Raccoon Captured, Now What ?

[Mrwurm]

Ok, this raccoon has not been hanging around during the day. He comes into my (open) garage every evening as it begins to get dark. My wife leaves the door open for her cats. I chase him out but he comes back during the night. In the morning (5:30) I find him sleeping on a shelf in the garage. He wakes up and runs out. Turns out he really likes cat food and the shelter of the garage. Really can't blame him, I guess. They just bulldozed about 40 acres of woods behind my house. I have a feeling he won't be the last intruder.

 

[hazmat]

I hate to say it, but it's your own darn fault. You are providing him food & shelter. You need to rethink the open garage or else you will continue to have visitors. Either the cats are inside for the night, or they can catch their own midnight snacks. A little education regarding rabies should convince the wife.

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color="blue">...What should I do with him ... </font>

Is there any "unfriendly" neighbors (far away) that would like a pet...? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

 

[BillG_in_TX]

I second what hazmat said. We used to have a raccoon that would come up from the creek at night and wrestle with the dogfood container until he got it open. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Kept waking us up! /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

Finally put the dogfood container in the garage (with the door closed, by the way /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif), and guess what? The raccoon stopped his nocturnal visits! Boy, am I smart. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[cstocks]

I'm not too much on shooting critters just because they are being a general nuisance. I would choose to haul it off before I would consider shooting it.

How far away is the nearest river from where you live? I would trap it and haul it across a river and drop it off in or near the river bottoms if possible. That way it would be in it's native habitat, probably not be near anyone's home and, short of swimming the river, there would be a natural barrier to keep it from returning to your house.

I have trapped several possums and coons over the past few years and hauled them a few miles down the road in the country and dropped them off on the other side of a local bayou. When I was a kid I could shoot a critter without giving it a thought but the older I get the harder I find that it is to shoot an animal that does not present an eminent threat or is not headed to the freezer.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Shoot him.RICHARD GAUTHIER

 

[Steven]

In some places it is illegal to relocate them. My friend was in the pest control business and every thing that he caught had to be put down /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif and ended up checking into the town landfill and all of them are still there at least in spirit

 

[Will]

OK, I'm doing you a favor, and I want a report when you're done with this recipe I found online:

Title: Stuffed Roast Raccoon
Categories:
Yield: 1 Servings

1 lb Sweet potatoes; mashed
1/2 c Raisins
1 c Bread crumbs
2 Apples; peeled and chopped
1/4 c Butter; melted
Salt and pepper to taste
4 lb To 5 racoon

First make the stuffing; mix together all
ingredients (except raccoon, of course) gently
until blended. Set aside. Wash raccoon meat
thoroughly and dry with a cloth. Cut off some of
the fat, leaving just enough for a thin layer.
Salt the inside of the coon. Stuff gently with the
sweet potato mixture and sew opening shut. Bake at
325°. for about 3-4 hours. When half done, turn
over so all sides will be browned. Serve with a
crisp vegetable salad.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Dear city person, we country people don,t call shooting varmits,putting them down.We call it killing them,shooting them,or sport.Putting down should be used for something that is loved and or valued. RICHARD GAUTHIER

 

[rps]

If you just can't stand to shoot him, putting the trap under water for a few minutes does the trick.

Another alternative is to find a coon hunter in the area who wants to release him where he hunts. At any rate, if you do release him, make sure the owner of the land doesn't mind having another coon.

Robert