So nervous about raccoons!

[FenikT]

The whole concept of the "vacuum effect" is at best a theory. I often hear the same thing applied to feral cat colonies.

IMO, you kill off a couple marauding coons and you won't have several more moving in behind them. Its all about supply and demand. If there isn't enough of a supply (population of coons and food source like chickens to sustain such) in a given area, there isn't a demand for outsiders to move in. Coons don't have epic ranges like wolves or grizzlies, perhaps several acres in the city to several hundred in the country.

I had animal control trap a coon which was raiding my garbage several years ago. When it was finally caught, I was under the impression they would relocate it. They don't. The only reason they use Hav-a-heart traps is to portray a humane public image in capturing the critter. Fact is, any caught wild animal is euthanized.

Frankly, if a critter is dumb enough to attempt to predate my chickens, its going to wind up dead. Use a 220# conibear trap. Screw a 5-gal bucket (sides cut out enough to accommodate the springs) atop or adjacent to whatever structure the coon is attempting access to and bait w/ a dead bird (songbird) or fresh fish in bottom of bucket. Cut out notches in sides of bucket to accommodate trap springs. The end. If conibear traps are too "scary," then use a dog-proof can trap and be prepared to dispatch a lively coon.

For some, losing birds is no big deal. For others, they are valued pets or the difference btwn feeding a family a bird or can of beans.

 

[sn0wwhite]

I don't know if I'll have a raccoon problem or not yet, but I wanted to add one note about the live trap and relocate method. My former neighbor used to trap squirrels and raccoons and release them at a lake about 2 miles away. The only way back to our neighborhood was to cross Interstate 35 W - 6 lanes of major highway. He would spray paint their tails neon orange before he released them and they always came back.

 

[Wrooster]

I don't know if I'll have a raccoon problem or not yet, but I wanted to add one note about the live trap and relocate method. My former neighbor used to trap squirrels and raccoons and release them at a lake about 2 miles away. The only way back to our neighborhood was to cross Interstate 35 W - 6 lanes of major highway. He would spray paint their tails neon orange before he released them and they always came back.

I've heard similar stories with even longer distances.

Relocating pests is IMO almost always misguided at best. Illegal in many jurisdictions. There is almost nowhere you can take a critter which is causing you a problem and not make it someone else's problem. Or, at best, it has to fight to establish itself in new territory. It's not a kindness to either the animals or the humans.

 

[drlcb]

"He would spray paint their tails neon orange before he released them and they always came back." That's hilarious Sn0wWhite!
I'm going to start spray painting all the critters that I shoot and see how many come back ;-()

 

[ant1]

"He would spray paint their tails neon orange before he released them and they always came back." That's hilarious Sn0wWhite!
I'm going to start spray painting all the critters that I shoot and see how many come back ;-()

Visions of zombie racoons...

 

[sn0wwhite]

"He would spray paint their tails neon orange before he released them and they always came back." That's hilarious Sn0wWhite!
I'm going to start spray painting all the critters that I shoot and see how many come back ;-()

heh... please let me know if any do!

 

[Mattemma]

A trap is a good investment.Set it often just to see what you get around the coop.It is
not hard to dispose of these predators.Like culling livestock it is hard the first few times.I would rather
get rid of predators than clean up dead chickens after an attack.

 

[Wrooster]

A trap is a good investment.....

Two nights ago visiting family saw a raccoon after dark near our house. Last night I put a trap out, sprinkled some BBQ pork rib bones around it and fastened a meat scrap inside. Today the grandson helped skin his first raccoon, proudly pointing out internal parts he knew about.

This raccoon had a well-hidden den 30 feet from our house, between the house and the chickens. Here in the SE, they are the major carrier of rabies. I practice "live and let live" whenever possible and I don't kill things for fun, but I couldn't ignore this one. When it needs to be done - it needs to be done.

 

[dringge]

Make that lad a fine coonskin cap. Just like Davy Crockett. When I was a kid I would have loved to have one. Of course its all different now.