# Urgent need to keep raccoons out of corn!!



## Marilyn in CO (May 12, 2002)

Ok, we have tried about everything from shooting(hard to catch them in the act)/playing music/trapping(won't even get near the trap). I have sprayed cheap cologne along the rows and it did help last year at least kept them at bay for a couple days. I have a beautiful sweet corn crop that the raccoons are waiting to get mature as much as we are. We must have 30 or more of the pests hiding out. Any suggestions?


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## Paula (Jun 3, 2002)

Do you have a good dog you could lock up in the corn patch?


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## Fire-Man (Apr 30, 2005)

Yea---A good dog chained close to the corn might help. I planted 3 --75' rows of sweet corn--------Didn't get a ear off of it-------***** cleaned it out-------and it was looking Good--I guess to good to them. I went on the war path(sorry animal Lovers)--I love animals too, but had way to many ***** in that area---had to thin them out. You might need to do the same thing, but you can get them in your live catch trap with 1/2 of a Glazed Honey Bun--------the other 1/2 for the next one. Set the trap close to the path they are using, maybe in the edge of the woods------catch them------take them several miles from home and release. Good Luck.


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## Cosmic (Jan 19, 2005)

Lots of luck. 

If you have lots of corn and lots of *****, nothing is probably going to stop them, this year. They will eat the ears in about the stage when you could make chinese dishes and eat both corn and cob. Very small and immature.

Trick is not to have ***** in the area. You need a full scale trapping program year round. Forget the trap and release. Trap and tan their hides and sell those. :goodjob: 

Put a sheet of plywood under the trap, they try to dig their way out, plus crap all over the place. ***** and free chow, especially sweet corn, like a steel bar and magnet. One of their favorite, they will crawl through old razor blades, broken glass and rusty mufflers of the tractor that might harvest it just to sniff the silk. 

Peanut butter and crackers is good when nothing is in the garden. Bag lots of *****, get a few squirrels, some rabbits and cats. Got to eliminate them before the garden is planted. Spring is prime just after the last few winter days.

You either need acres and acres so they can't eat it all, or as close to zero ***** as your trap can get. Squirrels are bad too, but they tend to operate in the daytime. Good pellet gun with scope and a lawn chair.


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

well positioned electric fence...

articles:

Internet Center for Wildlife Damage - University of Nebraska and other partners
http://icwdm.org/handbook/carnivor/Raccoons.asp

Iowa State University - http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Publications/PM1302E.pdf

Michigan State - Repelling Raccoons
http://web1.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/modwl/11209809.html


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## rambler (Jan 20, 2004)

Electric fence works if you do it right.

--->Paul


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## MaryNY (Oct 25, 2004)

LOTS of ground red pepper from the Dollar Store (cheap there) sprinkled very liberally over the "silk" part of the corn cobs on the outside rows will make them think twice. I understand you can hear the raccoons out there screaming in the cornpatch when they get a mouthful of that! Sorry animal lovers -- but at least it doesn't kill them, just smarts a bit.

Other thing is some predator animal urine granules or liquid that I saw someone post about a while back from a company called "Legup" or "Leg Up" -- if you put "Leg Up" into the Google search engine, you will find it. They have an 800 number for you to call, and if you're willing to pay for faster delivery, I'm sure they could arrange it, and you could have it in a day or two. This stuff is urine in granular or liquid form from coyotes, fox, wildcat? or mountain lion? -- some kind of cat - you either sprinkle the granules around or put the liquid on cotton and attach it to things. I called to order some, but at that time the wonderful State of NY hadn't "approved" it yet. I have to remember to call back, as it should have been approved by now. Funny thing - I went to school with the brother of the gal who answered the phone -- know her -- knew most of her family! lol

Good luck!

MaryNY


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## Mandy (Aug 19, 2004)

This wont help for this year, but next year plant anything that vines out, right next to the corn. We have pumpkins right next to ours, ***** and deer hate to walk through the vines. Our garden is unfenced and far from the house....nothing touches it.


Mandy


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## Swampthing (Feb 16, 2005)

If you're gonna live trap ***** have the decency to kill them. Taking them down the road and releasing them just makes them someone else's problem. Just like when people take their dogs out to the country and let them go.


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

Swampthing said:


> If you're gonna live trap ***** have the decency to kill them. Taking them down the road and releasing them just makes them someone else's problem. Just like when people take their dogs out to the country and let them go.


They are much easier to shoot in a confined space (live trap) & compost.


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## uncle Will in In. (May 11, 2002)

Take a mower or weed whacker and mow a path all the way around the corn. Put a hot wire about 7 inches above the ground, and you will NOT have ***** in the corn. We had a cat in the corn when I turned the fence on. It was a small cat, and it made it all the way under the fence up to its tail that was sticking straight up in the air. Let me tell you that was a HAW HAW moment.


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## vicki in NW OH (May 10, 2002)

Someone gave us this "recipe". I didn't use it because the neighbor's cats wander down to our place, and I didn't want to kill his kitties.

2 cups fly bait
1 can of Coke

I guess they drop almost immediately.


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## DrippingSprings (Sep 22, 2004)

timic will do the trick


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

vicki in NW OH said:


> Someone gave us this "recipe". I didn't use it because the neighbor's cats wander down to our place, and I didn't want to kill his kitties.
> 
> 2 cups fly bait
> 1 can of Coke
> ...


This is an illegal use of the fly bait product for just the reasons you described - it is being used against the label. 

Shame on whomever gave you the recipe - especially if they are using it for anything other than flies. They should be turned in!


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## shawnee (Oct 31, 2004)

I agree with Rambler; we have been fighting ***** this summer over the corn. They drove my husband half crazy. Hot wires - 2 of 'em at least - with one at low ground level and a "good" charge (keep grass around cleared very low) has finally done the trick after losing ear after ear since July. As for the "recipe" above, I see no difference between that and trapping or shooting, especially if you depend on that crop. Tried the cayenne pepper thing mentioned above and no-go. If crop is too big to put up an elec. fence I don't know what to tell you. We tried acorn/pumpkin/butternut squash around corn and it didn't work for us. We didn't have this problem on our other piece of land; we put up good fence 6ft. tall and attached with clips at bottom and strong chicken wire buried underground good. Took a while for hub and daughter to do, and used tractor blade to dig trench for it, shoveling dirt afterwards over chicken wire. But can't complain; had cantaloupe, watermelon, you name it and not even a bunny got in. No critters at all and it wasn't even charged. You have my sympathies and probably a lot of others are in your shoes. By the way, we tried quinoa and amaranth this year - kind of hubbies side hobby. Working OK, except for birds drawn to seed. Didn't plant a very large plot of it; mainly to see if he could and to provide seed for us next year. Gonna try more next year for sure. Nice to diversify grains.


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## MsPacMan (Dec 30, 2004)

I had to research raccoons a few years ago when a mother and her babies decided our attic was a great place to call home.


What I learned about getting raccoons out of attics might also apply to gardens.


Three things raccoons cannot stand is 1, light -- especially bright light; 2, loud noise (especially loud "rap" music); and 3, the smell of mothballs.


Unless you have a way to wire your garden for light or loud music, your best bet is probably mothballs.


Get bunches of them, put them in women's knee high stockings, and then hang those stockings on the periphreial corn stalks. Raccoons cannot stand the smell of mothballs. Deer do not like the smell either.


Mothballs got the raccoon family out of my attic.


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## Cosmic (Jan 19, 2005)

MsPacMan said:


> Three things raccoons cannot stand is 1, light -- especially bright light; 2, loud noise (especially loud "rap" music); and 3, the smell of mothballs.
> 
> Unless you have a way to wire your garden for light or loud music, your best bet is probably mothballs.


You want to be very careful exposing ***** to loud rap music. They are highly adaptable animals and can acquire a taste for new things.

You could have ***** fat on corn, spaced out on mothballs and dancing on your lawn, squealing ...............
*
The fancy cars 

The women and the caviar 

You know who we are 

Cause we pimpin' all over the world 

The fancy cars 

The women and the caviar 

You know who we are 

Cause we pimpin' all over the world *


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## shawnee (Oct 31, 2004)

We tried the lites and music remedy; only attracted them to the spot and THEY BROUGHT FRIENDS! Honestly, they ravaged the devil out of the corn after that. Electric fnecing with a MEAN zap to it has prevailed. Lovely corn, happy vs. grumpy husband; pouting ***** departed for neighbors down the road (heheheh).


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## Jan Doling (May 21, 2004)

We keep the poultry corn in a large garbage container on the porch. A **** got to thinking it was his personal restaurant and unbeknownst to me was hiding under a covered rocker nearby. I tried to lift the cover off to clean and was bit through the thumbanail. ER visit $6,ooo (includes multiple couriers to collect serum in nearby counties and an all day stay at the hospital). Ten shots at $150 each. He had the nerve to return. My 12 year old lifted the lid to feed her hen and he now thought it was his personal motel and was sleeping inside. He lunged at her and she k.o'd him with pot. I slammed the lid shut, bungied corded it and put a 5 gallon bucket of paint on top. By the end of the week we detected that "I've gone to be with my ancestors" aroma and had a funeral. I dumped the remainder of the feed in the pond and the fish were happy. Oh, well, it least it wasn't the panther...again.


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## Marilyn in CO (May 12, 2002)

Hey everybody...thanks for the ideas!!! If I could do it, I would shoot every last one of those rats...em raccoons...I think they are big rats. But, lucky for them I am a terrible shot. :viking: Although hubby suggested the shot gun but wasn't willing to do it himself thinking he might shoot something up because the patch is close to the cattle corrals. If we get a break from haying we are going to try the electric fence deal. I am so mad I would use poison but hubby says he is afraid the dogs will get in it. We could tie up our old yippy Dingo, but so far hubby isnt' sold on that idea. I like the dollar store pepper idea and the urine scent of wild animals. Maybe if we left a dead one in the patch maybe the others would stay away? Gads, I hate raccoons and this is coming from a mega animal lover. They never used to appear until the corn was yellow.....now they are eating it the "minute" it has a [email protected]##$$%^%^&

Jan, wow, brazen little sucker wasn't it. Being bitten by a raccoon would be downright grounds for war in my book.


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## bugstabber (May 12, 2002)

Uh, that fly bait is called Golden Marlin.....


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## lonewolf (May 28, 2005)

Had a gunsmith order me in the largest commercial grade trap Havahart makes and I bait it with some molded chicken laying pellets I got from a neighbor and some black oil sunflower seeds. I've also used some fallen red plums from my trees mixed in. Sometimes I use some old leftovers. So far I have harvested seven raccoons and two oppossums.

One of them I sniped at 15 feet at night with a customized Ruger 10/22 with a bull barrel a gunsmith made up for me. I had expected to terminate the **** under the dusk to dawn light, about 30 yards away, but that one **** had the nerve to come up on the porch with me so I took care of it.

The rest I've eliminated in the trap then dumped their carcasses deep in the timber for the buzzards to clean up.

So far I haven't lost any more poultry this year. And I don't feel the least bit bad popping them in the head. Especially when they come out in broad daylight to get caught in the trap.


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## ckncrazy (Jan 4, 2004)

Other thing is some predator animal urine granules or liquid that I saw someone post about a while back from a company called "Legup" or "Leg Up" -- if you put "Leg Up" into the Google search engine, you will find it. They have an 800 number for you to call, and if you're willing to pay for faster delivery, I'm sure they could arrange it, and you could have it in a day or two. This stuff is urine in granular or liquid form from coyotes, fox, wildcat? or mountain lion? -- some kind of cat - you either sprinkle the granules around or put the liquid on cotton and attach it to things. I called to order some, but at that time the wonderful State of NY hadn't "approved" it yet. I have to remember to call back, as it should have been approved by now. Funny thing - I went to school with the brother of the gal who answered the phone -- know her -- knew most of her family! lol

Good luck!

MaryNY[/QUOTE]


Mary,
You can get preditor urine at Gander Mountain, or just about any hunting / Trapping shop. We use fox urine as a cover scent when hunting.

JAKE


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## Marilyn in CO (May 12, 2002)

WoooYOOO!!!!!!! Caught two last night with.......crunchy fried pork rinds. A big one and a little one. Hubby has a friend that wants them and he lives 15 miles away. I can't imagine why he wants those rats. I say it's too close, I want them eliminated, I don't want them hi tailin it back. We'll see who wins.

I'm gonna look into the urine scent thing. Probably 30 more to catch OR eliminate.


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## Jan Doling (May 21, 2004)

My co-workers are placing orders for ****-skin caps!


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

My FIL got over 28 last year!! They really did a number on his corn. We got 6 at our house (we just live across the field from each other)

So far this year, he's gotten 10 + 3 oppossums. No one around here traps any more & the **** population has really exploded!! Distemper is also a big problem.

He has no trouble with the live trap (then shoot in the trap). He uses canned cat food (tuna), marshmellows, & corn  :shrug: 

Good Luck!

Tricia


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## Barb (May 14, 2002)

Congrats Marilyn!! I don't suppose your Hubby's friend would like prairie dogs also would he?


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## MaKettle (Oct 2, 2003)

We are short 13" rainfall so far this year, on top of a shortfall last yer. My corn is 4" tall, and any ears that formed were devoured by Japanese beetles, which are new to this area. Thank your blessing that you have a beautiful crop and go with the electric fence. My neighbor used one, and had no problems when the juice was on. As mentioned above, it just takes one strand about 6-7" above the ground. An inexpensive pet enclosure kit will do it--you know--with a 4 "D" cell charger.


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## BaronsMom (May 22, 2005)

Marilyn in CO said:


> WoooYOOO!!!!!!! Caught two last night with.......crunchy fried pork rinds. A big one and a little one. Hubby has a friend that wants them and he lives 15 miles away. I can't imagine why he wants those rats. I say it's too close, I want them eliminated, I don't want them hi tailin it back. We'll see who wins.
> 
> I'm gonna look into the urine scent thing. Probably 30 more to catch OR eliminate.


There is a challenge in getting rid of a trapped raccoon. The pest must be transported at least 25 miles to prevent return. Don't think your 15 miles will do it!

:nono: And again on the fly bait, it not legal to use for raccoons...:nono: 

Best, most permanent solution is the electric fencing and it makes sense. If you do it right the first time and protect your garden/crops, why mess with all this other stuff????


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