Today I had to dispatch a raccoon that got into a relative’s chicken coop and killed one of her chickens. The raccoon had also gravely wounded another chicken that I had to put down as well.

i consider myself a fairly competent shooter, although due to the situation, I had to use my 9mm handgun as opposed to my .22 magnum lever action I would normally use in the situation.

My questions are:

1) For the raccoon, I shot it with the first shot almost directly through the eye. I understand that many animals convulse when hit through the brain, but the raccoon stood up and tried to escape from me. I was fairly close so I don’t think I missed. For fear of letting the animal suffer, I ended up shooting probably far too many times than I needed to. What’s a good way that this doesn’t happen again?

as for the chicken, I believe my first shot hit it in the head yet it stood up and acted like I missed (so maybe I didn’t). Ended up having to shoot it several more times. Virtually same situation happened with the chicken.

i know that many times animals don’t die instantaneously, but instead die within a minute.

should I take a shot and wait or should I react if the animal is moving around and shoot it more.

i feel like such an idiot lmao.

You did not shoot the coon directly through the eye or it would have been dead right now, the eye is a direct path to the brain. You would have been better off with the 22 cal. rifle. If you are not used to shooting your handgun under stressful conditions you more than likely missed.

If you are above your target (I assume you were) dont aim for the eye as it will likely be to low, instead shoot between the ears with a straight down path through the head