Coon problems

[SURGICAL GRADE]

Hey guys,

I have several trees producing fairly well now (finally) but, much to my dismay, my pear tree that was absolutely loaded has been stripped slowly but surely just before the pears were ready to pick. The other trees with several pears on them (younger trees) have experienced the same pestilence.

Along with trapping, have any of you figured a good way to limit or deter those little terrors from robbing you blind? Any help would be greatly appreciated!


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

 

[SwampCat]

Coons get every peach, apple, plum, fig, or pear my trees produce. I have my sweet corn patch fenced, with a hot wire, a dog proof trap at each corner of the patch and two live traps in the patch. My wife and I make a couple nightly passes starting ten days before picking. We usually trap/shoot about 20 in those ten days. They still get half of 1500 feet of sweet corn.

 

[Doe Shooter]

Coons get every peach, apple, plum, fig, or pear my trees produce. I have my sweet corn patch fenced, with a hot wire, a dog proof trap at each corner of the patch and two live traps in the patch. My wife and I make a couple nightly passes starting ten days before picking. We usually trap/shoot about 20 in those ten days. They still get half of 1500 feet of sweet corn.

I managed to put a good dent in them with several dog proof traps. You can tell you're getting ahead when you start catching only younger coons.

 

[TheOldOak]

Raccoons love pears and once they find a tree, they will be back every night until every pear is gone. Like many, I learned a lot from watching my father. He had his own methods for dealing with raccoons. Every night before he went to bed, usually around 10:30-11:00PM, he would grab the 12 gauge and take a walk outside to the pear tree. One night I remember he dropped 4 raccoons! As he got older, it got harder for him. He recruited my mom to hold the flashlight since shooting the gun while holding the light was too much for a 75 year old! I had moved away, but the thought of the two of them out there at 11:00 at night blasting coons out of the pear tree still makes me laugh.

 

[Turkey Creek]

A sheet metal tube around the trunk suspended by the lowest branches can be effective. Keeps the coons from getting a grip on the trunk to climb up.

 

[H20fwler]

Blue Malrin

 

[SURGICAL GRADE]

Great suggestions guys. I’ve begun the DP trap regimen but I do like TC’s idea, sort of like what is done with wood duck houses. I have them caged for the most part which provides scaffolding to the devils to attack, but next year, I might experiment with removing the cage once they begin to ripen. Then a sheet metal tube might prove to be effective. Any pics of a setup like that would be great!


Sent from my iPhone using Deer Hunter Forum

 

[SwampCat]

I put sheet metal tubes around some of my fruit trees. Fire ants built in them and girdled the trees.

 

[THE LLC]

Dog proof coon traps are the answer.

 

[Nebraskaz71]

Those that have friends that hypothetically used malrin, whatd they mix, howd it work, what kinda mess did they end up with.... asking for a friend!