# Some advice on a delicate situation...



## Anarius (Mar 8, 2008)

Hey, I have this raccoon in the machine shop at my parents ranch (its a old barn with a new floor) and there is a FAT raccoon living in the walls and eves, and he won't fall for any of my usual tricks, live-trap, bait, etc. I even had a professional pest removal agent give it a try.

I have go so far as to get on the top of another building and watch all night with some NOGs and I still couldn't get him.

BUT! If I go IN the shop the dumb-ass pokes his head up above the eves and stares at me!.

What I want to do is shoot his dumb-ass from the inside, and I need a round that will KILL the raccoon but not penetrate through him punch a hole in the roof.

Any Ideas? And no...I don't mind cleaning up the mess, so some kind of varmint exploder won't bother me a bit. I just want this bastard gone!

I intend to nail him with a .223 AR since thats the smallest bullet I have, but I also have 9mm, .45acp, 30-06 and 7mm-08 availabe to me.


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## Baldy (Jun 21, 2006)

You need a .22 of some kind but a .223 will go through him and the roof. We used nothing but .22's on them years ago because we wanted the hides. Good luck. :smt023


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

*Baldy*'s on the money. Use a .22 and hit him in the head. No overpenetration worries as long as you hit him.

Make sure this is legal first.


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Of course, if he falls backwards, and down inside the wall, you're gonna have quite a stink to deal with for a couple of weeks. Unless you want to take the wall apart...


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## Anarius (Mar 8, 2008)

Hmm. .22? Okay. I can probably barrow one. Any particular type? Minimag, LR, etc?

And he won't fall down. The wall is single pane, he just hinds in an area that is horizontal between the top of the wall and the roof.


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## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

Yep, a standard .22lr to the head should do it just fine. Goodluck!

-Jeff-


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## Snowman (Jan 2, 2007)

.22 mini mags work great, but any kind will do. Just make sure it's a hollowpoint.


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## Charlie (May 13, 2006)

.22 short will probably work fine from what you've described and less likely to penetrate walls, etc. A .22 Colibri (sp) might work. It is a 20 grain bullet propelled only by the primer. Very quiet at only about 400 fps +/-. Probably the short will work better. May be time to buy a new gun! A single shot bolt action will usually shoot all types of .22s (short, longs, and long rifles). Tood luck!

Edit: A good pump up pellet rifle might work.


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

Have you tried Peanut butter or Tuna as bait. We live trap problem ***** and haul them off a number of miles. When my dog trees them at night I have to take more drastic action to make the noise go away.

Tuna or PB in an open jar out in the open might get him to give you a shot outside. Take a PB jar (plastic) and poke holes in the bottom so you can wire it in position. Then use a shotgun with #6 or so shot.

Even .22's can travel long distances and irritate neighbors.

Good luck

:smt1099


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## Anarius (Mar 8, 2008)

I've tried PB and cat food, but not tuna. I'll swipe some of the cats dinner and try that first before I go beg a .22 off someone.

Neighboors? What are those? My parents don't have any on a 260 acre horse ranch...


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

Anarius said:


> I've tried PB and cat food, but not tuna. I'll swipe some of the cats dinner and try that first before I go beg a .22 off someone.
> 
> Neighboors? What are those? My parents don't have any on a 260 acre horse ranch...


.22 short and larger will go well beyond the limits of most 260 acre plots. I would have some concern for the horses within the 260 your parents own also.

1 square mile is 640 acres and a .22 long rifle projectile can go completely over without touchdown.

Stay reasonably safe.

:smt1099


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## JeffWard (Aug 24, 2007)

Have you tried 4-day old garbage?

That seems to be as atractive as anything to *****...

Reminds me of a funny story... Must have been 20 years ago, a gentleman of Arabic origin bought up a huge dairy farm near where I grew up in Upstate NY. He sold off all the cows, renovated the barns, refenced the whole thing, and started raising Arabian horses there. Gorgeous horses.

Anyway, a buddy of mine from high school was working part time at the local Agway feed and farm store. The horse farm's owner came in one day, complaining that the rats had gotten into his massive bins of horse feed, and were chewing up everything, crapping everywhere, spooking the hores... all this garbage. He was asking around in the Agway about poisons, and traps, and deterent systems... etc.

Well, this old dairy farmer, about 70, was sitting in the store passing time, talking with some of the other locals. Kinda the upstate New York version of the swankie couches at Starbucks... He overheard the question about the rats, and offered a free suggestion to the Arab, whos shirt was probably worth more than the old-timer's tractor. He said he's meet him there, at the horse farm in about 2 hrs, and his rat problem would be solved in a week.

2 hrs later, the old farmer came by with a big burlap sack tied in a knot in the bed of his truck. The Arab met him at the barn to see what the solution was. The old farmer tossed the sack on the floor of the barn, pulled out his jack knife, and opened up the side of the bag. Out came 3 or 4 hissing ratty old barn cats, who took off for opposite corners of the pristinely manicured horse barn...

"Rat problem solved"... said the old farmer, and got back in his truck.

This is an absolutely true story, and I think the guy actually chased down the old farmer as he was backing out... asking him what he was supposed to feed the damn cats????


JW


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## Steve M1911A1 (Feb 6, 2008)

Do not try a cat.
Raccoons eat cats.

Why not "adopt" the ****? Feed it dog food (the cheapest you can find), give it lots of water, and give it a way to get out and back in again.
My roommates and I adopted and kept a raccoon in our college dorm room (on the ground floor). It did get into everything, including being able to open a jar of peanut butter; but given a way to get outside, it was as clean as a cat.


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## hawcer (Feb 22, 2008)

Use .22lr Quik shok rounds.If it's above you,hit him under his jaw.If your looking straight at him,nail him between the eyes...I bet you wouldn't even get an exit wound.

WARNING! -- Body shots on a **** with a 22lr really pisses them off.


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## kenn (Dec 13, 2007)

hawcer said:


> WARNING! -- Body shots on a **** with a 22lr really pisses them off.


Why would you do body shots of a raccoon? Wouldn't the tequila soak into their fur?:anim_lol:


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## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

kenn said:


> Why would you do body shots of a raccoon? Wouldn't the tequila soak into their fur?:anim_lol:


Ha ha!! That made me laugh!


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## themayer78 (Jan 23, 2008)

LOL me too

I was a trapper for 2 years so I can imagine what your going thru. I would offer some advice but we had tricks of the trade readily available. If you can get a hold of a 220 Connibear and some heavy gauge 1/4" hardware cloth you can rig up a fool proof kill trap.

Good luck.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

Go get yourself a Browning or Ruger .22 pistol with a scope. Take it to the range and make sure it's sited in good and nail that sucker right tween the eyes. You'll nail two problems at once. A dead **** and a nice cheap to shoot plinker that will remind you of that Racoon story for a long long time.:watching:


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## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

I want pictures of that **** with a hole between the eyes!:smt071:anim_lol:

-Jeff-


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## Wandering Man (Jul 9, 2006)

Steve M1911A1 said:


> Do not try a cat.
> Raccoons eat cats.
> 
> Why not "adopt" the ****? Feed it dog food (the cheapest you can find), give it lots of water, and give it a way to get out and back in again.
> My roommates and I adopted and kept a raccoon in our college dorm room (on the ground floor). It did get into everything, including being able to open a jar of peanut butter; but given a way to get outside, it was as clean as a cat.


I used to catch ***** around my house with Dog food in the trap.

I started off catching possums & *****.

Then the cat population exploded, so I had to trap the cats.

When the rats started crawling around in my attic, I poisoned the rats, and then quit catching anything.

My ecosystem is now nicely back in balance: *****, possums, cats, and no rats (that I'm aware of - and that's the point).

I agree with Steve M1911A - Give him a name and be glad the rest of the vermin are under control.

WM


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## Anarius (Mar 8, 2008)

I can't risk letting him live. Raccoons carry all kinds of equine-killing diseases, plus hes been trashing the shop and one of the barns. Hes gotta go...If I could trap him I would do what I do with the others...drive 15 miles into state land, put the cage in a trash can (so he can't grab at me), and spin him around until hes drunk dizzy and let him go. I've only ever had one incorrigible **** who came back twice, and I voted him off the island from the roof tops.

I make sure I shoot DOWN on critters and have adequate back stop. The ground is REALLY wet here right now so ricochet should not be a problem.


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

They are all cute and cuddly on the cartoons and TV but them sucker are mean as hell in the wild. I want to see a pic of that sucker with three eyes like Beefybeefo was saying. I've worked in a few houses that have had this type of critter problem. The suckers leave skat everywere in the walls, attic, and crawl spaces which can't be healthy.


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## niadhf (Jan 20, 2008)

Well, I don't know about the bait being suggested on here, but around my place chickens are sure bait for raccoons.:smt076.
I tend to use the 16 gauge on them when i catch them. Works wonders at barn distances. Hell the shot is still in a wad when it hits um. Same with that darn egg sucking skunk (he didn't even have a chance to stink).
Course i need a new roof on my barn so i may be, um, a little less critical of it.:smt033
So get the .22 and a few chickens, put the chickens in the yard fenced in, and wait till about 2 am. That seems to be the case around here.

Hawcer, you think boddy shots with 22lr makes um made, You should see what hitting them about the head and shoulders with a shelaighleh does. I had to pull fur out of it the next day. (no time to grab a gun that night).:numbchuck:


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## hawcer (Feb 22, 2008)

It'll come out for sure with a live chicken....then hit it with a 12 gauge.If you happen to hit the chicken too,that's called dinner! 

Edit:


> I intend to nail him with a .223 AR since thats the smallest bullet I have, but I also have 9mm, .45acp, 30-06 and 7mm-08 availabe to me.


Since this is your selection of weapons to use (on hand).Maybe the 9mm with a good hollow point would do the trick.
I remember shooting a **** that was getting into my garbage cans with a 38 special....all I heard was a "BANG" followed closely by a "***" .The **** rolled a few times down the drive way ,growled and ran off.

***** have very thick ,loose skin...you my not get an exit wound with a light weight 9mm hollow point....but it should be enough to take it down at close range.Just a thought...


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## submoa (Dec 16, 2007)

Repost. Saw Elmer Fudd with same rodent prob on Bugs Bunny


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## Mike Barham (Mar 30, 2006)

Heh, we all sure like to debate things into the dirt! All this talk about a chore that, in the not so distant past, was routinely taken care of by the household's 12-year-old boy and his standard issue .22 rifle or single-shot 20 gauge. :mrgreen:


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## niadhf (Jan 20, 2008)

Mike Barham said:


> Heh, we all sure like to debate things into the dirt! All this talk about a chore that, in the not so distant past, was routinely taken care of by the household's 12-year-old boy and his standard issue .22 rifle or single-shot 20 gauge. :mrgreen:


and then served with the squirrel or rabbit in a stew.


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## Anarius (Mar 8, 2008)

I am doing my rooftop sniper thing again tonight, if hes a no-show I have a friend coming back from vacation that will loan me a 22LR and I'll get him from inside.

Tonights toy is a old 16 gauge I'm borrowing from the da. I'm also taking the .45 for backup. Lets see him walk off THAT.


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## PanaDP (Jul 20, 2007)

Why don't you just make a slingshot? I can't imagine the shed is that big, a good headshot should be pretty easy.


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## Anarius (Mar 8, 2008)

Got him. I finally got smart and rigged portable lights around the shop and powered them via extension cord. I left the door dark and open a crack, then camped on a roof 35' away. 16ga shotty blast took care of the fat bastard, at first Ithought I'd missed and blasted him again. Requested pictures of raccoon stew will be available once it gets light out and I take some.


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## BeefyBeefo (Jan 30, 2008)

:smt023 That's what we were waiting to hear :mrgreen:

-Jeff-


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## TOF (Sep 7, 2006)

Congratulations.

:smt1099


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## kev74 (Mar 22, 2008)

Are the pics going to be before or after he's stuffed and mounted? :anim_lol:


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## niadhf (Jan 20, 2008)

kev74 said:


> Are the pics going to be before or after he's stuffed and mounted? :anim_lol:


Please, Make them Before muhahahhahahahahahahaha. another chicken killin such and such bites the dust.:smt076:buttkick:


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## Anarius (Mar 8, 2008)

Argh! foiled! My sister's boytoy buried the bugger somewhere while I was at work today!

I'm making myself an avatar of a '**** with crosshairs on his head...this guy cost me 4 nights of sleep!

Gratuitous picture of splattered '****


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## gmaske (Jan 7, 2008)

Lordy boy you hit everything but the head. You'll starve to death doin that!


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