Coon Hunting Info >> Coon Hunting Tips

Raccoon problems can become really annoying if you avoid them for a longer period of time. These animals can cause serious damage. In cities, raccoons usually damage buildings ( mostly roofs and attics ) as well as fruit trees, gardens, garbage cans, lawns and trash containers. Also, if they find pet food which is left outside, they will steal the food and attack the pets. In some occasions, these animals will establish a “communal toilet area” which in time will result in a deposition of a big number of scats.

In rural zones, raccoons usually get their meal from farm crops or raid poultry houses. These animals typically attack birds by biting their heads or in their neck zone. The heads of the animals which are bitten by raccoons are usually left at distance from the bodies. Nevertheless, raccoons are known to be serious wild bird killers. The latest reports indicate that these animals are responsible for eliminating some populations of the nesting waterfowl.

Due to the fact that the wildlife animals which roam free don’t receive any veterinary care, all these wildlife creatures can carry ( and in most cases they do ) diseases but also parasites. When it comes down to raccoons, they are known to carry rabies, canine distemper, tularemia, tuberculosis, mange, roundworms and many others. Also, these animals are infested with fleas, lice, ticks and mites which are well-known for transmitting a large number of diseases ( small children and pets are in danger by this ) .

As you can see, raccoons can and usually cause a lot of trouble so in order to avoid such problems there are a few ways to prevent them. Most of you know that raccoons are attracted to the urban zones due to the fact that they can easily find food, water and where to sleep. By reducing or eliminating all of the mentioned factors, it will encourage these animals to leave. Tight fitting lids should be kept on garbage cans; also, pets should be fed during the daylight hours ( so you won’t have the problem mentioned in the first paragraph ) and also any leftovers shouldn’t be left there, remove them instantly to avoid any problems; water bowls during the night should be emptied or taken inside; gardens must be frequently harvested and windfall fruit picked up. When it comes down to food, it should never be left out on purpose for the wild mammals.

A good way to exclude raccoons from buildings is to cover the foundation vents with metal vent covers; and for attic vents or chimneys it is advisable to use a ¼ inch grid screening. Most of the homes in United States have a pet door, be sure to lock it during the night so you won’t have any surprises. Raccoons are known to take up residence under a low deck. If you don’t want this to happen a wise decision would be to use a ¼ inch grid screening or if you don’t like this option you have the alternative of using solid metal flashing. Another delicate thing you have to take into consideration: before you seal the last entry point, make sure there are no animals trapped inside the house, double check to be sure.

The night before completing repairs the very first thing you should do is sprinkle flour at the entrance flour and in the morning, check for tracks. Do this for 3 consecutive nights; if you don’t find anything suspicious then there aren’t any animals inside. A solution for keeping raccoons away from roof areas is by trimming tree branches 10 feet ( approximately 3 meters ) from the roof and also by keeping climbing plants trimmed away from the roof and also the eave areas. To prevent any losses, the most effective method is to exclude raccoons from coops and poultry yards. During the night, the poultry is advisable to be kept in raccoon-proof houses. Ideally, the poultry should be confined day and also night in a solid house in combination with a predator-proof outdoor run area. This is ideal because it also provides protection from all predators.

In most of the cases, raccoons don’t break through walls that are intact and in perfect condition. They usually enter in open places or weak and loose, in other words, they don’t like to make any effort getting in, they prefer the easiest way available. To protect poultry from raccoons you should do the following things : first of all, you should cover the tops of outdoors runs with anything you could think of; for example with suitable paneling material. If you don’t find this practical then, during the night, you should shut the poultry indoors. The next thing you could do is that you should repair absolutely all the holes so the raccoons won’t barge in. Another thing you could do is check the ground edges of coop for tightness because raccoons will probably dig under the fencing or they might enlarge the existing spaces. Last but not least, birds housed in plastic should be kept inside raccoon-proof buildings during the night.

The usage of a dog can prove to be very affective in some cases but this isn’t advisable because raccoons are known to be very vicious. Another thing regarding prevention of damages, this time about the damages to lawns and turf damage, is that raccoons should be encouraged to leave by controlling the subsoil insects that raccoons usually eat.

If raccoons are so numerous that they have become a serious pest than it is highly indicated that they should be excluded or at least removed. Due to the fact that raccoons are classified as furbearers, a trapping license may be required before taking any of the animals. In the urban zones, the most effective way to eliminate raccoon problems is by trapping them with baited cage traps. To avoid trapping the neighborhood cats it is advisable to use fruits, raw eggs or berries instead of the regular meat. To increase your chances you might want to use a wadded up piece of aluminum foil, this will make them curios and raise your chances for success.

All in all, it is highly indicated that you shouldn’t ignore these animals because at a first glance they might look innocent but the damages they cause are very big so taking precaution measures will give you a good night sleep, without any headaches.

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