coon attack

I knew it was too good to be true. Its been almost 2 years since I started
Keeping chickens and I never had any predator attacks.

All of that changed 2 nights ago. Went out to the barn Saturday morning
As usual and found one of the hens with no head or neck anymore and
All of the other birds scared to death. I knew at that point that I had a coon
In the barn somewhere. I fell asleep early Saturday evening and woke up at
9:00pm and something told me that I needed to go check on em. As I got close
To the barn I heard a hen screaming for life and I started running and when
I rounded the corner I saw a big coon jumping on top of one of my white leghorn
Hens. I yelled and shined the spotlight on both of em and she got away and he
Ran up a tree.

I got everyone settled and went back to the house to get the .22 and the wife to
Hold the light for me. When we got back out there, he was still there and must
Have known what was gonna happen and he took off running before I could get a
Shot off.

I ended up going to tsc on Sunday then and got a live trap. I ended up catching
A pretty good size coon then sometime early Monday morning. Now, you would
Think after killing my girls in a gruesome manner, I wouldn't have a problem with
Going ahead and shooting him and being done with it, but I am. When I look at the
Fella in that trap, I see an animal that is just doing what he is supposed to do to survive.
So, the question is, what can I do with this heathen so that he and I don't cross paths
Again and I can keep my girls safe?

I appreciate any ideas y'all may have for me. I'm just not the guy that likes to kill
For no good reason.

Take care everyone.

CT

 

Quote:I had thought that I had them in pretty protective housing, which is one of the reasons why
I haven't lost any to predators in two years while living on 12 semi wooded acres in the country
Of North Carolina. I'm pretty much surrounded by most critters that are available.

I have seperate coops for the laying chickens, the turkeys, the guineas, ducks, a seperate nursery
House for juvenille chickens to small to go to the hen house and too big for the brooder, and two brooders
For the new hatches. All coops have hardware wire buried 18" in the ground and nothing has dug under and
I have hardware cloth over all window openings.

Evidently thio, there is a spot somewhere that he used to get in and now I just need to find it. There isn't
Any need for me to rehome my chickens because they would be hard pressed to find a better life anywhere
Else, they are completely spoiled! But I do appreciate your feedback

CT

 

Quote:There's no way I was gonna let him out of the trap here. I might as well have not gone thru the effort of
Trapping him in the first place. Thank you tho for the other info, I had no idea that it was illegal
To rehome critters in some states, but if I did do that, I would have the respect for others to not relocate
Within an area he could do the same thing to someone else, that would really tick me off if someone
Did it to me.

I thought about cleaning him and eating him so its not a waste, but I'm recovering from a scapular fusion
And I just found out friday that I've broken some of the wires holding my shoulder blade to my ribs and spine
And the bone graft they put in never regrew so I will be having that horrible surgery again and there will not
Be any coon skinning or even chicken plucking in my future anytime soon, I just physically can't handle it.

I have put a call in to a buddy to see if he will come over and help me out with the deed unless I can find
Someone in the area that wants to eat him. Thanks for your input!

CT