Need help catching a raccoon

[Jason Roehl]

Amen, Bill.

[Scott Shepherd]

Put on gloves, dump it in the back your pickup, or trunk of your car and deposit on the side of a rural road.. Coyotes will clean it up.. Sounds cruel, but it's the only thing that will work 100%, and prevent thousands in damage to your property.

So now I have to buy a 22 AND relocate to a place that has coyotes? Man, this thing is getting expensive for me I guess I'll go call my realtor..........

[David G Baker]

It is a pain but I use a pump up pellet gun for most of my kills. It is very quiet and effective except for when the critter isn't killed with the first shot. Reloading and pumping up the gun lets the critter suffer too long. I also use a low load 22 once in a while but I have neighbors so I have to be very careful where I point the gun when I shoot. Trapping is still the best option in my opinion.

[Bill Cunningham]

So now I have to buy a 22 AND relocate to a place that has coyotes? Man, this thing is getting expensive for me I guess I'll go call my realtor..........

Coyotes are everywhere Scott, and 'everyone' should own a .22 at the very minimum

[Myk Rian]

It is a pain but I use a pump up pellet gun for most of my kills. It is very quiet and effective except for when the critter isn't killed with the first shot.

Same here. I wore out a Crossman pump taking care of chipmunks. Great for building up the pecs.
I bought a Ruger Air-Hawk break-barrel. At north of 1000 fpm, it sounds like a 22. Not as quiet as I thought it might be, but it takes care of a "munk just like the 22 does.

[David G Baker]

Myk R,
Ah a fellow traveler. Chipmunks, ground squirrels and red squirrels are a real challenge here where I live. One year I trapped or shot over 70 of the little critters. They have the potential of doing a lot of property damage. At first I thought they were so cute then the damage starts and the cuteness wears off. I am not that good of a shot so I mostly live trap and transport. I have been thinking of getting a 410 or a 20 gage with varmint loads. Haven't seen a chipmunk yet this year but the ground squirrels are digging tunnels so out comes the live trap until I get in a shooting mood.

[Scott Shepherd]

Did you all really think this thread would go away? Prior to leaving this world, apparently Drifter (I named it that from this point on) updated it's Facebook page to tell everyone how sweet a crib it had. Apparently it left directions and photos.

Got the familiar wake up noise around 4 last night. Yup, right over my head, rummaging around.

Got up, beat on the ceiling until I got it away from the area where I was TRYING to sleep. It probably found a nice place at the other end of the house and enjoyed a little sleep. More than I did, because I didn't get back to sleep.

So, I think I'll call this one Rascal.

Rascal, I hope your weakness is peanut butter..... because I'm not cooking you bacon.

I'm heading home to see if I can rig the cage some how to open easy without me being near it so I can do a catch and release on Rascal.

[David G Baker]

A never ending saga.

[Jerry Bruette]

Two words Scott.....Fly Bait

[Scott Shepherd]

Where's the fun in that?

Well, I took off heading home to get the trap out and devise a way to open it without my limbs being close to the exit point. As I turn the corner, I look at my house and something doesn't look right. As I get closer, I see something on my chimney (old chimney used for long gone oil burner). I'm thinking "What in the world is that?". Keeping in mind, it's daylight.

As I get close, I realize it's the raccoon, with it's head in the flue (sp?), looking down into it. I pull into the driveway it doesn't phase it. Doesn't move a lick. I pick up a rock and throw it and it hits the roof near it. Dumb move. That made it go into the chimney...........Great thinking Einstein.........

So I go out back, get the trap out and it starts pouring rain, but the sun is out. So I walk back out front where I can see it and it's gone. I stand there and look for a minute. Something's still not right. Sure enough, I see 2 feet hanging onto the top rim of the chimney. That thing is hanging in there. I think I named it right when I named it Rascal.

The rain stopped, I took my last bit of pepper spray solution and went and soaked the end vent, then I went and set the trap with a peanut butter buffet.

I can just imagine it in the flue (sp?), coming into my house via an old, disconnected furnace. I guess I'll sleep with one eye open tonight

[John C Lawson]

I have never seen cats go after live fish, they hate water.

We had a cat that would catch and eat frogs (everything BUT the legs!) He'd come home from hunting muddy up to his belly from wading in the pond.

[Scott Shepherd]

Rascal is quickly living up to it's name. Woke up around 2am with noises. Got dressed, went outside with the flashlight. It's no where to be found. Got the ladder out, opened the attic trap door and sprayed with the "Anti-Raccoon" spray that they seem to actually like rather than not like. That was the last I heard of it. Woke up this morning, looked out to see the trap completely empty. Not a hint of peanut butter to be found. How in the heck these things keep doing that is beyond me. I have a piece of plastic wired into the bottom of the cage. A nice, smooth, 4" x 6" piece to smear peanut butter on. I took a big glob, probably 2 ounces of peanut butter, smeared it onto that. Completely gone this morning, the trap still open.

Oh, it's on now.............

[Bill Cunningham]

Even when their in the trap, it don't mean you can keep them there till you can dispose of them.. This one FORCED his way out under the door by bending the top and bottom in the process.. I fixed the trap, and put a concrete block on top to hopefully keep him from bending the trap top and bottom in the next escape attempt trail cams are great for seeing whats 'really' going on after hours.. the picture was taken in Feb. and he has since got out of it twice more when I forgot to put the block ontop of the trap.. I'm going to check who manuf. this thing and send them the pictures.. Maybe can they start building better traps.

[Myk Rian]

Haven't seen a chipmunk yet this year but the ground squirrels are digging tunnels so out comes the live trap until I get in a shooting mood.

I have a Munk that just started coming around. It was sitting on the deck where the steps are. Took a shot with the Ruger break-barrel. Hit the wood under him. Not sure if I grazed him, or not. There is no "Body of evidence" nearby.

When I let Coons and Possums go from the trap, I just set it on the ground, and open the door. They amble out at their own speed, making a beeline to the nearest brush. No need for me to be worried of attack.

Try covering the trap ends so those little feet/hands can't get to the goodies. Forces them to go in the door. I wrapped and taped an old towel around mine.
I put a piece of hardboard on the trigger. Makes more area to trip it, and a lighter touch to do so.

[David G Baker]

I covered my food area with 1/4 inch metal hardware cloth and wired it so it can't be moved. Raccoons are extremely intelligent and it takes a while for humans to learn their tricks and ways to defeat them. I haven't had one escape from a trap yet. I also set the trap on the ground, open the trap door and they leave the trap at their own speed and head for trees or brush. No chipmunks yet this year but I did see a ground squirrel the other day.