Corn thieves

Have 1 boar coming to my feeder behind the house. Set a hog trap but the coons keep setting it off. Time to remove some!

I have never been a fan of trapping. Quit baiting on your place and they won't "steal".

Keep on baiting and buy more bullets !!!

Sanctimonious duck hunter telling us not to have feeders.

I don't like "the look" in the first picture either. Some of the little devils can look down right remorseful when you pull up, but just pop 'em as quick as you can. And get there as early as you can. Again, the quail will thank you for it.
Nature's a bitch...and we're part of nature.

They aren't 'stealing' to begin with (despite the thread title). They are doing what raccoons do, utilizing a readily available food source.

I run my feeders year 'round so....not 'baiting' is just not going to work for me. I accept that animals other than the ones I am primarily providing feed for (Deer) and at certain other sites..hogs, are going to get some of the corn. When they become too numerous or start tearing things up, we thin them out. Sometimes with traps, sometimes with a rifle....just the way it is.

Shoot them all.

Racoons that are eating the corn off the ground are not the problem. Read what he typed sir.

They are typically tearing everything they can get their little hands on to pieces.... and that’s the problem.

If they had ever torn up a blind or feeder or game camera of yours...... your opinion of them would change

If you are going to bait you need to be responsible for what comes along with it. Senseless killing of critters since you don't want to put forth the effort or money to "varmint proof" your feeders/cameras since you want to shoot a deer under a feeder isn't justification enough for me. For y'all i guess it is.

"Thinning them out" has no rational grounds. The next litter of coons will just replaced the ones you killed, great job. Fix the problem not the symptoms.

Quacky, there is something wrong with you, Feminism I believe. Sad.

I wouldn’t go that far..... but we have a VERY STRONG difference of opinion.

Some of my wise friends would say at this point.... I’m going to have to agree to disagree but.... this time...

Your just plain wrong.

If you do nothing in about 3 years you’ll have 30 of them and then everything you own will be damaged monthly....

I put two dog proof traps apparently too close together one time and a coon had a paw in each of them. You would have thought after being caught in the first one it would have been hesitant of the second. Apparently not Keep on trapping, I know I will.

They need managing on most of the land in Texas, especially the ones that have quail. There are like coyotes, kill everyone you can and there will still be plenty.

Agreed Sir

^^^^^^^

I would respectfully suggest you take an Animal Husbandry class. If/when you take the breeding aged animals out of the equation....you have no "next litter of coons". In the wild... and with respect to 'balance' this is the same as predator control.

Raccoons (left unchecked) can quickly become too numerous. 'Baiting' as you call it....is not the cause of it. Rather... the food source ( a small part of their diet) exposes the problem by attracting them to one spot where their numbers are recognized.

The trouble with raccoons manifests basically in three forms:

1. Overpopulation.
2. Destruction of property, resources.
3. Both of the above.

^^^^^
Those are the "rational grounds" for 'thinning them out'.

However, the argument for population control does not stop at Feeder Damage or loss of feed...though that is the subject here.

I agree that steps can be taken to help 'thwart' damage to equipment, but I haven't found anything yet (practical) that will "Varmint Proof" all feeders or cameras. Nor do I feel it incumbent of the owner to have to do so. None of the raccoons on my property are starving, they are just lazy and greedy. Often to a point of not being satisfied with the feed on the ground (which for the most part they are welcome to).

But when they start to tear things up (seeking more feed or just out of curiosity), or when their numbers are clearly too great...we thin them out (lawfully).

Same holds true for other "critters". When Feral Hogs, Coyotes, etc....become a problem, we deal with it.

Your opinion of this is that it is 'senseless' and you seek to blame the steward of the Land/Resources for causing the problem. My guess is that you have little experience in this area, but are happy to admonish those who do?

https://youtu.be/uJ6b4yL3Gjg

Coons are smart, once they figure out where they can get food without having to scavenge for it, they will come along with new "friends"! Then the damage starts escalating!

There are those among us who believe that raccoons are sweet little innocent critters who get a bad wrap. Speaking as a former rancher I have seen raccoons cause all sorts damage. Try storing cubes in a barn. They can find their way in and tear open feed sacks and scatter cubes everywhere.....not just one sack but several. Leave cubes in your truck and they will do the same and leave crap every where in the process. "Fix the problem" would mean coon proofing the barn spending major money to do so....an expense many of us don't need. "Thinning them out" is a "rational solution". In keeping live traps out, set and removing the animals you do thin them out and minimize the damage.

Coons are ring-tailed rats...pure and simple....nasty destructive creatures.....

He's pretty much anti-hunting unless the animal has feathers on it. Few things are worse than one hunter hypocritically telling another what he should or should not do.

Well, the problem is that he used straight emotions to respond w/o considering the situation. That's a woman's type of response (liberal also).
I only trap the coons when I am paid to or when they are setting off my hog trap. This time they were setting off my hog trap before the hog could show up.
I have some funny pics with them hanging from my feeder and that doesn't bother me, I can afford a little extra corn.