Killing raccoons (NC)

[Sawyer Rob]

I limit trapping to inside the barn. This allows the rest to keep frog and crawdad populations down along shore. "Would a guy even want more of them instead?"

YES!!

SR

 

[kf4uda]

I had a coon problem in my garden a few years back. They were eating my sweet corn. I live trapped them and started to shoot them but instead called a wildlife officer. He took them to a 15,000 acre wildlife management area and turned them loose. He even brought my traps back. This worked for me since the problem wasn't dumped on someone else and it got rid of the corn thief's.

 

[the old grind]

Rob, you and TnAndy are my kind of guys, IMO 'Pioneer Spirit' personified. :drink:

Two of my favorite 'dispatchers' (PCP) are about as loud as a Daisy Red Ryder. They shoot 14.3g .22 cal pellets to >780 fps. (~20 ft/lb ME)

Neighbors never hear 'em & the new thermal scope may end up on one of them soon. (ATN Thor HD 640 50mm 2.5-15x, not shown .. yet)

 

[2LaneCruzer]

here are a couple more nasties that racoons are noted for:

Raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris infection)
Baylisascaris, an intestinal raccoon roundworm, can infect humans and a variety of other animals . Raccoons establish community latrines sites where they repeatedly deposit fresh feces that are very likely to contain the roundworm eggs. Once deposited in the environment, the eggs develop into the infectious form in 2-4 weeks and can survive in the soil for several years. If these infectious eggs are accidentally swallowed by humans, the larvae (immature stage of worms) hatch out of the eggs and may move into organs of the body causing serious disease. Symptoms of infection in people depend on how many eggs are ingested and where in the body the larvae migrate (travel to), such as the liver, brain, eye, or spinal cord. Symptoms may include tiredness, lack of coordination, loss of muscle control, blindness, and coma. Symptoms of infection usually take about a week to develop. If a person is suspected of having swallowed soil or other substances contaminated by raccoon feces, consult a health care provider immediately. Be sure to report the concern about recent exposure to raccoon feces to the health care provider. Early treatment can prevent infection and serious illness. Young children who play outside and developmentally disabled persons are at highest risk.


Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is a disease caused by Leptospira bacteria that are carried in the urine of rats, raccoons, and some other wild and domestic animals. Leptospirosis can occur in both people and a wide range of animals, including dogs. People and animals can get infected when water or soil contaminated with urine of infected animals gets on their skin, or in the nose, mouth, throat or eyes, or is swallowed. Dogs are at higher risk of infection because they often drink or lick water on the ground that can be contaminated; infected dogs can become severely ill or even die. Some people infected with leptospirosis will have no symptoms at all, and some people will become severely ill. Leptospirosis may cause influenza-like symptoms, severe head and muscle aches, high fever, and in some cases serious liver and kidney problems.

Don't forget distemper!

 

[MossRoad]

We have a female outdoor cat and the raccoons come and eat the food we put out for the cat. She just watches helplessly as it eats her food.
It痴 a ridiculous cycle of frustration.
I can稚 shoot it because the barn is too close to the neighbors house to shoot it and theyd call the cops if I discharged a gun anyway. The thing is BOLD. If I wave my arms at it, it just stands its ground.
Getting Rabies from a bite from one scares the bejeeburs out of me, too.

This goes back to the whole shooting squirrels at the bird feeder scenario.
Shoot the raccoon and others will take it's place.
Stop feeding the cat outside and the raccoons goes away.
It's all about the food source.

 

[ovrszd]

This goes back to the whole shooting squirrels at the bird feeder scenario.
Shoot the raccoon and others will take it's place.
Stop feeding the cat outside and the raccoons goes away.
It's all about the food source.

Absolutely. Several years ago I had a substantial Turkey population. Then I started seeing a lot of Bobcats. Turkey population declined. Quit seeing Bobcats. Mother Nature at her finest.

 

[MossRoad]

In the 23 years at our current house, I've seen 1 raccoon on our 1+ acre. I drove up at 3:30am one night, parked the truck next to the trash can, and looked over to see the lid pop up and a raccoon look at me. Then just like Oscar the Grouch, he popped back down and closed the lid. :laughing: I had something near the trash can that it used to climb up on. I removed that, and never saw them again. We hear them fighting in the woods behind us all the time, and I see them dead on the road almost weekly, yet only that 1 in 23 years. Why? No food source.

Our next door neighbor has had raccoons in their attic numerous times. Why? They put out bird food and easy access garbage cans.

 

[tallyho8]

Has anyone ever tried this type trap?
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005KW3AY6?tag=ringlocal-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1

This is also my favorite trap to catch coons with. I can use it safely in my barn because cats and dogs will not mess with it. Coons are the only animal I know of that will stick their paws down in it to get the teaspoonful of tuna fish I bait it with. You must hook it up very securely so the coon does not escape with your trap. I had one hooked with a snap used on a horse lead and the coon broke the snap and stole my trap where he either died a slow painful death or chewed his leg off.

I have 3 kinds of live traps that the coon have escaped from. Only one I borrowed from a friend was escape proof but I have no photos of it. Once a coon escapes from a live trap he is usually too smart to go in one again.

 

[drssg]

I had two different raccoon pets as a kid. First one I got didn't have it's eyes open. It was an awesome pet. Would ride around on my shoulder. Eat out of my hand. Sortta like a pet dog. Second one had it's eyes open when I got it. Never completely domesticated. Both left when Fall came. Mother Nature calling.....

We had several hunting hounds. They accepted the raccoon. When feeding the hounds the raccoon was always there. I'd give him a bowl of water and some dry dog food. When the hounds would come to take his food he'd put it in the bowl of water. Then "fish" it out and eat it. The dogs never could figure that out.....

Saw him get a one pound Bass out of a 5 gallon bucket of water once. Wish I had a picture of that!!!!



View attachment 657338



View attachment 657339

That is awesome. We also had an orphaned baby raccoon when I was about the age you were in that picture.

Like Mossroad said, he was cute and cuddly as a baby, but he got more aggressive with age. When we were watching TV, he would climb up the back of the couch and ambush us. I'm sure that was his version of playing, but it was enough to make him an outside raccoon.

He would pathetically beg to come in at the door, but he began roaming more and more, and he eventually disappeared.

 

[milkman]

S S S, no problem.