Raccoon War

[Jstpssng]

All of my life I had heard about possums, but just recently they started moving into southern Maine. This year I started seeing them laying in or on the side of the road. I always have to wonder; are they dead, or are they just "playing possum"?

 

[2LaneCruzer]

I don't think they are playing.

 

[joecoin]

I live within two miles of the old State of Ohio racoon farm:

Popular Science - Google Books

I see a lot of the descendants of these original racoon pioneers. So far (33 years) I have had minimal problems with them. I think the coyotes are keeping them in check somewhat.

The property where the racoon farm was is now State of Ohio hunting land. When I live catch something/anything I take it there and release it.

 

[Jstpssng]

I live within two miles of the old State of Ohio racoon farm:

Popular Science - Google Books

I see a lot of the descendants of these original racoon pioneers. So far (33 years) I have had minimal problems with them. I think the coyotes are keeping them in check somewhat.

The property where the racoon farm was is now State of Ohio hunting land. When I live catch something/anything I take it there and release it.

Wait a minute, are you telling me that they used to raise them to release for hunting? I read the first page, and found the article about the white coons interesting, but my connection is too slow to finish the article.

 

[joecoin]

Wait a minute, are you telling me that they used to raise them to release for hunting? I read the first page, and found the article about the white coons interesting, but my connection is too slow to finish the article.

Yes, the state was worried about the loss of habitat, so they grew them and released them in all 88 counties.


They built a concrete wall extending into the river which they topped with a wire fence. The concrete is still there.

 

[beowulf]

We had one figure out how to get into the sealed cat food container. I kept blaming the wife for leaving it open until I came upon a coon caught red handed. He took off to the loft and I eventually chased him out. He has returned a few times. I will look into the Duke trap. My brother in another state had a huge raccoon problem and mixed up some mountain dew and fly poison and put in his shed. He said that mixture is irresistible to coons, and said he has never had a problem since. I don't particularly like that idea - seems other animals could get into it and also seems much less humane.

 

[fried1765]

X2 on not relocating.

I just "relocated" one last week......to the back side of my hill, as vulture food.

 

[PhysAssist]

All of my life I had heard about possums, but just recently they started moving into southern Maine. This year I started seeing them laying in or on the side of the road. I always have to wonder; are they dead, or are they just "playing possum"?

Look out for the ones without tire marks....

My SWMBO called me at work one evening to tell me that Sully- our Gold-colored, unknown [hunting type-dog] mix had killed a possum and was playing with it- tossing it up into the air, and running around with it in his mouth.

She went out and lured him in with one of his favorite treats [which exactly skips my mind], and left it laying out in the dog's yard.

I got home about 2 hours later, [and after dark], and went out with a shovel and gloves on to dispose of it, but it looked unhurt to me- no blood, or signs of trauma- so I poked it a coupla times with the shovel- a little roughly, but not hard enough to cause damage- and it sure enough started to growl, opened its beady little eyes and slunk off out of the yard through the fence.

Talk about playing possum...

 

[goeduck]

I just "relocated" one last week......to the back side of my hill, as vulture food.

Around here a raccoon size carcass will be consumed by coyotes. Vultures do come in for our dead cows.

 

[Billy Bee]

Criminal coons can be retrained. I have a raccoon "rehabilitation center" and the process is as follows; arrest and cuff the perp with a Dukes dog proof trap, to be sure they don't get any unwanted diseases, they are vaccinated with a 22 long rifle' then transported to a holding area (my swamp by the woods) they are checked daily by coyotes,crows,and buzzards. I have no repeat offenders. I have found this to be the most effective method to release them back into the wild.
Billy