Death to all Raccoons

[Lazyfaire]

My wife's cousin used to cut off the coon's tail and turn them in for a bounty from the state. Saw a roadkill and stopped to take the tail. While he doing that deed in front of his car the car was hit from behind and into him. Spent like 4-6 months in traction.

I think the bounty was like $4.......

 

[Flopsweat]

coons, like possums, are harder to kill than you would think. For the possums it is because they are too dumb to know they are supposed to be dead, for the coons I am pretty sure it is just pure malicious spite.

... I suddenly realize why my wife wants a coon as a pet. It is her spirit animal.

That and they both produce some of the smelliest poo in the entire animal kingdom. I'm not sure what that smell is. Maybe it's hate.

 

[rjmt]

was out enjoying the Grapes of Napa on my porch tonight
heard the geese screaming in the yard
stood up off my chair on the porch and observed a raccoon in the geese yard - it wasn't stalking them, just in their yard
so I turn and open the door to the house and call for Tato, our Coon Hound - he's only 1 year old, but weighs 90 LBS
he ran out and I opened the gate - the coon and him locked eyes - his brain fried and the coon ran for the Big Leaf Maple tree
a raccoon can run, but not near as fast as a coon hound
he ran across the goose yard, bounded into the air and came down on the coon with 90 lbs behind his front paws - and coon hounds ave VERY BIG paws
I don't know if he broke the coons back, but he flattened it, then grabbed it by the neck and shook it, body slammed it several times and shook it again
then he walked back up to the house with the coon in his mouth, his tail wagging, with that look - LOOK WHAT I GOT - LOOK WHAT I GOT
I weighed one of the coons I shot several years ago and it weighed in at 30 lbs
so I made him drop the coon and took him back inside
took a compost fork and threw the coon over the fence - will take the tractor and dump it in the forest in the morning
now - back to enjoying the Grapes of Napa

 

[Camelfilter]

Odd behavior for a raccoon, is your hound up to date on rabies?

 

[rjmt]

Odd behavior for a raccoon, is your hound up to date on rabies?

we used to see raccoons all the time before we got the coon hound, including in the day time
hound is up to date on rabies, but i asked our local vet and they have not documented rabies in raccoons in Clark Co, Wa

 

[DirectDrive]

Watch out for Wolverines.
I haven't heard of any in SW WA, but there have been several sightings across the river recently.

 

[Alexx1401]

Odd behavior for a raccoon, is your hound up to date on rabies?

They are always looking for an easy meal. Rich soil will yield all kinds of food for them plus they go after eggs. If hungry enough one would take on a Goose but they will go for the easy meal first. No doubt that if it had not met up with the dog and it could not find eggs it may well have gone for a Goose. Have seen them take chickens before. The ones around my place seem to have learned after I killed one that was trying to get into the chickens yard. Its fenced all around so they can't climb over. The one was trying to dig under.

 

[Mikej]

was out enjoying the Grapes of Napa on my porch tonight
heard the geese screaming in the yard
stood up off my chair on the porch and observed a raccoon in the geese yard - it wasn't stalking them, just in their yard
so I turn and open the door to the house and call for Tato, our Coon Hound - he's only 1 year old, but weighs 90 LBS
he ran out and I opened the gate - the coon and him locked eyes - his brain fried and the coon ran for the Big Leaf Maple tree
a raccoon can run, but not near as fast as a coon hound
he ran across the goose yard, bounded into the air and came down on the coon with 90 lbs behind his front paws - and coon hounds ave VERY BIG paws
I don't know if he broke the coons back, but he flattened it, then grabbed it by the neck and shook it, body slammed it several times and shook it again
then he walked back up to the house with the coon in his mouth, his tail wagging, with that look - LOOK WHAT I GOT - LOOK WHAT I GOT
I weighed one of the coons I shot several years ago and it weighed in at 30 lbs
so I made him drop the coon and took him back inside
took a compost fork and threw the coon over the fence - will take the tractor and dump it in the forest in the morning
now - back to enjoying the Grapes of Napa

To have all that on video would be EPIC!

 

[Camelfilter]

They are always looking for an easy meal. Rich soil will yield all kinds of food for them plus they go after eggs. If hungry enough one would take on a Goose but they will go for the easy meal first. No doubt that if it had not met up with the dog and it could not find eggs it may well have gone for a Goose. Have seen them take chickens before. The ones around my place seem to have learned after I killed one that was trying to get into the chickens yard. Its fenced all around so they can't climb over. The one was trying to dig under.

Yah, but just sauntering in amongst the Ducks is kinda weird tho. Not stalking.

 

[Alexx1401]

Yah, but just sauntering in amongst the Ducks is kinda weird tho. Not stalking.

The ones I have seen take game for some reason never acted like a cat or dog. They would be wandering around sniffing the ground and rooting around looking for the grubs and worms they like. When they would grab something alive it was almost like they had no plan and just suddenly would grab one. It looked almost like the taking was an after thought. The one I shot because it was digging at the fence may well have just had the misfortune of digging for grubs and worms right at the fence. They are odd critters to watch. Often they will tear up large sections of grass out here looking for the food just under it. Often looks almost like a damn hog has been out there rooting around.
Back where we used to live I used to feed a bunch of them. Our dogs would bark but had enough sense to give them a wide berth so it was fun. Then one morning I had just gotten home from work, was watching the pack out the back sliding door. Out of the blue one ran over and grabbed one of my dogs before she could get away. Hooked her in the hind leg. First thing that came to my hand was my Maglight. I ran out and started beating the damn Racoon on the head thinking surely I was going to be going for Rabies shots that day. I was sure the damn thing would let go of the dog and bite me. The Coon kept trying to get away from me and tugging the dog in a circle with claws sunk into the dog. After several hits dog got free and dog ran for the house as Racoon ran for the fence. I was shocked I had no wounds. The pack got the message as they stopped coming into our yard. Dog went to Vet of course and was fine. Our dogs already had the Vaccine as part of their normal Vet care. Poor dog had both puncture wounds in the hind leg and also got a good cut on her head. She was in such a panic to get back in the house she did not hit the dog door quite center and whacked her head good.

 

[rjmt]

They are always looking for an easy meal. Rich soil will yield all kinds of food for them plus they go after eggs. If hungry enough one would take on a Goose but they will go for the easy meal first. No doubt that if it had not met up with the dog and it could not find eggs it may well have gone for a Goose. Have seen them take chickens before. The ones around my place seem to have learned after I killed one that was trying to get into the chickens yard. Its fenced all around so they can't climb over. The one was trying to dig under.

we have 20 goose eggs in 3 nest, that's' probably what attracted the coon
which reminds me, have to trow out goose eggs today

 

[OldBroad44]

Yah, but just sauntering in amongst the Ducks is kinda weird tho. Not stalking.

Geese, not ducks. Big geese. Coons do or don't take on geese depending on size of coon and size of geese. And behavior of geese. These are big geese.

 

[Alexx1401]

we have 20 goose eggs in 3 nest, that's' probably what attracted the coon
which reminds me, have to trow out goose eggs today

View attachment 1858748

Those would certainly attract them. When I used to feed them they loved cat food but often I would leave an egg or two in the yard and they loved them. Those size eggs would make a dandy meal for them.

 

[rjmt]

Geese, not ducks. Big geese. Coons do or don't take on geese depending on size of coon and size of geese. And behavior of geese. These are big geese.

we've lost 3 geese to raccoons over the years
usually they just take the head off and leave the body behind - kinda hard to haul a 25 lbs goose over a 4' fence
we built an extended coup for the geese at night from a Costco hoop garage reinforced with machine cloth
still have coons come into the yard at night, but they can't get into the coup
but now the coon hound goes out first, and I follow him with the rifle
my son takes the coon hound for a run into the Forest every day, so dog scent is all along the paths now
we only had mass intrusion with raccoons when we didn't have big farm dogs
my wife bought a couch sitting Pug dog once - the coons were bigger than him
no place for little dogs in the country - except to use as bait

 

[jbett98]

Raccoons will kill a chicken(s) just to eat their crop.

 

[Tlock]

Raccoons will kill a chicken(s) just to eat the their crop.

Crop? Please explain

 

[rjmt]

still trying to get rid of a couple mating pair of geese
I'm throwing out eggs every day
each female can lay up to 30 eggs per season

and a birds crop is a muscular bag in their digestive system where they store food

 

[lucusloc]

Crop? Please explain

The crop is where a bird stores food for pre-digestion. Since they do not chew in their mouth this is the place where food gets mechanically broken down. Not all birds have this, but birds that eat primarily seeds or are omnivores typically will.

 

[Bobbygun]

Crop? Please explain

Pretty simple really. The chickens love corn, so they plant a crop of corn. When it gets ripe, the coons move in and eat the corn.

You're welcome!

ETA: Don't pay any attention to @lucusloc. He made that up.

 

[rjmt]

Pretty simple really. The chickens love corn, so they plant a crop of corn. When it gets ripe, the coons move in and eat the corn.

You're welcome!

ETA: Don't pay any attention to @lucusloc. He made that up.

a fact - Stellar Jays DO plant corn, I see it every year
the Jays pick up the goose corn and carry it to recently cultivated earth, even pots
we have wild corn coming up all over the garden and garlic patch every year