What to do with a 'coon?

c-fbmi

c-fbmi

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I have a raccoon frequenting my hay barn, I never seem to see it but the wife has several times now. I need to rid my hay barn of him/her before they set up winter residence and start raising a family and stink up all my hay until the horses won't eat it. I've never lived in coon country before, so other than shoot on sight, which hasn't worked out too well so far, I'm open to suggestions from those who have dealt with them before..........in a terminal manner of speaking. How would one set about trapping the little bugger(s)? I have quite a selection of old leg hold Victors, but not sure about using one on a coon. Also don't want it to piss all over the show as I know all other mustelidaes I've trapped tend to do. Most likely make it worse than better! Possibly a baited live trap outside the hay barn?
Thoughts?
 
Shoot it in the face.

"It's coming right at us!!"
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They do tend to make a mess. I would say find where it's hiding and finish it off. They make a mess in the hay loft really quick. I find the generally like dark corners to hide in during the day. I have shot my fair share over the years!

They tend to leave a lot of scat around which makes em easier to find depending on the darn size.
 
Sell the horses and burn down the barn. Then use the saved money for more guns. I've seen pics of some of your collection and you certainly don't have enough.

Might not seem like a good idea right now but think about it. You'll thank me later. :cheers:
 
Dorian Gray said:
Sell the horses and burn down the barn. Then use the saved money for more guns. I've seen pics of some of your collection and you certainly don't have enough.

Might not seem like a good idea right now but think about it. You'll thank me later. :cheers:
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I hear ya DG, but you know "happy wife.........happy life".......... I grew up on horses and I know all too well, but these ones are the wife's.......Cheaper to do something about the coons than ANOTHER divorce!!!
 
Live trap and release, And they will just come back. Live trap and a .22 to the noggen or even a .177 and they gone for good.
 
I have had great luck with a live trap and fish (cheap sardines) or peanut butter as bait. Leg traps work well too but can be rough on any pets. Make sure the trap has 22 cal wire mesh
 
treebutcher said:
I have had great luck with a live trap and fish (cheap sardines) or peanut butter as bait. Leg traps work well too but can be rough on any pets. Make sure the trap has 22 cal wire mesh
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Peanut butter mixed with tuna works great. Even some dry dog or cat food works great
 
Best way is if you can get some fly bait, it's like blue crystals. It can be hard to get, it's controlled I think. Mix it with a can of coke, put it in a dish. They can't resist it, and they won't make it 5 feet before they are dead. Cats won't touch it, not sure about dogs. Make sure nothing eats the body. Best way.
 
I've had problems with coons in the past and here are some of the methods I've used depending on my mood and spare time.

1 - Bait a live trap of your choice, I have one of the older stronger made HavaHart, and once trapped, shoot it in the head only with a 22 rimfire. If you shoot it in the body you are in a world of PITA trying to kill it after that with follow up shots. Also note that when you shoot it in the head there will be a lot of blood spray from the bullet hole as it does the death dance.

2 - If you're comfortable with the up close and personal kill than bait an area, set up a sniper spot for yourself and wait. Have the baited area low lit so you can see but not too bright, actually the coons don't care... food is food for them and they come in regardless. What ever baiting you use secure it down or they'll take off with it. Canned cat food works wonders and tie it down. When you get the perfect head shot take it. The coon will drop on site then do the death dance. Again blood spray will happen. I've used peanut butter in the past but them dang squirrels and chipmunks come in first and eat it up, it is funny watching them eat PB and trying to swallow the stuff.

Again... with 22 take head shots only for a quick and humane kills.
 
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I trapped literally hundreds of racoons and skunks for a cottage association when I ws young... I still have a stack of TenderTraps and Havahart's... Sardines are good... Shooting can be messy and some times problematic... The nearest creek or pond not so much... 99% of my catches were relocted to a large local island... I often wondered how many swam to freedom, or sauntered back across on the first ice... I could almost swear some of the faces looked familiar year after year...
 
A live trap baited with marshmallows if there is a chance of cats being caught, if no cats sardines are the way to go. If for some reason I do decide to relocate one instead of eliminating it I always take some orange marker paint and give it a quick paint job. They get no second chances around here. Cover the live trap with a tarp and run a hose from an exhaust pipe of either ATV or lawn mower. No bloody mess to deal with when removing coon after about ten minutes of idle time. This method also works great for problem skunks but they never have a chance of being relocated.
 
timandkimandshea said:
Best way is if you can get some fly bait, it's like blue crystals. It can be hard to get, it's controlled I think. Mix it with a can of coke, put it in a dish. They can't resist it, and they won't make it 5 feet before they are dead. Cats won't touch it, not sure about dogs. Make sure nothing eats the body. Best way.
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This really works! Just make sure it is not accessible to other animals or humans.
 
treebutcher said:
I have had great luck with a live trap and fish (cheap sardines) or peanut butter as bait. Leg traps work well too but can be rough on any pets. Make sure the trap has 22 cal wire mesh
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X2- We have a lot of raccoons in the east and they universally love sardines. My German Shepard does a great job of keeping them away also.
 
B-78 said:
Cover the live trap with a tarp and run a hose from an exhaust pipe of either ATV or lawn mower. No bloody mess to deal with when removing coon after about ten minutes of idle time.
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Save your gas... Use the pond.
 
Place a chicken carcass against a safe backstop and in clear view of your shooting position and wait after dark. Then fire when ready
 
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