okddavissr5754
Member
Sorry should have read whole thing take a look here Raccoon-Squirrel Proof Bird Feeder Plans - Rick's Brewery Historical Site
Source for buckets of cheap grease?
- Thread starter JRobyn
- Start date
Thanks! That might just work! Right now a 3rd application of Crisco is doing the job. One of our feeders is mounted on a 2" piece of EMT, the other on 2" PVC. The 'coons seem to have a lot more trouble with the metal EMT, but can still do it when the Crisco gets low. The nice smooth galvanized duct in a much larger diameter should be just the ticket, grease or no. And would be VERY easy to connect a small solar fence charger to!
If anyone else is having 'coons in the feeder problems, be aware that 'coons are VERY skilled at picking just the right tree branch to climb out on over the top of ANY food source and then springing the branch down or just dropping onto whatever the source is. I have witnessed this behavior. A whole family of nice plump 'coons dropping one at a time onto the top of your truck camper top at 2am at the campsite trying to get to your delicious smelling ice chest inside makes a slightly scary sound while you're sound asleep inside your nearby tent. Especially when the family members start arguing and scuffling with each other about who gets to try prying on some opening of the truck first.
- Jay
If anyone else is having 'coons in the feeder problems, be aware that 'coons are VERY skilled at picking just the right tree branch to climb out on over the top of ANY food source and then springing the branch down or just dropping onto whatever the source is. I have witnessed this behavior. A whole family of nice plump 'coons dropping one at a time onto the top of your truck camper top at 2am at the campsite trying to get to your delicious smelling ice chest inside makes a slightly scary sound while you're sound asleep inside your nearby tent. Especially when the family members start arguing and scuffling with each other about who gets to try prying on some opening of the truck first.
- Jay
As I said earlier, one of my posts is an old telephone pole I have wrapped with aluminum flashing. So the diameter is slightly larger than the duct noted above. Eventually they learned to climb that, so I started greasing it. Then they could climb that.
The really small posts they don't 'hug' to climb. They wrap their front paws and grab the back of the post and push their back paws against the front side. They can walk right up the pole greased or not. At least that's how they do it here. That's why I resorted to the electric fence. The only time that has failed is during a drought, but I remedied that with a sprinkler to soak it down.
The really small posts they don't 'hug' to climb. They wrap their front paws and grab the back of the post and push their back paws against the front side. They can walk right up the pole greased or not. At least that's how they do it here. That's why I resorted to the electric fence. The only time that has failed is during a drought, but I remedied that with a sprinkler to soak it down.
2diamondfarm
Bronze Member
I would start thinning out the coons might be easier
I trap them hard during season, but they filter back in by late spring. Being a trapper, I admit I like the challenge they present at the bird feeders. I've turned on the flood lights many times and watched and learned how they steal. They wear those black masks for a reason!
But the electric fence trains them right away as new thieves move in, and they leave the area alone. I have much less problem with my sweet corn now too, since they aren't drawn to my yard. I keep that wired too, low for the coons and a high wire for the deer.