Huge Coons

I have been hunting my dogs a little to try to get them in shape and training on a youngster that I raised. Since I have very few cats around Menard, have to hunt coons. I have lived here since 1985 and have never seen coons as big and fat as they are this year. At first, I was thinking that they are getting to some of the protein that the hunters are feeding deer and I am sure they get a little. I have come to the conclusion that the reason for the great body condition must be attributed to the huge population of grasshopper that have been around most of the summer. I am betting that the turkeys are in excellent body condition as well.
Adios,
Gary

I have some that look like freaking hogs! Massive! Just reduced the population a tad last weekend. Never seen em bigger than this year.

Yeah, the ones the dogs are catching are so big that they are not wanting to tree, just squatting in thick cover or under something. Also seeing the ones that are hit on the road as being much fatter than normal. Some are large enough to total a Prius...
Adios,
Gary

I would not call the ones west of FT Worth where I hunt any bigger or fatter than usual, but I am seeing a population explosion. I saw 5 under feeder on game cam pictures. Trapped 8 there, then saw 5 under feeder again on the next game cam picture after trapping them. It's like a video game where for every one I kill, it just spawns two more.

I worked really hard this summer trapping coons at 2 of the feeders. Killed dozens of them up to a month before deer season. Now seeing at least 8 at a time at one feeder! I'm retiring this winter but Katy bar the door come spring!

There's many that have neglected to work on the predators, and
the small varmints are still hard on the game birds
and small game animals that we hunt and eat.
Not to mention tearing up feeders and gobbling up the corn and
protein.

I try to work on any of them I can get at any time I can
try to make a dent

Big fatty in the wee hours this AM

Coons will eat the heck out of acorns too !

they prefer to eat lead I heard....

I have a buffet for them....then.

Took out 29 last season on my place with dog proof traps. Has made a very noticeable difference this year. I've seen 1 or 2 on the cameras now compared to 4-6 last year.

I’ve never seen so many/ fat in my life. 8 under every feeder. I always wondered if they get in quail nests and turkey. Back in the day, there were tons of coin dogs and hunters. With todays times, most of those guys are gone. Are the foot traps the best? What is the best to rid them?

They are like fleas on our place.

Dog proofs will put a massive dent on them.

Our are just real fluffy, not really fat.

Dog proof coon traps.

Duke is a pretty reputable brand. Bait with a marshmallow, and make sure that thing is chained to something secure!!

the ones I see on the roads are not fat.

But the buzzards seem to prefer them over any other "table fare".

They are everywhere in east Fort Worth! We live trap em and relocate to the nicer neighborhoods.

Yeah, well there's FAT and then there's FLAT.

Corn makes em huge

Ive got a bunch hanging around my back yard feeder. I caught 2 in duke traps earlier in the year. Second set I caught and the bugers busted my tie wire and ran off with the traps. I have a few more ordered and beefing up my ties.

mine are huge and as soon as deer season is over, a light is going up, and I am going to start blasting them! They eat so much protein it is stupid!

Sounds like a fun time

Needs to be cabled or chained to something solid
Trapping supply companies sell snare extensions that
will loop around a tree trunk or similar to attach traps
or snares to a solid place

It would be a lot of fun, but set some traps also.
Traps will work for you 24/7 and don't get sleepy
or tired and don't have to punch in on Monday morning

Too Many Coons!
Some do gymnastic Coons on my Deer Feeder






.22 HP to the head takes care of them all

LOL, whenever hear about coons I always smile.

I was in my early twenty’s riding with a buddy to New Orleans for the weekend. He was speeding and a motorcycle officer was right on his arse with lights going as we pulled over. Now… I promise we didn’t see it until it was too late, but on the side of the highway was the biggest dead coon I’ve ever laid eyes on. Thing was the size of a pig and had to have been there for a while because it was all bloated and it’s legs were sticking straight out as it laid on its side. Ol’ Rig had defiantly set in. We were to busy looking at the officer in the mirrors, and I was like “oh crap, look out for that coon!!!” Well… we hit it square on and pieces of dead, rotten, coon went flying all over the officer from up under his car as you can imagine, he was less than amused and really laid into us! There was no way of getting out of that ticket

Some bigguns

big ole fat trash pandas

As if stealing corn isn't enough they will eat turkey and quail eggs too. They can put a huge dent in your quail population.

i think the acorn crop was pretty heavy just about everywhere this year and there are a lot of people running feeders who don't bother to mess with the racoons that they are also feeding. i like to trap them some, its fun to do with the kids. fun even without the kids when i've got time to mess with it. its just something else to do in hunting camp.