22 Just Ain't Hackin' It!

[supraneurotoxin]

crossbow.

 

[RH822]

Try live traps, the box type. When you catch one you can pop it with you 22 point blank. Plus if you inadvertently catch the neighbors cat you can release it.
Down side, baited trap also attract skunks, opossum and other unwanted critters.

 

[Sulaco]

Originally Posted By: mbt2001

A raccoon problem? What are they doing that is problematic? Some people see raccoons alive and then talk about a raccoon problem. Anyway, if they aren't doing anything bad, then let them be.

If they start getting in the trash, chain the lids down. If they start getting other places, shoot a few.

EDIT:

I agree with what arcticap said. Use a pellet gun.

Also, don't think just cause animals are out there, that you have a "problem". The only animal I know that is true of is Rats....

Looks like the animal rights activists have infested this forum too. I said in my first post they were digging in the flower bed. I said in another post I didn't want them to mess up our garden. I don't understand why you think I need to justify my reasoning to you. If you don't have anything beneficial to add to the topic, why not just skip it?

 

[Sulaco]

A friend of mine has a trap he is going to let me borrow. I will set it out baited with marshmallows and see if I can trap them. I know there's at least three so this will take a while. I'll keep you guys updated. To all of those that posted advice and sensible opinions, thanks!

 

[pdowg881]

I use Aguila SE super extra. It's subsonic .22. I shoot them out of a 10/22 in the backyard. I live in a neighborhood and you can't tell the difference from a bb gun. It's just a quick snap. And you can find it in hollowpoint too. I've pretty much eliminated the chipmunk and squirrel population.

 

[ziadel]

I've pretty much eliminated the chipmunk and squirrel population.

What exactly warranted that?

I'm not trying to be overly critical, but if we're not allowing "bloodthirsy" posts on the board then discouraging statements like that would probably be a good idea as well...

again, not trying to be overly critical, just speaking my mind.

 

[arcticap]

Sulaco,

I generally just shoot the Federal bulk stuff and Stingers which are both way too loud (my neighbor would surely call the police if she heard them go off).

Because of this statement, I admit that I assumed the worst. That was a mistake and I apologize.

 

[trueblue1776]

I've pretty much eliminated the chipmunk and squirrel population.

excellent, perhaps you could come help me with mine. I have a flea infestation in my yard due to the pack of squirrels. I'm going to make some mini land mines for them one of these days.

 

[Geronimo45]

Use .22 CBs (longs, shorts - whatever you like). They work on armadilloes, IME. Doesn't take a headshot. Torso shots can and do penetrate.

Or get a Mosin M44 with the bayonet, and spear the critters from an acre away.

 

[old_22LR]

CCI CBLongs+ 1 super quiet out of a long barrel.

 

[rangerruck]

go to the sports store, and buy some wolf urine, and put around the beds. try that first, if that doesn't work, go get some Aguila sniper sss 60 grainers, solid lead, will dent their skulls in. then leave the body out there a day or two, the other raccoons should get the msg.

 

[sonofodin]

Me have shootem many chipmunk. Me eatum tree rat, taste good.

 

[49north]

LIVE ANIMAL TRAP!!!! Don't kill the varmits unless you have to imho. I use them at work, try peanut butter, macdonalds hamburger etc. Buy appropriately sized trap and let them loose, maybe by water. If skunks are a possibility, tie a long rope to the trap and you can drag it elsewhere. Contact local animal control, maybe they cando it for you. I hate to kill animals needlessly, though I just offed a coyote at my henhouse last night. Good Luck!

 

[Sulaco]

49north, I hate to just kill them too, but once they become pests, I have no reservations.

I'll try out some of the CB Longs and see how they do. I am sure they'd be easier to find than the Aquila SSS's.

One of them showed up again last night. I cut the back porch light on and he stayed gone until around 3AM. Then he came in and rummaged a little and left (I kept waking up all night).

I am picking up the trap tonight so I'll let y'all know how it goes over the weekend. I will be at a friend's house enjoying his pool but I will try to get by the house to setup the trap later this evening and then again first thing in the morning to see if it worked.

You guys that use traps regularly, try out marshmallows. They are cheap and keep for a long time and raccoons are nuts for them. The smell carries a long way I think too.

 

[trueg50]

Why don't you just use a 22 with high velocity hollow points? you would be very amazed at just how quiet they are. I have shot from my room in the second floor of my house, and my parents on the first floor didn't even hear it! unless you are specifically listening for it you cannot hear it indoors when the shooter is outside. if the shots are taken at ranges closer than 50 feet use Aquila SSS, longer than that, 22 hollow points.

Even if your rifle doesn't like the SSS's too much (my ruger can't stabilize them) they become very powerful and damaging rounds. On small game (squirrels chipmunks) hollow points don't open up too much, making the SSS's my ammo of choice at less than 60 feet, and hollow points (due to their accuracy) at and longer ranges.

In response to those who think that chipmunks and squirrels haven't done anything to use so why shoot them. My area is loaded with them this year, they are even living under my neighbors house. I have shot 5 red squirrels 6 chipmunks, my dad has gotten 1 of each, and my neighbor has gotten 4 red's, 3 chipmunks. You will literally shoot one around say 10:00am and by 11:00am another one is chirping away. It is so bad that my local hardware store keeps selling out of rat traps.

 

[Ranger J]

How close to the neighbors are you? If their yard starts thirty or so feet away they might start getting upset if you are popping off .22s. Speaking from experience an airgun will just 'bother' them (the coons, not the neighbors) unless you can hit them in the head. Fortunately I am a mile or so from my nearest neighbor so they (the coons) get the .22 long rifle or something bigger, if it is the first thing I get my hands on. A good size adult dog will work but may tear up your flowers fighting the coons. A better idea is the live trap so you don't accidentally kill the neighbors prized pet. You would be amazed at the numbers of coon that call the average urban area home. It also helps to keep all food items out of their reach. I have them because I choose to feed birds. They evidently consider bird food a delicacy. I also seem to have an unending supply of them. I may thin them out for a while but as I live in the woods beside a creek….
RJ

 

[Sulaco]

RangerJ, you just described my setup exactly. Except for living closer to my neighbors, I have coons at the bird feeders and I live on a creek. It's a bad situation to be in for dealing with coons (the water and the bird feeders). We've tried taking the feeders up for a few days but they still get in the yard and dig for grubs and worms. And with water so close, they aren't going anywhere. Before we moved here, people told me they got into trash and other things all the time so it's not just us, it's just I am one of the few willing to do something about it. I've already shot and killed 3 and am fighting at least one more and probably another half dozen I haven't even seen yet.

Squirrels are also prolific and I've shot at least 15 or so in the last 6 mos. We have lots of acorn trees, blackberry and strawberry bushes, neighbors with outdoors pets and feeders that aren't pest proofed (mine are but seed still falls and nothing is coon proof) and all sorts of issues like that.

We also have a house cat problem. There's a nursery up the street and they feed all of the stray cats. Those cats come down to our feeders and hunt the birds here. I shoot the cats on sight too. If it isn't wearing a collar, it's feral and dead.

If people would be more responsible about feeding strays and not letting pet food sit out all night, I seriously doubt we'd be discussing any of this.

 

[Sulaco]

As an aside (because I know there's someone out there reading this and just dying to tell me how cruel and illegal my actions are), I've checked with the wildlife dept. and I am well within my rights as a landowner to rid myself of trouble wildlife and feral cats.

 

[taralon]

There are airguns, and there are airguns.

The little .177 and .22 guns you can buy in sporting good stores are in no way up to taking most coons. High velocity airguns, such as the ones offered by Airforce Airguns pretty much balistically duplicate .22 some of the lower velociy .22 LR loads, but they do it at a price of noise. My .22 Condor from Airforce Airguns gets about 1400 fps out of a 28 grain .22 pellet. It is at least ten to fiffteen DB louder than a .22 LR shooting a bullet at the same velocity.

I'd point you in the direction that some of the others have mentioned. A crossbow is going to be much quieter than an airgun and will do a number on coons. Subsonic .22 rifle ammo is fairly quiet, and if you go about getting a liscense for a suppressor can be made more so.

 

[obxned]

The bow is a good solution, and will provide valuable practice for the deer infestation that follows where new suburbs meet country.

 

[Sulaco]

I wish I had a bow but since I don't and don't really have the time or money to learn how to use it, I won't go that route.

Also, we live in the city limits. The suburban sprawl is miles and miles away from us. There are deer and other critters all around us (we live very close to a large lake and lots of farmland and woods, in fact, we are surrounded by woods on three sides and a creek runs right beside our house) but the only ones we take issue with are the coons and squirrels. We walk a good bit and enjoy seeing hawks, owls, foxes, deer, etc. etc.

 

[Titan6]

RWS 94 solved my bunny problems. Works on squirrels also. I imagine it would work okay on smallish coons. 1-2" groups at 100 yards with a factory scope. Happy hunting.

LIVE ANIMAL TRAP!!!! Don't kill the varmits unless you have to imho. I use them at work, try peanut butter, macdonalds hamburger etc. Buy appropriately sized trap and let them loose, maybe by water. If skunks are a possibility, tie a long rope to the trap and you can drag it elsewhere. Contact local animal control, maybe they cando it for you. I hate to kill animals needlessly, though I just offed a coyote at my henhouse last night. Good Luck!

yeah.... and then you can release them out in the countryside where they won't bother "you" anymore.

 

[mbt2001]

Looks like the animal rights activists have infested this forum too.

Animal Rights Activist... That hurt me man... That was not a fair statement.

The point I was making is that because the Raccoons are alive, doesn't mean they should get shot. IF they are causing property damage, shoot the offenders, not every last one of them. That is conservaton...

I don't understand why you think I need to justify my reasoning to you.

This is a discussion forum dude.

If you don't have anything beneficial to add to the topic, why not just skip it?

I didn't see a moderator by your name.

All I did is point out that conservation dictates that you don't just spray and pray at the raccoons. Live and let live unless they are becoming a menace in the area. Diggin up stuff, running amok, chewing power lines... So on and so on

Also, we live in the city limits. The suburban sprawl is miles and miles away from us. There are deer and other critters all around us (we live very close to a large lake and lots of farmland and woods, in fact, we are surrounded by woods on three sides and a creek runs right beside our house) but the only ones we take issue with are the coons and squirrels. We walk a good bit and enjoy seeing hawks, owls, foxes, deer, etc. etc.

If I were you, I would get a good Benjamin .22 or a Remington / Winchester .177 cal pellet gun AND a el cheapo cross man. That will keep you from running afoul with the real animal rights nutjobs and most likely the law. At 1,100 fps, the .177 cal pellet guns are just as deadly at close range as a .22.

A buddy of mine had an RWS, it was pretty quite. I didn't notice a load noise. I assume that other Remington and Winchester pellet guns that work the same way (at a lower price) will also be relatively quite.

 

[K.L.O.sako]

if nieghbors and legal things are an issue, buy an air gun, low noise and very few laws against them. the new breed air rifles are doing some amazing things. the fast .22 airguns sound like just the ticket for your problem. a vitals or neck shot should do the trick

 

[Il Duca]

Slingshot+slingshot hunting pellets=dead raccoon with zero noise