I'm going to be taking care of some raccoons on my fiancee's family farm. They have a problem with them so I figured there would be no better way to sharpen my marksmanship than to hunt live targets. I've been hunting many times but never after raccoons. What sort of techniques and tools should I use? What times should I shoot them? I'm planning on using a .22 and a 20 Ga. when I go after them.
Looking for coon hunting tips
- Thread starter ronin308
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5ptdeerhunter
New member
I have a friend I go with a few times a year. He uses a coon dog and and light. He has a helmet with a light on it. He uses a 22lr.
He goes out afterdark. He sends the dog out and waits for a certain tone of bark and yells "Jenny."(The dogs name) If the dog keeps barking he knows she has a coon up a tree. He shines the light up and looks for eyes. He puts the crosshairs right between those eyes and pow he was a coon.
Once in a while I will be out and see one. I usually use a 22lr. It seems to work fine for me.
Good luck on your Hunt.
He goes out afterdark. He sends the dog out and waits for a certain tone of bark and yells "Jenny."(The dogs name) If the dog keeps barking he knows she has a coon up a tree. He shines the light up and looks for eyes. He puts the crosshairs right between those eyes and pow he was a coon.
Once in a while I will be out and see one. I usually use a 22lr. It seems to work fine for me.
Good luck on your Hunt.
Al Thompson
Staff Alumnus
For eradication as opposed to hunting, baiting them works pretty well.
Raccons are omnivores. We've had great success with putting 8 inch or larger diameter PVC pipe in the ground to form a "well". Depth is at most a foot. Fill it with cheap dry dog food and get the family of raccoons used to eating there. They are mainly nocturnal, though I've seen them at high noon on a hot summer day.
Once you have them patterned, time for an ambush. I would strongly suggest CCI SGB rounds for the .22, buckshot for the 20 ga.
May want to check your state regulations, here in SC they are a game species and have seasons and limits. There should be some sort of depradation permit available if you need it.
After you smack them, frankly, I would bury them. Wear dishwashing gloves if you want to skin one out for it's pelt as raccoons have a very high incidence of rabies.
Raccons are omnivores. We've had great success with putting 8 inch or larger diameter PVC pipe in the ground to form a "well". Depth is at most a foot. Fill it with cheap dry dog food and get the family of raccoons used to eating there. They are mainly nocturnal, though I've seen them at high noon on a hot summer day.
Once you have them patterned, time for an ambush. I would strongly suggest CCI SGB rounds for the .22, buckshot for the 20 ga.
May want to check your state regulations, here in SC they are a game species and have seasons and limits. There should be some sort of depradation permit available if you need it.
After you smack them, frankly, I would bury them. Wear dishwashing gloves if you want to skin one out for it's pelt as raccoons have a very high incidence of rabies.
Don't know your exact scenario, but we used to hunt them out of watermelon/corn fields with dogs and without.
With dogs : dog trees coon, people shoot them out of tree. While this may sound easy it isn't always so. They blend in well with bark of tree and usually pick large tree. The smart ones put their hands over their eyes to avoid the "eye shine". We used head-mounted lights and 12 gage loaded with # 4's.
Without dogs : walked silently without light between rows. Yes you do risk snake bite. Shine light no further than your shotgun will shoot, usually 40-50 yards. Used 12 gage with # 4's. The flashlight is aligned with shotgun barrel. As I search with lite, if I get a coon "eye shine" I shoot immediately. The smart ones will not give you but about 10 seconds of "eye shine" so you'll need to be quick.
Still hunting could also be used.
With dogs : dog trees coon, people shoot them out of tree. While this may sound easy it isn't always so. They blend in well with bark of tree and usually pick large tree. The smart ones put their hands over their eyes to avoid the "eye shine". We used head-mounted lights and 12 gage loaded with # 4's.
Without dogs : walked silently without light between rows. Yes you do risk snake bite. Shine light no further than your shotgun will shoot, usually 40-50 yards. Used 12 gage with # 4's. The flashlight is aligned with shotgun barrel. As I search with lite, if I get a coon "eye shine" I shoot immediately. The smart ones will not give you but about 10 seconds of "eye shine" so you'll need to be quick.
Still hunting could also be used.
If they have alot of them on their farm ( I'm in the same situation) then they are going to be more prevalent in certain areas, and even follow a pretty set routine sometimes.
First off, they like water. Alot. If there is any standing water, creek, stock tanks, etc. start in that area and look for food sources nearby. If they can, they like to wash their food. ( if you ever find an outdoor pet's water dish extremely dirty, and it seems to have gotten that way overnight, guess what visited). They like cover also. They seem to be more bold all the time towards people, and coming out during the day etc. but they still like to have a place to hide. Drainage pipes that are dry or mostly dry for fairly long intervals are common ways for a coon to get from point A to B. If their is a stand of trees at one opening and a feild of sweet corn at the other end, they can go back and forth as they please and sometimes have a source of water to boot. It also makes an excellent place for a trap or ambush.
Pay attention to the ground also, coons can be so set in their ways you wouldn't beleive it. Its not uncommon at all for them to follow the same path in and out of the woods, or to cross a fence at one spot every time. They'll do it so often they kill the grass. If you see what looks like a path worn in the grass, or at least where the grass is smashed down. You know something was there more than once, and if you have a raccoon problem theres a good chance thats what it was.
Your best bet for hunting them without a dog, is to let them come to you. Position yourself in an area where they're very likely to be, food, water and cover all close together, or if there are several spots, walk quietly back and forth, hit each spot about every half hour or so. If you find a path, thats a good place to check out too. They're very easy to trap once you understand them, and have their behavior in the area patterned. I think that might be more successful than hunting, but both should do fine, and if you hunt you dn't have to clen the dang trap out. They pull everything they can get their paws on into the trap once they're caught and nothing short of a pressure washer seems to work well at getting it all back out.
First off, they like water. Alot. If there is any standing water, creek, stock tanks, etc. start in that area and look for food sources nearby. If they can, they like to wash their food. ( if you ever find an outdoor pet's water dish extremely dirty, and it seems to have gotten that way overnight, guess what visited). They like cover also. They seem to be more bold all the time towards people, and coming out during the day etc. but they still like to have a place to hide. Drainage pipes that are dry or mostly dry for fairly long intervals are common ways for a coon to get from point A to B. If their is a stand of trees at one opening and a feild of sweet corn at the other end, they can go back and forth as they please and sometimes have a source of water to boot. It also makes an excellent place for a trap or ambush.
Pay attention to the ground also, coons can be so set in their ways you wouldn't beleive it. Its not uncommon at all for them to follow the same path in and out of the woods, or to cross a fence at one spot every time. They'll do it so often they kill the grass. If you see what looks like a path worn in the grass, or at least where the grass is smashed down. You know something was there more than once, and if you have a raccoon problem theres a good chance thats what it was.
Your best bet for hunting them without a dog, is to let them come to you. Position yourself in an area where they're very likely to be, food, water and cover all close together, or if there are several spots, walk quietly back and forth, hit each spot about every half hour or so. If you find a path, thats a good place to check out too. They're very easy to trap once you understand them, and have their behavior in the area patterned. I think that might be more successful than hunting, but both should do fine, and if you hunt you dn't have to clen the dang trap out. They pull everything they can get their paws on into the trap once they're caught and nothing short of a pressure washer seems to work well at getting it all back out.
Hunting Coons in these big steep mountains where I live requires some good coon dogs. Coon hunting in these here hills is a tradition that is passed on to younger generations as time goes on. Turn the dogs loose at night and they will tree the coon after the chase. Go to them and shoot that big coon out with a .22 rifle. I use to go on those night hunts years ago. matter of fact I have had three young coons on my porch from time to time hunting food for the past few weeks. I have seen them out at 2PM during the day which I thought was strange. I guess when they get to looking for food they will come out during the day. When my neighbors corn gets ready I know they will be his problem then.
Get you some good coon dogs and hunt them or if your state game laws allow it trap them.
Good luck........
Get you some good coon dogs and hunt them or if your state game laws allow it trap them.
Good luck........
I always use a live trap because of all the other animals around. Barn cats, and dogs are sometimes curious, and I wouldn't want to get one tangled up in a leg hold or other type of trap. They're not very expensive if you find the right kind, or you could probably have someone who's decent with a welder make you one. I think mine was $30 at a flea market. The havaheart traps cost alot more and aren't made as well as the one I got, but they do the job if its all you can find.
For a live trap its pretty simple, sit it outside for a day or two before setting it to get rid of any smells that might scare a coon off. Then handle it as little as possible before setting it. I bait mine with a small can of horsefeed, inside on top of the trigger mechanism, and a little more sprinkled in a path into the trap. Its important to set the trap in an area that coons are going to or past. Setting it on a trail works very well, especially at the mouth of a drain pipe or field tile where the coon's path is limited. In more open areas set it under a tree if possible. They're more likely to check it out if there's cover close by.
If you catch one, shoot it with a .22 while its in the trap, don't mess with handling a live coon they're nasty and carry rabies. Clean the trap thoroughly with hot water , and let it sit outside for another day or two before setting it again. I've caught 8 coons since the middle of may, generally I catch them the night I set the trap. Once in awhile you catch them a day or two later.
For a live trap its pretty simple, sit it outside for a day or two before setting it to get rid of any smells that might scare a coon off. Then handle it as little as possible before setting it. I bait mine with a small can of horsefeed, inside on top of the trigger mechanism, and a little more sprinkled in a path into the trap. Its important to set the trap in an area that coons are going to or past. Setting it on a trail works very well, especially at the mouth of a drain pipe or field tile where the coon's path is limited. In more open areas set it under a tree if possible. They're more likely to check it out if there's cover close by.
If you catch one, shoot it with a .22 while its in the trap, don't mess with handling a live coon they're nasty and carry rabies. Clean the trap thoroughly with hot water , and let it sit outside for another day or two before setting it again. I've caught 8 coons since the middle of may, generally I catch them the night I set the trap. Once in awhile you catch them a day or two later.
I don't know about where you live, but I thought I'd add that coons are considered pest animals in my area. They have to be in season to hunt them, but erradicating them as pests can be done year round. Its also a 4th degree misdemeanor to release a trapped pest animal on any property but the property it was caught on, it has to be destroyed or released where it was caught. I know you understand that they're a problem and need thinned out, and plan on hunting them. I like to know that the law is on my side when I'm getting rid ofthem around here through. I occasionally catch a little greif from a bleeding heart here and there and the safety/pest/ conservation issues are way over their heads. They at least shut up when you tell them that what they would have you do is illegal.
Redneck,a modern foothold trap won't usually hurt a dog.I trap foxes and coyotes for the live market with footholds and I have yet to see one chew it's foot off or break it's leg.
OTOH,a conibear will kill a dog.But that's not to say that conibears aren't humane.According to research done on trapping,conibears deliver a quick humane kill and the animals are not stressed at all.And you can get dog-proof enclosures to prevent catching dogs with conibears.
Cage traps have there place,but I don't want to be forced to use one like in the PRK.They are impractical if you are running a trapline.And studies have proven that most animals are treated more humanely with a quick killing trap.
OTOH,a conibear will kill a dog.But that's not to say that conibears aren't humane.According to research done on trapping,conibears deliver a quick humane kill and the animals are not stressed at all.And you can get dog-proof enclosures to prevent catching dogs with conibears.
Cage traps have there place,but I don't want to be forced to use one like in the PRK.They are impractical if you are running a trapline.And studies have proven that most animals are treated more humanely with a quick killing trap.
I don't have a problem with other types of traps. I just think that in my situation the box trap works best. I think I've caught half of the barn cats at least once, and theres occassionally curious little boys around when different family members come over to see the horses. It seems like a box trap might be a little easier for someone who's just getting started too.
I'm trying to thin the coons out considerably in my area but I have all the time in the world and don't mind getting one every 3-4 days. With a trap line or a different situation I would definitely consider the other traps.
I'm trying to thin the coons out considerably in my area but I have all the time in the world and don't mind getting one every 3-4 days. With a trap line or a different situation I would definitely consider the other traps.
Jamie Young
New member
Go catch a trout or two and leave them on a stump somewhere. Then hide and wait for them to come out.
CheapSeats
New member
The best is to use some coon dogs....and hunt at night.
I used to hunt coons with my father a LOT back in the 60's...I was the lantern holder.
I remember many November/December nights spent trekking through the woods after coon.
Once the dogs tree him, spotlight him with a BIG flashlight and 22 him between his eyes.
Coon Hunting is an art...see if there's any coon hunters around your parts and let them know they can hunt WITH YOU there...if you want to learn how to do it the best way.
If you notice someone who has several hound dogs (not just beagles), it is very likely he's a coon hunter. We had up to 6 at once.
Make sure that they understand that it's not a 24/7 invitation...just occasionally when you need to hunt.
Take your time and meet the people...coon hunters can be a strange breed.
But, it's a lot of fun too....you will have a ball learning it this way.
I used to hunt coons with my father a LOT back in the 60's...I was the lantern holder.
I remember many November/December nights spent trekking through the woods after coon.Once the dogs tree him, spotlight him with a BIG flashlight and 22 him between his eyes.
Coon Hunting is an art...see if there's any coon hunters around your parts and let them know they can hunt WITH YOU there...if you want to learn how to do it the best way.
If you notice someone who has several hound dogs (not just beagles), it is very likely he's a coon hunter. We had up to 6 at once.
Make sure that they understand that it's not a 24/7 invitation...just occasionally when you need to hunt.
Take your time and meet the people...coon hunters can be a strange breed.
But, it's a lot of fun too....you will have a ball learning it this way.