Raccoon trapping?

[MattO]

I've been putting out my game cameras out and putting some corn out in the area I plan to take my son to hunt this fall. It will be our first Deer hunt. I'm hoping it goes better than our Spring Turkey hunt where we came home empty. Due to him being wheel chair bound I'm hoping we can draw some deer to the area I can put his blind to put him in.

We have successfully brought a couple of Doe to the area, one with a small Fawn. No bucks yet. But we also have some Raccoons coming in to eat our Corn we are feeding. Anyone with experience hunting or trapping them. A friend has allowed me to set this all up on his lake property and I don't want to continue to draw Raccoons to his area.

Matt

 

[rwsmith]

I'd guess.....

I'd guess that the raccoons were always there and that you aren't 'drawing' them in. And when there is no food they will move on. Bait and you can expect every critter to gobble it up EXCEPT what you are hunting.

 

[MattO]

I was concerned because at first there was just one Raccoon at first, and now we have 3.

 

[hoosierone]

In my experience, coons come out just as it is getting dark. If there is a full moon, or any kind of ambient light, you may get a few shots off before its too dark. Or get a live trap and bait it with tuna or whatever. In the morning, shoot the coon in the trap and leave it for the scavengers.

 

[pinduck]

I trap them with a hav a hart trap baited with fried chicken livers, then shoot them. They tried to gain entrance to my home via aluminum lovers in the attic, so far have dispatched 9 of them. In Ohio you can not let them go on other peoples property.

 

[6518John]

Matt--Havaheart traps work well for catching them for removal. But for every one you catch and remove or shoot, it seems three take it's place. We had a young one robbing our bird feeders, and I got the box trap and caught him in one night with a piece of salmon skin. We took him out in the national forrest and released him.

I was feeling pretty smart and proud of myself for removing the problem coon, but then I heard a noise on the deck and THREE new ones were robbing the seed feeder and drinking the hummingbird water! Heck the first one was not robbing the hummingbird's water.

As RW says, one has to remove the food source. That's first thing Havaheart recommends too. How to Get Rid of Raccoons | Raccoon Removal | Havahart US

 

[Fishinfool]

Coons are a lot like deer, for every one you see, there are usually a lot more you don't. When I was a kid, we coon hunted a small patch of woods with dogs. I was amazed at the number of coons we took out of those woods. When I trapped, I found a dirt hole set was effective for coon. Find a slight embankment, and dig a small hole about 8 inches deep into the hill side. Place bait (fish works well) at the bottom of the hole, and set a #1 1/2 - #2 coil spring trap in a slight depression at the mouth of the hole. Stake it down firmly, and cover lightly. You'll catch any coon in the area, as well as possums and maybe a fox or yote. Use caution if in an area frequented by pets.

Larry

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

Sport trapping or trophy trapping?
Will you make use of the carcass after taking the pelt or will you leave it to rot in the woods. Will you even take the pelt?
Or will you call animal control so THEY can kill them thus absolving you of all complicity. Or will you drive them to some other spot, thus clearing your conscience but making someone else exercise the decision that you are too craven to make-again absolving you of moral responsibility?
Oops-I thought this was the trophy hunting thread.

 

[rwsmith]

They talk....

I was concerned because at first there was just one Raccoon at first, and now we have 3.

Word gets around.

 

[cowart]

What you are trying to do - to attract deer with grain baits - is illegal in Missouri.

From
2015 General Deer Regulations | Missouri Department of Conservation

"Baiting Regulations
Use of bait — which includes grain or other feed placed or scattered so as to attract deer or turkeys — while hunting is illegal.
An area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of the bait.
A hunter can be in violation if they take or attempt to take a deer or turkey by the aid of bait where the hunter knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited.
It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule."

 

[CAJUNLAWYER]

What you are trying to do - to attract deer with grain baits - is illegal in Missouri.

From
2015 General Deer Regulations | Missouri Department of Conservation

"Baiting Regulations
Use of bait — which includes grain or other feed placed or scattered so as to attract deer or turkeys — while hunting is illegal.
An area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of the bait.
A hunter can be in violation if they take or attempt to take a deer or turkey by the aid of bait where the hunter knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited.
It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule."

Correct me if I am wrong-but it is only illegal is you actually hunt/shoot them. I can dump all the corn I want to in my duck pond but as long as I don't hunt them-no law is broken. Now if somebody comes along and tresspasses and hunts my baited pond and gets caught he is in a world of hurt. That's why instead of putting out "no tresspassing signs" we put out "this pond is baited" signs.

 

[SC_Mike]

I've caught many in a cage trap and taken them up the road to happier pasture lands. Also possums, squirrels and muskrats.

One possum got the honor to be coyote bait, while still in the cage, and did an excellent job of it. He was set free afterward unharmed, the possum not the coyote.

 

[chaparrito]

The raccoon information network is the fastest news organization on the planet. Well, the Cockroach Dropped Food Alert System is always trying to beat them but the results are up in the air. I once killed 31 raccoons in as many days. They had determined to rip the roof off my poultry house and sent replacement troops every night. They only quit when I re-roofed with corrugated iron.
If you're going to put out corn or anything else even remotely edible, you're going to have raccoons. You could sit out there every night popping the ******s from now to kingdom come and they'd still send more. This time of year, don't be surprised to see a mommy coon bring her whole newborn brood, 3,4,5 a half dozen babies all who are imprinting on the fact that your location is Food City. Thanks to the corn, they'll ALL survive.
Not that I have anything against raccoons. Cute little buggers. No wonder they are in so many Disney cartoons.

 

[LittleCooner]

Thanks for taking the boy hunting. Yes, the corn will attract game. Problem is, it attracts everything, free food, just come and get it. If you are hunting turkey also on this property, then do yourself, your son and all the neighborhood turkey and bird hunters a favor and watch the attached video on what is called a dog proof trap. They put their paw in the trap and are looking at you the next morning. You will be overrun with raccoons and they keep multiplexing at any food source.

Its like shooting the squirrels out of the wife's bird feeder. Some people from PETA think its not proper, but your wife thinks its a necessity. I love all wildlife and take very few game animals from mother nature any more, but you have to grow the wildlife the same as a garden, where you pull up the weeds, but they are plants also. Get rid of the racoons, they are a pest and break up every turkey nest they find.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klAweWkDMk8[/ame]

 

[MattO]

What you are trying to do - to attract deer with grain baits - is illegal in Missouri.

From
2015 General Deer Regulations | Missouri Department of Conservation

"Baiting Regulations
Use of bait — which includes grain or other feed placed or scattered so as to attract deer or turkeys — while hunting is illegal.
An area is considered baited for 10 days after complete removal of the bait.
A hunter can be in violation if they take or attempt to take a deer or turkey by the aid of bait where the hunter knows or reasonably should know that the area is or has been baited.
It is illegal to place bait in a way that causes others to be in violation of the baiting rule."

You are incorrect. In Missouri I can grow food plots, put out grain, corn, apples, all sorts of stuff to bring deer to a particular area. BUT it all has to stop 2 weeks before season and be removed.

The deer are already in this area feeding on the abundance of clover and drinking from the lake. I'm just making sure they have another reason to make a visit a habit.

Matt

 

[finesse_r]

Coons and Coyotes can be difficult to trap as they are very wary of human smell and often avoid the traps. Still it is possible to trap coons with a little careful planning and the right bait.

Using a cage trap is more humane if you check it regularly, but not as effective as a trap that will clamp down on their leg. I don't have any coon problems here, but others do and they will eat the feed you put out for birds or other animals.

Coons are not the best or the worst eating. The meat is dark, a little stringy and tough, and greasy tasting, but not too different from a lower quality, fatty roast. I would pressure cook it and find some way to clean the grease off before serving the meat.

Make a nice mushroom gravy and cook up some mashed potatoes and hot buttered biscuits and it will be fine.

Also if you develop a taste for them they are almost as common as armadillos as far as road kill goes.

I almost forgot. There is every reason to believe that coon skin hats will make a big come back so save those pelts also.

If properly processed the coon is a valuable resource for hunters and trappers and road kill scavengers.

 

[armadillo]

I have caught many in a havahart trap using a cheap - small size can of cat food fro bait. It works best if you cover the top and sides of the trap with brush - otherwise they will try to reach the bait from the outside and trip it.

Have a plan in case you catch a skunk by accident - I know from experience.

 

[model70hunter]

I have caught many in a havahart trap using a cheap - small size can of cat food fro bait. It works best if you cover the top and sides of the trap with brush - otherwise they will try to reach the bait from the outside and trip it.

Have a plan in case you catch a skunk by accident - I know from experience.

Correct on all statements. We bought a large
Havahart and it was kept busy catching Possoms, Racoons and the skunk that kept biting the heads off baby chickens.

Leaned a piece of plywood up against the pen on the field side.

Funneled them right in to the cat food.

Caught a couple of feral cats too.

 

[handejector]

Make yourself a coonskin cap, or maybe a coat if you have enough.

I got no use for coons. I opened my barn door one day and momma and four adolescents quickly exited right by me. Fortunately, I had a J frame in my pocket. They never came back.
EVERYTHING in the barn but the tractor had been moved, spilled, turned over, chewed, dumped, shredded, opened, or fouled.
I got no use for coons.

Same with squirrels. They need to stay 50 yds away from anything I own. Otherwise, they are tree RATS.

 

[Bro. Dave]

Despite the Disney propaganda, pound for pound, there is not many creatures mean as a coon. I prefer a live trap, but there is no "relocation" in my area. They are easy to remove after careful application of 40 grain lead poison.

I second the idea that one must have a contingency for skunk removal. Application of deadly force involves a small tarp and a slow walk up to the trap. A back porch or adjacent area where one can disrobe without public exposure is also nice when dealing with those striped critters.

 

[Brian41]

Coons can be a real problem. I caught one in a live trap once and was going to relocate it but every time I tried picking up the trap handle with a leather glove on it tried attacking me. I wound up shooting it in the head and was done with it. I don't know how others can handle traps with live animals in them but they must be able to.
When I first moved onto my property I took a 3 inch 629 with me to lay in wait for deer to show on back of my property so I'd know where they came from prior to bow season. I stayed until dark and went back to the house in the dark but stopped at a small tree that had three coons in it. I could hear them running around in the tree and got my 629 out and a Surefire flashlight and lit them up. Well they started running all about and down on the ground near my feet. I wanted to shoot them but was afraid I'd shoot myself in the foot instead. Those critters can move fast when they want to.

 

[gtk]

The raccoons are wearing our garden out. They have somehow figured out the electric fence, or just figure the pain is worth the reward

This is the first albino I have caught

 

[Old Seabee]

Coons

Take a aluminum pie plate put six in flat rock or half brick in plate . Put crystal fly bait on rock fill plate with mountain dew . Coon be gone

 

[leas327]

When I was growing up Coon and Possum would get into the horse feed. As my dad would say..."buzzards need to eat too."

 

[msinc]

I don't think I would use poison...too many other animals are subject to die or suffer from it. Same for leg hold or kill traps. I am a coon hunter and we use live coons to help train our dogs, so I have caught hundreds of them. There is some good and some incorrect info on this thread. Raccoon are not hard to catch at all, in fact the only scent they are worried about is what's for dinner or, at the right time of year, a potential future momma coon. If you use sweet type baits you greatly increase your chances of not catching unwanted animals like skunks. If you do get a skunk, throw a blanket over the trap and put it too sleep with starting fluid. A sleeping skunk wont spray you. If you shoot him I guarantee you he will release everything he has and getting him out even dead will not be fun.
The absolute best, most effective bait for a raccoon is watermelon. Sounds funny, but they will risk anything to get to the flavor of a nice ripe one. A very close second is cantaloupe. Lacking those two, try thick grape jelly on a donut or piece of bread.
Do not release him within 3 or 4 miles of the place where he was caught...he will return within a week or two.
If you really don't want to mess with it Missouri has more coonhunters than just about any other state...why not invite a few over to trap them out??? I am sure you can find a few guys that would be happy to continue getting them out of there for you. Good luck.

 

[model70hunter]

When I was growing up Coon and Possum would get into the horse feed. As my dad would say..."buzzards need to eat too."

I mentioned coons killing young chickens above, I also had to tie the lid on the trash can that we use to feed the horses. It was very hard to pull off but the coons figured it out.

I only relocated one, the 1st one. My daughter and 2 year old granddaughter showed up just as I got there. 10 miles away was a lake. The girls fed him salty pretzels. The next morning I dropped him off at the lake he ran to it and drank his fill.

The darned rascal took the pretzels through the wire from them just like a trained circus monkey.

All that followed were not given a chance to be cute.

 

[YogiBear]

Aloha,

gtk, that is the Spookiest animal I have ever seen.

What is done with all the dead animals?

Or don't I want to know?

 

[msinc]

Aloha,

gtk, that is the Spookiest animal I have ever seen.

What is done with all the dead animals?

Or don't I want to know?

I cant speak for the rest of these guys, but as a coon hunter we try not to let anything happen to them...the sport of chasing and treeing raccoon with hounds doesn't work too good if they are dead. Some hunters sell the fur and some are called to get rid of nuisance animals, so those get killed.
Most of us though will live trap the nuisance ones and are glad to release them on our hunting grounds. I even have den boxes and feeders in the woods behind my house. There are people out there that will kill every one they tree...but they soon find themselves out of raccoon to chase.
Also, you should never relocate a female that is nursing young...it's easy to tell, just look at their belly.

 

[ladder13]

Caught this the other week and let it go.

 

[gtk]

Aloha,
gtk, that is the Spookiest animal I have ever seen.
What is done with all the dead animals?
Or don't I want to know?

Aloha Yogi..

These coons have absolutely destroyed our garden, and they are destroying the sweet corn patch next to our garden (owned by another). And when I say destroy, I mean literally destroy. They eat a little out of one melon & go to the next.. Or they will cut a hole in an unripe melon, leave it, and go to the next. We have an electric fence up too..

Originally, I intended to dispatch these pests.. Each one has really been docile towards me,even taking food from my hands (I was careful) .. But, I guess I'm getting soft, because these have been relocated to our farm several miles away from our garden.. its sort of funny.. I have no problem killing a coon when coon hunting w/dogs..

On the other hand, the first coon that I catch that acts like a toughguy & tries to bite me when I walk up to the cage... well.. I won't be so tender hearted