping.
Mary

 

[Penpal]

As Folly's Place wrote, raccoons will have an incubation period before the virus travels from the bite spot to the brain. Once the virus starts moving, it will take five days to make it to the brain. This is when they will have the virus in their saliva.

Please kill any raccoons that are attracted to your place. They are not endangered but will continue to be a danger to any chickens, yours or your neighbors.

 

[Captain13]

My coop and run are secure. There is minimal threat from predators there. I see foxes occasionally and if they appear to be passing through and it’s not a repetitive sighting, I don’t kill them. If they approach the house or coop or I see evidence of digging, I eliminate them the next time I see them. This raccoon had not disturbed anything around the coop. He was guilty of coming there and climbing an oak tree, probably to go after acorns. In order to avoid a potential threat, I decided to trap and relocate. He’s gone, well away from humans at this point. I’m satisfied. He may have had rabies showing no signs. Maybe he didn’t. Next timeI might I not be so nice. But this time, I let a predator go.

 

[Folly's place]

This raccoon is now trap wise, and will be a more serious danger to the next farm he visits. Not the neighborly thing to let loose out there!
Mary

 

[Molpet]

This raccoon is now trap wise, and will be a more serious danger to the next farm he visits. Not the neighborly thing to let loose out there!
Mary

Yes I had to go to dog proof traps because most of mine are trap wise.

 

[Captain13]

I doubt this raccoon will ever see another trap, another human or another chicken. He is living on the Flint River now. Watch the following video. If you see any neighbors I’ve put in danger, any cities where he might travel or any other danger I have released on my fellow Georgians, let me know. You will have a better chance of seeing an alligator on this river than a person unless you are on Lake Blackshear which is 40 miles south of here. My neighbors will bear no consequences of my actions.

 

[countryladyNH]

I keep having people releasing varmints by me. I don't understand why people think it's ok to give their problems to someone else. They say they didn't see the house because of the trees. In less than 4 years I have gotten 105 raccoons about the same in opossum. Along with chipmunk and pine squirrels that have caused damage to my vehicles.

I completely agree with you. I think it's totally irresponsible to "relocate" predators. The cold hard fact. is that if you choose to have chickens, etc., you have a responsibility to protect them as much as possible. Our coops/runs are predator proof, but we do let our girls free range as much as we can because the love it. We have had a predator get a hen. Thankfully it's been rare, and it's very upsetting but does happen. We set traps if we have an incident and if we catch a predator in our yard hubby dispatches it with a .22. This is not something anyone loves to do; It's just necessary sometimes. We don't believe in deliberately making our predator someone else's potential problem.

 

[countryladyNH]

'Acting normal' isn't how you determine illness! This critter might be incubating anything, and 'act sick' tomorrow. Trap and shoot, or don't trap.
Having a predator proof coop and small run, so your birds aren't at risk, at least at night, solves many problems without trapping.
Mary

Completely agree!