raccoon skunk updates

Ditch-Runner

 about a week ago my wife lost a duck to a raccoon my guess.  next night  I  watched if the democrats  I mean raccoons showed up  saw three of them but they  took off when they seen me 
       so I waited a hour or so  I went back out two were in one of the sheds we store the chicken feed in , range of two feet or so in front of my 22 pistol stopped and looked at me dead on in the eyes  ,  and waited on the flashes the third  who was not there at the time  , well I  call it  lucky because I set a live trap for him . the first two did not survive the encounter . the third one I caught and hauled off a few miles away and let lucky go   
 any way my oldest son said he saw a raccoon run behind the pole barn last night 
 so I move the live trap over toss in a few marshmallows  . 
 I went back out a few hours later . trap was sprung,,    oh crap one of our local skunks was in it 
      lucky for me it was one that was some what use to me  and we have shared the same space many times but I was a bit nervous so I started talking in a calm voice like I do to them, I  slowly got close and released the latch and opened the door all the time talking to it  hoping it was not too scared or got too excited . any way it hesitated a bit then walked on out and on its way 
  so far my not being sprayed has held out .
 I have never had a skunk go after a marshmallow before raccoons love them 
 so tonight I reset the trap and moved it up  to a place the raccoon has to climb , as best I can tell and heard skunks will not climb 
so not wait and see 
 if I catch the raccoon we will make a trip a few miles away  if not and he keeps avoiding getting caught he may fall victim to a 22  

bustedknee

You should have moved the stinky egg-sucker while you had him.

I shot a big raccoon (I can't believe * was censored - snowflakes in charge) one night in the yard then disposed of it.  My wife said, "Now that you have killed the mommy you will have to feed the babies!"

Next night I saw the babies with their mom.  Lucky for me I got the dad.

Next time I won't tell her.

spasmcreeksrun

neighbor game warden used to trap skunks all the time for the hides and scent.....fixed up a syringe on a long piece of plastic pipe and a smaller pipe to push the plunger ....skunk in live trap he would slowly/quietly work his way up and quietly stick the skunk and inject acetone.....skunk DRT no spray........he milked out the scent and had a big plastic cola bottle full of that scent and sell it to a perfume company...they took the smell out and used the base chemical for a perfume base...he got about $400 a bottle   ????? not me  

bpost

The Racoon you dropped off will be back.  I just got another one this morning in the arm trap loaded with marshmallows.

jimdeere

“... opened the door all the time talking to it  hoping it was not too scared or got too excited .”

What did you say to it?

chiefr

bpost said:

The Racoon you dropped off will be back.  I just got another one this morning in the arm trap loaded with marshmallows.

Yep, I learned that lesson years ago. Over 10 miles away and across the Arkansas river and came back. No more Mr nice guy with me and the co oons. Most destructive pests around here. 

TrinityScrimshaw

An easy way to get rid of a skunk that is in a Have-a-heart trap is to keep a rope about 6' long tied to the handle.  When you catch one calmly walk up to the trap & drop an old blanket over the trap.  Wait a few minutes for the skunk to get used to being in the dark.  Pick up the trap by the handle, keeping the blanket over it.  Take the trap to the nearest body of water, and holding onto the the rope, drop the cage into the water submerging the entire trap.  Wait for about five minutes, pull the trap up, and discard the dead skunk.

Trinity +++

mrmike08075

Well sure enough raccoon and skunk lives don't matter here...

Chucks and stoats neither I imagine...

Mike

Butchdog2

Traps going out tomorrow, grapes beginning to ripen. Hicoons will eat them half green.

They will be taken afield.

Ditch-Runner

  I just came back in I reset the live trap earlier  hoping for the raccoon but forgot to set the trap up higher I left it on the ground again with marshmallows sure enough one of  "My skunks" as my wife and sons call them  LOL was in the trap 
     so same as last time walked up slow talking and moving slow opened the latch and then then the door it took a minute or so looked around then  walked on out and on its way no sigh of aggression or tail raising  
     I moved the trap up higher the raccoons will climb the skunks are ground only no climbing ( at least I have never seen them climb on any thing even to get food ) 

Toolman286

So Trinity, what you're really saying is that you should Baptize the skunk or raccoon.

yoshmyster

Kind a like the cops in California "catch and release".

$400 for a 2 liter of skunk juice? Unless a dead skunk can fill a cup at a time and not a cap a squirt it ain't worth the trouble.

As for the acetone injection. Here in California one has to give name and phone number (if I remember correctly) at the feed store for a needle. But one can get handfuls for smack/meth no questions asked.

asop

Wouldn't it be great if there was a good  recipe out there for cooon . Tried it one time and probably the worst thing I've ever tasted

BikerBob

Yes Asop, me too. I’ve tried BBQ raccoon ONCE! And that was 30+ years ago, doubt it’s improved.

bpost

I caught a HUGE male this morning.  He had both arms in the arm traps and was not happy.  He made a fine meal for the buzzards this evening.  I have been feeding them Racoon meat quite often for the past several days.  This feller chewed through a 5/4" floor board awaiting my arrival, he got about 1/3 of it gone. 

The explosion in Racoon populations is directly related to easy food availability coupled with the huge drop in fur prices across the globe.  Our rural, suburban and city life styles plus living arrangements give these powerful destructive critters almost unlimited food sources for their consumption.  They are increasing in numbers quickly, we will pay the price for this change.

Ditch-Runner

 my youngest son told me around us the "group " club or company depending on what you want to call them they went around about ten years ago ( ball park guess ) and bought hunting rights for deer on every piece of land they could and charge for a hunting guide and trip . they will not allow any local hunters back in the woods any more to keep other animals in check so raccoons have flourished  

      side note I worked with a great fellow he is  local small time farmer and loved to hunt and trap more then most I have ever met 
  they ( hunt group ) lured him to work for them as a  local guide , seemed like a dream part time job , it did not last long and he got the boot ,
 other co-workers who live around us  told me they used him as he knew all the local places  and land owners to help get there foot in the door thru him , sadly once they got the contracts signed , my buddy was tossed out in favor of there "professional guides " I am sure he felt cheated but I never brought it up