Exactly this time last year, I had a raccoon move her little one in my attic. I noticed they were up there right away and promptly handed her an eviction notice. I waited until she left for the night and then hauled the pup outside and left it in a bucket and then sealed up the hole in the eave. Next morning, they were both gone. In the words of Ariel Sharon in reference to Arafat, "In retrospect, I should have liquidated her while I had the chance." She's back. Except this year, she's in my other house next door. I went up to try to get rid of her last night, but I'm unfamiliar with the attic (never been up there before) and was equipped only with a flashlight and a 22 cal. rifle with a scope. Not worth a damn in close quarters with no light. She came out of a corner and ran me out of the attic. She has GOT to go! Let's put it this way, this year she's got 5 or 6 pups with her and the urine is soaking through the ceiling. They are very small and I'd like to get them out without killing them. Mama, however, must die. It's the only way I can keep her from coming back again. The conservation officer really doesn't want to help and I can't find a trap. I've got to go back up there and get her (got a .410 now, much better!), but really don't want to come down with rabies or my eyes scratched out! Anybody got any good advice for going face-to-face with a pissed off mother raccoon on her turf?!? I don't know much about them. They're nocturnal, will a bright light blind or disorient her? Any other ideas? (ALL YOU PETA FREAKS, DISREGARD AND MIND YOUR OWN FRIGGIN' BUSINESS!!!)

 

The Iowan Coon Got To Go method works real good. Has one might guess coon's and dogs don't mix. Get some fido droppings and put them in the attic. When she catches wind that a dog has been "pooping" around her crib she'll take the young ones and move out rather quickly. Has for the .410 shot gun, you had better be real close. If you only nip her she's gonna to come afta ya like a wabbit in a carrot patch. If ya can get ya some dear (deer for you city folk) slugs for that pop gun. Those will tear her a new patch.

good huntin' to ya

 

A bright light will blind them. Just use a powerful light and you'll see them put their hand up and try and see what is going on. Just be sure to do it at night when their eyes are adjusted for the darkness.

Then all you have to do is haul the body out!

 

i kinda wonder about that .410, wouldnt that make quite a mess? i would use a .22 pistol or somethin, for some reason i dont see how that could make any more mess than a shot gun.

 

id go up with 2 people and a 22. don't use a shotgun, casue if you miss, you in a tight bind. as for your face, tru wearing a sheild or something like a hockey helmet with a face sheild

 

How big is the racoon? A .22 sure wouldn't stop the ones we have. Try a .454 raging bull. Actually, isn't there a .480 out now. Bigger is better.

 

Damn, I'd love ta have a 'Coon fer a pet - except for the fact they run off with anything shiny, and all my sockets and wrenches are CHROMED!

-Too much like having step sons running around the place...

I'd wait til broad daylight (on their off sleep-cycle) and plant a boom box up in the attic playing rap music or DISCO real loud!

-Some things even a wild animal can't stand...

(That way, you don't have to clean up the poop)

 

When we get coons on the porch, mama just sweep 'em off with the broom.

 

greywolf's idea is prett cool!!

 

Can't find a trap?

I used a live trap to catch squirl. there are some at [link:www.northerntool.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/ExecMacro/NTE_SEARCH.d2w/report?KEYWORDS=live+trap&PHOTOS=on|www.northernto ol.com]

 

on a piece of cardboard, put a pile of dog food in the attic where you have a good shot. hook up a bright spotlight to blind it, fire after you turn the light on. with a .22 the coon will be dead after 5-10 sec, after alot of blood spillage.

 

WOO HOO! I win! I win! LOL One of the guys at work loaned me a live trap and I set it near where she has been going in and out at. I woke up at midnight to the most God-awful racket I had ever heard. I pulled the trap into the truck with a rope (wasn't going near that thing - pretty sure it was possessed by Satan himself) and we went for a little drive through the country to the creek. I thought maybe the two of us could do some fishin', bond a little, and work out our differences, but I'll be durned if the trap didn't accidently fall off the bridge into the creek before I got a chance to let her out. I guess it musta dangled there by the rope just under water for about 10 minutes before I noticed it. Too bad. I really thought we were going to be friends. Oh, wait - OK I'm over it! I weighed the carcass before I dumped it in the woods. 32 pounds of fuzzy hellion. Cripes! I did save the pups, though. Seven all together. Turned them over to the DNR. IN THE NEXT COUNTY!

 

ohhhh boy he heeee ..i would just use a fishing net with a long pole and have a large box handy.. i did this trick with a bunch of stray cats in my crawl space like 7 cats total...my dog took care of the rest by chasing them one at a time. good luck brother!!!!!!

 

you didn't have to drive out to the country. could have just used a big trashcan full of water. Unless the trap was too big.
I used a trap for a skunk and dipped it in a can full of water. LUCKY ME, it spayed after it went in. http://www.plaudersmilies.de/kopfpatsch.gif

 

Special to Boss:

The .480 is Ruger's new offering. They teamed up with Hornady to produce it. It's technically a bigger bullet, but the .454 still takes the cake as far as power is concerned. Ruger wanted (and got, apparently) to split the difference between the .44 Mag and the .454. Something that'd give more penetration and knock-down power than the.44, but without the recoil of the .454. But heck, any of these'll do it on a coon! But watch out...those buggers can be vicious when you get 'em riled up! I've seen 'em whip dogs!

rotorhead
aka Casey