Racoon

[albertadave]

Posting for littlered

Littlered and the racoon he caught last week:

[lilsundance]

neet, where abouts did he catch it?

[Duk Dog]

neet, where abouts did he catch it?

I was wondering the same thing.

[littlered]

It was caught in a coyote snare SW of Red Deer.

[Duk Dog]

I think the few I've ever seen in Alberta are in the deep south part of the province. Sure don't see many around.

[sourdough doug]

An older gent, that I used to trap with, caught a racoon on his farm, north of Westlock , approx 5 yrs. ago.. He, too,caught it in a coyote snare..and if there was one there is prob. more of those pesky critters about. To bad they are not worth much at auction.

[Jamie]

Apparently they are here in Fish Creek. (South Calgary)
I haven't seen one, but they had pics at the last community meeting.

Jamie

[25-06rem.model700]

one was shot at west of phyllis lake by my house and one was shot just east of there in the 70s

[TreeGuy]

Nice coon Littlered, congrats.

I bumped into one about 10 days ago on an acerage 6 miles east of Crossfield. They are kicking around for sure. I like 'em.

I used to cut holes in the 5 gallon plastic pails so I could set a 220 in there with a can of sardines as bait. Worked good. My favourite way of catching them with a foothold (slide-line drowning set), was to simply put a trap in about 3-4" of water on a stream edge, and wrap the pan with tin foil. Curoisity killed the coon!:lol:

I eventually stopped targetting them due to crappy prices and the amount of work involved in getting a pelt properly prepared, kind of a pain.

Tree

[lilsundance]

about 1976 a school buddy killed one east of Vimy. All they knew was something kept stealing eggs from the chicken coop. One night they sat out waiting and when they saw something coming in the window of the coop they shot it. Turned out to be a Racoon. Surprised the heck out of them.

[mountainman elkohalic]

trapping this fall by carmangay i seen lots of coon tracks along the creeks but never did i set for them..

On time when i was out by coaldale by lethbridge moving some bails i came accross a litter of babies there was 6 of them but no parents. I just scooted them off to the side. I wish i had a camera that day it was cool. I even thought of keeping a couple cause they were so little, but never did now i look back and i should have would have been a cool pet.:p

[TreeGuy]

NOT a good pet. Been there done that and have the scars to prove it. Unless you can get one before their eyes are open, you're hooped. They are nasty little jerks even as babys. I am sure there are laws that concern that sort of thing also.

Tree

[willy]

We come accross the odd racoon shot a family of them a few yrs ago in our field. Then caught one sneaking into garage eating cat food used the skunk trap to catch it. Last spring found one in 1 of our steel bins musta climbed the ladder and fell in then when we sucked the grain out there he was not happy either trucker chased him outta bin with scoop shovel.

[AB2506]

My friend's uncle caught a raccoon on this trapline along the North Saskatchewan River north of Two Hills in about 1981. Until then I didn't know that they were in Alberta. I've since seen them as roadkill down in the Milk River area, and live, late at night in Lethbridge. They are now established in Calgary.

[chuck0039]

About four years ago was sitting having supper and could see the bird feeders along the tree line swaying. Turned on the million candle power flash light and was shocked to see that a coon was there trying to eat from the feeders. I had no idea that there were any coons in Alberta.
This was north of smith.

[Splitbrow]

For those who haven't seen these up before...from east of Mundare November 06'. Pesky bastards.

http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n213/sean_uphill/MSH2006001.jpg

[SakoAlberta]

I grew up in NS and used to trap and hunt 'coons. They frequently invaded our barns and gardens. They are very smart, very strong, easily adapt ti human habitation, and can get very large. Also, in the fall, they are 'on the move' and the number of roadkills can be many.

[KyleM]

There used to be a family of them at the Tim Hortons in Guelph, Ontario...you would come out with timbits and they would bug for them...eventually people would train them and a month later they were doing tricks :lol:

I have raised 12 coons in my life....they are neat little pets if you get them extremely young. We released them at the cottage when they got to be about 4 months old. We used to get them from the humane society.

[paillight]

seen a dead raccon east of leduc on the was to nisku on 814 any one seen it?

[gunslinger]

hey thats awosme, i woudl love to mount one of them little guys, my brotherinlaw lives out in surrey pei and he and his buddies hunt raccoons, says hes gonna take me out hunting them one time, ide love to hutn them , he says there tough to hunt. nice photos guys and congrats on a rare trophy

[catnthehat]

We discovered a 'coon , and another time a fox, hiding in the pipes and other cargo that trucks had brought from Ontario to the Suncor site.

Racoons are very interesting, but can be troublesome at times, dangerous at others, and simply dastardly most of the time!!
I hate the little buggers, they rob hen house, get into garbage, tear up hounds, and generally wreak havoc wherever they are found.
Cat

[packhuntr]

Kylem. You say youve raised afew, how long is their life expectancy?? There are getting to be more and more around all the time in this country, though i remember seeing coon tracks on the Red Deer River growing up as a kid fishing and hunting down there. Thats pushing over 20 years ago. I dont know much about them. Are they a clean animal to have as a pet? I will likely never have one, and dont know if i would want to, just curious to know abit about them, they are sure nocturnal/crafty little buggers.

keep a strain on er.

[Islander]

I'm moving back to Vancouver Island in the fall, and I think I may try hunting them out there. Killed lots growing up out there, when they tried to eat our chickens and turkeys. I've been looking at a website for a Nebraska company called Minaska Outdoors. They sell raccoon distress cds for about $15. Seeing as e-calling is legal in BC, my plan is to bring a small stereo with me down to the creek bottoms, and try to bag some with the bow. On a video I've got, there is some scenes of coons completely attacking the e-caller in broad daylight. Looks like it could be a blast.

[KyleM]

The ones I have raised already had their eyes open and they were easy enough...just make sure you get to them extremely young.
The youngins are probably the coolest pet you could have.
They climb up your leg and fish shiney objects from your pockets...lighters, coins, wrappers, they love to use their hands.

Grapes are cool to feed them, most of the babies will peel the grape with their claws. I used to take them down to the river and they would fish for crayfish, minnows. They are very entertaining creatures.

However, they do reach a certain age when you cant handle them.
After 4-6 months you cant pick them up, I could pet them and the odd time if I offered a treat but other then that I stayed away.

I remember back in the day we released a single infant at the cottage at about 6 months of age. We called him Roofus....that bugger came back probably 4 years in a row and the laughs were neverending.
That SOB would steal food from bears and foxes, he was like a cartoon character. He would come in the boat at about 3 years of age and I could feed him perch but he had his side of the boat and I had mine....he would wait at the dock at about 5AM for me to come down.


Anyways, they can get messy and they are just like kids.
They always needs attention when theyre young (yes, eventhrough the night).

[High_N_Wide]

As was said earlier there are lots down east.

However last year coming back form High Level there was one hit on the side of the road. I actually stopped and turned around to make sure it was what I thought it was. They are around they just want you to know they are.

[Copidosoma]

As was said earlier there are lots down east.

However last year coming back form High Level there was one hit on the side of the road. I actually stopped and turned around to make sure it was what I thought it was. They are around they just want you to know they are.

Believable. There is evidence of them in areas that would probably surprise some people (as if High level isn't surprising enough).

[SouthAltaHunter]

Shot this coon 2 falls ago at my wifes Mom & Dads ranch near Cypress Hills. Lots of Coons around there. Accually got 6 one evening, yah they can be a pest, seemed like when the Coons where in the yard lots the cats went missing, not sure if they kill animals and eat meat. But they did raid there garden pretty bad one summer.

[BUD]

neet, where abouts did he catch it?

By the hind leg , by the looks of the pic, haaaaa.

[Nationwide]

By the hind leg , by the looks of the pic, haaaaa.
Haaaa BUD made a FUNNY :lol: :lol: now where can i gat a coon hat cheap.:lol: :cool:

[BUD]

Haaaa BUD made a FUNNY :lol: :lol: now where can i gat a coon hat cheap.:lol: :cool:

At the coon hat thrift store wher l got mine.

[Pioneer2]

Seen one road killed near Slack Slough south of Red Deer and heard of another shot near Rocky.............Shot lots in Ont. as a kid.........Harold

[Nationwide]

At the coon hat thrift store wher l got mine.They ran out Now what Bud they dont have my size.:cry:

[BUD]

They ran out Now what Bud they dont have my size.:cry:

Dem da brakes

[BIG buck Barry]

Posting for littlered

Littlered and the racoon he caught last week:

I was up at calling lake on the weekend of March 15-16 and came across a dead racoon on the south shore while i was out sledding. I didn't think these guys could survive in this climate. Are they considred a pest because their is no mention of them in the trapping regs?

[sourdough doug]

They are indeed a pest but there are those who think they are cute..Just wait till they have them in their back yard. IMO, they should not even be taking up good space on western based trapping forum. Coons , however a a big item for those who trap in the US of A and maybe the eastern provs., where it doesn't get too cold for too long. There are not a lot of creatures I dislike but these come damn close as you can tell. Like the rats in Sask., don't let these "rats" get a foothold here. Furthermore they don't bring much money at the auction either. Sorry to say but they are in our back yard, it appears.
The thumbs down is not for you . . it's those critters again..

[Reeves1]

IMO, they should not even be taking up good space on western based trapping forum.

I respectfully disagree.
Coons need to be brought into the light, so people know how they'll change the ladscape in AB. The population expands, their area expands, and you'll see a dramatic change in all land nesting birds in any area Coons live and travel.
This highly adaptable critter has done & will do a tremendous amount of damage and in a fairly short period of time.

IMHO, they should be persued relentlessly.

[knight hunter]

Overgrown rats. Big or small-- kill'em all.

[DAVE]

We seen some up near st paul summer of 06 talked to F&W he said shoot every one we see they don't want them here have not seen any since

[sourdough doug]

Hi Reeves. I'm in complete agreement with you in regards to the type of critter they are and would like to see a bounty on them before they are allowed to become the problem they are everywhere else . If it weren't for the fact that they are basically nocturnal, more of them could be taken by gun. Finding a nest is like closing the gate, after the horse is gone.

[James M]

This thread is kind of old but I'll post my picture anyways. I shot this coon in '98. Caught it in a cagetrap then shot it with a 22. Anybody seeing any coons around Red Deer? I might try catching some more next winter.

http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa257/buckmaster1989/IMG_0245.jpg

[Reeves1]

Coons "sort of" hibernate. Best get at em now through to next winter.
Been thinking of going out soon for morels. Going to carry a .22 just in case I see any !

[dean1969]

I trapped raccoons in manitoba had good success using the 5gallon pail with a 220 conibear, someone else mentioned this on the forum, it was alot of fun back then enjoyed trapping them. Old abandoned homes next to water bodies make good raccoon habitat.

[East Coast Caper]

just got one tonight. Bugger has been raiding my bird feeders every night. I took the feeder down for three nights and just put it back up tonight. I happened to look out the window and saw the feeder falling to the ground. Ran and got the .22 and fired from the porch. hit him on the right side face on. The coon ran about ten feet and then turned back toward me. I had a 1 000 000 candlewatt light on its ass. it stood up on it's hind legs and began hissing at me. i could see it's teeth. i held my ground and the damn thing went back to the bird seed. I hit it again. This time in the left shoulder. it ran towards the woods and fell at about 10 meters. Still "barking" and hissing at me as i approached. One last shot... thing was tuff. I will post a picture tomorrow.

i am getting chicks next week so one possible problem has been eliminated. Now to get the weasel that i have been seeing....

[Islander]

Ahhhh, brings back memories of growing up on Vancouver Island..... They use to do a number on our ducks, chickens, and turkeys. Killed quite a few over the years, mostly in the live trap, sometimes at night with Mom or Dad holding the flashlight. They are tough indeed. 3 shots with the .22 and an 80 ft freefall and I still never found one. Good times...

[East Coast Caper]

sorry.. no pictures. something dragged it away thru the night. Most likely my neighbours dog. now there is another problem! a few weeks ago i watched this dog (yellow lab mix) chase a rabbit thru my back field. i have a hothouse and there is a space at the bottom of it that a rabbit can easily fit under. but not a 100lb yellow lab going full tilt. he just followed the rabbit and ran straight into the side of the hothouse. he hit it so hard that he fell on his ass. smart. hope he likes distemper :wave:

[YoungBuck]

during the middle of winter i found a dead racoon on the edge of calling lake(2 hours north of edmonton) i didn't know they could make it this far.

[FisherPotch]

I can confirm they are still coons kicking it on the NSR. I see tracks with some frequency. I have two friends with mounts, one shot on the NSR, two trapped on the NSR. Not sure how they trapped them though.

[Cabot]

These critters bring back a lot of memories.

I used to trap them in Québec growing up as a kid and part of my adulthood. Coons are part of the folklore over there and they are everywhere. Besides all of the problems they cause such as raiding the family chicken coupe and garbages at night, they also carry a variety of diseases that are harmful to humans and other wildlife alike; rabbies being the worst. They are a very social and family oriented kind of animal and will readily gather in one specific area to feed, thus, fighting amongst themselves and spreading the diseases even more. It is a major problem back East. I know that in parts of Québec, F&W fly over highly populated areas and drop pellets of food impregnated with the rabbies vaccine. Before they do this, they actually setup live traps (with the help of trappers) to check how many have rabbies and then they decide if it's worth dropping the vaccine from the air. Also, as someone mentioned, birds nesting pattern changes because of them.

All in all, if we let them establish a strong foothold in Alberta, we're in for a big and costly surprise. To me, they're just like coyotes, very adaptable and we'll never get rid of them if nothing is done to nip it in the *ss.

Never seen one where I live yet, but I'm sure they're here. Seen a dead one from a hunter while hunting antelope in 1994 in 102.

As everyone mention, kill'em all before they're too established.

Cabot.

[LacLaBicheNS]

I grew up in southern ont and you wouldn't beleive the problems they cause..

FULL of desease and rabbies.. I was told growing up that in my area almost half of the coons had rabbies.. and they were EVERYWHERE.. they lived in chimenys, sheds, wood piles etc.. my grandfather gave me a bucket full of old musket balls for my sling shot and told me to kill any I saw...

They used to walk rightup on our deck at night in ont.. even if our dogs were out.. one time our dog was bite by one and had to be put into quarenteen.. turned out the dog was ok..

anywho I shot a few two summers ago with a pellet gun of all things.. I waited till they were about 10 feet from me and shot them in the head..

if you see them shoot them..

and like someone said earlier they are viscous as adults..