Rocky Raccoon outsmarted me again....

[Friend of Feathers]

Our method of exterminating the little buggars is a little unorthodox I suppose. We have a bird feeder on our deck that the raccoons cannot resist. The past three nights my husband and his .22 have been diminishing the varmint population. I wanted to try the relocation method at first, but after reading the treads some of you have written, I have decided against it. They are cute little critters, especiall when I turn the porch light on and catch them in the act of cleaning out my bird feeder. They freeze just like the bandits they are. I say they are cute now, but the first time one of them tries to get my babies, I'm sure I'll be singing a different tune. Like my husband keeps telling me, "you can't have them both, it's either chickens or raccoons". Since the raccoons have yet to leave me any eggs and do not supply us with constant hilarity-they must go. Not what some of you want to hear, I'm sure, but I'm not willing to risk the lives of my precious babies.

 

[mmtillman]

Quote:
..

Oh NO....they have never gotten in the coop..they cant. It is Fort Knox Coop...

BUT~~ I know they are still looking for a way in ...I see the tracks. They circle the area each night, looking for an opening....

Sooooo, since I know they are around...I just keep setting my trap , so I can keep the numbers down. They might try to attack during the day when my girls are in the run....so I still do NOT want Rocky Raccoon around my territory~~

 

[mmtillman]

Quote:
I can proudly say that our raccoons here do not die in vain. I know someone who wants them for the meat and the pelt...and I do cook one occasionally for the grandkids...and no , they dont taste like chicken...they taste like a beef roast.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:
What I would do for a trap smart coon, and I've posted this somewhere else, is to put fly poison down, and jelly or a dish of coke that is spiked. The coon will be dead within a matter of seconds.

If you left your coon a gourmet meal and he outfoxed you last night, I would add some of this fly poison to the same sort of delicacy you left out last night.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp...02|14616|28469?listingPage=true&Special=false

 

[bluey]

My setup is techno-hillbilly.

My infra-red gamecam is mounted to capture images of all movement in the coop area 24/7. Every week I review the images which are time/date/temp and moon phase stamped.

Whenever a raccoon appears in the gamecam pictures, I place a light in the coop area and use the pictures for a guide to the times of their visits.

Then I setup in my bedroom which has a clear shot of the coop area about 40-50 yards away. We have a big hillside behind the coop as a perfect backstop.

My .22 is beside my nightstand. My DW doesn't mind me shooting out the window while she's sleeping and many times doesn't even wake up. Neither do my daughters.

The perfect system for a rural raccoon/opossum coop defense program. Two years plus with no birds lost yet.

 

[Lextextrapper]

The very BEST dog proof coon trap on the market!

 

[Boyd]

is that a hand hold trap

 

[trilyn]

My setup is techno-hillbilly.

I busted a gut over that line! Too funny!

Well, I'm very new to chickens, so new, I don't have the coop built-yikes!! They're living and roosting in my garage! We also live in a rural area and my husband hunts. I target shoot, a little, and I told my dh to find me a .22 for critters. There is absolutely no way I am going to take a chance on my chickens. Yeah, I expect losses, don't like it-but that's reality. Killing predators-another reality, I think you need to be prepared for that eventuality. I also have to say, Boyd, Opa and the others who say when you relocate critters you're spreading disease and transferring problems are 100% right in my book.

 

[Boyd]

Quote:

 

[bluey]

Quote:
Glad to amuse...

Been there, done that! Our first chicken lived in our garage for 6 months until I had a coop built. You'll do fine...good luck!