Losing birds

[brewdog]

We keep losing birds to raccoons. Besides live traps and leg holds... What is the best method to keep them away. Curious to hear everybody's tricks of the trade thanks

 

[centrarchid]

Dogs are generally the best. I also use hotwire and electrified poultry netting.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

We keep losing birds to raccoons. Besides live traps and leg holds... What is the best method to keep them away. Curious to hear everybody's tricks of the trade thanks

Dogs are generally the best. I also use hotwire and electrified poultry netting.

Combine option 1 and 2 with a Dog Proof coon trap and a Louisville slugger baseball bat and you have all your bases covered.

 

[centrarchid]

The ball bat option is not for everyone. You are going to be swinging at something that moves and is inclined to fight back. It may get you to follow it through briars and cut right back between your legs when you think you got him. More often than not a flashlight will be needed and you will not have enough time to engage in this approach with adequate clothing. In the end this is something you do not want your neighbors seeing you do. Overall the activity does get you hurt once in a while. Watch out for fences and ditches as they bite as well.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

You can get a hunting permit and learn what hunting season is for your area for raccoons.

 

[centrarchid]

You can  get a hunting permit and learn what hunting season is for your area for raccoons. 

I would look into the hunting season first before buying the permit. You need a gun and a flashlight at very least and many people use trained dogs. A problem with the hunting season is that it restricts your ability to respond quickly. If the raccoon is treated as a pest, then season is not an issue.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

The ball bat option is not for everyone. You are going to be swinging at something that moves and is inclined to fight back. It may get you to follow it through briars and cut right back between your legs when you think you got him. More often than not a flashlight will be needed and you will not have enough time to engage in this approach with adequate clothing. In the end this is something you do not want your neighbors seeing you do. Overall the activity does get you hurt once in a while. Watch out for fences and ditches as they bite as well.

If raccoon has one front foot confined to a DP coon trap then mobility of said raccoon is not an issue. The Louisville Slugger option is a better stealth approach IMHO than the loud report from a firearm.

Or you could buy yourself an Izod shirt, a 3 iron and take up coon golf.

If you want to get a pack of coon dogs and tree the coon remember to give the coon a sporting chance. Check out the following link to find out how.

 

[slingshotandLAR]

If raccoon is confined to a DP coon trap then mobility of said raccoon is not an issue.  The Louisville Slugger option is a better stealth approach IMHO than the loud report from a firearm.  Or you could buy yourself an Izod shirt, a 3 iron and take up coon golf.    

I agree...

Coons can't move very well at all in a DP trap, they can only go the length of the cable or chain where they are staked. With one front leg out of commission they can do much, dispatching is totally up up to you. A .22 works as does a high powered air gun( we use them in neighborhoods removing nuisance animals) bat or stout stick is extremely effective provided it's used correctly. One good crack to the back of the head and it's done, if you have any bit of trepidation choose a different method.

You shouldn't need a license protecting livestock, haven't heard of a place that requires it as of yet.

Bait the DP with sweets, any candy will do and stick a marshmallow on the trigger so they can't dump the candy out. I would also recommend a trap with a one way trigger, pull only. There is a push pull but that can catch non target animals simply by design. I use powder coated Duke traps.

Good luck

 

[centrarchid]

I usually dispatch with .22 rifle that has very little report. Shorts work at close range with head (brain) shots. Larger caliber and shotguns not so smart.