ENVR Late night visitors

[TJA]

So, sitting here by the back window when I hear something scrambling around in the backyard. Sounded like whatever it was was messing around in my garden. We've got a rather small back yard, oddly shaped as well, figure the back fence is about 10' (perhaps a little less) from the window on this end of the yard. Anyway I toss open the back door and turn on the back light. The fence is a little bit further away from the door than it is from the window. Anyway sitting on top of the fence is a nice little family of raccoons. Mama 'coon is sitting right above my pole bean trellis and three young 'coons are over the squash bed. Going by the size of my cats I'd say the little ones were in the 10 to 15 pound area. I told them to get lost and with a few comments along the lines of 'keep going' they scrambled into the neighbors yard.

I just started getting some produce out of the garden, about a dozen string beans and a few radishes. Now I'm worried that I'm about to lose a bunch of stuff.

Anybody have any low cost raccoon repellent suggestions? I do have a have-a-heart trap but I suspect trapping and releasing them would be frowned upon. I also figure I probably wouldn't get them all anyway and I never thought it would be a good idea to go anywhere near wild raccoons.

 

[Hermit]

I think my brother used bowls of ammonia solution.

Maybe you could throw a handful of peanuts into your neighbor's yard to encourage them to stay there.

Or you could do what Dissimulo does with any raccoons that stray into his yard.

 

[Wise Owl]

I do have a have-a-heart trap but I suspect trapping and releasing them would be frowned upon. I also figure I probably wouldn't get them all anyway and I never thought it would be a good idea to go anywhere near wild raccoons

In "97 I caught 16 coons and relocated them all. Easy as pie. Just put a piece of fish or some fish flavored canned cat food in the havaheart trap...you will get them all. Just take them to the same area each time. they will find each other. You may even get a couple of the young ones at a time.
The biggest of the 16 was the last one caught. He weighed around 35 lbs.
Believe me, when you open the door the only thing they want to do is run away from you after being caged then put into a truck or car.....
I got two skunks that year too.......

Piece of cake.

If you are worried about being bitten then wrap the trap in some tarp and secure it somehow that won't set it off prematurely. I used a regular one tho with no problem. Just a lot of snarling when you go to pick up the cage....

Edited to add that this may take a few days. It took me over two weeks to catch them one at a time. Now if you could get a couple more traps you might get em all the first night.

The stinkier the bait the better.

 

[rafter]

I'll trade you the bear we've been having visiting us every night for the past 3 weeks for your coons....

 

[night driver]

1) Mothballs along the top and bottom of the fence...

2) Eat a LARGE steak dinner the night before. When you rise for the first bathroom visit of the morning, either step outside and use the fence, or use a jar and THEN use the fence....

The steak dinner is part of the key so you have the carnivore smell.....

 

[Nuthatch]

Trapping and relocating them just creates a nuisance for someone else. I can guarantee if you relocate a coon in my area I will kill it if my dogs don't first.

Females start to mate at about 10 months with a gestation period of about 2 and a half months. They multiply quickly.

 

[Mary]

Okay, I know less than nothing about gardening. With that said, I heard that planting garlic, scallions, etc. all around the perimeter of your garden will keep them away. (Although the pee thing is good too )


Mary (no garden, no lamb)

-

 

[dissimulo]

Or you could do what Dissimulo does with any raccoons that stray into his yard.

Yeah, I used to get frustrated with the raccoons. Now I just get hungry.

Mama 'coon is sitting right above my pole bean trellis and three young 'coons are over the squash bed.

Mmmm. Raccoon with squash and beans.

 

[Dennis Olson]

In the city - call animal control.

In the country, a .22 rifle.

 

[theoutlands]

In the city - a .22 with CBee Caps or powderless Aguila rounds (virtually silent shots) OR a really good pellet rifle

 

[Nuthatch]

Mary---serious fences (including over the top), dogs and death are about the only permanent solution.

 

[Imaginethat!]

squash, coon, beans, garlic and onions, sounds like a tasty stew!! LOL!!

Seriously, be informed about your racoons. In my area there was a rabid coon found two blocks over.

Glad we don't have to deal with bears yet.

 

[dirtdigger]

We get a trap from the Coon Hunters Club. We bait it and wait. Works every time. Then we call one of the coon hunters and he comes and picks it up and takes it away to an area where they do their coon hunting.......it's a guy thing.

 

[Taz]

Friend in Maine has large garden right out at the edge of hay field. Every morning and every evening and anytime they are out working in the area, her husband and two sons pee on the corners of the garden and then start working their way along the parimeter. It works. No deer, coons, rabbits, etc. I have bears. Thats why I had a 6ft wood fence built around the back yard. Tore up a chicken house of neighbors and killed 27 hens. Didn't eat any and didn't carry any off.
My surragate son just left for a place across the the runway. People just moved in and the reeds had grown up around the edge of the lake. They were in the back yard when a 'gator came lunging out after their small dog. My son went over with his big Kabota and bush hog. Also had a knife on his belt, a cattle prod and a sawed off shotgun. I think I might take my camera and go over and see how the mowing is going. Always something.

 

[Amazed]

My problem is wild turkeys. There were 18 of them here in the early spring and now they've had babies.

 

[compchyk]

good animal repellent

cayenne pepper ......... alot of it....... HD sells it in a wax solution just spray on the plants...

Animal says yuck and goes away
you're still organic

The Compchyk

 

[Nuthatch]

Been there, done that w/cayenne pepper, urine (many kinds), soap, perfume, noise makers, shiny objects.....ineffective.

Of course, where I live is great habitat. The price you pay is sharing part of the harvest with those you can never catch.

 

[clem]

Crossbow!