Raccoon visiting to steal feed

[Ninjasquirrel]

Got a raccoon coming by. Saw him 2 nights ago around 4 am hanging around. Caught him again last night around 11pm. I scared him off but I know he'll be back. He's not trying to get in the run but he is reaching through the wire and grabbing handfuls of chicken feed. I know this because he leaves a mess of feed just outside the wire. We have a live trap and I'd like to catch him. I'm not sure if the trap is big enough...hes a big coon. Very fat. He might have been doing this a while now and we just caught him. Need some advice on dealing with this pest. I worry he'll get sick of the feed and seek out my girls. He'd have to dig into the run (the wire is about 6 inches out in the ground so he'd have to be very diligent) and then lift the weighted coop door to get in. Since they're more likely to go for easy opportunities I doubt he'd try.

 

[Wolfefarmyard]

I know this isn’t a good situation, but I just started giggling after reading how he sits outside taking handfuls of feed to eat!

What a smart little moocher!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I know this isn’t a good situation, but I just started giggling after reading how he sits outside taking handfuls of feed to eat!

What a smart little moocher!

It is kinda funny. When I caught him he looked like he was watching a movie just shoving handfuls into his mouth. He ran off before I could do anything. As fat as he is, he is fast. Either that or I'm not quick enough. I've never had to dispatch a pest before. I think if I caught him I could pass the buck or at least make it easier to be rid of him in a humane way. Idealy Id like to just deter him away...but he keeps coming back.

 

[HomesteaderWife]

We have had raccoons like this in the past stealing food, and throwing corn in a trap is usually how we catch them. I'd try to leave none in the run, but put a little heap in the back of the trap in a little tiny bowl or can and make a small trail out of the trap door. If you put it just on the ground between the trap mesh, they'll tip that thing over or grab through most of the time without getting caught. Also cat food and canned tuna sometimes gets them. But if he's eating chicken feed, bait with the same. If you've got a standard live trap trust me, they're capable of still catching the big ones. We trapped a gigantic male raccoon last year that barely fit in the trap. Dispatch with a .22 and don't risk it for your chickens' sakes. (If it were still late Winter enough I'd say to give tanning it a try, but the hair would probably be slipping now). Dispatching with .22 is a quick method- if you haven't done it, it can be nerve racking the first time you have to. Just have an extra hand in case it is difficult- it's understandable!

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

We have had raccoons like this in the past stealing food, and throwing corn in a trap is usually how we catch them. I'd try to leave none in the run, but put a little heap in the back of the trap in a little tiny bowl or can and make a small trail out of the trap door. If you put it just on the ground between the trap mesh, they'll tip that thing over or grab through most of the time without getting caught. Also cat food and canned tuna sometimes gets them. But if he's eating chicken feed, bait with the same. If you've got a standard live trap trust me, they're capable of still catching the big ones. We trapped a gigantic male raccoon last year that barely fit in the trap. Dispatch with a .22 and don't risk it for your chickens' sakes. (If it were still late Winter enough I'd say to give tanning it a try, but the hair would probably be slipping now). Dispatching with .22 is a quick method- if you haven't done it, it can be nerve racking the first time you have to. Just have an extra hand in case it is difficult- it's understandable!

We're gonna borrow our parents larger trap. This one is mostly good for rabbits and squirrels. Good advice on using the feed. In the mean time we put a large piece of plywood blocking his greedy fingers.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Deterrent is best... 1/2 inch hardware cloth or an E wire.. both work well.

If I start dispatching it will never end.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Agreed cover the chickens wire in hardware cloth or the coon will eventually grab your chickens if you do not have a gun please get one

 

[The Phantom]

Only one solution.

I tried scaring them off every night from my pheasant pen. A few days later they ate my $600 pheasants. After that we shot 26 in 3 weeks. The put up a 13,000 volt 3 strand hot wire.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Deterrent is best... 1/2 inch hardware cloth or an E wire.. both work well.

If I start dispatching it will never end.

Its the only one Ive seen around in quite some time. My chickens go up in the coop at night so he cant grab them and they dont come out until the sun is up. We dont have an automatic door so i come out there every morning and every evening.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

Agreed cover the chickens wire in hardware cloth or the coon will eventually grab your chickens if you do not have a gun please get one

We are prepared to deal with the threat. He was just too quick for me. Thats why we need to trap him