bearmaster

Anyone had experience withhaving their dogs tangle with a coon? I have been having a late night visitor he seems to be coming around every few nights to clean out my bird feeders. I only have a bow and haven't been able to get a shot off. I do have chickens but haven'tt had it try to get at them. Yet.

If my dogs get it cornered will they get their butts kicked? they are inside dogs so they only get coon interactions if I choose to allow it. should I?

thanks for your thoughts in advance.

drfatguy

What kind of dog are we talking about? I have a sooner dog (sooner poops in the house than go outside). He is a basset/lab cross which wouldn't stand achance against a big boar. I had a 22 lb. terror which killed a 25 lb coon (weighed) by himself. It depends on the dog. A tough terrier can handle a coon which would run off a much larger hound, and I've seen this. If the dog has the right temperment, cut loose the dogs of war. If not stake a chicken back out, put a bell on the line you have from the stake to the chicken back. When the bell rings, put an arrow in the buggar!!!!!

Dr Fatguy

Tree climber

most of the time the coon will run and then climb a tree.thats,most of the time.some time they just wanna fight. a good size dog can most of the time take care of a coon.depends on the dog.
get a live trap and put some sardines in it and you will have him in the morning.

bearmaster

My dogs aren't really small. Two are 65 lbs and one is 40lbs all three are American pitbull terriers. I know they can hold their own with alot of critters but have no experience with coons. I've always heard about how nasty a coon can get but had no first hand knowledge.

I have a couple traps but don't want to leave them set as the dogs could get into them. I may set one next time the coon makes an appearance, then put an arrow into it.

SWOSUMike

I don't think I'd say most dogs have a chance, but some do. Someone said it takes a tough dog, and I will agree, adding a strong mixture of grit to the pot. It takes time to kill a coon, and I would think the question would be which dog will stay in the fight until it's done, a trait I would call grit (also defined in my book as not knowing when to quit, even when they really should). A big dog may stand a chance, but I think some would cow out. I've heard of big dogs getting taken by coons, and then like someone mentioned above, I've heard of smaller dogs getting the job done fine. Always try to avoid a fight in a creek or river becuase coons will drown even the big dogs in a hurry if they get the open window.

robdar

The Coon will usually run, at least that is my experience...but then I have Beagles and Coonhounds and I sometimes think there is something in the hound voice that makes the critters bug out. I have has three experiences with Coons...none personal experiences but here they are...
Camping when I was a kid...a ladies full size shepard tangled with a Coon and lost, badly. Dog was killed.
Capming again...guy next door had a Boxer who killed two Coons in the same day.
A friend who hunts his Beagles had his whole pack go off after a Coon...Coon got killed but took one Beagle with it and injured two others.

GSPsnFORDs

Yes my dog has had a few run in's with coons. Look at the "has your dog ever" thread and read my #2 story. The oldest dog is a 55lb GSP and could handle his own when he was younger. He still can, as that story was just 2 years ago when he was 7yrs but i get a little worried now that he's older and his teeth are duller, especially since he can be a trouble maker at times. I've gotten lucky (as well as my older dog) when it comes to him and coons b/c I know guys who coon hunt and have had their coons dog get their throats or bellies slashed open by a wounded coon. Not good.

Also, a pack of coons is really bad. My dad had a GSP years ago that got in a tangle with 3 coons and the fight eventually worked it's way into their pond. One coon was on the dog's back and the other one was trying to get the dog's head under water. Almost drowned his GSP had my dad not gotten their in time.

If your dogs are house pets and part of the family, I honestly wouldn't turn them lose on the coon. I know that I wouldn't purposely turn my dogs lose on one and would do anything to avoid it.

T/C fan!

No sence in taking a chance. If the coon don't kill your dog, he's still very capable of doing some serious damage. You said your dogs are inside dogs, so after you've brought them in for the night, set a live trap and and take care of business in the morning.

Jumpshootin

Three pitbulls of the size mentioned will make quick work of the biggest, baddest coon in the world.

EJD22

Pits will do a coon in.....not all coon run. I have a real gritty walker coon hound who goes insane on a coon, and knows how to handle them. A big boar sometimes dont like to tree, and then the fightin starts. A coon dog, or a cur dog will handle a coon, but coons have drowned dogs in the past. The dog will chase a coon into a river and grab hold of it, the coon then climbs up on its back and holds it under. Happens quite a bit.