Two weeks of trying we finally caught him & (his buddy this morning)

[Poison Ivy]

I've only caught one couple years ago that was hugh. Most are on the small side these two were bigger then most I catch. I'm just glad I catch them. Before they are able to get to my chickens.

It's really a shame they have a cute face.... NOT! lol

 

[joanm]

Aw, I think they are cute, it's a shame you have to kill them even though they are a nuisance.

 

[Dawn419]

Quote:
This one even looks guilty!

Glad you're catching them!

Dawn

 

[Wolfpacker]

They are VERY cute . . .

. . . until you go to your coop one morning and see what they can do to one of your totally helpless hens.

Then . . .

 

[Poison Ivy]

I've had that happen a couple times it's heart breaking. Once I went out and it had killed all but a couple chickens. They didn't even carry them off or eat them. They just killed them and left them laying in the run. After that I made sure to shut the pop door to the coop.

 

[Wolfpacker]

Yep. That's what frustrated me. It seems like they just killed to kill. Took the heads, left the bodies. Got three of mine last year that way. I wouldn't have been quite as upset if it had only eaten all or at least a good part of them, but it just wasted three good lives.

 

[skatcatla]

I could never kill a raccoon. They are too darn cute and smart, and let's face it, one of the few wild animals willing to live alongside humans in close contact.

I just build better coops. If the day comes when I am not smarter than a raccoon, well, shoot me first.

 

[suburbanhomesteader]

I have to say, I agree with skatcatla. I could never kill a dog, a coyote, a wolf, a raccoon, an elephant, a giraffe, or a primate of any kind.

I have discovered from reading other people's posts that it's not always enough to make a coon-proof coop and run, though; you have to make sure all the roosts are protected from "grabbers"; my roosts are all at least a foot away from the side of the chunnel, AND there is a 36" circle of hardware cloth attached to the chunnel on the one end where the roost gets close to the chunnel side.

 

[silkiechicken]

Quote:
Really! Wow, a lot colder than I would have thought! What's wrong with the coon then?

It's so scrawny!

 

[Miltonchix]

Coon is probably from this years litter. Just a baby still.