raccoons around the house

[seth30]

Ok, I dont have a trappers license, or permit, or even the knowlege about trapping wild animals (unless there feral cats).  We have seen raccoons around our home several times, and with having three dogs, and several birdfeeders I see a possible problem occuring in the near future. Can I use my havaheart traps to catch them and dispose of them on my own,  or could I face legal issues if  I go that route?

[Bofire]

shotgun.

[seth30]

I am in a housin commnity, so that is not a option

[hoyt2002]

Tats sucks. I think you could run into some legal issues if they catch you trappng coons. I'm sure theres a trapper or two on here to give you the info you looking for. Mybe a local one that could help with your problem. It might help to get rid of the outside food for your birds and dogs for awhile. If there is no food they might move on from your property.

[Humptulips]

You are completely within the law to trap on your own property without a license or any kind of permit as long as you use cage traps.

If disposal means killing them. Do it on your own property. If it means releasing them somewhere. Do not release on private property unless you have permission.
WDFW does not want them released somewhere else but it is not actualy illegal for someone without a license. They are a real problem as they are apt to show up at someones house and to catch them a second time is a real problem plus there is the danger of spreading disease.
Usually when you move a problem animal you are just moving the problem to someone else.

[seth30]

Thanks for the info.  I will start placing my traps out in the AM with peanut butter and marshmellows.

[lokidog]

You cannot move live wildlife.  It needs to be terminated.  The following is from wdfw.wa.gov.

Option 1. Release the animal at the site of capture.
With this option, an animal is trapped and released on site after its reentry into a structure is prevented by physical exclusion. (See Evicting Animals from Buildings for exclusion techniques.)

In such a case, the animal is evicted within its home range and because it is familiar with its surroundings, it can soon find suitable food and shelter. In the event young are present but were not noticed prior to trapping, allow the female back inside to tend to her dependent offspring.

A downside to this approach is the possibility that the animal may simply enter someone else's attic, chimney, or similar place. Then, if someone else has to trap the animal, they will be dealing with a trap-smart animal, making its capture difficult.

Option 2. Release the animal outside of its home range.
The release of elk, bear, and other wildlife by professional wildlife managers to reintroduce or augment populations is a proven and valid technique for wildlife management. However, releases of this kind should not be confused with moving problem wildlife, which may be illegal. For instance, in the State of Washington, it is unlawful to possess or transport live wildlife or wild birds (except starlings and house sparrows by falconers) without a permit (WAC 232-12-064). This includes Eastern gray squirrels, Eastern cottontail rabbits, raccoons, and opossums. They are considered wildlife because they occur in Washington in a wild state—which includes neighborhood parks and backyards.
Many times, not enough consideration is given to the impact of the capture and release process on the animal, or to the animal's impact on the established wildlife populations at the release site. While wildlife released in a new location is an option often preferred by well-meaning people opposed to killing animals, this may be at the expense of the released animal or the animals at the release site.

[Humptulips]

I stand corrected.

[seth30]

Dang it I put my traps out, and then logged in Going to pick them up after this post I didnt plan on releasing any of them alive

[BallisticsNut]

We had a family of raccoons that lived either under our deck or in the tree in our back yard when we purchased our house in 2008.  The previous owners fed their dogs outside and left the food bowls out during the day.  The coons would come in at night and feed on the scraps that feel between the deck boards.  When we purchased our home, they were a big nuisance.  Terrorized my dogs at 3 AM which had its own side affects on the family.  last year, we found a dead coon under our deck, a young female if I remember correctly.  Not sure who but it seems one of our neighbors had been feeding them rat poison.(according to another neighbor)  Glad I dont have cats and my dogs dont like coon meat.  Soo...your thinking where is this going!??

The coons finally thined out over the second year, stopped coming around at night because there was no food to be found but because they loved our deck the paid us a visit at least once a week.  Twice, my dog trapped the coons under our deck, wouldnt let them out.  Late one night, he had one treed in our back yard.  Well, that was the final straw.  After that night we never saw that coon again.  But the family kept coming back and searching under our deck.  Last year, we tore out that deck and replaced it with a stamped concrete patio. Cost $15k.  Crawlspace repair $5k.  Since this high cost repair and abatement process started last year, we have not yet seen another coon.   Has to be cheaper solution.  Moral of the story, in order to get rid of coons, you have to get rid of thier home as well as their food source. (bird feeders, fruit trees, blackberry bushes etc) You can trap one or two or the whole family but chances are another family (generation) will find the same living accomodations and make it their own.  Start by getting rid of the food sources, then find their home and get rid of it.  If they are living in your crawl space or attic, get pro help and plug the gaps and treat the areas.  Get rid of the smell even it if means replacing insulation.  Do this and most will leave on their own... but they still may come back.  Our dogs see that they dont come back in the yard anymore. 

Just a few thoughts to consider. 

[MuleySniper]

Just do what my grandpa does with feral cats, coons and whatever else may be disturbing his peace. He traps with a good sized live cage trap then gives em a swim in his pond. Myself, I prefer my shotgun, but I understand your residential circumstance.
MS

[dirty24d]

Seth,

A couple easy ways to terminate them without using a firearm in your residential area are:

1,  Fill a trash can with water and immerse the entire cage trap in it for about 10 minutes.

2,  Put the cage in a thick garbage bag seal it completely pop a tiny hole it and inject a few blasts of ether.

[Houndhunter]

drowning them is a nice quite and easy way to do it, or just a bullet to the head. definety would not move them though as if you are caught they bust ya big time, and theres always a few noisy neighbors lurking about that'll report something like that.

[Heredoggydoggy]

Even though I live in the county, I'm still in a residential area.  My answer to loud gunfire is simple. I got a box of CCI Sub-sonic Short .22 rimfire ammo.  Not even as loud as my pellet gun.  Live trap them, pop them in the head, stick them in a garbage bag and dump them.  Quick, quiet, and easy!  The neighbors are none the wiser.  Sad to have to do it, but you can't let vermin take over your property.

[seth30]

I am in the same boat, I live in the county but in a residental area.  I dont feed my dogs outside, but with the bird feeders in my yard and it seems every yard connected to my yard there is adqueate feed for any raccoons.  The green belt near our area was recently cut down, and at the same time the racoons started showing up. What I dont want to happen is to let my dogs outside to find them fighting with some disease ridden rodent.