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Raccoon deterrent?

Okay, besides a 100 gr Muzzy or a .22, any other deterrents for raccoons? I have already put chicken wire around the 2 feeders - last night around 5 - 5:45. Feeders go off at 6 so figured I'd wait. Yep, 6:07 here come the first of several. Savage .22lr about 75 yards. Believe I hit 4 of the group(know 2 for certain). Using 46 gr subsonic rounds so didn't exactly knock them over and didn't try head shots as I wanted to make sure I hit them! Left that feeder and drove up the property to walk into other area. Approached new feeder just put out day before - big sucker cleaning up the scraps. Wasn't his day! Last feeder is about 200 yards away from this one so eased my way up and several more under this one too. 2 definite hits out of the 3 or 4 there. I'm confident that 4 of them died. I'm even more confident it won't do anything to keep them off my feeders. On a more positive side, it doesn't seem they have acquired a taste for the protein pellets....yet. No corn on ground but some pellets. I decided to run these few feeders now until August/Sept for a couple of reasons: 1) assist the does and fawns while nursing, 2) promote antler growth and 3) attract deer until can get fall food plots established as this is new property for me. Anxious to get plots going!

Coon cuffs are very effective at catching coon. In order to see a real effect you really have to hammer them with the traps, it sometimes seems like fighting the tide. I started trapping about 5 year's ago specifically hoping to help the dropping turkey population.

So PushCo how many do you think you trapped over the last 5 years? I used a live trap at the feeder at my place that borders the lake. There were only a handful of times I didn't have one in the cage the next morning. After two months I got tired of relocating the Coons on some Corp land 10 miles away.

canepole, you didn't have a shovel closer than 10 miles away? :)

Someone running feeders 10 miles away... "F--K, where are all of these GD raccoons coming from?!" :)

My receipt from Skulls Unlimited shows I sold 189 coon, opossum, or skunk skulls this year ( they pay the same for those 3 so it doesn't show exactly how many coon). I didn't catch more the a half dozen or so skunks this year, and usually catch around 2 coons per opossum. So rough math around a 120 in 4 months of trapping. A lot of work but I believe I'm getting results. Rick I think I might be that guy 10 miles down, I swear I've had that same thought many times.

I'd take some of those poults if you could trap a few live! Our property is void of turkeys and I have a feeling all of those raccoons have some part in it. Looks like I need to go buy some more bullets!!

I'll have to hold on to my poults Russ my easterns wouldn't know what to do in Rio country anyway;). I've read a few studies on Turkey predation the only thing that has a greater effect on Turkey mortality, then ground nesting predators (coon, skunk, opossum, etc.), are birds of prey. 40 years ago everyone knew someone who owned coon dogs and hunted with them it was a huge past time around here. Now almost nobody does and the coon population exploded the Turkey population dropped, not that I think that's the only reason for the decline.

Russ and Embry, my feeder is in the back of my acre lot at the lake. Instead of shooting the Coons I'd just drop them off on the other side of the lake on my way out each morning. If I were to dispatch each one I caught, I would be digging a bunch of holes.

Russ and Embry, my feeder is in the back of my acre lot at the lake. Instead of shooting the Coons I'd just drop them off on the other side of the lake on my way out each morning. If I were to dispatch each one I caught, I would be digging a bunch of holes.

Canepole... Yea, I don’t blame you one bit. I’d have a hard time killing them anyways. I can kill stuff that I’m going to eat, but I’m a softy when it comes to killing other things. Well, except coyotes, I like killing them when given the opportunity. :)

Yes, lots of holes Canepole. That's kind of why I was hoping for alternate solutions. I went back out last night(2 hr drive) to check the feeders. All 3 had the chicken wire pulled back enough where one could climb in and turn the feeder. I patched all those but know it won't keep them out. Dispatched one that I caught inside the chicken wire. I saw a device online that fits inside your feeder covering up the hole at the bottom. You wire it into the feeder and it will open up the hole when the feeder goes off then closes after through spinning. BRILLIANT! Going to look into 3 of them.

Canepole just drop them off to me, I'll be sure they find a good home;).

Update: Last weekend I drove back out and removed all of the chicken wire as it was just giving them something to hold onto while doing their acrobatic maneuvers! Cut a 10' piece of 3" PVC into equal lengths and drilled a 1/8" hole on one side. Slid these over each of the conduit legs on the feeder and tied a wire from the PVC to the upper feeder leg where it's about 6-8" off the ground. 2 theories that I read: 1) the raccoons can't get their hands around a large diameter PVC like a 3/4-1" conduit and 2) the PVC should roll if trying to get a good grip on it and not perfectly balanced. All this said, I fully expect to have coon pics of one hanging off the feeder throwing corn to his buddies with one hand and flipping off my trail camera with the other!!

Likely another week before I can get back out. If they defeated the PVC, then both of those feeders will be empty this coming weekend.

Years back, I had pics of a coon hanging onto my feeder around the spin plate and a giant boar hog looking up at the coon. He was like... "Keep working buddy, you're doing a fine job." :)

Well, good news and bad news. Good first: both feeders I've been having coon issues with still had corn after 2 weeks! So, they aren't robbing them as much since I put on the PVC legs. Bad news: got some pics of the acrobat coon getting to the feed spinner and hanging onto the guard around it. But, was more difficult and thus not up there very often. One pic had a coon with a foot on the top of the PVC leg and he/she is stretched out hanging onto the feeder guard so still some work to be done. I think I need to move the PVC legs up higher/closer to the top of the feeder. Will make that adjustment in 2 weeks when back.

Forgot to add that 4 of them little buggers won't be eating corn anymore...willing to not kill more if they'll just eat the corn on the ground and NOT be hanging on the feeder! Hang on the feeder, get a .22 lr or two.

look at the all seasons feeders evolution motor. the plate on it fits up flush with the bottom of your feeder and then centrifugal force lowers it when it spins to throw corn. That way the coons can't reach in and get corn or spin the plate.

Thanks coach - will check those out. I hate shooting them - they're just being opportunistic and basically I'm allowing it by not using something like that. BUT, when there are 8-10 under the feeder, the deer are hesitant to go in for the corn. Coons don't seem to like the protein pellets so that's good.

Shame not many folks run hounds on them anymore. Always loved listening to the dogs work. Had a redbone that would make the woods echo!

distemper

Left for work yesterday morning had prob 15 coons all over my porch. Went back in and got something to get rid of them with. Thought i was going to be late for work and no way the boss is gonna belive i was held hostage by some coons.

Assuming it wasn't a broom to sweep off the porch, how many of them thieving bastards did you "get rid of"? If you get to missing them, I can bring a pickup load over!

I got at least three but could only confirm 1. Got wise this mornin and checked my camera before i stepped outside this allowed me to take my "broom" with me instead of me being surprised i was able to surprise them! Got three of the four this morning with three being confirmed. Left a mess i gotta mop up when i get home. Dont know why all a sudden they are on my porch like this.

Now thats good.

Now the coons are running as soon as the deer wheeze "alarm" and wave their flags on the way out. They used to stick around like "hey, where's everyone going, there's corn left" but no more. As expected, they mastered the PVC pipe trick. I've got some spike strips I may screw into the PVC just to make me feel better and maybe gouge one of them in the process! Honestly need to set out traps or my ground blind and get in about an hour before the feeder goes off...this has now become a hunting situation!! I was able to chase 1 down and she got tired so decided to take a nap. :)

Update: the coons have left for the most part. Why is that? I prepped my soil and planted along with spraying fertilizer 2 weeks ago. Checking SD cards from the weekend and very, very few pics of coons. NONE with the great Zambini hanging from the feeder and spinning out corn for his buddies down below. They were going through a 50 lb bag in a week and with the timer settings that should last closer to 3 weeks.

Are they still hitting your feeders? Just curious because it was spooky how they just left. Nothing on trail cameras to suggest predators(2 or 4 legged). Any ideas?

I have been thinking of trying to make a 50 gal barrel trap with a flapping lid that would come back up after coon fell in.You guys are lucky in Kansas we can't kill them until furbearer season.I trapped 13 last year and within a week there was at least 13 in a pic at one time

I can understand your frustration with the raccoons getting into your feeders. Have you considered using motion-activated sprinklers or lights? Raccoons are sensitive to motion, so having a sudden burst of water or bright light may startle them and keep them away. Another option could be to use this company, where I ordered mice pest control. They also help to deal with raccoons. Good luck!

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