raccoons

[Liberty Sanders]

Question: I am farm sitting for friends. They have a raccoon problem, namely that coons have invaded the hay loft and are leaving their droppings among the hay. If horse consumes this, it can give them a very serious illness (one of the owners happens to be my veterinarian).

The DNR site addresses trapping them and either transporting or euthanizing them.

As I am acting as an agent of the landowner here, am I allowed to just shoot them?

 

[fullmetaljesus]

I would think you are being a Steward if the property. It's in your charge
and protection. So do what needs to be done to protect the land. And of course I would think S.S.S. comes in to play here.

 

[Expat]

Question: I am farm sitting for friends. They have a raccoon problem, namely that coons have invaded the hay loft and are leaving their droppings among the hay. If horse consumes this, it can give them a very serious illness (one of the owners happens to be my veterinarian).

The DNR site addresses trapping them and either transporting or euthanizing them.

As I am acting as an agent of the landowner here, am I allowed to just shoot them?

If outside of the city limits.

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

Could you possibly scare them off with a warning shot?

 

[JTKelly]

Use live traps. Cat food for bait, the white fish is best, tuna is pretty good.

Turn the cats loose, drown the racoons and possum. It cleans out the trap at the same time.

Put a stake on the side edge of the trap through the top and bottom and pound it in the ground at least six inches. I use a couple feet of rebar or what ever other is handy. This keeps them from rolling the trap over and getting out.

"Shooting" is for beginners. Tears up the trap and just sitting around waiting waste so much time you'll NEVER put a dent in the population.

Any one says "Possums eat up all the ticks." just put them on ignore. You know immediately they don't have a clue what they are talking about and just vomiting old links they read one time, so they can post something.

 

[Liberty Sanders]

Could you possibly scare them off with a warning shot?

Only if it scares the **** out of them permanently so they can't contaminate the hay.

 

[dudley0]

When I talked to a DNR guy I know a couple years back about racoons he said nobody wants the pelts because no money in it so just dispatch them.

If you live trap make positive that wherever you drop them off they will be welcomed. Might really tick off the landowner otherwise. I know I would be pissed.

I have best luck with dog proof traps. My trap door types will get them but sometimes they are not all the way in when they trip it and then back out.

With the dog proof traps I drop some cat food in there and it works like a charm.

I shoot them right there, even with the cage traps because I have a bag handy to put them in and no body of water like at the old house.

Tie up the bag, toss it in the bin and reset for the next one.

With the dog proof traps you need to realize they will utterly destroy anything in the vicinity. I had a problem in an attic of an old house. Didn't realize a wire was there. The 'coon found it and fried himself. I pay more attention to the surroundings now.

 

[Aszerigan]

Assuming it's legal to discharge a firearm on the property and the land owner gives you permission.... happy hunting.

 

[rosejm]

Second recommendation for the Duke's DP traps.
The marshmallow bait is clean, doesn't stink and is irresistible. Overnight success is guaranteed if they're present.
Screw 'em down in an open area, bait & set. $10-15 each and they're indestructible.

DP Coon Trap​

Our Best Selling Duke DP Coon Trap features a pull style trigger system designed to capture raccoons while avoiding non-target & domesticated animals. Baited with a marshmallow on the trigger, raccoons can’t resist triggering it. This trap is a Raccoon Catching Machine!

 

[logguy]

SSS

 

[Leadeye]

SSS is important these days, too many people see raccoons as starship pilots.

 

[Expat]

I catch 6-8 every year in a live trap baited with marshmallows. I kill them with a pellet rifle and bury the carcass. I made the mistake of taking pics of one alive in the trap and posting on FB. Like our friend Leadeye said, all the womenfolk were concerned about his future.
‘Another of our once top INGO members, Ironjaw, commented that he thought that ship had already sailed. I still chuckle over that one. For those that remember him, he had another grandbaby this week.

 

[dudley0]

SSS is important these days, too many people see raccoons as starship pilots.

All the more reason to dispatch them as fast as possible.

Can you imagine the destruction that little guy could wreak if left unattended?

 

[Creedmoor]

Second recommendation for the Duke's DP traps.
The marshmallow bait is clean, doesn't stink and is irresistible. Overnight success is guaranteed if they're present.
Screw 'em down in an open area, bait & set. $10-15 each and they're indestructible.

DP Coon Trap​

Our Best Selling Duke DP Coon Trap features a pull style trigger system designed to capture raccoons while avoiding non-target & domesticated animals. Baited with a marshmallow on the trigger, raccoons can’t resist triggering it. This trap is a Raccoon Catching Machine!

I just use a Conibear traps, if the animal can crawl into the long box it goes...
SNAP. and with one exhale it's over.
No noise, no howling, no crying and so on.
Cat, possum, raccoon, small dog it makes no difference to me.
Turkey Volutures gotta eat too.
Keep you neutered pets on your own property...

 

[Mij]

Question: I am farm sitting for friends. They have a raccoon problem, namely that coons have invaded the hay loft and are leaving their droppings among the hay. If horse consumes this, it can give them a very serious illness (one of the owners happens to be my veterinarian).

The DNR site addresses trapping them and either transporting or euthanizing them.

As I am acting as an agent of the landowner here, am I allowed to just shoot them?

For the sake of discussion I’m assuming small square bales. Bales that can be handled by hand, tied with string or wire.

If their are coons in the barn, their is coon poo, bird poo, coyote, fox, skunk, possum, dog, deer poo already in the bales. Just not visible. Think about all of the wild life that lives in the hay fields. Rabbit, coon, mice, birds, moles, voles. Not to mention the wind born plastics, bottles, paper scraps, tin cans. They leave their deposits and their babies in the field, the mower comes through and chops them up. Then the hay rake comes through and wind rows the stuff and then the baler compacts it all into a bale. If your concern is the health of the animals, use your gloved hand and brush off the offending mess, pop the string and feed the critters.

Now as for the offending coons, the local authorities are your best bet for attending to the wildlife that may be creating you’re visual discomfort.

In all honesty the biggest problem you may find is mold if the hay was not put up properly. Mold can cause a verity of health problems in any livestock. Just my thoughts on the subject, and good luck with dealing with the problem.

 

[Expat]

I just use a Conibear traps, if the animal can crawl into the long box it goes...
SNAP. and with one exhale it's over.
No noise, no howling, no crying and so on.
Cat, possum, raccoon, small dog it makes no difference to me.
Turkey Volutures gotta eat too.
Keep you neutered pets on your own property...

I put conibears over my groundhog holes and such. I did get a skunk once. I didn’t like that. I got a couple possums over the years. Meh. Didn’t mean it, but didn’t cry.
i did feel bad when i got a feral kitten in it.

 

[Creedmoor]

I catch 6-8 every year in a live trap baited with marshmallows. I kill them with a pellet rifle and bury the carcass. I made the mistake of taking pics of one alive in the trap and posting on FB. Like our friend Leadeye said, all the womenfolk were concerned about his future.
‘Another of our once top INGO members, Ironjaw, commented that he thought that ship had already sailed. I still chuckle over that one. For those that remember him, he had another grandbaby this week.

I always giggle when someone local posts on Facebook that.
Somehow my inside cat got out yesterday and we can't find her. And post a few photos of the animal.

That reality is a few of us in town could post the real last known photo a week to 10 days before your strictly indoor cat that your kids are crying over got posted on Facebook.

Twice I missed rewards being posted, a few days after its to late to collect it.

 

[NHT3]

My .02, I would relocate them to raccoon nirvana. 22LR with a can, plant them and SGT Schultz about it "I know nothing, I see nothing, I hear nothing.

 

[Creedmoor]

I put conibears over my groundhog holes and such. I did get a skunk once. I didn’t like that. I got a couple possums over the years. Meh. Didn’t mean it, but didn’t cry.
i did feel bad when i got a feral kitten in it.

Feral cats tend to have short disease ridden lives that usually come to a very violent end.
I can't think of what good they do in urban environments other than stink up the town.

 

[daddyusmaximus]

My .02, I would relocate them to raccoon nirvana. 22LR with a can, plant them and SGT Schultz about it "I know nothing, I see nothing, I hear nothing.

What racoon?