Neighbor feeding Raccoons

[ChickChickChicky]

My mom was attacked by a raccoon in her suburban driveway several years ago. She was going out to get the newspaper, and saw something under the car (which she assumed was a cat). After she picked up the paper and headed back towards the garage, the coon came out from under the car and latched onto her leg. It left 12 deep puncture wounds from it's teeth, plus numerous scratches from it's claws. She managed to finally grab the coon by the nape of it's neck and throw it off. She ran into the house to awaken my dad, and the coon followed her into the garage (but thank goodness it couldn't get into the house). My dad got the garage door closed, trapping the coon inside. Animal Control was called and they caught him and hauled him off for rabies testing. Meanwhile, my mom had to start rabies shots (which are no longer as painful as they once were, but still something nobody wants to go through). It turned out that the coon had distemper. After the coon attack she developed cellulitis in the leg (3 times, twice requiring hospitalization) and still has problems with the leg today, and it fired off her immune system so she now has an autoimmune disease.

Coons are carriers of many diseases and should NEVER be encouraged in a residential area. Because of their size, if one attacks it can be comparable to a dog attack (around here coons commonly tip the scales at 40 pounds). If you ever see a coon in daylight hours, you can safely assume that it is DISEASED and may attack you and/or your pets or children. I had a (STUPID) relative who fed the coons (and rabbits) in his neighborhood, thank goodness he lived far away from me and a divorce has rendered him persona non gratis.

 

[normanack]

I have to admit to having been one of those people who was against killing raccoons. I never fed them -- I wasn't that loony -- but inwardly disapproved of the farmer who told me how many raccoons he had shot in his barn.

Now I have chickens.

While I am still soft-hearted, I understand where that farmer is coming from. If there was a raccoon in my chicken coop, I'd probably beat it to death with a watering can.

And it's the fact that there were 30 raccoons in a barn, not that that farmer had killed 30 raccoons, that appalls me.

 

[Rock Home Isle]

I caught a coon several years ago...I had to use a coyote stretcher to properly dry and take care of the pelt...it was huge. If you have a neighbor that is feeding the animals, you will have some very big and very hungry coons this fall.

 

[bbossltd]

actually, this is illegal in almost every state though some will allow it IF you have a permit. Others, even professional wildlife workers are required to euthanize nuisance animals.
Relocating spreads disease and is generally a death sentence to the relocated animals.

for Ohio: Nuisance or sick raccoons may be trapped without a permit, but it is illegal to live trap and relocate them to a new area. In order to prevent the possible spread of raccoon diseases in Ohio, all live trapped raccoons must be released again on the homeowner's property or humanely euthanized. Consult your district wildlife office for further information.

I called the wildlife office and yes they informed me I could live trap, relocate or euthanize. Thank you

 

[dainerra]

they told you that you could relocate? very odd since their own literature and website etc all expressly forbid any coon being relocated. Relocation is only allowed on your own property, the link I posted is from the Ohio DNR website. Ohio is having a huge problem with distemper and rabies in their coon population.

 

[bbossltd]

From the Audubon Society: Deliberate feeding of raccoons makes them more comfortable around humans and more likely to get into situations where they are unwanted or in danger. It also encourages unnaturally high population levels within a small geographic area. This creates a higher risk of disease transmission among the raccoons and increases the likelihood they will become pests. It is much better and more humane to allow population levels to adjust to the food and habitat natural available.

Sometimes feeding wildlife is more harmful than beneficial. I know some humans have overly big hearts and that's great but your neighbor, as well-intentioned as they are, is creating a big problem. I would find some literature and politely educate your neighbor, leaving your chickens out of the story for the time being. If she's such an animal lover, she may change her mind for the sake of the raccoons. If not, law enforcement, definitely. Just a thought.

thank you, i'm gathering as much information as i can now to give to them.

 

[mstricer]

I would poison the food. Just saying.

 

[bbossltd]

There are some states that do allow setting up feeding stations....hunters will do this to bring in game animals.

Because you are inside the city limits, I would recommend using a live trap. There are not many predators that can be effectively trapped with a cage trap, but coons can be taken in quantity with this method of take....with the numbers that you are talking about; probably setup several of them on your property. Don't use a Havhart traps, they are cheap and if you catch a big boar coon the animal will force its way out. If that happens, every coon after that will escape from the trap...and all your doing is educating coons to avoid live traps. If you have a person come out and trap and they start to get out havhart traps, or traps of that style, thank them for their time and get a real trapper. After I lost my 4th coon with a havhart style trap, I threw them all away and contacted our local trapping association....

Here is the cage trap that you want to use for trapping coon:



This trap has a welded wire frame and uses heavy duty wire ring washers to hold the trap closed. There is not a coon alive that will get out of the trap once they are in it.If you have a non-target catch that you need to release, just roll the trap over, the heavy duty washer will slide down the wire rod and the trap door will flop open.



Marshmallows work and have eye appeal, but I want that coon to be drooling and wanting to get in my trap. I make up my own bait for use in the live trap when I'm out to get coon. Start with a clean 5 gallon bucket. Fill the bucket 3/4 full with dry dog food. For the next step I wait till my wife is GONE shopping and won't be back soon, so that I can get it done and clean up my mess before she gets back home. Take a can of sardines and blend the contents up in the blender with about 3 cups of cheap cooking oil, mix this slurry into the 5 gallon bucket with the dry dog food and stir well. There is not a coon on earth that will pass by this offering.

By the numbers that you are talking about the coons are most likely using established trails, that's all the better. Set the cage traps along their route of the travel. When you set the trap make sure that it sets firm and level on the ground, there should be no wobble. Drive a stake on either side of the trap to keep the animal from rolling the trap over and to keep it from moving. If the coon is able to roll the trap they can gain a purchase and force their way out of the trap, they are an amazingly powerful animal. After you have located a place for the traps and they are properly set, camouflage the traps so that 2 legged types don't walk away with you trap. Wire the doors of the trap open for a few nights and bait with your bait mix. You'll know when they have found the traps, all the bait will be gone every morning and the ground under the bait location under the treadle will be dug up through the trap wires of the cage bottom.



You may even have to re-camouflage the trap. They really like this bait. After a few nights and the coon have made your traps a regular stop on their travel routes, set the traps and start catching the critters.

You do not want to just go out and set a trap and expect to start catching these animals. They are not stupid, they will notice that this thing is new and they will be very cautious when they first encounter the trap. The reality is that any coon that sets off the trap and gets away is now an educated coon; making them much more difficult to trap...catch them the first time. Don't give them a second chance to evaluate your trap. After a few nights the group will start to thin out, and your catch rate will drop off. They are getting cautious and may even start to avoid the trap...no problem....wire the traps open again for a few nights, bait 'em and check each morning, When they start hitting regularly again, unwire the trap and start the process over again.

From what you are saying, you could well be sitting on a little financial goldmine. With your neighbor feeding the coons, by late fall even the yearlings will rate as large and bring a premium. If at all possible, keep your chickens locked up safe. Summer months are a time of plenty, and with a neighbor doing all the feeding coons won't be a problem as long as there is a free food sources. Once fall hits and food sources become more difficult that will change. If possible start trapping in late October or mid November. In your area the coon pelts are actually in demand especially large and extra large types. That group of coon could net enough cash to pay your flock's feed bills for the next year or more.

Realize that once the numbers of Coon start going down your neighbor might start getting curious and taking walks...keep close tabs on your equipment. If you can make your sets well within the boundaries of your property, all the better.

I wouldn't start anything with the neighbor. This person is thinking with their emotions and they feel that their intentions are GOOD...if you disagree with them, then by definition that makes you BAD.

Enjoy.

Thank you, I definately will attempt this idea. I get along with my neighbor I feel pretty good and i'm going to try and submit some literature to them first. Just my talk with them really seemed to go nowhere, he even asked if he could finance me with additional fencing, etc, for coop. I thanked him, but tried explaining that he isn't doing them a great service and eventually they will spend most of their nights trying to enter the coop, or moving their families closer, maybe his garage, mines, etc.. And the risk at hand with all the neighborhood pets and children.

 

[bbossltd]

Again, I say R*A*B*I*E*S. She is a loon if she thinks raccoons don't get rabies and attack people and kill neighborhood cats-surely her type likes cats, they usually do.

She is endangering your family, her family, all the neighborhood animals, all for the sake of some Disney movie la-la-land notion that they are innocent adorable creatures who are harmless.

I know the type. I live across the road from that type. One floor short of the penthouse and thinks that Bambi is holding hands with Thumper skipping down the road. Harsh reality needs to be heaped on her.

Found a fox's den on my property a few years ago, a short distance from my nutty woman's house. She had one kit. We smoked out the den. Never saw the mama fox come back to get the kit. To this day, that woman tells everyone that we killed the fox and that we are horrible people because of that. She also says coyotes won't bother chickens and neither will her Boston Terrier, no matter how many folks try to reason with her.

For a minute I thought you lived across from me to, you describe them exactly "One floor short of the penthouse and thinks that Bambi is holding hands with Thumper skipping down the road."...lmao But that's them.. And actually yes they do have cats "4" and the funny thing is I've been telling them for a long time that there cat is killing any and everything it can catch and leaving it in my backyard. I just throw the bodies over the fence. My jack russell use to get along with their cats, now when i see them in the back by the coop, well lets just say he know's what "get em" means now, but he doesnt hurt them..lol

 

[Rock Home Isle]

Thank you, I definitely will attempt this idea. I get along with my neighbor I feel pretty good and I'm going to try and submit some literature to them first. Just my talk with them really seemed to go nowhere, he even asked if he could finance me with additional fencing, etc, for coop. I thanked him, but tried explaining that he isn't doing them a great service and eventually they will spend most of their nights trying to enter the coop, or moving their families closer, maybe his garage, mines, etc.. And the risk at hand with all the neighborhood pets and children.

I've dealt with nuisance animals in the past. Once a person starts leaving out food, they get excited and want to see more Wildlife. Its a vicious circle; the animals grow and get bigger, their appetites grow and get bigger right along with the growth. In the not very far off future...the local population will take a jump due to the endless availability of food. The popluations food demands will be greater than the "Natural" local area can support and their main source will then be your neighbor's backyard. And each year his little wildlife project will demand even more food.

One of these days your neighbor is going to take a hard look at how much money his little wildlife project is costing the family. Then he'll panic and start looking for solutions; soon there after animal control gets a call.

It may take 1 year it may take a few years...but it is a well worn path.

People get emotional when it comes to animals and wildlife. Emotions are great, I support people having them...but emotions are not a solid foundation for good judgment.