Raccoon for lunch

[John K Jordan]

Just curious - what's the next step after you successfully live-trap a skunk?

I've caught dozens of skunks over the last several decades, some accidentally. I used to be terrified and released them without moving the trap. When I was about 12 I learned not to shoot them. Now take them down to the little pond behind the barn and give them scuba diving lessons. I haven't found any little diving masks to fit them so none have signed up for repeat lessons.

I made a sled from a piece of sheet metal, turned up on the leading edge. A rope is attached to the front. I approach the trap holding a small tarp in front of me and drape it over the trap - if the skunk can't see a clear target it won't spray. I use a pole with a hook (leg crook) to pull the trap onto the sled then hold both ropes and slide the combo to and into the pond. I've dragged traps about 1/4 mile like this with no problems. The only thing that ever went wrong was with the trap with three skunks. After about 5 minutes under the water I pulled the trap out and dumped the contents on the ground before heading back for the second skunked trap. When I got back one was gone! While puzzling about this I noticed one of the remaining two was barely but still breathing. Maybe the first one did some CPR before running off. Since then skunks get a longer swim. In fact, I was so upset when the big skunk killed and ate the young female peacock I left it in the water for 30 minutes and then did some 22 rifle target practice with its head as a target. I figured if it survived after all that it deserved to eat peacock for supper.

A pro varmint guy who will come to your house and remove skunks said he covers traps with cloth and submerges them in a 55-gal drum full of water. I've used this method on animals for the vet students to dissect and study keep from destroying tissue. For other animals that simply have to be put down due to severe medical problems I use gas.

Just to be clear, I very much dislike killing anything, chickens to eat or predators who eat them before I can, even mice and rats. I'd hate to be like my friend's son who always killed the hogs we put in the freezer - once when walking out with a 22 rifle he said "I just love killin' things - it's my favorite thing to do!" Yikes. I worry about that boy.

JKJ

[John K Jordan]

Depends.....check state game laws. In Cuyahoga County - Ohio - after you live trap a skunk, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources will rake you over the coals for poaching - if they find out.
....a park ranger lectured the guy on the law....

I wonder what that officer does when skunks move in under his house or raccoons start killing his peacocks. A nearby farmer lost his entire flock of chickens to a 'possum.

After I caught a beautiful red fox I asked a game officer here about trapping wild animals. He said if you trap a wild animal in TN you have exactly two options: release it exactly where caught or euthanize. What is not permitted is to keep it or move it.

fox.jpg

Another game officer told a friend with a severe raccoon problem at her farm the same thing, but added off the record that if she did quietly choose to relocate one always take it east, never north or south. This is for rabies control - rabies in raccoons has been eliminated in TN except an area in the far east.

But if you do move one, make sure you move it far, far away! Our friend moved one about 5 miles and later caught another one which looked familiar. She marked its head with a read sharpie and released it 5 miles away. A few days later she caught the same raccoon!

After catching a baby deer who had been abandoned I found that there are organizations who have permits to rescue, transport and care for wild animals under certain conditions. (I wonder if they will take skunks.) They came and got this tiny fawn. And before anyone questions, yes, before catching the deer we proved with no doubt it had been abandoned - some people don't know a doe will leave a baby alone for hours while she forages, thinking they are helping by "rescuing" the poor little thing.

baby_deer_IMG_20130612_152722_655.jpg

JKJ

[Tim Bueler]

I had several honey bee colonies that started to dwindle in one of my bee yards. I noticed a slight trail in the grass and some scratch marks on the hives so set out some traps. Ended up trapping 5 skunks. For those who don't know, honey bees are a favorite food for skunks. They come in the night and scratch on the hive. When the bees come to investigate they are eaten. Skunks can clean out even a strong honey bee colony in only a few nights.

[Perry Hilbert Jr]

I understand a few cities in Germany are infested with raccoons that got loose from someone in the early 20th century.

[John K Jordan]

I had several honey bee colonies that started to dwindle in one of my bee yards. I noticed a slight trail in the grass and some scratch marks on the hives so set out some traps. Ended up trapping 5 skunks. For those who don't know, honey bees are a favorite food for skunks. They come in the night and scratch on the hive. When the bees come to investigate they are eaten. Skunks can clean out even a strong honey bee colony in only a few nights.

I read to prevent that just raise up the hives a bit. How high were yours? As per my bee mentor when I started I keep mine on two concrete blocks with a 2" steel channel on top and so far haven't detected any skunk activity after over a decade. But I wonder if I should raise them higher.

JKJ

[Lee Schierer]

I read to prevent that just raise up the hives a bit. How high were yours? As per my bee mentor when I started I keep mine on two concrete blocks with a 2" steel channel on top and so far haven't detected any skunk activity after over a decade. But I wonder if I should raise them higher.

JKJ

The best way other than eliminating the skunks is to place 1" square hardware cloth across the front of the hive far enough away that he skunks can't reach the bees.

[Mike Ontko]

I also use peanut butter to entice deer to lick the electric fence around the vegetable garden. It's the only way I've found to train deer not to approach and jump a 3' fence to get to the good stuff.

That is pure genius! I wish I'd come across this point about 6 years ago, when we first moved into our last place that was on the beaten path for the local deer population. I ended up protecting most of my garden crops under hoops and netting, but the baited wire seems like it would have provided an educational benefit for those cloven hooved critters.

[John K Jordan]

The best way other than eliminating the skunks is to place 1" square hardware cloth across the front of the hive far enough away that he skunks can't reach the bees.

I'm not sure that will work. What I've read (but never seen) is the skunk simply scratches on the landing porch outside the hive at night until the bees come out to attack the monster. When the bees come out the skunk smacks them and eats them. Supposedly elevating the hive works since that makes the skunk stand on the hind legs to scratch on the porch. This exposes their tender under portions to bee stings. A LOT of stings!

When one bee is alarmed or injured by a predator (or a beekeeper) she releases an alarm pheromone to alert others. In short order this can snowball and hundreds may join the fray. (I understand africanized bees can come out by the tens of thousands and quickly - fortunately I have no experience with this either since they don't live around us.)

JKJ

[John K Jordan]

That is pure genius! I wish I'd come across this point about 6 years ago, when we first moved into our last place that was on the beaten path for the local deer population. I ended up protecting most of my garden crops under hoops and netting, but the baited wire seems like it would have provided an educational benefit for those cloven hooved critters.

I use a plastic fork to put dabs of peanut butter on the electric wire maybe 8 ft apart. I do this several times in the spring after planting and again in the summer. Jiffy smooth, of course.

I once observed a deer approach an electric fence in the horse pasture and stick her nose out and get zapped. She jumped backwards so fast it looked like she flipped! She ran at full speed across the field until she got near the fence on the other side, slowed and stopped, then ran back across. She did this several times before I saw her cautiously tip-towing up along one fence looking for a way through. I guess she forgot she had jumped the fence to get in! Must have figure it out since the next time I checked she was gone.

JKJ

[Lee Schierer]

For those who thought this thread was about a recipe for raccoon, Here you go. Maple Bourbon Glazed Grilled Raccoon Recipe

[Steve Demuth]

And here I was expecting a recipe.

Good idea using the peanut butter for bait.

Roasted one once. It was edible, but not something I'd bother with twice.

[Martin Siebert]

Here is my answer to the raccoon thing:PB020008.jpg

[Dave Zellers]

Here is my answer to the raccoon thing:PB020008.jpg

Get in my BELLY!!!

[Brice Rogers]

I like the comments about the variety of effective baits. Good advice.

But, I would like advice on the most effective way to get rid of gophers. I've tried Macabee traps, gopher bait (used to be cyanide based) applied into their tunnels with a tubular applicator, chlorine/ammonia, smoke bombs (sometimes home made) and once a HF flame thrower. They all work a little, but my batting average is about 10% and last year they decimated my vegetable garden.

I am now considering putting in galvanized 1/2" wire/cloth under each garden patch. I saw a company selling stainless woven wire but the cost was around $2 a square foot. Galvanized is cheaper but I'm not sure how long it would last. Would I also need to run it above ground so that the gophers couldn't just walk in and dig down. I'm also considering growing in raised beds.

Any advice?

[Dan Hall]

I used to take my shotgun with a 12 gauge goose load in the chamber, put the barrel into the burrow opening, and pull the trigger. I may have only annoyed them but it satisfied me. I lived in a rural area where such things were not only tolerated but generally encouraged. The shock wave was at least inconvenient for the little buggers.