Coons!

[Matejka]

I am sick of tha critters. In a months time, we have dispatched 8.
So far, they have all been at the barn.
That changed.
Tonite, ruckus on back porch about 1 a.m.
Woke me up. Coon on porch. He ran off.
About 3 a.m. I was sitting on porch drinking coffee-should have had gun but didn't-he came back. While I was typing this I hears a noise behind me. Now have gun in hand

 

[Isaac 0]

(8?) Good work.
I regularly control the raccoon populations around here as well due to the fact they are overpopulated in most areas, resulting in density-dependent diseases like distemper/rabies to run crazy around here.
Not to mention the profound impact they have on ground-nesting birds.
How have you gone about taking the eight so far?

 

[Matejka]

Shoot! 7 live trap.
Last one at dusk, no trap. I posted on here (daytime coon).

 

[Stepnout]

I use these DOG PROOF TRAPS! Put corn or dry dog food in the bottom under the trigger. Make sure you stake it down. Put a white golf ball over the trap,it helps you see/check the trap from a distance. I highly recommend you buy the set tool because the spring is strong while setting with the set tool makes it easier. Note this is a live leg hold trap and you will need to DISPATCH the critter at the trap. A 22 works best.
If you don’t plan on dispatching the critter on site this trap is NOT FOR YOU.

https://www.animaltrapsandsupplies.com/products/duke-dp-coon-trap.html

 

[Matejka]

I use these DOG PROOF TRAPS! Put corn or dry dog food in the bottom under the trigger. Make sure you stake it down. Put a white golf ball over the trap,it helps you see/check the trap from a distance. I highly recommend you buy the set tool because the spring is strong while setting with the set tool makes it easier. Note this is a live leg hold trap and you will need to DISPATCH the critter at the trap. A 22 works best.
If you don’t plan on dispatching the critter on site this trap is NOT FOR YOU.

https://www.animaltrapsandsupplies.com/products/duke-dp-coon-trap.html

I have no problem shooting or disposing them.
So far; the live trap works catching. I'm tired of it. Seems almost daily I'm killing one (2-3 days in reality).
I am seeing em nitely at the barn
Now at the house.
I didn't set live trap last night-i forgot.
Mowed yard, weedeat, cleaned around barn, shed, house. Fertilized roses, then it rained, went to town, I just forgot trap.

 

[SharW75]

I feel your pain. We've dispatched 10 so far this season. I feel like they're a never-ending plague.

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

If your local coons become cage-savvy, i agree with @Stepnout , switch to the dog-proof traps. And yes, get the trap setter and be sure to chain the trap to a tree, fence post, etc, or they will run off with your trap. I caught 6 coons this past fall/winter, 2 at a time. The later coons didnt get savvy to the paw traps. I used a twig to push wet cat food under the trigger, filled the rest of the cylinder with dry kibble, then smeared a little more wet food on the lip. Seems like you can use just about anything to catch them though. Especially anything smelly. Im sure sardines would work great. I now have 4 traps. If you Know u have lots of coons, you could put multiple traps out and solve your problem much faster.

In photo, traps were chained to bottom of the fence. The 2 coons climbed up as far as the chains would allow.

 

[Stepnout]

I really hate raccoons.

 

[JNC]

Yeah the other day we saw 3 run from a tree to the back of our shed. We can’t kill them since we are in the City limit.

 

[cmom]

If you can catch them in live traps and aren't able to eliminate them, there is usually a wildlife rescue somewhere that will come and get any you trap.