# Raccoon under my deck



## Birdie Golf (Jan 14, 2013)

anybody have any tips on getting rid of 2 raccoon that are living under my deck, there is only a one foot gap from ground to deck so getting anything under there would be difficult....ive blocked the entry ways that they make and they just keep making new ones, the deck is 30x20 so they have plenty of new spots to keep entering, also i have a trap but i think one is maybe the mother and the other is a baby (not small) and ive tried putting the trap out but stopped because i dont wanna trap one and not the other.....any ideas would be greatly appreciated, next stop is calling a service. thanks


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## EatenByLimestone (Jan 14, 2013)

foothold or conibear. You have the entrance/exit so trapping should be easy. If you live in an urban area, go with the foothold. If you are rural, a 220 conibear will work wonders on coon.  Check your state trapping laws and make sure you aren't in an area where you could trap a neighbor's dog by accident.

Matt


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## yooperdave (Jan 14, 2013)

You know, if you trap only one, whats the big deal?  Just release (or...) it wherever and then reset the trap for the other.   Chances are, it will have moved on anyway.  Good luck-hope there is no damage from them.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Jan 14, 2013)

Large havahart with marshmallows or molasses smeared on the treadle, canned cat food and a can of sardines that has been punctured and exposed to heat for a couple of days. Place the trap in their normal walking path and stake it down.

Followed by an all expenses paid stay at the dirt nap hotel.


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## BrotherBart (Jan 14, 2013)

Coons here open a Hav-A-Hart like it has swinging doors.


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## SmokeyTheBear (Jan 14, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Coons here open a Hav-A-Hart like it has swinging doors.


 
Depends upon which trap you use and how well you have it prepared and how large the raccoons are.

The last one to challenge mine found out what all the other unwanted animals that went in discovered.  No exit.  Looked rather befuddled, I believe it became coyote food in short order.


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## osagebow (Jan 14, 2013)

BrotherBart said:


> Coons here open a Hav-A-Hart like it has swinging doors.


 

Ah yes...remember the urban ones from Pittsburgh walking right up to me on garbage night several times. Looked like they should be ominously smoking cigarettes, very hard to catch. The rube ones here on the mountain are a lot easier to get.

Momma will boot any yearlings out in the spring, so little man's gonna be flying solo soon anyway, he should be Ok


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## heat seeker (Jan 14, 2013)

Dump a bunch of mothballs and/or ammonia in there.


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## Butcher (Jan 15, 2013)

Golden marlen fly bait mixed 1:1 with cola. 2 sips and they tip over within seconds.


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## Birdie Golf (Jan 15, 2013)

thanks for all the ideas....one other thought some of you might have the answer to, im planning on taking the old deck down and building a new one come spring, if i was to take down the existing deck now obviously the coons would relocate, but is 2 months time enough to where they found a new home and wont come back, also am i at risk when taking this deck apart and they are under there, any encounter i had with them they run away quickly so is that pretty much what they will do in the daytime during demolition?...thanks


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## SmokeyTheBear (Jan 15, 2013)

If they aren't sick and you stay away from their latrine areas (raccoon round worm) they are likely to leave while you do the demo, they get feisty when cornered or sick (you do not want to deal with a cornered or sick raccoon).


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## Birdie Golf (Jan 15, 2013)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> If they aren't sick and you stay away from their latrine areas (raccoon round worm) they are likely to leave while you do the demo, they get feisty when cornered or sick (you do not want to deal with a cornered or sick raccoon).


thx smokey........will be sure to be aware of them for sure


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## lukem (Jan 15, 2013)

Live trap baited with marshmallows and/or grape kool-aid powder. After you catch one, kill it. Don't relocate it because it will just die anyway or become someone else's problem.

Don't poison it because you could accidentally get a cat or dog or kid.


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## Gary_602z (Jan 15, 2013)

lukem said:


> After you catch one, kill it. Don't relocate it because it will just die anyway


 
?? Never heard of that one? I can see a young one not surviving early in the year!

Gary


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## SmokeyTheBear (Jan 15, 2013)

Gary_602z said:


> ?? Never heard of that one? I can see a young one not surviving early in the year!
> 
> Gary


 
It is rare for relocated animals to survive because they are not familiar with their new digs this includes food supply and/or it is already some other animals territory and they will be in for a fight or they will pick up from or transport disease into the new area.

Also a trapped animal that is a predator is likely to cause other people trouble and be trap shy.

And just to add icing on the cake it is illegal in almost every state for you to relocate or even transport any wild animal (alive or dead) without a permit.


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## Birdie Golf (Jan 15, 2013)

all great ideas guys thanks, think im gonna demo the deck now for a rebuild in spring and let them relocate on their own


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## Gary_602z (Jan 15, 2013)

SmokeyTheBear said:


> It is rare for relocated animals to survive because they are not familiar with their new digs this includes food supply and/or it is already some other animals territory and they will be in for a fight or they will pick up from or transport disease into the new area.
> 
> Also a trapped animal that is a predator is likely to cause other people trouble and be trap shy.
> 
> And just to add icing on the cake it is illegal in almost every state for you to relocate or even transport any wild animal (alive or dead) without a permit.


 
In real life a relocated adult racoon will survive. Young uns not so much. As for cake icing that is all it is! 

Gary


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## SmokeyTheBear (Jan 16, 2013)

Gary_602z said:


> Snip ... As for cake icing that is all it is!
> 
> Gary


 
Not with my luck, someone from the Warden Service or a Ranger would just happen by at the moment the animal was placed in the vehicle and slap the cuffs on this critter and boot my sorry Bear rump through the door at the big house.

Hey, then I could hibernate  .


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## Birdie Golf (Jan 17, 2013)

started the demo today, ran a saw over the deck boards so i wouldnt have to pull up 20 ft planks and also to make some racket to scare aware the critters.....well, all the careful planning led to them not even being there this morning, i saw them leave up the yard last night but no return, nice surprise they'll have when they do come back hahaha....thx again everyone for the ideas


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## HeatsTwice (Jan 19, 2013)

I've had the same problem with racoons under my deck. What works very well for me is to drop a road flare under there (some place where it won't torch the deck). It turns the entire area under the deck into a giant gas chamber and they run out and don't come back. But to be on the safe side, every other week for about a month, I drop another one down there. Since the smell hangs around for a long time after (many days) anytime one gets under there and picks up a wiff, they are outa there.

If you are familiar with those "goffer gas bombs" you light, put in goffer holes and cover the entrance. The stuff in road flares creates the same toxic gas at a fraction of the cost and burn far longer.

The only thing is now they hang out someplace else on the property. I've caught an relocated 9 coons in the past year. We live next to a state park, I drive them over there and drop them off.

Btw, many people consider racoon a delicacy. I havn't the heart to cook one up but I swear that I would be eat'n pretty well if I ever decided to. Evidently it tasts better than tender lamb shanks (which are expensive!).

http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/264/Barbecue_Raccoon9749.shtml


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## Freeheat (Jan 19, 2013)

Mothballs works well I had them under my shed and I live in the city so they relocated to someone else  shed


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## HeatsTwice (Jan 19, 2013)

Another interesting fact about racoons is that they are indigenouse to the U.S. but Germany has a real infestation of them. In the 1890s a german fellow brought a few back to his hunting property for his guests to hunt for fun. Now they are everywhere. The Germans call them _Waschbär meaning _‘Washing bear’. I guess because they are always washing their hands in any pools of water they find.


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## Birdie Golf (Jan 20, 2013)

HeatsTwice said:


> I've had the same problem with racoons under my deck. What works very well for me is to drop a road flare under there (some place where it won't torch the deck). It turns the entire area under the deck into a giant gas chamber and they run out and don't come back. But to be on the safe side, every other week for about a month, I drop another one down there. Since the smell hangs around for a long time after (many days) anytime one gets under there and picks up a wiff, they are outa there.
> 
> If you are familiar with those "goffer gas bombs" you light, put in goffer holes and cover the entrance. The stuff in road flares creates the same toxic gas at a fraction of the cost and burn far longer.
> 
> ...


thank you for the road flare idea....i'll be sure to keep one around for when the new deck goes up in case they wanna try this again


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## bluedogz (Jan 22, 2013)

Another cheap solution is cat poop... scoop out the cat box and throw a few clumps under there.  Gets ridda the gofers too.  Apparently smells like a predator so they vacate.

That's what the  Mrs. tells me, anyway.


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