Raccoon Problem. Suggestions?

lutz40

Four Pointer
I have coons coming into my breezeway at night to get my cats food. Is it legal to trap and relocate raccoons in NC? If so, what are the chances they'll find their way back after you release them? Any suggestion on ways to get rid of them other than shooting them (I live in the city limits and can't discharge a firearm)?
 

sjoz

Four Pointer
If it was me, I would set out a have-a-heart trap and dispatch it with my pellet rifle since pellet guns aren't considered firearms. I hate turning my problem animals into someone else's problem.

Since you are in city limits, I would recommend calling animal control and ask them what your options are for dealing with nuisance animals. Most municipalities and counties have provisions and protocol for handling nuisance/dangerous wildlife. They may even trap it for you.
 

Eric Revo

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
You can't relocate any wild animal in NC...it's either call a professional, or get a damage permit and deal with killing them yourself without harming any of the warm and fuzzy's that are called pets by some folks.:rolleyes:
 

Castle Oak

Guest
Leaving food out 24/7 will likely cause you more problems than just raccoons. I would recommend feeding the cats once a day and then taking up the feed bowls.
 

Firefly

Old Mossy Horns
Leaving food out 24/7 will likely cause you more problems than just raccoons. I would recommend feeding the cats once a day and then taking up the feed bowls.

This...Don't leave the food bowl out with food in it, problem solved.
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
This...Don't leave the food bowl out with food in it, problem solved.

Bingo......

also you can relocate some animals(squirrels for example) but not raccoons. you must have landowners permission to relocate squirrels etc but relocating raccoons is a big no. Firefly's suggestion is the best. they wil not come around if there is nothing to eat.
 

lutz40

Four Pointer
I was told that animal control may euthanize my cat (which has kittens) if I call them out and they suspect that the cat and raccoons have been in contact with one another. You're right Castle Oak but I've done that and they were still coming in and treating themselves to H20.
 

lutz40

Four Pointer
I hate to do it since she's nursing but I should probably just go ahead and pull the water in too, huh?
 

Ldsoldier

Old Mossy Horns
Catch and release - just keep it to yourself. Stupid laws....

That "stupid law" helps keep stupid people from inadvertently spreading diseases, and helps keep :donk:donk:donk:donk:donk:donk:donks from making a their problem somebody else's.

That said, take in the cat food at night, problem solved.
 

country

Ten Pointer
That "stupid law" helps keep stupid people from inadvertently spreading diseases, and helps keep :donk:donk:donk:donk:donk:donk:donks from making a their problem somebody else's.

That said, take in the cat food at night, problem solved.
No one is recommending dumping a coon in someone's yard. No need killing a nuisance coon or paying someone to trap and relocate when you can do it yourself.
 

Ldsoldier

Old Mossy Horns
Except that's what you're doing when you move it. Either it winds up on somebody else's porch, it gets killed in a fight since you dumped it out in another coon's territory, or it gets hit on the highway making its way home. OR, you could just take the cat food in at night…

Did I mention fun stuff like rabies, distemper, feline leukemia…
 
Last edited:
No offense, but, that'd have to be a pretty darn fast shooting pellet rifle? Even then, It still wouldn't guarantee a clean kill, with such a small projectile. I just recently dispatched an Opossum for getting into our trash. I was using a rifle chambered for .22LR, and its till took 2 rounds to fully put it down. Mind you, they both were in vital areas of the animal and in quick succession. That just goes to show how tough some of these animals are. Personally, I wouldn't draw down on a Raccoon with a pellet gun and expect to kill it. Probably just make it mad. IMO, I wouldn't draw down on a Opossum with a pellet rifle with the intent to kill it and your average Raccoon is much larger than your average grinner. More fur and tissue. That's just not a good idea. At least to me, it doesn't sound like one.

If it was me, I would set out a have-a-heart trap and dispatch it with my pellet rifle since pellet guns aren't considered firearms. I hate turning my problem animals into someone else's problem.

Since you are in city limits, I would recommend calling animal control and ask them what your options are for dealing with nuisance animals. Most municipalities and counties have provisions and protocol for handling nuisance/dangerous wildlife. They may even trap it for you.
 
Last edited:

Zombie

Old Mossy Horns
No offense, but, that'd have to be a pretty darn fast shooting pellet rifle? Even then, It still wouldn't guarantee a clean kill, with such a small projectile. I just recently dispatched an Opossum for getting into our trash. I was using a rifle chambered for .22LR, and its till took 2 rounds to fully put it down. Mind you, they both were in vital areas of the animal and in quick succession. That just goes to show how tough some of these animals are. Personally, I wouldn't draw down on a Raccoon with a pellet gun and expect to kill it. Probably just make it mad.



Never met a opossum or coon that can take a .177 pellet moving at 1,000+fps to the brain(heart or lungs for that matter) and live. I don't think people give pellet rifles enough credit. They have came a long ways over the years.


If i could, i'd pop him with a high power pellet gun, or trap him and then pop him. But most of all, i'd put the food away. :p
 

nccatfisher

Old Mossy Horns
Contributor
No offense, but, that'd have to be a pretty darn fast shooting pellet rifle? Even then, It still wouldn't guarantee a clean kill, with such a small projectile. I just recently dispatched an Opossum for getting into our trash. I was using a rifle chambered for .22LR, and its till took 2 rounds to fully put it down. Mind you, they both were in vital areas of the animal and in quick succession. That just goes to show how tough some of these animals are. Personally, I wouldn't draw down on a Raccoon with a pellet gun and expect to kill it. Probably just make it mad. IMO, I wouldn't draw down on a Opossum with a pellet rifle with the intent to kill it and your average Raccoon is much larger than your average grinner. More fur and tissue. That's just not a good idea. At least to me, it doesn't sound like one.
If you would have placed the shot between the eyes or behind the ear it would have only taken one. Most any .22 or 25 cal. air rifle would handle a racoon albeit I prefer a rimfire on them myself.
 
Well, like I said, I wouldn't feel comfortable doing it. But hey, if you know you can do it, and you have the confidence in your equipment, go for it.

Never met a opossum or coon that can take a .177 pellet moving at 1,000+fps to the brain(heart or lungs for that matter) and live. I don't think people give pellet rifles enough credit. They have came a long ways over the years.


If i could, i'd pop him with a high power pellet gun, or trap him and then pop him. But most of all, i'd put the food away. :p
 
In that particular situation, the oppossum had its head down in the trash can, with its upper body exposed. I always aim for the brain, but If I had made a noise trying to get it to look up, I risked having it run away. So, I planted a round into its upper chest, right around where its heart/lungs would be. It then rose it's head up, possibly just out of reflex, it was most likely already dead, but just for good measure, I shot again, this time directly in the head. Like I said, the second shot was for "good measure". I absolutely can't stand opossums or raccoon's for that matter, but I still don't want to see an animal suffer.

If you would have placed the shot between the eyes or behind the ear it would have only taken one.
 
Last edited:
I fully agree with you there. If your gonna take an animals life, at least do it as humanely as possible. IMO watching a Raccoon riving around in a cage while it chokes to death on water is a really bad way to spend the day.

You might think so but have you ever almost drowned, its really a bad way to die, not a humane way to end anythings life IMO...
 
Last edited:
My advice, other than maybe not leaving the pet food outside, is to give these guys a call. Or a company like them. They have offices located in Hickory, which is right up the street from Newton. Good Luck.

http://www.aaanimalcontrol.com/professional-trapper/city/NC-Hickory.htm

I have coons coming into my breezeway at night to get my cats food. Is it legal to trap and relocate raccoons in NC? If so, what are the chances they'll find their way back after you release them? Any suggestion on ways to get rid of them other than shooting them (I live in the city limits and can't discharge a firearm)?
 
Well, after doing a little research, I need to take back what I said. There is no doubt that some of today's pellet rifles could do that. The way I feel is, if you have confidence you can do it, do it.

Nothing wrong with using a good quality air rifle. We're not talking red Ryder's here.
 
Top