# Racoon in my wood pile



## Fiziksgeek (Nov 22, 2012)

I have a cord+ stacked on my deck covered with a tarp. I move it up in the last month. A couple nights ago, the cat started going nuts at the door! Upon investigation, I found a friendly racoon. I banged on the door and he backed off a few feet. I cracked the door, and he ran up under the tarp covering my wood. This morning I went out. I hit the tarp with a broon stick, and once I convinced myself he wasn't there, I pulled back the tarp. Found a nice pile of racoon "gifts" in the middle of my stack. I am going to leave the tarp off for a while with the hopes of discouraging him to stay. Anything thing else you guys recommend?


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## Thistle (Nov 22, 2012)

Once in a while I see them or their tracks in backyard here in town.1/2 acre wooded lot with large old cottonwoods + other stuff behind apartment building 2 doors north of me.Old neighborhood with lots of mature trees.Long as they stay outta my garage I dont worry about it too much.

One evening June 2010 I seen a young one peeking out from behind one of my tarps.Wasnt even dark yet.It was pretty tame,didnt wait for me to finish putting cracked corn underneath the swing before it stayed close by to watch me.2 stacks have about a foot or so gap between them,covered with tarp.Pretty sure either an opossum or raccoon sleeps under there occasionally.Also the neighbor's cat when he spends most nights outside during spring,summer or early fall.


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## jatoxico (Nov 22, 2012)

I have not used this personally but I've heard some ammonia keeps them out of the garbage. Maybe some in a spray bottle will discourage them.


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## Uncle (Nov 22, 2012)

I has a similar problem. I had about twenty raccoon "gifts" on a roof. I figured he was climbling up a rose of shannon tree so I put a sling around it and used a come along to bend the tree away from the house. No luck she still kept coming back

If I were you I would move the wood pile. IIRC the poop can become toxic after it drys out.


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## WhitePine (Nov 22, 2012)

Uncle said:


> I has a similar problem. I had about twenty raccoon "gifts" on a roof. I figured he was climbling up a rose of shannon tree so I put a sling around it and used a come along to bend the tree away from the house. No luck she still kept coming back
> 
> If I were you I would move the wood pile. IIRC the poop can become toxic after it drys out.


 
Raccoon feces carry a deadly parasite.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baylisascaris

Take a flamethrower (weed burner) to any leavings. Otherwise, do everything you can to discourage raccoons around your property, especially if you have kids.


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## HDRock (Nov 22, 2012)

Raccoons come up to my back door to visit , all the time ,they only hang for a few minutes ,no problems ,never seen any feces


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## basod (Nov 22, 2012)

Apparently I have an undocumented Chipmunk in my stack behind the garage.
Noticed I didn't have as many Jalapenos as I normally get out of the garden.
Picked a few sticks out of the pile and I see something bright red - a hoard of my jalapenos ~40 of them tucked away for winter.
I wonder if it's droppings will be toxic?


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## WhitePine (Nov 22, 2012)

basod said:


> Apparently I have an undocumented Chipmunk in my stack behind the garage.
> 
> Noticed I didn't have as many Jalapenos as I normally get out of the garden.
> 
> ...


 
Chipmunks are on our side!


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## Tramontana (Nov 22, 2012)

My trouble are the dang red squirrels.  They've already chewed through three strings of Christmas lights, and I haven't even had the formal lighting ceremony yet.

Cheers, and good luck with the coon.


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## EatenByLimestone (Nov 22, 2012)

I took out 8 red squirrels on a 1 acre property this summer. They were way too many of them.  Half were with rat traps, half with a pellet gun.  The pellet gun was way more fun.  

I'd be taking care of that raccoon also.  There isn't anything good that can come of one that isn't afraid of people.  A 220 conibear in a bucket will make real quick work of him.  Make sure you check local regulations though.  Some have specific ways you have to set the conibear so that a domestic dog doesn't get his neck snapped in one.  

Matt


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## bogydave (Nov 22, 2012)

Daniel Boone comes to mind.
Coon skin cap 

When's trapping season?


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## Standingdead (Nov 22, 2012)

Raccoon ain't bad eatin


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## Backwoods Savage (Nov 22, 2012)

I have a .308 that works really nice and there are a few other tricks one can use. Some might frown on this but they quickly become so thick they are some of the worst pests we have. For those who grow any corn at all, they quickly learn to hate those critters. We dispose of 1-2 dozen of them every year and the neighbors do the same. Yes, there are that many around.

One of the worst things that happen are the idiots in towns who live trap them and bring them out to the country "where they won't do any harm." Of course with corn selling $7.00+ per bushel one can realize really quick what harm they can do. And on the feces, it can be one of the worst smells to get rid of. Rotten for sure.


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## DaveGunter (Nov 22, 2012)

Get





Fiziksgeek said:


> I have a cord+ stacked on my deck covered with a tarp. I move it up in the last month. A couple nights ago, the cat started going nuts at the door! Upon investigation, I found a friendly racoon. I banged on the door and he backed off a few feet. I cracked the door, and he ran up under the tarp covering my wood. This morning I went out. I hit the tarp with a broon stick, and once I convinced myself he wasn't there, I pulled back the tarp. Found a nice pile of racoon "gifts" in the middle of my stack. I am going to leave the tarp off for a while with the hopes of discouraging him to stay. Anything
> 
> Get a hound dog or two, the first thing mine do when I let them out is to go make a couple trips around the wood piles looking for critters, occasionally they will get one.  It's pretty fun to watch too.


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## EatenByLimestone (Nov 22, 2012)

Live trapping is an odd thing to get ones head around.  Why make it somebody elses problem?  I'd prefer not to deal with live trapped animals.  They all have teeth and I haven't met any too happy about being in a trap.  I bring a .22 when I check footholds.  I prefer a conibear.  

Matt


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## cptoneleg (Nov 22, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> I have a .308 that works really nice and there are a few other tricks one can use. Some might frown on this but they quickly become so thick they are some of the worst pests we have. For those who grow any corn at all, they quickly learn to hate those critters. We dispose of 1-2 dozen of them every year and the neighbors do the same. Yes, there are that many around.
> 
> One of the worst things that happen are the idiots in towns who live trap them and bring them out to the country "where they won't do any harm." Of course with corn selling $7.00+ per bushel one can realize really quick what harm they can do. And on the feces, it can be one of the worst smells to get rid of. Rotten for sure.


 

Dennis I had to read all of these post before someone said anything that makes any Cents'  Power to the Gun.


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## clemsonfor (Nov 22, 2012)

Uncle said:


> IIRC the poop can become toxic after it drys out.


 
I have seen this here and on other boards, what the heck does "IIRC" mean??


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## jatoxico (Nov 22, 2012)

Backwoods Savage said:


> I have a .308 that works really nice and there are a few other tricks one can use. Some might frown on this but they quickly become so thick *they are some of the worst pests* we have. For those who grow any corn at all, they quickly learn to hate those critters. We dispose of 1-2 dozen of them every year and the neighbors do the same. Yes, there are that many around.
> 
> One of the worst things that happen are the idiots in towns who live trap them and bring them out to the country "where they won't do any harm." Of course with corn selling $7.00+ per bushel one can realize really quick what harm they can do. And on the feces, it can be one of the worst smells to get rid of. Rotten for sure.


 
We have a dingbat around the corner that feeds them, people can be really dumb.


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## weatherguy (Nov 22, 2012)

clemsonfor said:


> I have seen this here and on other boards, what the heck does "IIRC" mean??


If I Remember Correctly


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## KaptJaq (Nov 22, 2012)

clemsonfor said:


> I have seen this here and on other boards, what the heck does "IIRC" mean??


 
If I recall correctly.


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## weatherguy (Nov 22, 2012)

basod said:


> Apparently I have an undocumented Chipmunk in my stack behind the garage.
> Noticed I didn't have as many Jalapenos as I normally get out of the garden.
> Picked a few sticks out of the pile and I see something bright red - a hoard of my jalapenos ~40 of them tucked away for winter.
> I wonder if it's droppings will be toxic?


 
If you see a chipmunk with flames coming out his azz, you know which one it is


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## BrotherBart (Nov 22, 2012)

I always worry about the woodpile cat. She doesn't know she isn't eight feet tall and bullet proof. But more than once I have seen her back down a coon while I was waiting patiently to shoot the damn thing if it took her on. Inside the tree line is her turf. No visitors allowed. They pretty much don't come around anymore.


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## weatherguy (Nov 22, 2012)

I had 5 possums on my deck the other night, turns out my wife left some cat food out by accident  She wont do that again, the next two nights they came back looking for their snack, I let my dog out and they scattered, she had one hanging from a skinny branch upside down with her barking up a storm, they havent been back since.


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## blacktail (Nov 23, 2012)

EatenByLimestone said:


> Live trapping is an odd thing to get ones head around. Why make it somebody elses problem? I'd prefer not to deal with live trapped animals. They all have teeth and I haven't met any too happy about being in a trap. I bring a .22 when I check footholds. I prefer a conibear.
> 
> Matt


 
A live trap lets you release the neighbor's cat unharmed. A .22 barrel will fit through the wire of the trap and make them easier to let out.


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## blacktail (Nov 23, 2012)

I used to have neighbors that fed the damn things. The racoons weren't afraid of people which made it easy to hit them with a shot of pepper spray when they came up on the porch.
In my new neighborhood, a .410 seems to be the deterrent of choice.


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## blades (Nov 23, 2012)

I use Air rifles .22 cal. 14 to 20+ grain pellets at 800-1000 fps. Head shots for coons ( they tough rascals) very little noise vs powder burners. CB longs in a .22 pistol ( single shot) are pretty quiet also good for 25 yards or so, again head shots.
Coyotes are becoming a bigger problem than the coons and chipmunks, and getting very bold, one by itself I do not worry much about,  but anything more is a problem requiring remediation.


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## ScotO (Nov 23, 2012)

Fiziksgeek said:


> I have a cord+ stacked on my deck covered with a tarp. I move it up in the last month. A couple nights ago, the cat started going nuts at the door! Upon investigation, I found a friendly racoon. I banged on the door and he backed off a few feet. I cracked the door, and he ran up under the tarp covering my wood. This morning I went out. I hit the tarp with a broon stick, and once I convinced myself he wasn't there, I pulled back the tarp. Found a nice pile of racoon "gifts" in the middle of my stack. I am going to leave the tarp off for a while with the hopes of discouraging him to stay. Anything thing else you guys recommend?
> 
> 
> View attachment 82109


 22 long rifle, hollow point.  The .17 HMR with ballistic tips make too much of a mess on the exit wound......


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## Fiziksgeek (Nov 23, 2012)

Well, I don't thiink they'll be any coon deaths in my yard. Pulled my wife's bird feeder in for a few days and left the tarp pulled back, didn' seen him last night, will keep it uncovered, except when expecting rain....I think he'll just move on...


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## Flatbedford (Nov 24, 2012)

Fiziksgeek said:


> Well, I don't thiink they'll be any coon deaths in my yard. Pulled my wife's bird feeder in for a few days and left the tarp pulled back, didn' seen him last night, will keep it uncovered, except when expecting rain....I think he'll just move on...


 
That sounds like the easiest solution. Hope it works out. There is one in my neighborhood that come through and knock over the trash cans every few weeks. I have been working on a better way to secure the can and may have out done him now. We'll see...


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