Racoons, this is WAR.

Patt · #41 07/09/10, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixielee

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.

We don't use traps at all we sit up and catch them coming in, shoot them and then make sure the hole is fixed. Our chicken coop is like Fort Knox now and we haven't had anything break in for over a year now. I agree that your best defense is making sure you are not appealling and everything is locked up safe and sound.

whatrset · #42 07/09/10, 10:24 PM

If you shoot an animal in the trap make sure you wash it REALLY good. The blood will cause the metal to rust and will only make good bait for possums in the future!

homebody · #43 07/10/10, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dixielee

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.

Guess you could use a handgun. I have a heavy duty trap so when the door is shut, nothing gets out. I stick the end of the rifle through one of the holes, shoot in head 2-6 inches away. Last raccoon bit end of rifle several times, then was still where I could get the head shot. Use very old single shot so scratches on barrel don't matter. I walk away very quickly into the house where I can't see/hear the thrashing around until death because it bothers me.

Very careful, wear gloves when disposing of body. I get a 5 gallon bucket, tie door open, pick trap up and empty body into bucket. Never directly touch body.

If you are dealing with a possum, remember that they can convince you that they are dead. I gave one a really close head shot once, looked dead , couldn't even see it breathing but decided to come in the house and look later. Looked out window 5 minutes later, up/walking in the cage. Close head shot again, this time I waited till flies were buzzing on him to move. LOL

Nature Man · #44 07/10/10, 02:38 PM

When there is one racoon there is usually more. Be sure to reset your trap aagin. A neighbor trapped 15 already this summer in his barn.

Bill

badlander · #45 07/10/10, 09:55 PM

My Vet told me about a University of Illinois study where they found that 70% of road kill coons were rabid. Probably higher than general population but I bet the number is significant. I had one get into my attic once causing the ceiling to fall in the next week.

All coons, opossums and skunks must die if they are near my space.

GingerN · #46 07/11/10, 09:14 AM

ZOMBIE COONS-RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!! lol

Silvercreek Farmer · #47 07/12/10, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by homebody

I stick the end of the rifle through one of the holes, shoot in head 2-6 inches away.

Yeah, I failed to actually put the barrel in the cage one time, hit the wire and managed to cut a bigger hole than you would think!

plowjockey · #48 07/12/10, 02:35 PM

Drowning is probably safer, too, for those doing the disposal.

Firing a gun at close range into a wire cage, even with soft ground underneath, is a good opportunity for deadly bullet ricochet.

mnn2501 · #49 07/12/10, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wendys_goats

An Amish friend of mine would put a bowl of milk laced with fly bait out for them in her garden. She found one dead on the spot. Maybe anti freeze would help too.

both will kill barn cats, dogs and anything else that drinks it

sdnapier · #50 09/01/10, 02:22 PM

I live in the city but there is nice strip of woods behind my house for coons to hide in. I also have cats and a cat door and the coons walk right through it and help themselves to whatever they can find. I even had one in my bedroom! I have also had a problem with the larger coons getting out of the trap so I ordered a special heavy duty one on line. I haven't set it yet as I am waiting for hurricane Earl to come and go before I start trapping. I do let them go but not till I have crossed a local river. In the meantime, they continue to visit my kitchen. Last night I had to chase them out twice and then they sit on MY porch growling at me!! (Yes, I could shut the cat door but it would cause issues with the cats that I won't go into on here). Can't wait till Earl's gone so I can try the new trap!!!!

Txrider · #51 09/01/10, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ravenlost

I personally don't think killing everything in sight is natural.

Nobody here said everything in sight that I have noticed..

Only those that make themselves a nuisance..

I look at it as improving the gene pool. Those smart enough to keep out of my stuff live to reproduce, those not smart enough to are eliminated. Survival of the fittest, and evolutionary adaptation to survive in the environment given.

I don't kill anything that I don;t need to eat, or isn't posing a real problem for me.

Course I have a 75lb German shepherd that dispatches critters instantly with extreme prejudice.. It's not always my choice in the matter..

whiskeylivewire · #52 09/01/10, 06:50 PM

I want to be where you people are with all the coons! We are avid coonhunters(DH has been doing it since he was a kid) and our dogs like to hunt. During trapping season DH mixes a packet of strawberry jello with a jar of marshmallow creme and leaves it in a live trap for the coons. Sure, sometimes you'll get possums and such but it works fairly well.

He has eaten coon several times and says it's great I haven't had the opportunity yet but I will try it. I tried bobcat in BBQ sauce and it was good

fordy · #53 09/01/10, 07:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tonya

This spring I've had 5 chicks and three kittens go missing. I set the trap, but wouldn't get anything.

Tonight it's raining so I left the dog in the house. I flipped the barn light on to see THREE BABY RACOONS. They weren't in a hurry, but they did go up into the rafters.

Now I know why my black oil sunflower seeds were disappearing as well as my chick feed.

This is WAR. Now that I know the enemy and what they like to eat I've set the trap again. This time the hav-a-heart has sunflower seeds in it and is near where they were. My thinking is that 2 months ago they were too small to trip the trap, but not so small as to catch a chick. The kittens disappeared about 2 weeks ago.

Hopefully I'll be able to take one of them swimming in the morning. DH is a City Boy and thinks I should take them for a ride and let them loose in some pretty pasture. I've explained that they'll just eat someone elses chickens and feed and I won't do that. They need to die. My plan is to fill my big garbage can up with water and dump the racoon and the trap in there. In 5 minutes the whole thing will be done and I can reset the trap for tomorrow night.

.............Since you can't use a Shotgun consider this idea......Borrow or buy the most powerful fence Charger you can obtain ! Now , You'll need a metal floor for them too walk around upon , say 6 feet by 6 feet , this will be the negative "WIRE" , Next , you'll need a metal food holder like some kind of Round metal food pan , small too medium size , with sides not over 4 inches high too allow MOM and the kids too all feed at the same time . The food pan will be the Plus wire ! You will need too insulate the Food pan from the flat metal floor they will have too walk across too get to the pan . I would glue some kind of plastic around the edges of the pan .....They will be standing upon the metal floor most likely when they reach FOR , the pan which means they will be Raptured right out of their stinking little skins ! You will have too run an Insulated wire too the food pan .
...............This shocker won't kill any coons but they'll definitely have a Bowl Movement before they leave your property I'll bet . Too Kill , You could use the very same method and Use 120 volt AC house current ! The 6 foot by 6 foot metal grate can be made out of some kind of metal fence wire that uses a Matrix with a very thick weave , and very small spaces between the wires . , fordy

**Roadking** · #54 09/01/10, 08:28 PM

I'm no fan of destructive animals...groundhogs, etc. get one to the head.
See that you can't shoot in your situation, but if you catch one, ether is much nicer and quicker...I'm also no PETA type person (i.e. 1 shot, one done), but after drowning 3 baby bunnies that I hit with the mower, couldn't do it again...ether (starting fluid) soaked rag, they pass quickly and quietly...
Go ahead and bash me, but a suffering animal is not a site I care to deal with. A quick and painless kill I can handle. Hence, If I do hunt (rarely), I practice for the one shot and drop. If it's off, I'm out.
Matt

bigfoot2you · #55 09/01/10, 09:15 PM

I just had a chick hatch and it was really sick................wrapped it up nicely in a paper towel and a baggie and put it in the freezer...........

seagullplayer · #56 09/02/10, 05:55 AM

Did you get all four caught yet?

They seem to come in "waves" around here, last wave had three in it, momma and two kids. I caught them using peanut butter crackers.

pourfolkes · #57 09/02/10, 08:50 AM

Baiting the trap with marshmallows works wonderfully!

Little Quacker in OR · #58 09/02/10, 01:08 PM

As this has been talked to death in the past re keeping poultry safe I won't waste a lot of time on it now but maybe just a little.

Hee hee.

Unpopular as it is, common sense would dictate a solution. Every time there are people killed because of wildlife like bears or our poultry/ pets etc are threatened it is always because we have been careless and somehow forget that wildlife are creatures of opportunity and are out here trying to make a living and feed their young just like we are. Carelessly leaving out food sources or pets/poultry is just opening up the equivalent of a Vegas Buffet. OF COURSE they will COME! Duhhh! All it takes to keep people and our critters safe is:

FIRST, keep all domestic/wild bird/animal food in tight containers or in a SECURE room! How hard is that!!! snort! Not only does this save you money, it keeps the food safer, less contaminated, cuts down serious sources of disease that can endanger us, our livestock and pets, because unsecured sources of foodstuffs draw RATS and MICE(carriers of dangerous diseases and parasites) and by the way the very creatures that RACCOONS AND SNAKES are so good at catching and eating! I would not be surprised that your sloppy practices about storing foodstuffs started a rat and mouse infestation and this drew in the raccoons coming in the first place. Those of us called out on wildlife invasion problems often find this situation.

SECOND: Any pets/poultry etc you don't want threatened for heaven's sake keep them safe! This is not hard in the least. If a person cares at all about their "Kittens"(or poultry) then these kittens should be kept somewhere safe just like you would do if you had chicks or ducklings. Leaving any "babies" out to be prey is just silly if you care for them at all.

If we are talking the useless "barn or outdoor cats"... well, they have to take their chances anyway in the world do they not? They get killed all the time by coyotes, automobiles, loose dogs, diseases etc. Why get all bothered by just another force of nature? Barn or feral cats do nothing but kill off our native song and ground birds and spread disease. Snakes, opossums, skunks and raccoons are better and cleaner mousers than any cat. And by the way some good sized rat eating snakes won't turn down new kittens either! Of course not! Rats will also take very young kittens.

So, Puh-lease! Instead of starting some vendetta that you started in the first place, study cause and effect,and clean up your act!

OK, ready for the ignorant and self justifying flames now.

LOL

LQ

seagullplayer · #59 09/02/10, 02:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Little Quacker in OR

As this has been talked to death in the past re keeping poultry safe I won't waste a lot of time on it now but maybe just a little.

Hee hee.

Unpopular as it is, common sense would dictate a solution. Every time there are people killed because of wildlife like bears or our poultry/ pets etc are threatened it is always because we have been careless and somehow forget that wildlife are creatures of opportunity and are out here trying to make a living and feed their young just like we are. Carelessly leaving out food sources or pets/poultry is just opening up the equivalent of a Vegas Buffet. OF COURSE they will COME! Duhhh! All it takes to keep people and our critters safe is:

FIRST, keep all domestic/wild bird/animal food in tight containers or in a SECURE room! How hard is that!!! snort! Not only does this save you money, it keeps the food safer, less contaminated, cuts down serious sources of disease that can endanger us, our livestock and pets, because unsecured sources of foodstuffs draw RATS and MICE(carriers of dangerous diseases and parasites) and by the way the very creatures that RACCOONS AND SNAKES are so good at catching and eating! I would not be surprised that your sloppy practices about storing foodstuffs started a rat and mouse infestation and this drew in the raccoons coming in the first place. Those of us called out on wildlife invasion problems often find this situation.

SECOND: Any pets/poultry etc you don't want threatened for heaven's sake keep them safe! This is not hard in the least. If a person cares at all about their "Kittens"(or poultry) then these kittens should be kept somewhere safe just like you would do if you had chicks or ducklings. Leaving any "babies" out to be prey is just silly if you care for them at all.

If we are talking the useless "barn or outdoor cats"... well, they have to take their chances anyway in the world do they not? They get killed all the time by coyotes, automobiles, loose dogs, diseases etc. Why get all bothered by just another force of nature? Barn or feral cats do nothing but kill off our native song and ground birds and spread disease. Snakes, opossums, skunks and raccoons are better and cleaner mousers than any cat. And by the way some good sized rat eating snakes won't turn down new kittens either! Of course not! Rats will also take very young kittens.

So, Puh-lease! Instead of starting some vendetta that you started in the first place, study cause and effect,and clean up your act!

OK, ready for the ignorant and self justifying flames now.

LOL

LQ

You got any pictures of your farm setup? What your barn looks like and your chicken coop and how you keep your feed stored.

Little Quacker in OR · #60 09/02/10, 04:21 PM

No photos Seagull but if you email me I'll be glad to describe the duck pen set- up and food storage which is in 55 gal bins with the Lock Down Rims and by the way have been available since I was knee-high to a mustang and I am older than dirt. LOL

You can also go into the archives and look up in the poultry forum posts re keeping our poultry and waterfowl safe etc. Many times I've posted on there over the years when people whine about losing chickens and ducks and don't house them properly.

Another tip...pop over to www.poultryconnection.com and hop onto either the waterfowl or poultry forum and get tips oon secure buildings and food storage from there. They have got all of this stuff down pat!

Happy day the blackberries are ripe! LQ