Raccoon invasion. Morality question.

nolaegghead

Nanook said:

Maybe they would make good gumbo!

I've had bush meat gumbo once.  It's made from everything that you can shoot from your back porch.  This was out near Abita Springs.  I call it "fear factor" gumbo.  It wasn't bad.  I felt like getting a rabies shot afterwards.

DMW

I'm having fun reading this thread. Keep us posted. Hope you catch the buggers.

nolan8v

NPHuskerFL,

Re: I actually had to break down and pay a pro to trap them and shortly after did it myself after I saw the trick of trapping them.

I’m having current issues with them as well.

What’s the trick of trapping them?

 

nolaegghead

Yeah, I'd like to know any tricks too. @NPHuskerFL

RRP

I'm late to this thread, but scanned the replies - up here in IL we have laws that are enforced that prevent a homeowner from trapping said critters and then moving them to another spot! HONEST! There are also laws against trapping and killing them unless you get a license to do so. Well, after a neighbor had trapped and drowned 8 of them one summer some "lady" called the game warden and my neighbor was fined $250! So that pissed him off since the coon population was really bad that year so he got a license - he then could either kill them or deliver them live to our local zoo! To this day we still see him leaving the neighborhood with a special cage he had built that attaches to his trailer hitch on his SUV so he can take them to the zoo! It's a standard joke now "Isn't that sweet, Gordie is taking those guys to the zoo! Wonder if he will take them fishing tomorrow or to a baseball game..."

canegger

12gauge with slug. No mess to clean up with that ,and light off some fireworks. No one will know

nolan8v

This may be helpful:

http://www.petdoors.com/electronic-RFID-magnetic-collar-keys.html

ELECTRONIC, MAGNETIC OR RFID?

'Electronic' pet doors sense a collar key, then unlock or actually open. A number of different kinds of collar keys have been used to trigger magnetic pet doors including infra-red, high pitched sound (ultrasonic), magnets and most recently RFID chips.

In the case of the magnet type, the pet door senses the magnetic field to activate. In all cases, the pet door must be powered either with batteries or an ac adaptor. The collar key itself may be powered or not. A magnet, for example, requires no power. The RFID type are also passive and require no batteries.

An infra-red or ultrasonic transmitter does require small, hearing aid type batteries.

Less expensive electronic dog doors simply unlock and require your pet to push through. More exotic versions are actually motorized and open the door for your pet, then close behind him.

By contract, "magnetic" pet doors use only magnets for collar keys and rely upon the strength of the magnet to actually unlock the flap. Since the magnet does the work, the pet door requires no power to operate making them very handy for installations in areas where power isn't available. As well, they are not affected by a power outage or dead batteries. On the other hand, the magnets in these type doors tend to be stronger and may be more likely to pickup metallic debris or to startle the cat by suddenly attaching to something.

So what is an 'automatic' pet door? It could be any of these!

Electronic, Infra-Red, Magnetic and RFID Summary

Comparison Item	Electronic Pet Door	Magnetic Pet Door	Motorized Pet Door	RFID Type
Door operates by:	Infrared signal or magnetic field  is sensed & solenoid unlocks flap; pet pushes flap	Magnet pulls lever to unlock; pet pushes flap	Ultrasonic signal is sensed; motor opens flap	RFID chip is sensed; motor opens flap
Collar key requires power?	'Yes' for infrared or ultrasonic; 'No' for magnetic	No	Yes	No
Pet door requires power?	Yes	No	Yes	Yes

nolan8v

Here's another one:

High Tech Power Pet Electronic Pet Door

http://www.petsmart.com/dog/doggie-doors/high-tech-power-pet-electronic-pet-door-zid36-6569/cat-36-catid-100091

Austin Egghead

Your new found house mates make me ALMOST glad we have coyotes in our hood....and no dog/cat door.  Good luck oh great hunter.  Keep us posted  

KennyLee

We had a bad armadillo problem in our neighborhood about 10 years ago......tore up everything, yards, flowerbeds, dug holes under fences, etc.  We formed a few "neighborhood militias" and hunted a few of them down usually on a weekend night while we were enjoying a few beverages. Tried to catch them in buckets (futile) and actually ended up shooting a few.  We're in the city limits but fairly remote and a couple of the guys in the posse were LEO so all was good.  It helped for a little while, but they kept coming back.

I finally figured out what they were eating was grub worms.  I put down some grub worm killer in my grass and flower beds and never had a problem again.  Removed their food source, removed the problem. 

500

Yea I got my popcorn ready for this show.

jimreed777

Hava heart plus cat food = possum

RRP

RRP said:

I'm late to this thread, but scanned the replies - up here in IL we have laws that are enforced that prevent a homeowner from trapping said critters and then moving them to another spot! HONEST! There are also laws against trapping and killing them unless you get a license to do so. Well, after a neighbor had trapped and drowned 8 of them one summer some "lady" called the game warden and my neighbor was fined $250! So that pissed him off since the coon population was really bad that year so he got a license - he then could either kill them or deliver them live to our local zoo! To this day we still see him leaving the neighborhood with a special cage he had built that attaches to his trailer hitch on his SUV so he can take them to the zoo! It's a standard joke now "Isn't that sweet, Gordie is taking those guys to the zoo! Wonder if he will take them fishing tomorrow or to a baseball game..."

BTW I forgot to add - the "lady" who turned him in to the game warden was feeding "her masked friends" as she called them two loafs of bread every night for a long time! No wonder they were a nuisance patrolling our neighborhood!

PNWFoodie

Well, since no one else has said it - get rid of the cat door and keep your cats inside. Your cats should not be allowed free range to go on someone else's property. Clearly you don't like it when other animals come on yours. I mean no offense, but I've never understood why people think it's okay to let cats roam free....we don't allow any other type of urban pet to do the same.

jllbms

The neighbors are very likely grateful for a predator to keep the rats at bay. It is Nawlins, on the river.

travisstrick

PNWFoodie said:

Well, since no one else has said it - get rid of the cat door and keep your cats inside. Your cats should not be allowed free range to go on someone else's property. Clearly you don't like it when other animals come on yours. I mean no offense, but I've never understood why people think it's okay to let cats roam free....we don't allow any other type of urban pet to do the same.

Cats are worse than coons. Any cat in my yard gets whats coming. In fact, i have a cat skull inside of a Cafe Du Monde coffee can in my kitchen right meow. 

Skiddymarker

PNWFoodie said:

Well, since no one else has said it - get rid of the cat door and keep your cats inside. Your cats should not be allowed free range to go on someone else's property. Clearly you don't like it when other animals come on yours. I mean no offense, but I've never understood why people think it's okay to let cats roam free....we don't allow any other type of urban pet to do the same.

Statistic from BCSPCA, expected life of indoor cat - 12 to 20 years; expected life of outdoor cat - 1 to 5 years. Depends where you live of course. In our neighbourhood the Burns Bog coyotes run up a local creek canyon. Always signs of missing cats. 

Being a dog owner, I often put the run/auto sprinkler on the next door cat. It might all change shortly, we are getting cat licenses soon. 

Recently a fire in the bog led to discovery of an owl tree, more than 50 collars, mostly feline found under the tree. Don't think @nolaegghead has that issue with other wildlife, his cats seem to take care of themselves. I'm sure we will all find out what happens. 

nolaegghead

PNWFoodie said:

Well, since no one else has said it - get rid of the cat door and keep your cats inside. Your cats should not be allowed free range to go on someone else's property. Clearly you don't like it when other animals come on yours. I mean no offense, but I've never understood why people think it's okay to let cats roam free....we don't allow any other type of urban pet to do the same.

I don't have a problem with animals doing their animal thing on our property as long as their peaceful and don't cause damage, I just draw the line at 30 pound raccoons coming in the house and making a mess.  My brother tried the RFID door and he wasn't that happy with it.  The cats like to go outside, we don't need a litter box, and they keep vermin like rats and mice at bay.  If Travis was my neighbor, I have to say they'd probably be indoor cats.

DaveRichardson

Bush Gumbo in Abita Springs, 'eh????  Drink an Abita and that'll cure ya!

nolaegghead

The last three indoor/outdoor cats of ours that died where between the ages of 13 and 18.  Statistically, indoor cats live much longer, but it all depends on where you live.  Our neighborhood is cat friendly.  Dogs running loose are picked up quickly and returned to the owner or the local SPCA, which is half a mile from here.

DMW

@travisstrick You should hang that skull outside as a warning, might keep the other cats away after seeing the fate of that one.

nolaegghead

Well, caught a squirrel and a cat so far, with no bait.  So the traps work. Come around 11PM I'm baiting them and the cats get sequestered inside. 

Eggcelsior

After 11 you'll be a master baiter.

nolan8v

nolaegghead,

Corey at Double M Feed on Holmes Blvd (Terrytown) helped me the last time I had raccoon problems while living in NOLA (Algiers Point).

Botch

If you're estimating the size of the 'coons at 30 lbs, maybe look for a smaller "cat door"?  

nolaegghead

Eggcelsior said:

After 11 you'll be a master baiter.

Won't be the first time.

nolaegghead

nolan8v said:

nolaegghead,

Corey at Double M Feed on Holmes Blvd (Terrytown) helped me the last time I had raccoon problems while living in NOLA (Algiers Point).

@nolan8v I used to buy all my animal shots there (dogs and cats).  Would immunize them myself.  Thanks!  Where did you live in Algiers Point?  I used to be on Olivier but now Belleville. 

travisstrick

I wonder what coon tastes like? Not as good as this, I bet. 

http://www.snakeriverfarms.com/competitive-bbq-collection/products/11-14-pound-gold-grade-brisket/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=goldbrisket

henapple

@travisstrick‌. ..you got flagged for the cat joke. I hate cats. If an animal is on your property why not shoot it. @RRP‌. ..you're in Illinois, @nolaegghead‌ is in Louisiana. ..trust me, the same rules don't apply.

nolan8v

nolaegghead,

We lived in the 200 block of Olivier (near Old Point Bar).  

We still have a place in the 300 block of Morgan Street (near the former Algiers Landing).