Need help catching a raccoon

**Rich Stewart** · 02-27-2012, 3:07 PM

I didn't actually see this, but knowing the guy about whom it was told, I don't doubt it. This feller lives in South Carolina. Ties steel for a living. He gets a 3 foot section of PVC pipe about 12 inch diameter. He buries it at a 45 degree angle in the ground and throws a honey bun in the bottom. That night a raccoon will attempt to get the honey bun and will be stuck as he is unable to back out of the slippery pipe. Next morning the man will reach down and grab the coon by the tail, pull him out and dispatch him with a hand gun. He says if you hold the coon out away from you, it can't get to you although he certainly will try. Not for everyone, I'd say.

**Hilel Salomon** · 02-27-2012, 4:06 PM

I have, what I guess, is bad news. A raccoon that has been previously caught in a trap will not enter another one no matter what bait you use. We've had them nest in our attic and the filth and noise were close to unbearable. As others have suggested, you have to see where it is getting in and close it off. Keep in mind that raccoons are very, very strong with flexible fingers and can pull open any screening you use.
Lastly-and perhaps good news-they do not like loud noises and-supposedly hate strobe lights. If you can fix up something before you close the openings, that would be good.
Good luck,

Hilel

**Rod Sheridan** · 02-27-2012, 4:08 PM

Since I live in a city I would take a different approach to catching a racoon.

Step 1 Disguise yourself as as BBQ'd chicken wing............................Rod.

**Sam Murdoch** · 02-27-2012, 4:30 PM

Originally Posted by Hilel Salomon

I have, what I guess, is bad news. A raccoon that has been previously caught in a trap will not enter another one no matter what bait you use. We've had them nest in our attic and the filth and noise were close to unbearable. As others have suggested, you have to see where it is getting in and close it off. Keep in mind that raccoons are very, very strong with flexible fingers and can pull open any screening you use.
Lastly-and perhaps good news-they do not like loud noises and-supposedly hate strobe lights. If you can fix up something before you close the openings, that would be good.
Good luck,

Hilel

Been there done that with the loud noise and lights - no effect whatsoever. If they are nesting - too late - they aren't leaving until the kids are old enough. I have had them unhook hooks and eyes and open the old casement windows just for the fresh air - TRUE!

1" square hardware cloth (thick wire heavy galvanized screen with 1" square weave) double stapled or screwed down with battens is more rugged than any racoon. Though they will surely work at it.

**Scott Shepherd** · 03-03-2012, 4:03 PM

Well, I've been feeding it peanut butter for the last week on and off. It likes it. It doesn't even think about going in the trap. It'll walk to the end with the peanut butter and wrangle it to the edge and eat it through the cage rather than go inside the big, wide open door. Last night I was in bed and heard the trap close. I listened for a minute to see if I heard it screaming, which I expect it will do when captured. Nothing. I got up, went and looked at the door. It was standing next to the cage, finishing the peanut butter before it walked off

This is a real challenge, trying to catch something with a higher IQ than mine

It's on now, now I know it's eating it and I know it's coming around. Time for a little tease of sardines, wired to the middle of the cage.

**Sam Murdoch** · 03-03-2012, 4:06 PM

Originally Posted by Scott Shepherd

This is a real challenge, trying to catch something with a higher IQ than mine

You made me laugh with that one Scott

Sam

**Dan Hintz** · 03-03-2012, 4:22 PM

Put it in a folded piece of (thick) tin or something similar, prevent it from reaching the PB from the sides of the cage.

**Ken Fitzgerald** · 03-03-2012, 4:27 PM

Scott.......what about building a "trap" door and installing it over the access hole to the house? The racoon comes out grabs the bait, trips the trap door and now it can't get back in........?

**Scott Shepherd** · 03-03-2012, 6:40 PM

Yeah, I really need to get time to fix the place it's getting into the attic. I'm working 80-95 hours a week, for the last 3 months, so by the time I get home, it's 8:30 or 9 at night and I don't feel like going on an extension ladder by myself in the night time, trying to install wire mesh.

As soon as I can get a break, I'm going to solve it's entry point problem.

Until then, I'm providing it with stories for it's family and friends on just how stupid the human is and how the human thinks it can't see the big trap next to the peanut butter.

**John Lifer** · 03-07-2012, 9:14 AM

You need to get that thing out of the attic. Mother had 2 get into her storage room and then attic last week. Peanut Butter and tuna worked on those two. Another older one showed up a couple of days later and tuna worked on it. Stank to high heaven! Sorry, if I was having trouble getting it into a trap, and it was on the ground by the trap, one shot would be all it'd take. no one can determine where shot came from if you are only firing once and put gun up.

**Scott Shepherd** · 03-07-2012, 9:26 AM

Oh, it was a great night last night. I got home around 8:30, decided I go into my attic and put up some wire mesh. Looked all around, didn't see anything, sprayed pepper spray stuff all over the place as I went. Got to the gable vent and put the screen back up and then put the wire mesh on it. HA! All is good.

Woke up at 1:00am, heard it trying to get in. Put my clothes on, ran outside with a flashlight to catch it in the act. Nothing. Went back inside and listened, heard it again. Ran back outside. Nothing. Went back inside, listened again. Great, I just locked 2 of them in the attic................

So there we are, I now have 2 stuck in my attic

I haven't figured my way out of this one yet. I'm not crazy about going back in there when I KNOW they are there. It wasn't so bad when I didn't know they were there. Plus I'm wondering just where in the world they were when I went up there. My attic is empty, so I should have seen them, but I saw no sign of them when I was there.

Dang things...........

**Dan Hintz** · 03-07-2012, 9:37 AM

Will the trap fit IN the attic? Now that you have them in a confined space, they'll be more interested in food, so getting them in the trap should be a bit easier, regardless of what you bait it with.

**Jerry Bruette** · 03-07-2012, 1:34 PM

I agree with Dan, now that you have a captive audience...pun intended, only this time I would have a big old dose of Golden Malrin fly bait in whatever you want to feed them. Skip the trap though you won't need it with the fly bait meal that will be their last.

Jerry

**Myk Rian** · 03-07-2012, 2:36 PM

Originally Posted by Jerry Bruette

I agree with Dan, now that you have a captive audience...pun intended, only this time I would have a big old dose of Golden Malrin fly bait in whatever you want to feed them. Skip the trap though you won't need it with the fly bait meal that will be their last.

Jerry

And now you have to wait till they start stinkin the attic up, only to find you have to tear the floor up to get them.

**Sam Murdoch** · 03-07-2012, 4:22 PM

Originally Posted by scott shepherd

so there we are, i now have 2 stuck in my attic

i haven't figured my way out of this one yet. I'm not crazy about going back in there when i know they are there. It wasn't so bad when i didn't know they were there. Plus i'm wondering just where in the world they were when i went up there. My attic is empty, so i should have seen them, but i saw no sign of them when i was there.

Dang things...........

woooo hooh - live action

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