Drunk raccoon

[Agdketo]

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If you're a huge animal lover, don't read this post, because it'll get your feathers all ruffled up.

I grew up in the country for the most part, and to be honest, you can use just about anything to kill a coon. I prefer my 10-.22, but there are other ways. I've used an axe before. I've also used jack handles, a prybar, my steel-toed boots while I was wearing them. Just about anything will get the job done. I try to be as humane as possilbe, but sometimes it's just not an option or possibility. Don't waste your time with animal control. I doubt they would've gotten there in time. It's probably a good thing you didn't go after it with the axe. I'm usually wearing my boots and jeans when I go after them. And I normally have my dog with me. He's quite the coon hunter. He'll tree em for me and I can then go shoot them, so they really don't get too close to the house and the coop, although he's treed 5 or 6 in the front yard.

 

[frostbite]

North America yes, but not this far north. We do have various members of the weasel family, foxes, coyotes, lynx, bears, great horned owls, and ravens, and in the summer we have hawks and eagles. But no raccoons, skunks, possums, snakes, or rats.

Oh yeah, and neighborhood dogs... Now THEY really are everywhere!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Raccoons are NOT nocturnal, they are a Dayurnal animal, it is common for them to be out during daylight hours, even more so when a food source is readily available. (apples) they are packing on the weight this time of the year for when food is scarce during the winter months.

Raccoons who carry rabies, with hunch up, snarl, poof their tail and mock charge AND charge anything or one they deem a threat, or disturbs them.

Hissing is just typical raccoon chatter that this food is theirs and you need to back off. Firecrackers will scare them off, as does banging a pot (usually).

If your run is built to keep your birds safe (hardware cloth, enclosed top of run) the coon will take the free, easily eaten apples over waisted energy to try for the chickens.

 

[flyingtnh]

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Beg to differ - Raccoons are nocturnal by nature. If a Raccoon goes Diurnal and hangs around a house during the day, it's usually due to getting over-familiar with humans - usually by providing food, or sickness. Like you said, they do get more active this time of year packing on the fat, which is why you're probably seeing more of them dead on the side of the road now (I know I am). Still, middle of the day would be an alarm flag for me.

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74116.html for a bit more on that, as well as some "management strategies."

And you're right on the rabies - but that's late stage, and a coon that's early stage won't necessarily do that. And they can carry it for a long time before they show. In the meantime, they're still a threat to pass it to anything they bite.

Bottom line, a raccoon I see in the middle of the day that doesn't immediately skedaddle when he sees me is a dead raccoon.

 

[Ole rooster]

I have to agree with Chickncharm on this. The coon hanging around is not normal. I would be very leary of it also. I also would never go after one with an axe. Certainly not a hatchet. I would just hate to start a swing, have the thing start for my leg and me try to alter the angle of the swing and set it in my leg. I had an uncle bury an axe in his leg and it is very ugly.

And talking about not being allowed to shoot in your neighborhood, I was thinking. I'm not allow to drive over 70 on the interstate but I do. Not allowed to roll through a stop sign but I have. Not allowed to do any number of thing according to the "law". But the telling thing in all of this is I wasn't caught. I think it really funny how some laws are to be strictly adhered to while others, in peoples minds are meant to be broken. That's weird to me. Why not shoot off a couple of firecrackers, mix in the .22 and shoot off another one. O I forgot, firecrackers are against the law, aren't they. Bury the coon and your done. There are ways around anything you need to do.

I am so lucky to live where I can protect my place and the law is good with it.

 

[flyingtnh]

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x2

Rifle with subsonic .22 shorts is pretty dang quiet. Lots of new pellet guns are running in the high subsonic also - a heavy .22 hunting pellet at 900fps or so will do OK with good placement. A bit more difficult to use, but a heavy-duty slingshot with ball bearings or pachinko balls will do the trick also.

I remember (not too long ago, btw) when kids used to walk to and from school with their rifles and shotguns to hunt squirrels, rabbits, grouse, and even deer along the way. Oh those dangerous, lawless days.

 

[Lollipop]

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Everyone who keeps chickens needs a trap and a gun. In areas with close neighbors, a .22 rifle using .22 CB ammo is safe and very quiet, even as quiet as a pellet gun and much more effective. The CB ammo has only a small charge of powder and, like I said, is very quiet. Sounds like a twig snapping. I`ve used it for years. Don`t take any chances with coons as any that are out in the daytime and acting strange are suspect. They can be very aggressive and are quicker than you think. Be carefull, it will keep returning until the food is gone and that includes your birds........Pop

 

[tsmith1499]

What is .22 CB ammo. I have been around guns my whole life and have not heard of these before. I would like to get some. Thanks, Tom

 

[dretd]

Quote:
x2

Rifle with subsonic .22 shorts is pretty dang quiet. Lots of new pellet guns are running in the high subsonic also - a heavy .22 hunting pellet at 900fps or so will do OK with good placement. A bit more difficult to use, but a heavy-duty slingshot with ball bearings or pachinko balls will do the trick also.
I remember (not too long ago, btw) when kids used to walk to and from school with their rifles and shotguns to hunt squirrels, rabbits, grouse, and even deer along the way. Oh those dangerous, lawless days.

We tried this method to get rid of a prairie dog in my pasture. We were right on him and tried several shots and no kill shots. We had to go back to the old-fashioned method of helping him go for a long swim. I would rather have done it quickly--admonished my son 'you want to kill it not hurt it' --but the wrist rocket/ball bearings didn't work for us.

As for the breaking the law--we can't discharge fire arms inside city limits either. Breaking that law carries a higher penalty than breaking the traffic laws which are de-criminalized and won't send you to jail if you break them. There is a 'make my day law' and you are allowed to use deadly force to defend your property. The problem is that if the DA is aggressive (they are paid to get convictions not seek justice) they will still charge you and it can cost you beteween $5 and $10K to engage a lawyer to defend your right. I'm sure you'd get off the charges but that bullet may be pretty expensive.

 

[PHILMAN]

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x3

X-4 a sick acting coon .....very ggod sign of rabies, plus lost of fear of humans. ...take some very old apples to get one drunk.

X5 I AGREE CALL SOMEONE OR SHOOT IT .