Racoons

MattCatlin · Jul 16, 2010

They wiped out 1/2 acre of expensive Sh2 super sweet on me. Last Sunday it was just about ripe, today every last ear gone. Apparently the 4 stuck in 220 connibears I set Sunday didn't phase the others, they walked by them like macabre centerpieces to their feast. I didn't think they could eat that much. I have 2 plantings left, am going to try an electric fence tomorrow. Little buggers.

keh · Jul 16, 2010

2 strands close to the ground, the lower one about 4 inches from the ground, the second one about 8. Has worked for me. Since they are already coming I would use a strong 110 volt charger.

KEH

tjbrown · Jul 16, 2010

you need a good hound dog

Dutchman · Jul 16, 2010

You may do like I was told and done ... wrap alinium {sp] foil around the wire and put peanut butter on it .... they will smell it and get a SHOCK on the nose and leave .. { i hope }

Mark

CJ_1080 · Jul 16, 2010

A twelve guage with a magnum turkey load is a prety good dererent and also good pratice at the same time!!

Ron Anderson · Jul 16, 2010

yellow flybait and coke seems to cure the raccoon problem real quick. But it will also kill dogs cats so be careful.

Spook · Jul 16, 2010

I've killed as many as 5 in one night. One of my neighbor's killed 21, all in one year, trying to protect his sweetcorn patch. He gave up.

Big M · Jul 16, 2010

I raised several acres of sweet corn when the kids were still home to help pick. We would pick 1000 dozen per week. Electric fence and human "whiz" at the far end of the corn rows was the best deterant. They have a good nose and do not like humans marking their property.

john d · Jul 16, 2010

Electric fence, about 5" off ground seems to work pretty well for me until a deer knocks it down.
I"ve also had very good luck on smaller patches by putting radios in plastic bags and tuning them to different stations. I"ve protected a patch 8 rows wide by 200" long with three radios, one on all-night talk, one on rock, and one on CW music. Set them loud enough that you can hear each of them from one point.

JBMac · Jul 16, 2010

I've got a gimp old American Bulldog that roams the property and frequently comes for breakfast covered in blood (not his) and a few scratches on the nose. Later on, I ll find a dead possum / racoon / armadillo sometimes a cat. No small mammals welcome here!

Anonymous-0 · Jul 16, 2010

Used a havahart trap with sardines in soybean oil. Got 8 so far but not before they destroyed 1/2 acre sh2 sweet corn.

JDseller · Jul 17, 2010

Last month someone dropped off an older mixed breed dog off here, he is big 120 lbs. He got along with our other dogs so I let him stay. In the last week he has brought sixteen dead coons up on our back porch. I am real glad he came around. The other dogs are too lazy to chase them off. My sweet corn has not been touched since he came.

tjdub · Jul 17, 2010

Last year I set a personal record of 24 coons. One -a-day in the havahart, all after my chickens and ducks. Been some around this year, but they're not as interested in marshmallows this year. Truth be told, I'm more worried about the birds taking my sweet corn since they've been the biggest offenders for the past 2 years.

IOWA NORTHEAST · Jul 17, 2010

I certianly don't want to start something, but I know of two, or three farmers that have the soda, fly and bait mixture 24/7. The cats lay next to the dish all day and night.

The one farmer has over thirty five cats that I counted one day. All were at one time within sixty to seventy feet around the dish of death. He claimed he never ever killed a cat with the brew.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2010

What ever you do, don't set the radio(s) to a hip-hop or rap station!

fixerupper · Jul 17, 2010

I've never killed a cat with 'the brew'. They must not like the stuff. Ever since I got the chocolate Lab I haven't seen a coon or possum on the place and we live on the banks of a creek. The sweet corn out by the cattle shed will be ready next week so we'll soon find out if the Lab can still earn his keep. Jim

Anonymous-0 · Jul 17, 2010

Just call Old, he will tell you about getting rid of the varmits.

MattCatlin · Jul 17, 2010

Thanks for the ideas. I am going to try a two or three wire electric fence. Deer haven't been in there yet.

GordoSD · Jul 17, 2010

Hav A Heart tally here since 1 May is 9 coons, 3 possums, 4 skunks, 1 mink, 1 feral cat.
And my SH2 Super sweet has 5 inch little ears and lots of 2 on a stalk.
When do you see the worm damage?

Gordo

Scott - AL · Jul 17, 2010

Contact a local coon hunting club and give them a invitaion. A night or 2 and they will get thin in a hurry. They'll kill 'em or run them off.

Cameron Smith · Jul 17, 2010

Find an avid coonhunter or coonhunting club in your area, explain your problem, and give them permission to hunt your property. I have been invited into many corn patches with my hounds and have made many new friends that way; when I'm successful, word gets around and I've never been hassled by the wardens because I'm helping the farmer.

Brian Jasper co. Ia · Jul 17, 2010

My ex father in law does what KEH says. 1 wiew 4 inches off the ground, and second 8 inches up. He has a third about 4 feet off the ground to deter the deer. Electric fence is the only way to keep them out.

kyplowboy · Jul 17, 2010

If bait and traps ain't work'n I would ask around and find group of coon hunters around home. Sounds like you have a great place to train pups!! When the barking starts they will scatter like a covey of quail. I loose some to coons every year but sounds to me like you have way too many.

If your corn is close to the house you need a good dog your self. I have a lab/chow mix that hates coons and possums with a passion. He has scars to prove it, but he has left alot of dead coons in the drive way. Critters don't mess with the garden here by the house but they will get some of the big corn pach that I plant on the back side of the farm.

Good luck.

Dave

Rootsy · Jul 18, 2010

As of this morning my sweet corn coon count is 27... First corn is ready or just about... will leave another day or two to let the stragglers fill out some more. Have 5 live traps and some kool-aide + a trusty 22 LR... Been whacking at least 1 - 2 nightly for a month (live trap counts)... They've only eaten about $750 worth of sweet corn... Difficult to stomach with $7 / 1000 seed pricing planting @ 25K population + 200 lbs of nitrogen /acre.

Hate em more than I hate woodchuck these days and that is saying something. I really HATE woodchuck.

ryanwheelock · Jul 19, 2010

If you do put up the electric fence make sure if you have a dog it dont get caught in the low wire. My grandpas dog did, it was a wire about 8" above ground, dog got caught under it. Had to rush to vet, dog never walked the same after.

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