Raccoon density

[Chuck52]

No, this isn't a follow up on the Southern obesity thread.....

A couple of years ago, I planted a 60x60 plot half with sweet corn and half in various melons. I put up an electric fence, using a battery powered charger since there was no electric service near. The fence kept out deer with no problem, but I couldn't seem to get the wires low enough and close enough together to keep out the coons. So I started trapping them using live traps I borrowed from my SIL who used to trap for fur. In less than a month, I caught 15 coons. When my corn came ripe it disappeared almost overnight. Lesson: I shouldn't try to grow sweet corn unless I can really fence it in properly.

This year, the coons started getting my peaches. I have the trees in 5' circles of 2x4" welded wire to protect them from deer because they are still small. I tried covering the tops with the plastic mesh that is used as deer fence....the coons had a fun time tearing that to shreds and still got the peaches. Bought my own traps and started again. So far, in about eight days I've caught eight coons. I had two traps and caught three coons one day when a momma and pup got in one together. Another pup was in the other trap, and they were within 10 feet of each other....not real bright coons.

I'm beginning to think I'm on a major coon migratory path. Sure, I see a fair number of squashed coons along the roads, but my gosh, eight trapped in eight days. And I had two get away by bending the trap door on the cheap Harbor Freight "heavy duty" trap.

So, maybe I should just get into the coon raising business? Any coon hunters out there need training props for their dogs?

Chuck

 

[schmism]

keep traping and "relocating"

We had problems with our cat food storage in our barn for our barn cats. We kept ratcheting up the difficulty of getting to the food, and they kept responding in kind.

after it reached a point were we were putting it in a locked HUGE dog kennel (we had on hand before all this) wedged in the middle of the kennel, in a closed latching type Tupperware box, we decieded we needed to do something.

THe wife sets the trap, i empty the trap. So far the count is 3 coons all very large, 3 possum and the neighbor cat once. In the times she has set the trap, we have only gone about twice and not caught something.

 

[tallyho8]

Sweet corn, melons, peaches, it sounds like you're starting a coon buffet. They will come from miles around to taste your delicacies and they will bring all their family and friends.

When I used to coon hunt we knew many hunters who wanted to buy live coons to train their pups with but there may be some legal hurdles to selling live coons.

You would be surprised at the number of coon in an area because the coon are a little mysterious like bobcats and usually avoid contact with humans unlike possum and armadillos that will show themselves during the day.

There are many coonhunters who would be happy to receive an invitation to hunt your cornfields to keep the coon population down. Your only other option is to plant two cornfields for the coon and one for yourself next time and if you're lucky they will leave you a bushel or two.

PS We always called the young coon, kittens, not pups.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Dude, post your location. Coon pelts are way up, depending on where you are, you shouldn't have any problem finding someone to come in and do some trapping. It will have to wait for fall, but a good trapper can put a hurting on them.

 

[mjfox6]

I wish I would have kept track of how many I've live trapped. It's been a ridiculous amount! They love the smell of chickens.

I take mine to town and release them there to pay back all of the city folks that have dropped off dogs and cats out here in the country!

 

[Chuck52]

I'll check with my SIL about whether he, his dad, or friends are interested in the coons come cold weather. However, I'm still hoping for a few of my Belle of Georgia peaches, which are still not ripe. I also have plums and apples they may start on now that the Redhaven peaches are done for.

Last time around, my SIL took most of my catch off my hands for himself and some friends who were training coon dogs. No money changed hands, so as far as I'm concerned I just sent them off to a "better place". SIL is too busy with a new job these days to need the coons.

Note on traps: Hav-A-Hart makes different traps, but the cheap one I got at Orschlns (kinda like Tractor Supply maybe) is pretty light weight. It holds the coons, but it doesn't have a back door like my SIL's traps for easy emptying. You have to hold the trap door open to get the animal out, with your hand pretty close to the opening. Even with a leather glove it can get interesting. The even cheaper trap I got at Harbor Freight does have a back door, but the trap door design was so weak I'll have to rebuild it before I can use it again. Both traps use a spring-loaded door, while SIL's old heavy duty traps have a gravity trap design. I think I prefer the spring-loaded design, if it is properly executed, because the gravity close system doesn't work as well if the animal's tail is in the way, for instance. I had his traps sprung several times without trapping the animal. The Harbor Freight trap apparently actually caught the coon, but wasn't strong enough to hold it.

Chuck

 

[Chuck52]

MJ,

I'm not telling where I've dropped some of mine, but there sure are some nice parks in the nearest town, where I have to go to work anyway. I don't want to just kill them all, but driving out of my way to relocate them would be expensive with gas prices as they are now. I've read you really want them several miles away to be sure the don't come home!

Chuck

 

[schmism]

Dude, post your location. Coon pelts are way up, depending on where you are, you shouldn't have any problem finding someone to come in and do some trapping. It will have to wait for fall, but a good trapper can put a hurting on them.

are you serious? man the ones i caught were pushing nearly 20lbs, well fed on cat food i assume...

 

[SPYDERLK]

Every time I see one around here it turns up dead within a few days. My little dog seems to have fun fighting them to the death.
larry

 

[Willl]

I take mine to town and release them there to pay back all of the city folks that have dropped off dogs and cats out here in the country!

That's funny.