Raccoons in Alberta

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d4dave1

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The other discussion about high numbers of raccoons in Ontario got me thinking about raccoons in Alberta. They are here without a doubt and have been positively sighted Edmonton -east to Sask border and west to Jasper Park. I have heard stories of them at places slightly north of Edmonton as well.

I have little knowledge about raccoons but people that I have spoken with that have lived around them do not speak highly about them at all. Pest, nuisance, plaque, pita, destructive, nasty......are all some of the words used to describe the critters.

So I got to wondering if our provincial government, in it's infinite wisdom, will declare them a pest open for destruction, or if they will call them a protected fur bearer requiring a licence to kill?

One of the people that I spoke with about raccoons said that the nasty beasts would be a game changer in our natural wild life species here in Alberta.

Any comments?
Dave
 
I have seen a lot of racoons in N - NC AB. Usually they are squished next to skunks on the road. I have seen them out and about while hunting but they never bothered me at home and I lived in Edmonton, Med Hat and Lethbridge. What's yer beef with them? Compared to ON, the numbers are no where near problematical. The racoons here love to dig through garbage cans. Next to skunks, they are pretty annoying and there are so many of them out here. Nothing like cleaning up garbage strewn all over your yard or having the dog smell like skunk spray.
 
Raccoons are in the same class as skunks. Some told me that rarely if ever do you see carrion birds eating at a dead raccoon. I've also read that there is something in their feces that is deadly to dogs. Some people think they make cute pets. I think they look great flattened out on the road.
 
A friend of a friend shot a family of 5 in the back yard behind the house on their farm last summer just north of Lloyd on the AB side of the AB/SK border. Not many around here and those that do appear get dealt with fast! They may be cute but they are destructive little critters and known rabies carriers. I shoot all I see if I’m able. Ran a few over with the boat one evening in QC years ago too as they were swimming across the river I was travelling.
 
We are starting to get them in the Bonnyville area...........smart people shoot or run them over depending on when and were seen.
 
kjohn said:
Raccoons are in the same class as skunks. Some told me that rarely if ever do you see carrion birds eating at a dead raccoon. I've also read that there is something in their feces that is deadly to dogs. Some people think they make cute pets. I think they look great flattened out on the road.
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Buzzards seem to enjoy them here, as do eagles, and coyotes.
 
IR_Mike said:
We are starting to get them in the Bonnyville area...........smart people shoot or run them over depending on when and were seen.
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Lots in the south part of the province, but seem to be around about everywhere. According to a source, Cremona and some other towns have problems. Buddy shot one in his sister's tack room, just outside of town. Then of course, there's the 18 pounder killed in Banff.

Grizz
 
I have seen 2 in the provost area (south of Lloyd) one of which I had dead to rights with the truck but in the dim headlights I hesitated thinking porcupine and he got away. I even saw one on the road South of castor. I'm torn with the thought of raccoons as I used to love hunting them back in bc but as it has been said they are destructive little buggers.
 
kjohn said:
Raccoons are in the same class as skunks. Some told me that rarely if ever do you see carrion birds eating at a dead raccoon. I've also read that there is something in their feces that is deadly to dogs. Some people think they make cute pets. I think they look great flattened out on the road.
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I shoot raccoons regularly - one at least every week, sometimes several (Flock protection - I have chickens and guineas and the guineas are so noisy they bring all the boys to my yard :/ ) then I lay them out on the other side of the field by the treeline. Vultures are quite happy. Some people feed pigeons or ducks...
 
KotKotofeich said:
I shoot raccoons regularly - one at least every week, sometimes several (Flock protection - I have chickens and guineas and the guineas are so noisy they bring all the boys to my yard :/ ) then I lay them out on the other side of the field by the treeline. Vultures are quite happy. Some people feed pigeons or ducks...
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Yes, we do have a fur season here, but... nuisance is still nuisance; shoot them. Fur is worth nothing when not prime; fur is now worth next to nothing when prime. We quit commercial hunting back in the early 80's when our average per hide dropped to $25.00. We would take close to 300 a year; but we had to feed the hounds, put gas in the truck, process the hides, deal with hundreds of pounds of coon-fat; ship them, wait for the auction... those days are long past.
 
I am so happy to hear so many like minded people! They are a plague raiding bird nests, rabbit warrens etc. Grouse, duck and rabbit populations have begun to recover on my property , since I a started "adjusting" the 'coon population. Same for my dad's place.
Too many bleeding heart, Liberal, city slickers who think they are so "cute". Idiots.
 
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