Raccoons are evil...

[sudsmaster]

When I was inquiring at a gun shop about the best ways to euthanize humanely a trapped raccoon, a 20 gauge shotgun was mentioned as the best choice. These are not as widely available as 10 ga shot guns, but I gather the smaller caliber means that there would be less damage to the trap and surrounding objects.

At the same time I inquired about using a cross bow to deter the critters. The gun shop was not too wild about that idea, relating a story of how a group of hunters once shot with a cross bow a raccoon that had reared up and challenged them. Apparently they hit him in the eye. They said the raccoon screamed, then tore the arrow out of itself and ran away. Tough critters. The gun shop was of the opinion that it would not be good public relations to have a wounded raccoon wandering the neighborhood with an arrow sticking out of it, so I was dissuaded in my enterprise.

You are wise to be careful around their scat. It's been a problem here, as the original owner put in corrugated fiberglass roofing that connects fences to larger buildings, as well as trellises etc. So raccoons and possums are able to walk from one end of the property to the other over roofs and trellises and pergolas. They make a terrible racket on some of the thinner sections of corrugated fiberglass; I finally removed one section of roofing to eliminate one of their major elevated highways. I routinely have to clean out the scat from other flat sections, and there is one section that I simply cannot get to without tearing it down from below. Which I just might do someday - wearing a biohazard type suit!

We don't get cottonmouths or copperheads here in California, but I've seen my share of rattlers on hikes here and there. Fortunately my house is surrounded by development for at least a mile in all directions, so we don't get any snakes. I did see a shed lizard skin in the back yard though last spring (commonly called the "fence lizard"). Sometimes though I wonder when the California mountain lion will become numerous enough to start to invade even urban areas. That would be more than a little scary.

 

[charbee]

Our little spot is uniquely placed, we're surrounded by a large tract of wild, but that tract is surrounded on all sides by development, so the creekbeds are the main route the critters take in and out of the wild spots. It's like being in the country, but less than a mile away in just about all directions is city, complete with interstate hwy, etc.

We have deer that come through daily, and we see bobcats and coyotes in the daytime pretty regularly. Coyotes are a nuisance in the suburban neighborhoods here, and one of the main reasons we can't have a cat...had a neighbor lose three within a period of several months, and we just don't want to go through losing another one ourselves. But as long as we have coyotes, we can't really have an indoor-outdoor cat. We had a bobcat trot down our driveway in the middle of the afternoon, quite unconcerned about us or our dog sitting about twenty feet away on the deck. Quite an unexpected sight at the time, but we've seen him twice since.

The tract surrounding us is due to be "developed" on one side, close to the interstate, so that will probably drive more of the critters into our section. Our little rush of rattlers a few years ago was due to a pre-fab house development on the hill across the street.

 

[polkanut]

I still recommend a 16ga shotgun. A little more power than a 20ga, but still not as powerful as a 10 or 12. Just a little more bang for the buck, as it were.

 

[panthera]

Dahlinks,

If you use anything bigger than a 16ga, you are going to have nothing left of that cage, one hell of a sore shoulder and blood, gore and guts all over the place.
Well, with a 16ga, it will be messy, too.
So figure that in.

When I was a teenager, my mother would never let me go hiking alone in the mountains without "snakeshot". A beat up old .38special with this particular cartridge. Limited range, but a cone of death which would take care of any rattler without having to aim exactly. Beat up old .38 cause the snakeshot is not exactly good for the gun. To put it mildly.

I have nothing against coons in and of themselves, just wish they weren't so damned destructive.

Whatever you do, make sure you follow all the regulations. There are a lot of folks out there just dying to make your life hell for discharging a firearm within city limits, etc.

Yes, I know this will shock some, but you can be a liberal democrat vegetarian openly gay man and still believe:
Gun control means using both hands.

 

[toggleswitch2]

...and anyone who needs two hand to handle his gun is OK by me.

 

[panthera]

Well, Dahlink,

It just is too hard to aim with only one. That wrist action simply is not adequate to the length of the barrel.

Tho', I can do a pump and jerk real well with one hand and the right shotgun. Comes in handy being built like a brick outhouse.

O! my stars and little fishes! What wouldn't I do without you here Steve.

You make up for all the killer queens, sock puppets and frustrated old biddies, frowning at every off-color joke, any color stronger than washed out pastel.

 

[polkanut]

Steve,

Why you old two-fisted gun handler you! Any man that needs to use 2 hands is "all man", don't you think? lol

 

[tolivac]

I would think any shotgun guage is too big to dispatch a trapped raccoon.Better to use a standard velocity .22 if you are in an area where it would be legal.Shoot the thing thru the head and that should be it.If you must use a shotgun-go with a 12 guage.Why?They are the most common.And you can use "low Brass" "Low velecity" birdshot loads in it.Then would be like a 20 or 16Guage.16 Guage shells are getting harder to find and actually more expensive then 12.10 Guage guns are best for long range goose hunting-some turkey hunters like 10Guage as well.But these are big ,loud,kick, and expensive.Too much for "Rocky" trapped raccoon.I would be concerned-remember the warning earlier in this board about raccoon worms-a shotgun blast would be just the right vehicle to spread the worms and eggs in the coon.Better with the .22 some trappers use a .22 pistol to dispatch trapped critters.A .22 shot thru the head shouldn't blow the worms and eggs all over.
You can get factory loaded birdshot loads for most pistol calibers and .22 long rifle and magnum.They are made by CCI-Speer ammo company-availabe in most gunshops.The shot is loaded into a plastic capsule that is loaded into the cartridge case in place of the bullet.They are safe for any gun that is orig chambered for the regular cartridge you want to use the shot load in place of-lets see-.22LR and mag,9MM,38-357,and .45 auto.These may work OK on trapped raccoon.I would wonder if these handgun shotloads would go thru the raccoons skull.A .22 bullet sure would.Just be careful there are not rocks or concrete under or behind the coon.You don't want the bullet you fired to pass thru the coon and richochet off concrete or a rock.Or instead of shooting them-try to save them for the game Dept in your State or County.No mess!They take the trap and creatures away.My Mom had trouble with possums in her garage in Dallas Tx and the local game dept took care of them.They planted baited "Havea Heart" type traps and asked her to call them if any of the traps were full.This would be the safest and best approach-and cheapest too-Mom told me the game dept didn't charge her to remove the possums.Try that approach first.

 

[tolivac]

Two hand grip-I tend to shoot all handguns this way-not for recoil but better aim.The handgun I presntly have is a Taurus "Raging Bull" SS model in .454 Casull.This one YOU HAD better have both hands on its"plowhandle" or you may get cut from the front sight hitting you in the face-this happens to so call "he man" pistol shooters that try to fire .44mag and above handguns with the gentlemens style one hand hold.And RELAX when shooting any heavy recoil gun-rifle or pistol.A tense body will make the recoil hurt-and make it worse.I also shoot a .416 Rem Mag-don't hunt elephants-but just like shooting it.This is a rifle load-and delivors more than 2.5 tons of muzzle energy-and 60FP of recoil.A 12 guage shotgun or .30-06 rifle both delivor about 25FP recoil force.Also hold the rifle SECURELY into your shoulder "pocket"don't hold loose--or BRUISED shouilder-and don't shoot heavy recoil rifles prone-lying down-you can break your collar bone.
I am surprized the gun store went against bows for cooning-some hunters here use bows.A broadhead arrow thru a coon is certainly to kill it just like a bullet.Bullets kill by shock and organ destruction-broadhead arrows by lacerating and cutting organs as the arrow penetrates.A broadhead arrow shot thru a deers heart will kill it about as quickly as a rifle bullet shot thru the deers heart.In either case the vital organ is destroyed-the critter won't live long.