Relocated a raccoon 10 miles away, that should do it.

[Buxton Ducks]

Finally trapped the baby raccoon who has been chewing at my coop windows and eating the scratch grains. I got him before I lost a bird and he was not happy! I drove him to work and dropped him off in the industrial park. There are tons of raccoons there and he should do fine. I also don't think he will travel the 10 miles back home. The game camera is back up and we will see what shows up next. At least my boys and girls can sleep easy tonight!

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

It's really better to kill them when you trap them

Relocating wildlife is illegal in most states, and it just puts the problem off on someone else

 

[Buxton Ducks]

Dropping a dog or cat off is completely different, they are domesticated and I would never do that. The area I dropped the coon off in is not allowed to have chickens. However, the article I read about trapping and releasing them stated this: "First, bring the raccoon at least five miles from the capture site, preferably ten. Otherwise, there's a good chance that it will track its way back and cause the same problems as before." Then I should have read farther down: "The research shows that the survival rate for the first 2 weeks in a new territory is poor." Hahaha oooooooopppps. Okay I admit it, you guys were right. When people drop dogs and cat off here I just keep them, but I guess I will have to use other methods to deter coons.

 

[galanie]

I did read this thread, but in response to the thread title, 15 miles isn't far enough. Kingdom Come, now that's about the right distance.

 

[atira]

In Ohio, it is illegal to relocate raccoons more than 300 yards away from where they were trapped and have to be destroyed. Opossums are treated the same way. Raccoons carry various diseases and can travel miles looking for food, housing and mating. If you are going to trap, make sure what your state's laws are about trapping and releasing/relocating.
I have a neighbor who feeds feral cats 50#s of cat food/ weekly and give them 1 gal. milk daily. Way too many kitties for my little Banties so I started putting out live traps to catch/spay-neuter/rehome these little problems. To my surprise after of week of nothing but cats in the traps, I came upon a half-grown opossum...I had to put him down. Then 3 days later something got into my hens and killed one of them...opossum...trapped it...adult female...weight 15#s...put it down. Then over the course of 1 week, I ended up loosing a total of 3 hens to the opossums...In a 2 week period I trapped a total of 11 opossums...all bent on killing my hens.
This is what happens when you leave feed out for animals like my neighbor does...it attracts other things such as those who kill chickens and cats. Two mornings ago, I heard what sounded like metal banging on the sidewalk and yard and my dog going nuts...checked it out and caught a raccoon/adult male/ weighed him in at 35#s...he is no longer among the living.
I feel this way...if a critter kills my chickens/pets...then I will get revenge...

 

[Buxton Ducks]

I will just learn to live with them. I will not kill animals for just trying to survive. My chickens are safe in their coop and run and my dogs protect them during the day. A bobcat has killed 2 of my roosters while they free roamed. I saw the bobcat while deer hunting and could have easily killed it. All and all, these posts are pointless because nobody agrees on this topic. I am glad I started this post though because I learned that relocating an animal does more harm than simply shooting it.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: If everyone always agreed, most of the world would be pointless.
at least you learned something valuable, and hopefully others reading did as well

 

[aprophet]

raccoon roundworm

http://ohioline.osu.edu/w-fact/pdf/0020.pdf

 

[The Big Dog]

That, I am led to believe, is a very cruel thing to do. He was a baby, he was dumped where there are lots of others.
Pretty sure he would now be dead, or still hiding from the others who will most certainly kill him.
If you trap predators, at least do the right thing and euthanize them humanly.

Cheers.........The Dog

 

[Buxton Ducks]

UMMMM.... NO! I will not kill something for no reason. I don't care if it is illegal, I will continue to relocate rather than take their lives away from them. Chickens are food, simple as that. The raccoon just wanted some KFC and now he has a huge industrial park that borders the ocean with many rivers and ponds to feed from. He wasn't really a baby, he was an adolescent who was just off on his own and he will be just fine. There aren't any chickens within miles of here for him to harass. I moved to the country to enjoy the wildlife, not kill them. There are many more coyotes, foxes, raccoons, fishers, etc. that I see on a daily basis that will be allowed freedom on my property. If they start being persistent about my birds, then they get relocated.