You know I like you and you're a fellow Missourian, but -
Trapping and relocating a raccoon several miles away seems an appealing method of resolving a conflict because it is perceived as giving the “problem animal” a second chance in a new home.
A raccoon territory can be 20 sq. miles or more. If they don't make it back to your place, you are giving your problem animals to someone else.
After you trap a damage-causing animal, you must dispose of it properly. Although relocation may seem like a good idea, we do not recommend it. Moving an animal can spread disease. Also, a strange animal coming into an established local population of the same species (a strange, disoriented squirrel coming into an established community of squirrels, for example) can upset the local group’s social order and possibly its health. Further, a relocated animal does not know where to find food or other resources and may likely starve to death. Finally, moving the animal might simply create a problem for someone else at the new location. You should also know that most federal, state, and local agencies prohibit the release of wildlife on lands they own or manage (including Department properties). For these reasons, the Missouri dept. of Conservation recommends killing the animal.
Raccoons used to a particular food source, type of shelter, or human activity will seek out familiar situations and surroundings. People, organizations, or agencies that illegally move raccoons should be willing to assume liability for any damages or injuries caused by these animals. Precisely for these reasons, raccoons posing a threat to human and pet safety should not be relocated.
In many cases, moving raccoons will not solve the original problem because other raccoons will replace them and cause similar conflicts. Hence, it is more effective to make the site less attractive to raccoons than it is to routinely trap them.
The American Veterinary Medical Association recommends a well placed gunshot for most humane euthanasia of problem animals.
Raccoons are not endangered. On the contrary, they're a nuisance animal in all their invasive adopted range - which is most of the US, parts of Europe and Japan.
It's almost worse than Jay walking - though those were vey sad too.
are you?
