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

 

[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.

 

[MamacatPatch]

I also relocated to the country in 2005 after being a 'city' girl my whole life and I've always loved animals and was glad I could now have lots of them to care for in the country! However, we do have coons that like to eat our ducks, chickens and their eggs as well as now we're dealing with possum eating our cat's food on our back deck. We trapped and relocated the coons all summer but the possum don't seem to go for the traps so hubby has had to shoot them dead right on the deck.

I HATE that I have to kill these animals! They are just trying to survive like the rest of us. But sometimes I know it must be done because we can't afford to feed all our cats AND the possum too! Marshmallows in the traps worked well for coons, but not for possum. We can't use a bait that the cats would take either. I'd sure prefer to relocate them!

 

[Oregon Blues]

UMMMM.... NO! I will not kill something for no reason. .

If you don't want to kill them, leave them on your property and just pen your birds securely enough that the raccoons can't get to them. What you are doing right now is not a kindness.

edited by staff

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote:
Most likely you DID kill him by dumping him in other animals territories, and possibly spreading diseases.
The laws are what they are for good reasons.
Quote: How could you possibly know that to be a fact?

 

[welasharon]

I have possums and racoons here. I built my pens to keep them out so I don't have to deal with killing them. Sometimes they used to come up and eat cat food that the cats left but the dog scared it off and I haven't seen it come back. I don't think reloacating is a good thing either. It's like people dropping cats and dogs off...they usually starve to death. Killing would be less torture.

 

[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.

 

[welasharon]

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." T hen 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.

I know...out of sight is kinda easier! I used hardware cloth on my pens and I also have a picket fence around all the pens like a compound! The dog patrols in the picket fence and if something does come in it would take some time to get through the wire.