How high will raccoons climb?

[benthere-donethat]

I am converting part of my old garage to a coop. There are two sections. The coop section has its own garage door and a separate door to the other part of the garage. But, I just realized tonight that the rafters are open from one section to the other. And the non-coop section has no garage door. So, in case I'm not being clear, a raccoon could enter the garage, but the only way to access the coop portion wood be to climb up the walls and over into the coop. They are probably 12' high. Should I cover those areas with fencing?

 

[centrarchid]

Height not likely to be limiting factor if raccoon. If location is climable for a raccoon and raccoon is motivated by food or fear then much higher than 12 feet not a barrier. Raccoons are not long distant thinkers like we are supposed to be thus if direct route is not evident to raccoon, then climb likely will not even be attempted. Can you make so surfaces that might be climbed are smooth denying purchase wih claws as coon tries to climb. A raccoon a has very limited capacity for even getting out of a barrel if knothing to grab on to so that can be used against raccoon getting into garage side with coop.

 

[redsoxs]

I agree with centrarchid - if a raccoon wants to and is able to, height will not deter it. My dogs were barking their heads off the other evening - I went out with my flashlight and they had a raccoon in the top of a 50' cottonwood tree. Hope you can keep him out and away from your chickens!!

 

[chfite]

Yes, indeed, install fencing or some other barrier.

Chris

 

[blucoondawg]

A coon can climb as high as it wants to, I used to coon hunt with hounds regularly and it was nothing to have a coon treed in the top of the tallest hemlock tree in the patch of woods you were hunting in, my buddy would strap on climbing spikes and climb the trees and shoot the coons out, sometimes he would be above the rest of the woods around him up so high as he couldn't climb anymore cuz the branches were too small.

 

[Jennsbirds]

The others are right. Coons don't care about height. I lived in a three-story house with trees a story higher. Coons woul jump from tre to tree, even the babies.

Coons are hard to outdo. They live in the sewers around me and easily got throguh a squirrel's hold in my attic to eat the squirrel.

They also have hands and will steal anything (several videos of a racoobn stealing beer or welcome mats).

I'm still notsure if a chainlink fence will fend them off if I make an enclosure out of it.

 

[blucoondawg]

A coon is not strong enough to go through a good chain link fence but you may want to line with hardware cloth to prevent them reaching through and grabbing birds, they may be able to climb the fence too, that I am not sure of as I have not seen them do it but I wouldn't put it past them. Also make sure the latches on any gates have a lock of some sort on them so the coon can't figure out how to open it

 

[Jennsbirds]

Good ideas.

I want a top for my enclosure, definitely. Locks too. People tried to keep 'pet' coons near my last house (where the coon got in the attic). They just opened the cage latch and left when they got bored with free food.

 

[blucoondawg]

Yes coon are smart and have little hands, even my bird dog is smart enough to figure out the basic fence gate latches, I keep a leash snap clipped in them as a lock, which isn't fool proof either.

 

[BillHoo]

When I used to raise free-range raccoons, I used to see them climb to the top of the neighbor's barn and bring back hens for their supper.