Coon Problem

[BBFarmer]

A good bright light on my fn 5.7 with has kept the numbers down around our place.

I'll usually sneak out to the coop around 3-4am and catch one trespassing.

It can be difficult to get em when you're still half asleep, but i get 20 trys with that gun so it usually works out.

Hate them bastards.

 

[RCW]

Don’t want to get off the thread, but lately a lot of poultry folks around here seem to have more problems with fishers than raccoons, weasels or the like. Fishers are a pretty stout predator. We had one screaming near the house a couple summers ago. Like black bears and bobcats, never heard of them 40 years ago.

Sounds like @Stmar has a good sense of how he wants to proceed with his raccoons. Hope it works well for him.

I learned something with the corn bait - great idea.

 

[mikester]

When I bought a live trap, I first baited it with a can of tuna as recommended by the pest control guy. First night I caught a black cat. It had rained that night and he was not happy. When I released him, he shot out never to be seen again. Then I started thinking, since the coons had been raiding my suet feeders, I wired an ear of feed corn to the trap floor and smeared suet on it. Worked like a champ, first night, and I don't think cats would go for it. Skunks and possums I'm not so sure.

If you feed your cats use a recently emptied soft cat food tin as coon bait. Skunks seem to like it enough to investigate.

 

[jaxs]

Any ideas on how to get rid of coons? They are in my barn at night, I see their tracks. I really can't set traps, I have live traps, but also have barn cats that are half wild and I am sure they would get in the traps before the coons. They must come in late because I have not been able to catch site of them. They have made their "latrine", that really is the term for where they go to the bathroom, on top of the tack shed.

High school students in Frisco Texas adopted the name Coons and pictures of raccoons on stadium. A federal lawsuit forced them to rename their mascot or face losing taxpayer funding. They renamed their mascot as the raccoons but never changed pictures or costume worn by students. Old customs die hard so fans continued to chant "go coons"at athletic events despite warnings from folks not wanting to lose school funding. Go Raccoons,fight fight fight

 

[lugbolt]

Maybe that coyote thought somethin died in there…

it likes to eat the barn cats and was likely assessing the situation as to how to get the inside cat

 

[Stmar]

Got one with corn, actually canned corn but it worked, and it was a big one. Now I have a smart one that may take a bit more cunning. Trying peanut butter that was suggested by an animal control person that we know. Cats did not bother the corn or peanut butter, guess my barn cats are not that curious, lol.

 

[Stmar]

I did hear the big kids talking about flybait mixed with grape soda,, seem they are DOA before they hit the ground

Went to the feed store and asked about that "yellow stuff", a friend also mentioned it, and sure enough they had some. It actually said "Not for coons", it has the potential of wiping out the barn cats and wife is too attached so we didn't pursue that route.

 

[Yotekiller]

some tuna fish in a live box trap will catch coons quick.

 

[pgmrdan]

I use Duke dog proof traps full of cheap, dry cat food. I sprinkle a couple of drops of coon attractant on the tops of some tall grass or brush nearby. Don't know if that really helps.

I place a trap or two at my end of the concrete culvert that runs under the road to my neighbor's property. This year he's raising corn. Bingo!!!

Stake them out well. Raccoons are strong and will pull up weakly staked traps and you'll never see them again.

I run a trapping cable to small trees when convenient. That's not going to break.

 

[Vlach7]

My dog trees them and the 12 gauge does the rest

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Once caged I give them 'swimming lessons'.....

 

[Stmar]

This last, I hope, coon is willy. I can't figure out how it is eating the bait without tripping the live trap, I put the bait as far back as possible. I have two traps, one small and one large and the bait is gone every morning. I have been using corn so today I added some peanut butter and smeared some with corn and pumpkin seeds on the trigger plate in the hopes that it will apply some pressure getting the bait off. Ex animal officer said they were smart critters but I really underestimated this one.

 

[jaxs]

This last, I hope, coon is willy. I can't figure out how it is eating the bait without tripping the live trap, I put the bait as far back as possible. I have two traps, one small and one large and the bait is gone every morning. I have been using corn so today I added some peanut butter and smeared some with corn and pumpkin seeds on the trigger plate in the hopes that it will apply some pressure getting the bait off. Ex animal officer said they were smart critters but I really underestimated this one.

CORN!!! Have you ever heard of rats ? If you keep feeding them they might eventually get fat enough to trip the traps.

 

[Workerbee]

When I use a live trap for coons I wire a small 2x2 or so piece of cardboard with a gob of peanut butter about 10” high on the back ‘wall’ of the trap. Thats right near the top. Then they have to step on the pan to get at it.

 

[Stmar]

CORN!!! Have you ever heard of rats ? If you keep feeding them they might eventually get fat enough to trip the traps.

No rats, just pack rats and the cats take care of them. These are definitely coons, see the tracks. I did try a mesh bag of corn hanging at the back of the trap so that they would have to reach for it and trip it but they did not go for that.

 

[Stmar]

When I use a live trap for coons I wire a small 2x2 or so piece of cardboard with a gob of peanut butter about 10” high on the back ‘wall’ of the trap. Thats right near the top. Then they have to step on the pan to get at it.

That's what I was hoping for with the mesh bag of corn. I'll try the cardboard next if I don't get it tonight.

 

[PoTreeBoy]

This last, I hope, coon is willy. I can't figure out how it is eating the bait without tripping the live trap, I put the bait as far back as possible. I have two traps, one small and one large and the bait is gone every morning. I have been using corn so today I added some peanut butter and smeared some with corn and pumpkin seeds on the trigger plate in the hopes that it will apply some pressure getting the bait off. Ex animal officer said they were smart critters but I really underestimated this one.

I had to start setting the trigger catch so it barely stayed armed. I had one or two that could rob the bait if I set the catch fully.

 

[airbiscuit]

Put up a trail cam, and see what's going on.

 

[Old Machinist]

Not coon related but I have been buying some iegeek battery cameras that have a super bright LED light that you can set to come on when it senses motion. If your wifi signal reaches the barn you can monitor with it but even if it doesn't you could pull the SD card to review what it captures. The bright light might startle them and cause them to leave plus the recording will verify WHAT it is.

Here are the one's I have but they have a higher resolution version I aim to try out.

Pardon Our Interruption...

I set mine to record black and white at night so the LED doesn't' come on to spook anything. I have been amazed at how long the batteries last. The app interface leaves something to be desired but the motion detection accuracy is great. I have received far fewer false recordings that I did with other brands and they start recording pretty quick and capture what triggers the motion sensor.

EDIT: I just ordered one of the 5MP cameras to try. Same packaging but supposed to be higher resolution. I hope it has the same battery life.

Pardon Our Interruption...

hey do REQUIRE an SD card to work so you have to order that separate. I only use Samsum Pro Endurance cards these days. Too many failures on the SanDisk brand.

 

[Stmar]

I think I figured it out, not rats but mice eating the bait and not tripping the trap. No fresh tracks and cat food and water are back to normal levels, coon was drinking and eating a lot. Thanks for all the input, cameras are a neat idea but I'm trying to cut down on "stuff" since I have way too many things to maintain and keep track of. Maybe camera array in the future if I get bored, lol.