Raccoon trapping

[356]

What do you do with all the racoon? Hides arent worth anything, carcasses smell if you just leave or toss them somewhere. I use to trap, spend the time pulling hides, and ended up with less money for the hides, than I paid for gas to drop them off. Since I stopped trapping, and when I do, I live trap, and move them to some state land about 10 miles away. (well maybe I do that, being I am not sure if that is legal or not, so I am not admitting to anything at this time).

My trapping efforts become field fertilizer on the back edge of the 10 acre NWSG EQIP field. I, nor my neighbors, have ever smelled them, for which I am thankful. The remains are generally are eaten within 5 days by the buzzards, eagles, hawks, owls and occasional coyote or dog. The nearest house is 200 yards from the drop point, and our house is 300 yards. I chuckle when I see raccoon and 'possum bones scattered throughout the 10 acre EQIP field. Most are moved by the birds, but they sure get moved around.

 

[356]

We've had a raccoon invasion that is impacting the chickens and barn cats. Here is what I shot from the porch last night...there are still at least five more that frequent nightly. Our property is like a raccoon apocalypse.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

We've had a raccoon invasion that is impacting the chickens and barn cats. Here is what I shot from the porch last night...there are still at least five more that frequent nightly. Our property is like a raccoon apocalypse.
View attachment 66484

This is the same property you trapped so many off of??

 

[356]

This is the same property you trapped so many off of??

Yes...100 'coons in the 2022-23 season and 15 'coons in 2023-24. Here is a picture from my camera last night...who knows how many more might be around....they are eating corn from the chicken coop.

 

[Howboutthemdawgs]

Yes...100 'coons in the 2022-23 season and 15 'coons in 2023-24. Here is a picture from my camera last night...who knows how many more might be around....they are eating corn from the chicken coop.
View attachment 66485

Unbelievable. I’ve heard trapping doesn’t have much long term effect but that is depressing

 

[356]

Unbelievable. I’ve heard trapping doesn’t have much long term effect but that is depressing

I have read and listened to mixed messages on the long-term effects as well. I primarily trap for the short-term impact on turkey and quail, with a secondary interest being our poultry and garden. Yeah, it is somewhat depressing to have so many raccoons. I did not see a single poult on our property or any of the adjacent properties this season.

 

[SwampCat]

We've had a raccoon invasion that is impacting the chickens and barn cats. Here is what I shot from the porch last night...there are still at least five more that frequent nightly. Our property is like a raccoon apocalypse.
View attachment 66484

Up until about two or three weeks ago, I was catching almost all boar coons. Then, almost overnight, the sows and half grown coons seemed to all leave the nest at the same time and the population doubled. Looks like you are shooting plenty of young coons

I do most of my trapping early Mar - June. In my opinion, it it is important to reduce the number of sow coons early, before they bear young in late april/early may here. I hit them especially hard in Mar and Apr and then once again may and june. Doing that, I may go several weeks or a month without getting a picture of a coon at a feeder - sometimes a month or more. This is prime turkey nesting season, also. I dont worry much about them the rest of the year unless one of the grand daughters wants to set a few traps. We also kill a few with thermal. I would say it takes about three months after I quit trapping for the population to fill back in.


Since I have been doing this, I usually see at least one hen with a few poults and I have had a few gobblers to hunt. Prior to doing that, I went six years in a row without hearing a gobbler. Trapping is not a cure all - especially on smaller properties - it is another tool in the shed. My home ground 350 acres gets trapped. I promise, no other trapping is done on any of the land surrounding my land. It is not unexpected to see nest predators moving back in.

 

[356]

…. Trapping is not a cure all - especially on smaller properties - it is another tool in the shed.

Great summary….while the main property is 85 acres, I only trap on about 20, which follows a small creek. While I periodically get pictures on the larger portion of the property, most of the action is 100 yards from or in the creek. I have not kept track of boars vs sows, which I will need to start doing. I had one brood of poults on our property, and daily pictures of the hen….followed by a picture of a coon near the nest. After a day, I never saw the hen again on camera, so I figure she went to re-nest in another location.

 

[356]

This one dared to daylight by the garden and chickens. 5 coons and 1 possum since July 1.

 

[Electrodigical]

What time of year is it "safe" to start trapping again? Meaning when are the young ones able to survive on their own?
Yes, I'm trying to kill them, but I'm not trying to stave them to death, or have them die where they are living. (I'm in the north east)

 

[356]

At our place, the young raccoons have dispersed (Missouri). When I lived in Northern Minnesota, they seemed to stay in a family group until spring. In Missouri, raccoon season starts August 1, which is partially based on the dispersal timing. Check with your state and starting hunting/trapping when legal.

 

[Electrodigical]

Legal trapping season would be November. But this is a nuisance trapping thing, so it would be legal now, but i'd like to deal with the issue soon.

 

[fishin coyote]

Electro, The little ones are old enough to be on their own now. They may not be very smart to the ways of the world yet but they definitely won’t starve

 

[356]

Legal trapping season would be November. But this is a nuisance trapping thing, so it would be legal now, but i'd like to deal with the issue soon.

Little nuisance raccoons will be come big nuisance raccoons, so I would deal with them now.

 

[Electrodigical]

Yep, but I don't want them dying where they are now, if they're not able to survive without momma yet.

I will have to find "the hose". I've only ever killed raccoons with a car. Some times the tires, some times the tailpipe.

 

[356]

Raccoon #6 for the season starting August 1 is now out of circulation!

 

[Electrodigical]

After seeing more and more activity, trash bags ripped open, lots of holes being dug in the yard, plus seeing them often in the yard at night (pretty sure they're living in the cabin of my old boat) I decided it was time.

The biggest surprise is I've only caught a possum once this week. lol Last year I was getting him every other day. He got some tasty snacks and got let go each time, so what the heck I guess, he just keep coming back. ;)

As for racoons, five this week. One met with the hose. After that I remembered I had lots of Super Colibri's in the basement and to give them a try. They worked well point blank. Dang things are so quite. I have an old Benjamin .177 air pistol that makes a LOT more noise.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I used to shoot .22 caliber shorts in my fur trapping, dispatch revolver. Not sure why I ever started with them, somebody probably told me that is what I should use as a kid. They didn't make much noise either.

 

[hunts_with_stick]

really? Little noise? I have been using a pellet gun to the ear, but that isn't always the most effecient

 

[Electrodigical]

Well.... quite enough that I can use it on my under 1/4 acre yard in the burbs with no one the wiser. My pellet pistol has a sharper, more easily identifiable crack. This is fired from an old Moss .22 with a 16" barrel that was crudely back bored. So it's 16" long, but there's like 10" of rifling. And with the muzzle touching fur it's even quieter.

This is just now in my back yard.