It's been a terrible coon season so far this year. I shot 3 three of them at night before they started to wise up and did not make a dent in the population. So I started to set the live trap. I've taken 3 coons and one possum in four settings. Since I am dispatching (.22 LR HP in top of the head at point blank) them during daylight hours, I'm skinning them out. I hate waste, and this way something out of them can be used. Well the first one I skinned out had two holes in her. The holes were made by flat faced pellets (wad cutters) that were basically balled up from impact. Both were lodged just under the skin and had not even penetrated muscle. I can't be sure of the circumstances when the coon was shot, but she had a skin tear round her front paw that looked like a leg hold trap mark, and both holes were close together right behind the neck on the back. You'd have to be a heck of a shot to hit a coon twice in the back of the neck from any distance, especially since it would be hauling butt after the first one. I'd guess she was caught and then shot both times at pretty close range. She probably wrenched her paw loose and then got away. So the moral of the story? Well I know that not everyone has the ability to use a firearm and might use a pellet gun instead, I certainly would if that was all I had. If you must use a pellet gun please be sure of the gun, ammo, and your ability to place the shot precisely. Use a live trap if you can, the critter can't get out if the first shot doesn't put it down, and it will let you shoot from point blank. Well I'm off to set the trap again, the gators are getting hungry again...
Swamp
Swamp
