Racoons, this is WAR.

ronbre · #21 07/09/10, 09:23 AM

i agree, kill the bandits..try smelly food like left over bacony stuff or fried chicken..they can get the sunflower seeds anywhere..but not the tempting stuff.

maleyfarm · #22 07/09/10, 09:28 AM

ok I'm not gonna claim I'm a expert but I trap all winter, and run coondogs during season also. here's my take and I hope not to upset many of you.
.22 is a better choice then a shotgun (unless loaded with buckshot) and unless its a extremly high powered air rifle (like one of the precharged ones made for varmits and even deer) your not gonna do much more than irate it.
a havahart live trap is much better quality than a harber freight trap but I use several cheap harbor freight traps in high risk areas (ie under bridges where theft can happen easily) I have never had one escape, the trick to using them successfully is don't use the little clip that makes it foldable, but rather use hog rings or baling wire on back of trap so its solid and trap don't flex.
and I know trappers from many parts of the country and I've never heard of area's where all raccoons are rabid (not calling Dixielee a liar, just the chances of having all raccoons in a area must be few and far between). by all means use caution when handling any animal as they are capable of hurting you badly! or may by some slim chance have rabies so be carefull. (I do know someone who got distemper from skinning raccoons, I always use latex gloves)
on the drowning I see nothing wrong it, If its possible for me to drown a catch I'd rather do that then shoot it as I get less money for bullet holes in pelts. make sure the whole trap can be submerged and I usualy wait about 8-10 minutes. 5 minutes will drown them but I always give it about 2 minutes after I see the last breath (bubbles from nose) if your concerned about time put it in the water and go watch TV for a while then go out and get it.

also the best bait and technique I've found to catch raccoons in cage traps is a handfull of cat food scattered in the bottom of trap. it makes the coons dig and pick through the bottom of cage to pick up the food and they will step on trap pan.

beowoulf90 · #23 07/09/10, 09:31 AM

Yup got a nice 20 pounder the other month.. Over the bank he went, let the buzzards have em... I already have two coon skin caps, so I don't need anymore..

#24 07/09/10, 09:36 AM

I tried wet cat food, dry cat food, tuna fish and even a dead chick. NOTHING.

Black Oil Sunflower Seeds are BOSS! LOL One night with them and they're swimming with the garbage!

Frenchy · #25 07/09/10, 09:43 AM

I've been killing coons an even gotten couple foxes all spring ....... just not 20 mins ago had a coon on the back porch set out a couple of salmon cakes left over from couple days ago out of the fridge for the cats and I'll be dang if a blasted coon didn't show up to eat them .......it is overcast an rainy else I would be kinda worried about it out in the morning hours like it is plus soon as he seen us he ran scat quick hahahhaa been shot at before I bet ya hahahahahaha .........I killed one this spring that I had shot before here ......shot him earlier and thought I killed him an found him gone the next morning well when I shot him about week later he had a really deep groove in his head where bullet hit him an didn't get thru the skull an I use a .22 mag too at not more that 40-60 feet most of the time.......... so yes they are hard to kill even when shooting them ...............best of luck on getting rid of the problem critters at your place.............

TedH71 · #26 07/09/10, 12:17 PM

You can eat coon meat. It's all in the cooking. In certain areas of East Texas, you can bring one and sell it for $20-30. People there eat it for the meat. Not kidding. I actually want to try coon meat myself. There is even a coon eating festival in Arkansas that I am planning on going there someday in Gillett, Arkansas. http://www.todaysthv.com/news/local/...=97432&catid=2

There is another one in Minnesota: http://www.gmtoday.com/news/local_st...1282008_02.asp

As for trapping and killing them, technically you don't have to do that. All you have to do is relocate them 10 miles away. They will not come back. They do not really have that strong homing trait.

Patt · #27 07/09/10, 12:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonya

The racoon is treading water as we speak. I waited until after sun up so it was nice and sleepy. Didn't put up much of a fight so far. I plan on leaving it there until this afternoon. Hopefully I'll get to do this at least 4 more times. Where there's 3 babies there's gotta be a Momma and a Daddy, too.

That is so utterly sick! I'm sorry we have had to shoot our fair share of them because they kill livestock but my lord leaving them for hours to drown and hopelessly trying to stay alive just makes me ill. Find a humane way to put them out of their misery!

o&itw · #28 07/09/10, 01:53 PM

A Summary:

1) Parboiled coon makes a good Bar-B-Que.

2) Fly-bait mixtures will kill everything from cats to kids

3) Havahart style traps need to be heavy....the cheap ones coons will tear up.

4) A half a cob of sweet corn makes the best bait.

#29 07/09/10, 02:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patt

That is so utterly sick! I'm sorry we have had to shoot our fair share of them because they kill livestock but my lord leaving them for hours to drown and hopelessly trying to stay alive just makes me ill. Find a humane way to put them out of their misery!

He was 'gone' 5 minutes after I put him in there. I checked. I don't have any knowledge about poisoning them and I was afraid I'd do it half way and have a coon with a tummy ache. Then what? I could shoot them, but they're in my barn. What if I grazed them? Is it more humane to let them have an open wound? Drowning was the safest and quickest way I had.

And burning racoom does smell like a BBQ.

TedH71 · #30 07/09/10, 02:53 PM

Maybe you could consider a terrier that is bred to hunt or kill coons. May I suggest patterdale or jagdterriers?

HOTW · #31 07/09/10, 03:06 PM

Humans have a greta fear of drowning usually a developed fear. I have seen where they talk about young children drowning and being revived because they continued to breathe as do animals, fills the lungs quickly and actually coosl the body quickly to make revival possible. Was young almost drowned myself, took in a fair amount of water, they got it out of me but I can only remember a peaceful feeling I was probably about 2 or 3- had no fear of water and somehow eneded up int he water after that none of us were allowed near water without a preserver if we were under the age of 8. My paretns learned their lesson and I was the same way with my kids, takes 5 seconds for an accident to happen

SLD Farm · #32 07/09/10, 03:16 PM

Drowning an animal?!?? That is terribly cruel. I certainly hope you are not teaching your foster children to be so cruel. I don't care if it took 2 minutes. Think of the terror. GET A GUN or find a more humane way of disposal. To say drowning is acceptable and to say it is "quick and safe"...disgusting.

"Nature is cruel, we don't have to be". Temple Grandine

whatrset · #33 07/09/10, 04:27 PM

I think having an animal to kill that is in a box trap is a hard choice waiting to happen. I think drowning is likely your best bet. I know I am about to urinate on someones roses but IT IS AN ANIMAL. Quit putting people feelings too it, Humane is another way of saying it is "just like a person". That is BS. Heck, the only other way I could think to dispatch would be to put it in the freezer, but those critters hibernate and that wouldn't work so well either.

I do not think you are teaching your foster kids to be cruel, but they are getting a lesson about life and death. I would however be interested it see what non-gun alternatives your critics can come up with that will work with a live trap.

Ravenlost · #34 07/09/10, 04:54 PM

Gotta say, this thread makes me sick to my stomach.

Go ahead, flame away...call me a bleeding heart, etc. etc. but I do not believe killing is the best way to handle wildlife. Unless a wild animal is sick or badly hurt, we don't kill it here.

1. We keep our feed in metal garbage cans so nothing can get to it.

2. We build our pens to be predator proof.

3. We didn't move out in the country to destroy it...we moved out here to enjoy it.

SLD Farm · #35 07/09/10, 05:00 PM

I am not against killing it , but drowning a trapped animal, come on!

I have live trapped coons and then shot them. One bullet, quick and humane.

Animals do have feelings, just because they can't verbalize them as you and I can doesn't mean it is not so.

whatrset · #36 07/09/10, 05:04 PM

RElocating coon in my state is illegal. THe reason it is illegal is b/c relocated coons die of starvation better than half the time. So, a quick drowning over a slow starvation.

And while I will happily agree that aniomals have feelings, I refuse to elevate their feelings to the feelings of a human. AND, you have yet to come up with an acceptable alternative. You cant just relocate the problem.

Dixielee · #37 07/09/10, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by maleyfarm

I've never heard of area's where all raccoons are rabid (not calling Dixielee a liar, just the chances of having all raccoons in a area must be few and far between)

I didn't say all raccoons were rabid, it's just there are so many here that animal control considers any contact with a raccoon to have the same danger as contact with a rabid raccoon unless the animal is trapped, quarantined or tested. I was just passing along info from this area, not trying to be an authority on rabies. I just gave everyone from a local camp here the first set of shots this week who were exposed to a bat. Who knows if the bat was rabid? No one because the person who caught it disposed of it, so the entire crowd came in for shots. I'm just saying be careful. Rabies is 100% preventable and 100% fatal (ok, ok, one guy lived).

plowjockey · #38 07/09/10, 08:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenlost

Gotta say, this thread makes me sick to my stomach.

Go ahead, flame away...call me a bleeding heart, etc. etc. but I do not believe killing is the best way to handle wildlife. Unless a wild animal is sick or badly hurt, we don't kill it here.

1. We keep our feed in metal garbage cans so nothing can get to it.

2. We build our pens to be predator proof.

3. We didn't move out in the country to destroy it...we moved out here to enjoy it.

You have never killed a rat, mouse or snake?

They are wildlife too.

Most wildlife in settled areas are already living in an unnatural state. There is too much food, so wildlife is reproducing at a much higher rate. There are not enough natural predators, so they reproduce even more. Too many of one species is not agood thing either.

Man has a natural right to protect his livelyhood, from animal pests, as well as human pests.

Dixielee · #39 07/09/10, 08:42 PM

I do have a question for those who shoot the predators. I know this shows my ignorance, but that is why I am asking....can you shoot the animal while it is still in the trap, or do you have to release it first? If you shoot it in the trap, does it ruin your trap? I wouldn't mind shooting a predator, just wondering what the best way to do it.

Ravenlost · #40 07/09/10, 08:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plowjockey

You have never killed a rat, mouse or snake?

They are wildlife too.

Most wildlife in settled areas are already living in an unnatural state. There is too much food, so wildlife is reproducing at a much higher rate. There are not enough natural predators, so they reproduce even more. Too many of one species is not agood thing either.

Man has a natural right to protect his livelyhood, from animal pests, as well as human pests.

Yes, I shot a water moccasin one time. It was in my front yard posing a threat to my dogs. Mice are caught and released so they can come in again!

I also eat venison, but not venison that I kill. My BIL kills more than his share so we get a couple from him. I refuse to eat market beef.

I agree, man has a natural right to protect his "livelyhood" but I also believe animal "pests" have a natural right to live too. My way of protecting my "livelyhood" is to make sure my pens are secure, my livestock food is secure, etc. I personally don't think killing everything in sight is natural.