Getting rid of racoons

[Tpondel]

When they were away from the house I could live with it.

But last night three were caught on camera checking out the house perimeter. What’s the best way (other than shooting) to get rid of them permanently?

I’m not against shooting, just would prefer to poison them or something.

Thanks.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

I wouldn't want racoons around my home either. Keep in mind that if you use poison, you run the chance of poisoning the food chain...

 

[Carl_NH]

Trap them - they are always on the lookout for food - apples etc, they aren't picky. Then relocate them 5+ miles away across a highway or river etc.

 

[bcjmmac]

I have had lots of success using marshmallows in live traps. Use sticks/something to keep the trap upright as the raccoons will roll it over to get at the bait, which will close the trap before they have to enter.
Occasionally trap skunks but have managed to avoid getting sprayed.
A string/chain tied to a tree also helps when you to pick up the trap

 

[Hay Dude]

12ga

 

[BnRidge]

Here there are woodlots, den trees, cornfields and berries like black cherry and raspberry. Lots of raccoons. Not until we started keeping chickens, sweet corn gardens, putting out bird seed did they start coming around the buildings. One night I heard scratching on the bedroom patio door and decided to get it turned around. Duke dogproof traps were the most successful. Use scent and a marshmallow, maybe some peanut butter. Yum. Catch one and it leaves more scent. I could catch one or two a night for a week till those familiar with the place were gone. They would catch nothing else but racoons. But during sweet corn season the traps attracted none because they were far more focused on the nearby corn gardens. It needs to be done before the corn ripens.

 

[psvfd]

I use the Duke dogproof traps also. I fill them with whole corn as that is why they are at the deer feeders.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

There are ways around it, easy to skirt law, some states prohibit relocation of certain animals.
I don't take the chance of animals coming back when relocating, I terminate and let they coyotes clean up...

 

[bdhsfz6]

Havahart traps:

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Just be prepared to deal with the occasional skunk.

 

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

Here in NC it is illegal to live trap a coon and then release it anywhere. They are rabies carriers.

Shooting them is more humane than poison, takes em out quicker. Even if you have to trap them first to get a good shot! I have taken some coons swimming when caught in a live trap, even though they are good swimmers they are not good underwater swimmers...

If you did get one in a live trap, be careful they are some ferocious critters.

 

[LHF2019]

Trap them - they are always on the lookout for food - apples etc, they aren't picky. Then relocate them 5+ miles away across a highway or river etc.

If you take the time to trap them, take the time to shoot them.

 

[Jstpssng]

I concur with others who say to kill them. If you don't want them, chances are that your neighbors don't either. I live on "some old back road" where people go to dump things. Cats, dogs, woodchucks, one time it was a rat.
Sadly my turkeys killed a half grown money cat a few years ago. The rat disappeared after moving under my henhouse. I don't know if he just died or if they killed him.

 

[kf4uda]

Another option if you don’t want to kill them is to trap them in a live trap and call a wildlife officer. They can relocate them to a wildlife management area or at least they will do that in TN and even bring your trap back. I would suggest checking with them first if considering this route.

 

[BnRidge]

There is a commonly used route that the coyotes use near the yard here. Every morning there are fresh tracks where they go from marsh, along a ridge, through a woodlot and on to another marsh. It's near the buildings, so said racoons go there, and are added to the food chain. They usually are gone in a day or two. We also have bald eagles with nests nearby. They will feed also once in a while. There are thousands of acres around for coons and coyotes and eagles to play nice, they just need to go about their business out there.

 

[MMC]

When they were away from the house I could live with it.

But last night three were caught on camera checking out the house perimeter. What’s the best way (other than shooting) to get rid of them permanently?

I’m not against shooting, just would prefer to poison them or something.

Thanks.

Like others here, for raccoons, first line trap(s) are the Dogproof paw traps baited with mini-marshmallows. I also have several Hav-a-Heart traps. Either way, I would shoot them. They aren't "cute," they are trouble...

Same with fox squirrels. If you have a garden, orchard, or an electrical transformer, both of these animals are your enemy... Shotgun or .22 is more humane than poison. Your neighbors will thank you for reducing the numbers.

The rule on the farm is we don't shoot anything that doesn't need killing. Think you understand where I place these critters...

 

[ponytug]

There is a commonly used route that the coyotes use near the yard here. Every morning there are fresh tracks where they go from marsh, along a ridge, through a woodlot and on to another marsh. It's near the buildings, so said racoons go there, and are added to the food chain. They usually are gone in a day or two. We also have bald eagles with nests nearby. They will feed also once in a while. There are thousands of acres around for coons and coyotes and eagles to play nice, they just need to go about their business out there.

Wow, here our contributions are gone in hours, certainly by overnight, between the competition of the local bobcats, coyotes, owls, ravens, and other raptors. Even a deer carcass is gone in a day between the mountain lion that started it and the coyotes and ravens who clean it up. Eventually, it gets to the yellow jackets who clean it to white bones in one to two days. I'm always amazed at how fast it happens.

All the best,

Peter

 

[ruffdog]

Here in NC it is illegal to live trap a coon and then release it anywhere. They are rabies carriers.

Shooting them is more humane than poison, takes em out quicker. Even if you have to trap them first to get a good shot! I have taken some coons swimming when caught in a live trap, even though they are good swimmers they are not good underwater swimmers...

If you did get one in a live trap, be careful they are some ferocious critters.

I'm sure the dunking method would also help clean the trap. Trapping a coon sure messes up the area and the trap so I have to hose it down. I once caught 3 coon at one time...a threefer.

 

[Jstpssng]

For those of you who leave animal carcasses for scavengers, have you considered using lead free ammo? It may or may not be true that not doing so can poison wildlife including eagles, but I have switched over.

 

[bigtiller]

For those of you who leave animal carcasses for scavengers, have you considered using lead free ammo? It may or may not be true that not doing so can poison wildlife including eagles, but I have switched over.

My .45 colt goes out the other side.

 

[9973720wb19]

DayState Air Rifle - no noise -