coon infiltration advice needed

[larrycumba]

Let my dog out into the backyard at 6:00 am this morning. It started barking and I heard a commotion in the tree. Let the dog back inside and I thought stupid squirrel. I turned on the flood light and noticed my peanut feeder was on the ground. It is usually on a four foot hanger that keeps it five foot from the ground. Weird, I looked over at the tree and saw two coons looking at me. I sat down on a chair about ten feet from the fallen feeder and started watching them. In a couple of minutes they climbed down the tree, along with two more I hadn't seen and started back at the feeder having breakfast. All four were full grown and healthy looking and nonchalant even with me sitting there. Like they owned the place. After they got thirsty they helped themselves to the water in the bird bath then milled around awhile checking out other possibilities. As the sun started coming up they climbed over the back fence and headed back to the deep creek behind our house. This was the first time I had seen them but noticed the last couple of days things seemed a little bit out of place. It was a nice little adventure but I really don't want them to make this a habit but expect they will. Any tips on how to send them to another area? Like the neighbors I don't like?

[bubbygator]

There are racoon repellents - typically containing wolf or panther piss - sold at most hardware stores in areas where racoons live. I've used them and they work; just don't try to cover too much area - surround the "attracting" things, don't cover the whole yard.

[Hardrock40]

If there is food, they will come.

I have four coming around also and just look at it as something else to photograph. If there are no leftovers to throw out, they don't show up.

[Duane N]

Originally Posted by Hardrock40

If there is food, they will come.

I have to agree with this.

I have 3 coons that raid my bird feeder each night if there's any seed left in it after the birds are done. I tolerate them because they're just trying to survive but I don't feed them purposely to keep them around. I usually see them once a week as they make the rounds through the neighborhood.

[flurp]

I take the feeders in every night to keep the coons from doing damage.

[magoosmc]

Have-a-Heart trap, peanut butter for bait. Just make sure you are at least 5 miles away when you drop them off or they will make it back before you do.

[larrycumba]

Since my original post it has become a test of wills. The coons still come every night . I have stengthened the hangers on my feeders one by one and that has slowed them down from knocking them of the tree limbs. I hate to see them go but am worried about a possible scuffle with them and my little yorkie when I let it out. That would be bad business.

[Hardrock40]

We keep close to our Maltese when he goes out now. The coyote's were the first scare but they hardly ever come around anymore. The coons only drop by at night, he stays inside.

The feeders are in the front yard and so far, no coons have raided them. I guess they don't like black oil sunflower seeds, plus the birds pretty much clean it out daily.

I have family that coon hunts and they say one coon can whip four hound dogs pretty bad. I don't want to mess around with them.

[recrisp]

Originally Posted by larrycumba

Since my original post it has become a test of wills. The coons still come every night . I have stengthened the hangers on my feeders one by one and that has slowed them down from knocking them of the tree limbs. I hate to see them go but am worried about a possible scuffle with them and my little yorkie when I let it out. That would be bad business.

I don't think there'd be a "scuffle" at all, it'd possibly be worse than that.
My wife and I have a 6lb. Yorkie, and if 'she' has to go out at night, I go with her, I don't let her go out alone. (She is a really big sissy too) We live in the suburbs, but we occasionally have a raccoon or possum. I used to have a male Yorkie that would attack anything, he thought he was a lot larger than he was, he'd be no match for any raccoon though.
Be on the safe side, please watch you Yorkie at night, and early in the mornings, ain't no tellin' what could be out there.

The best way would be to take the feeders in at night, like what has already been said, I know I sure would hate to hear about your dog get it by a raccoon, I don't like reading that kind of stuff.

Last year I had a really friendly raccoon that stayed in our Cypress tree at night, he'd come down every morning and find 'stuff' to eat in our pond, then he'd eat some (outside) cat food we had around. That went on for around a month and a half or so, and I'd sit out there with 'him' and he'd come up and place his 'hands' on my knees, walk across my feet, and was generally tame. I know what they say about a raccoon that is out in the daytime, but I watched him for several days before I ventured out, and I was pretty sure that he didn't have rabies. He just had his days and night s mixed up, I guess... heheh I REALLY miss him, and if a (feral) cat or a our dog was around, this raccoon would run, and not stand his ground, so there can be all kinds, I guess. He was REALLY photogenic too, I really do miss my little model.

Randy

[huntersdad]

.22 will solve that problem.

They are a vicious animal when the switch gets flipped or young are involved. Right up there with a possum. Remove or have them removed for the safety of your dog.

Recrisp - while I can certainly appreciate your "friend" and the relationship you developed, really not a smart move. Rabies can take days to show, so he could have had it and not be showing yet. Additionally, you are doing the one thing that most wildlife photographers know they shouldn't do - habituating a wild creature to human contact. Just because you let him get close and play doesn't mean the neighbors are gonna do the same thing, something learned after it is too late. Not "getting on you", but something that has to be kept in mind with wildlife.

[recrisp]

I understand about the rabies part, I waited long enough, I think, I ain't real crazy. I may have waited longer than I thought anyway, I know we watched him from our door for a long time. Anyway, I was always out in the back taking pictures of birds, he would come along and 'try' and be friendly, I know it's not a good thing to be 'friends' with them, and really, I didn't, he came up to me and placed his hands on my knees once, he was just curious, I didn't try to change him. Really, I made him sound more "tame" than he was, it was more like, 'curious' really, he tried several times to get closer to me, like he wanted on my lap, but I'd try and shoo him away gently, I don't trust wild animals 'that much', and although I felt safe around him, I definitely did not trust him. No way I'd let a wild raccoon on my lap, or that near me like a pet. He eventually moved on, just as he had before he came to us, I assume.

The deal about any of my neighbors is funny, they would more than likely eat him, to be honest.

Randy

[Phoenixkh]

We had deer knocking down the feeder before the raccoons and I was able to outsmart them, but not the raccoons. I had to admit I was beaten. I did what Flurp suggested: I bring my nice squirrel proof feeder inside every night and one of us puts it back out in the morning. I tried several things to defeat the raccoons but they are very adaptable and they were winning. So I decided the only way to be smarter than they are is to admit defeat and take down the feeder every night.

[Larry Weinman]

Originally Posted by flurp

I take the feeders in every night to keep the coons from doing damage.

I had raccoons coming and raising hell every night. The only thing that worked was to take the feeders in every night and finally they quit coming.

[ClarkinBabler]

Live trap them, easy as can be with cat food as bait, drive them to a nature park 5+ miles away, let them go

I relocated 11 of them in 2 weeks, the trap cost $50. Best money I ever spent!