Tips on getting rid of Live-trapped raccoons?
 

Hey all,

I live in the suburbs and have a pretty big problem with raccoons and opossums in my yard. Traps that kill are illegal in my city, so I bought a live trap and have had some success with it so far. Transporting live animals and releasing them is also illegal here so my problem is how best to kill the animals I've trapped. Shooting air rifles is OK so I borrowed a spring loaded .177 pellet gun from a friend and even from point blank range, wasn't able to put down a possum with a shot to the head while it was in the trap (had to dump it out of the trap and hit it in the head, which I wouldn't want to do with an angry raccoon.)

My question is: what is my best solution? I figure a more powerful pellet gun would do the trick (I'd welcome any suggestions on something cheap...sub $100...that would work). Is there another trick? Someone told me to dump the whole trap in a big garbage can of water, but that doesn't seem very humane to me...

Thanks for any help and recommendations.

A .22 short does a pretty good job, and isn't much louder than a pellet gun.

Shooting any kind of 22 powder actuated rifle in my area is not legal though and since I have neighbors on all sides I'd rather pursue the pellet gun approach. Any suggestions there on something cheap that would work?

Garbage can and water. Your killing them either way..

yep you do this or get you a co2 chamber you can make one plans online but just a FYI they die fast this way but do let out a big scream at the end

is it even legal to trap the animal in a live cage?

Grenade???

Kyhunter's got it right.




Trappers make their living on tidal waters like that.



I know...............the truth hurts !

Get to know a local trapper, and give them to him to dispatch. Just make sure you get your traps back.

Any spring piston air rifle generating 1000 FPS or greater should work, use 9 grain hollowpoint hunting pellets, not 4 grain target wadcutters.

Drown them in a barrel.

Find a few folks that coon hunts and let them have them. You may even be able to pick up a few dollars so that they can train thier hounds with them..

Thanks for the great tips everyone! I really appreciate it as I am a true rookie when it comes to this. I'm going to continue with the live trap and I think I'll use a combination of the water barrel trick and am going to invest in a .177 1000fps pellet gun for ~$100 for when they're in the trees (or on my roof :s4:). I figure that rifle will come in handy in the future sometime as well if I ever have bird or squirrel problems. I'll pick up some of the recommended pellets as well.

if you cant use a 22 i would stop trapping i dont see trying out ways to kill and torchering the animal in the process. just my thought sorry if i sound like an ass

Yeah, it is legal

No worries, I appreciate the advice. I have to get rid of them though which is why I'm trying so hard to find the right method (I've stopped trapping until I can figure it out). Having potentially diseases feces in my yard and considering they've gotten into my attic and chimney twice each is good reason to get them outta here. Not to mention these things are aggressive as hell and we don't want to be in our yard at night.

Take a hose and run it from your exhaust pipe on your car. Put a tarp over the box trap with the coon inside and put the hose under the tarp. Start your car and let it run. Within a few minutes the CO will kill the coon quickly and painlessly.

That seems like the least amount of torture, I would try that.

lmao. you would have to redo the interior after that.

what state do you live in?

I live in Washington state...

I have gassed them with the exhaust and drowned them. Put a piece of plywood under the trap if it is on a deck or lawn. They will dig and crap all over the place trying to get out. It makes a real mess.