Anybody Call Raccoons?
Contributors to this thread:Small Game
From: dgb
22-Jan-19
Not on purpose - but I have have them come in to rabbit calls. I just did standard coyote sets and I've had several come in - and they were all large, mature animals. I think you should give it a go - worst thing that could happen is that a coyote would show up! Good luck!
From: Zbone
22-Jan-19
If your in PA, would be a waste of time this time of year, coon are taking a snooze in this type of weather... I feed a gang of coon off my deck daily with dog food in a hinged door bin and can tell if they come daily by the lid/door is open or off, and now with snow they haven't been around in two weeks... They sleep during winter cold for weeks at a time, and one thing I learned, if there is snow on the ground it is rare they are out... The only time you'll see coon tracks in the snow is if it a warm thaw spell and snow cover is light and thawing, then as soon as it gets real cold again, they go back to sleeping... Taking a kid out this time of year in this weather would be fruitless and boring trying to call a coon, and bad for their psyche... May have better luck with fox or coyote, but that's a whole nother game...
As for calling coons, when a kid we used to use a squaller when we treed them with dogs to make them look at us sometimes to find them in the tree to see their eyes to shoot them...
From: LINK
22-Jan-19
I’ve never called a coon. I did trap 2 behind my house the other day. Too bad I forgot to lock the hatch.
From: Zbone
22-Jan-19
Counted 9 adults and 9 cubs out back this summer... Some or most of the cubs have dispersed, but there is still close to dozen coon out there....
From: Zbone
22-Jan-19
Little different weather here LINK... As you can see, they ain't been around in a while...
From: t-roy
22-Jan-19
My experience is very similar to yours, stick. In all my years of calling, I can only remember coons responding to the calls, twice. One of them made the experience memorable at least! We set up out in the middle of a frozen river channel during a warmer weather snap. About a minute into the calling sequence, a coon showed up on the bank about 100 yds away. My buddy started to pull down on him, but I told him to hold off, as I wanted to see how close we could get him to come in. I started lip squeaking and he kept coming our way. When I stopped squeaking, he would stop, and when I started back, he would keep coming. He got to about 10 yards when I stopped calling again, but he kept on coming towards me. He tried crawling into my lap and I had to hit him with my buttstock to get him away from me! He didn’t make it to safety.
I would think that a coon squaller might work better, especially around old barns and abandoned buildings.
From: RBBH
22-Jan-19
I'm also interested in calling coons. I watched an episode on Tv of a guy (wells?), calling them and shooting them with his bow. I used my foxpro to try last year with no luck. I ran into a trapping buddy of mine and got to talking and I mentioned that I tried calling coons. Same as Zbone said, If its cold they will sleep. He said that every time a winter thaw with sunshine hits go try it, he said they will be out running around. Good Luck!
From: ahunter76
22-Jan-19
Snow on the ground & zero. Sleep time. I have them all the time as I am right next to a timber & also used to rehab orphans. We have snow on the ground & a week ago we had 3 BIG boys out back eating the Squirrel corn but it was 30 degrees. I have had as many as 15 at one time in summer. Have never tried calling them..
From: Boreal
22-Jan-19
Call near a den tree. Use a juvenile coon distress or a coon fight call. Be ready to shoot up as they will often climb to get a better vantage point.
From: Salagi
22-Jan-19
Made For Killing Calls (MFK) have some coon calling videos set in the woods of south Arkansas. You might pick up some tips from them.
From: lunatic
22-Jan-19
I called in a couple of them one night but Momma just chased them off with a broom :)
From: Habitat
22-Jan-19
We walk around looking for trees with holes that could be den holes.They just need to be big enough for their head.Be sure and let them get all the way out of the hole before shooting them.We use squalling coons,sometimes they come flying out of the hole sometimes they come out real slow and if they see you moving around they go back in.We have killed as many as 6 out of 1 tree.
From: Smtn10PT
22-Jan-19
Ive called them in with about 50% success in Missouri during late November/early December. Find a potential den tree or two and set the call up, I stand off to the side of the hole and wait for them to have their head and shoulders out before shooting. Of the ones that come out from a den hole other than the one I'm watching most seem to run away.
From: BoggsBowhunts
22-Jan-19
Called this one in a few winters ago in an old hay barn, have only done it once but it was an absolute blast. Highly recommend it. We also used squalling coons out of a foxpro EDIT: Not sure what this pic is, not one that I have on my phone. Strange.
From: KSBOW
22-Jan-19
It is a blast, and will be far different experience than other predator calling you have every done.
From: N2BUX
22-Jan-19
I've called them using a FoxPro with coon fighting sounds. It's pretty effective. Get on a creek or river where you would expect coons to be naturally and turn on the coon fight sounds. Get ready because they come running in full speed. Again, the coon fight sounds are pretty effective, way more so that calling coyotes.
From: Wv hillbilly
22-Jan-19
As others have said. Quietly set up near a denning area. Try a sound called coon puppies. I think made by Jonny Stewart. Be ready for action they come in looking to kick somethings butt. Works day and night.
From: spike78
22-Jan-19
spike78's Link
Here is Tim Wells calling coins during mating season looks awesome check it out!
From: JSW
22-Jan-19
Yes. It's a blast and a great way to keep the population in check. They do den up and you won't do well now. I use a foxpro and the coon fight sound. Look for den trees, set up under them and call away. It doesn't take long to know if there is a coon around. You can also call brush piles or blow downs that might hold coons.
From: Zbone
24-Jan-19
We had a thaw and a lot of rain yesterday and the backyard coon were back last night...
From: Zbone
25-Jan-19
Got cold and snowed again yesterday and coons did not show last night... Back to sleep they go, were only out for one night during the thaw...
From: darktimber
25-Jan-19
Grew up in SE NE, did it all the time. Could get pretty wild and crazy. Best I think we did was 16 in a night. We used coon fight or coon puppies. Called creeks, den trees and old abandoned farm houses. I liked using a .22 mag as it gave you a little more knock-down. When you hit the call be ready. We had one charge in one time that ran into my buddies legs. That was exciting!
From: GF
25-Jan-19
So is now The Time??
I gotta say.... looks like a perfect match for Stickbow flexibility.....
From: BIGHORN
26-Jan-19
I don't even want to mention how many I have gotten rid of over the years. They get under my deck, eat all the bird food and dog food if left out. Neighbors have gone out to put a bag of trash into the trash bin and they bail out of the trash bin. I have been asked to rid the area of them and I have. However, a new batch won't be far behind them. Now, I have coyotes coming by each evening. Neighbors have been losing their cats and I tell them to keep their cats indoors all the time. Use to get red fox sitting on my back deck. They are neat and I like seeing them. Get hawks, owls and bald eagles in the trees behind my house. I have had coons trying to scratch through my screen door while we are watching tv. Opened it long enough to give them a kick but they come right back trying to get in. Don't like them at all.
From: Hans 1
27-Jan-19
It does really work the key is to locate den trees in advance. Then go back on a warmer than average day and setup Down Wind. Either the coon fight call or the coon distress. Not a great archery setup as the majority of the shots are in the trees. In my area Southern Iowa the majority of the den trees are Linden “Basswood” Followed by cottonwood. Didn’t go this year and our season closes in a few days good luck.
From: Zbone
28-Jan-19
Still cold here and snow on the ground, they haven't been back to my porch in 5 days, so since January 8th, they've only been out of dens one day in 20... Their state of "torpor"...
From: me
29-Jan-19
Had a friend who was a nuisance trapper. Got a call from someone who was feeding 27 coon dogfood on their deck. They went on vacation and the coons were mad there was no food, so they broke into the house. He claimed that they nearly destroyed the place. Opened all of the cupboads and frig. Crapped and tore up the furniture. Clawed holes in the drywall. Keep feeding them, but do not quit.
From: Zbone
29-Jan-19
"Keep feeding them, but do not quit"
Yep, good advise... Am also a nuisance trapper and feed them, and yeah if they run out of food, they do get pizzed, they will literally tear things up on the deck and surroundings... I buy the cheapest dog food I can find, but if I happen to run out, shelled corn will suffice...
From: Woods Walker
29-Jan-19
I usually call them....."The SOB's that crapped all over my deck again!!!"
This activity they seem to prefer to do most when the Mulberry trees are in full fruit...as seen by the evidence that they leave behind!
From: ground hunter
29-Jan-19
coon are considered vermin and can be killed year round, where I live..... there worse than mice, and allow no coons around my house and bldgs.,,,, who in their right mind would even feed them, is beyond me
From: Woods Walker
29-Jan-19
If you have horses it's even worse, as raccoon feces contains a disease called EPM (Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis ). They get into your hayloft and poop on the hay and if you're not careful it can be contracted by the horses that eat it.
From: Zbone
29-Jan-19
They say its unhealthy to feed deer corn in winter but I still do, have never seen any ill effects, actually seen benefits because I know I saved some from diying during winter with my supplement feeding... Actually I feed all the critter year round, there is never without corn out back...
From: DavidGallegos
01-Feb-19
I hate Raccoons, as their droppings often contain roundworms, which can be transferred to humans and pets. They also carry diseases like fleas and ticks. If you manage to trap or kill one, it could be very difficult to release it into the wild or dispose of the body.
From: ACB
01-Feb-19
Glad I do not live in NJ if I have to call someone to come out to get rid of a raccoon. Just another reason our taxes are lower in TN I guess .
From: GF
01-Feb-19
It is generally illegal to relocate coons because they are so likely to carry rabies. And it is generally a bad idea to attempt to relocate ANY animal because of the potential to spread disease and because the relocated animals invariably get dropped off into occupied territory and have poor odds of survival anyway.
If they need to be removed, the humane thing is to kill them decently. If you’re not willing to kill them, better to learn to live with them.
From: t-roy
01-Feb-19
I routinely relocate them from around my house. It’s usually into a ditch a few miles away. The only downside to the relocation process is scrubbing the blood out of the bed of my ranger.
From: DavidGallegos
02-Feb-19
DavidGallegos's Link
That is why when I found out any raccoons in our area, then I immediately call local animal control or raccoon removal NJ http://www.eg-exterminatorsnj.com/Animal-Control---Humane-Removal.html who deals in wildlife removal. As they will come out to our house, trap the animals and remove them from our property.
From: GF
02-Feb-19
Is it just me, or does David run a pest-control business?
From: Zbone
04-Feb-19
Coon were back last night during this thaw...
stick n string - You might have some luck calling during this thaw...
From: BIGHORN
04-Feb-19
First of all, if you are going to relocate the varmints you will have to take them at least 25 miles away. City animal control officers will not take them or help you out. Also, Wildlife officers will not help you with the coon problems and it is illegal to put them into your vehicle to move them to another area. That is why I drown the little buggers. Put your live trap in a rain barrel or ditch and they drown in about 30 seconds.
From: craig@work
05-Feb-19
I just pop them in the head with a 22 pistol in my live trap. We have so many coons it’s ridiculous. Nobody hunts them around here anymore.
From: Zbone
12-Feb-19
Zbone's Link
Thought you raccoon guys might like this...8^)
http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/animals/wrestling-raccoons-cause-traffic-jam/vi-BBTv60F?ocid=spartandhp
From: t-roy
12-Feb-19
Nothing worse than than a couple of meth head coons fighting!
I had a crazy experience happen this afternoon. Loggers are cutting walnuts on my place. I found a big ash tree with some really nice burls on it, that I wanted them to cut for me. He dropped the tree and it was hollow about 25’-30’ up. When it hit the ground, it broke apart at the hollow part and 4 coons came tumbling out. They all had kind of that “WTF” looks on their faces before hauling butt out of there! I videoed it on my phone but I’m not smart enough to figure out how to post it on here.
From: Saphead
16-Feb-19
I think Raccoon and bears are cousins. That right Gary?
From: scentman
16-Feb-19
Just found this thread... LINK, that was hilarious! I use to trap and hunt them, now i feed them... well they feed themselves at the bird feeder actually... gettn soft in my old age.
From: Zbone
17-Feb-19
Yeah Saphead, I think they are from the same biological tree, distant cousins more or less I think, same as pandas, least that is what I read once upon a time...
From: RBBH
19-Feb-19
They are the western version of panda known as the Trash Panda.
