We have lived on our property for 3 years now. Never so much as seen a coon near our place, just prints in the creek on the east side of the property. However, I knew they were around, just weren't many. Now our property is swarming with them. And it's all been in the past 6 weeks. It started after 3 barred rock pullets were viciously murdered in what I thought was a mighty secure run, however, I did forget to shut the coop. (I know, how stupid!) So the next night I went out to lock them up, and put them to bed, and a coon lifted up a 100 lb+ metal corn crib panel on the top of the coop and made it's way in. I shot it. So that night we spent baiting live traps, nothing. So the next day I called or stopped by all of the neighbors to let them know that we would be setting up conibear and foot traps and that they needed to be sure to keep their dogs at home. Luckily this isn't a common problem, but our nice neighbors next door have the shock fence system and the dogs come to visit when the batteries in their collars die. All were very happy that I let them know, and were going to keep their dogs inside or in their kennels while I had the traps set. I told them I planned on just a few days with the traps and I would pull all of them and just leave the live traps. So I left them out for three days straight and nothing and any of the traps. So I pulled them up and left the live traps set and didn't have any more losses and didn't catch a thing.
Fast forward to last week. I was setting up the girls' swimming pool and filter and I hear something in the food plot. Thinking it was a deer I went to go look so I could get the girls outside to see it. I shined the flashlight and there was a big ol' coon staring back at me. I ran inside, knocking over my youngest and one of the dining room chairs, grabbed the .22 and headed out with the headlamp. Now let me just state that I'm all for letting the wildlife live peacefully, but I have a huge problem with a coon 20 yards from my rooster pen. So I get out there and find that I have a much bigger problem than what I originally thought. Five sets of eyes in one tree and momma coon running up another tree. I truly felt at that moment I had no choice but to kill all of them. So I did. All were killed quickly and all were confirmed dead immediately after the shot. I felt a bit guilty about killing so many, but I know the problems that they will cause. So that night I sat out some more live traps baited with dog food and trapped 3 more coons, all were dispatched. The next night, caught another. Up til last night hadn't caught anything for 4 days, then this morning, I've got two more in traps. I feel like I'm losing the battle here, and this war will go on as long as I have chickens. And now I'm really starting to wonder if living here and keeping chickens is really a good idea.
Anyone else have any suggestions or in a similar situation. I know they will never be all gone, but I'm wondering if I will keep having these numbers week after week, and I really hate having to kill all these coons that may or may not be trying to eat my chickens. (yeah right, I know they are murderous robbers)
Fast forward to last week. I was setting up the girls' swimming pool and filter and I hear something in the food plot. Thinking it was a deer I went to go look so I could get the girls outside to see it. I shined the flashlight and there was a big ol' coon staring back at me. I ran inside, knocking over my youngest and one of the dining room chairs, grabbed the .22 and headed out with the headlamp. Now let me just state that I'm all for letting the wildlife live peacefully, but I have a huge problem with a coon 20 yards from my rooster pen. So I get out there and find that I have a much bigger problem than what I originally thought. Five sets of eyes in one tree and momma coon running up another tree. I truly felt at that moment I had no choice but to kill all of them. So I did. All were killed quickly and all were confirmed dead immediately after the shot. I felt a bit guilty about killing so many, but I know the problems that they will cause. So that night I sat out some more live traps baited with dog food and trapped 3 more coons, all were dispatched. The next night, caught another. Up til last night hadn't caught anything for 4 days, then this morning, I've got two more in traps. I feel like I'm losing the battle here, and this war will go on as long as I have chickens. And now I'm really starting to wonder if living here and keeping chickens is really a good idea.
Anyone else have any suggestions or in a similar situation. I know they will never be all gone, but I'm wondering if I will keep having these numbers week after week, and I really hate having to kill all these coons that may or may not be trying to eat my chickens. (yeah right, I know they are murderous robbers)
