Advice for trapping raccoons

To make a long story short, I have a few raccoons that are living under my neighbors shed and I need to get rid of them. Being that I live in close proximity to other houses, shooting it is not an option, and animal control considers them "wild life" and tells us to call a professional trapper.

With that said, I ordered a trap from Home Depot and it should arrive in a few days. From everything I read, I should use a few of the large marshmallows for bait. This all sounds easy enough, but the release is what concerns me. I have a perfect place to let them go (not that I really want to), but I just have that fear of them either not running out of the trap, or running out and coming back at me.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

 

from my experience with the raccoons ive caught, when you do trap they are going to be more afraid of you then you are of them. and as long as they dont have rabies they arent going to turn on you when you let them out of the trap. but if you do come across one that has rabies you have to put it down because you're saving everyone a lot of trouble and headache in the future. but theres nothing to fear, just wear glovers and you can carry the trap with a rake or something if you dont want to touch it.

 

Raccoons are just like sharks, they only bite when you touch their private parts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q07eHgwux6Q

 

Raccoons can be nasty especially if female and little one's are there. Be carefull and think Rabies

 

Well if I dont trap it, I still have to worry about rabies for both myself and my dog .. so I think trapping it is the only way to get rid of the risk

 

Take it far, far away to release it.

 

The place I have picked out is about 10 miles away

 

Can you rig a string to open the trap from inside the safety of your Taco?

 

thought about something like this (having the trap in the bed of the truck and opening it through the rear window), but not sure if the raccoon would jump down. I watched a few vids on youtube and all the animals seem to run away and dont even look back.

 

"Coons? Mama just brushes them off the back porch with a broom"

 

It may be illegal to release them, that's what I was told when I talked to a guy that does this for a living. He says that he euthanaises them. Anyway I trapped one and took it 20 miles away and im pretty sure it came back needless to say I hired to pro the second time.
Where on long island are you? Where are you gonna release it...I hope not near my house...lol.

 

I have had luck using chicken bones. Tie the bones to the cage so try have to sit in the trap for a bit.

 

Technically it is illegal to release them. Its either that or drown it in a garbage can of water, and I didnt want to have to do that. If this thing makes it back from that far, then HOLY SHIT.. I out in Suffolk county and I plan on releasing it near the 347/454 merge

 

I said holy shit too.

That should be far enough away from me might get run over.

I'm out on the north fork.

 

Screwdriver in the back of the head works for me, takes a while but they do stop moving.,,,, Jim

 

Nice! Instant mental film clip.

 

You are old school in every way huh?

 

Have you seen the price of ammo???? Jim

 

.22LR will kill any raccoon you ever see and it can still be found around $5/100rd for standard velocity stuff if you look for it.

OP needs a .25cal air rifle. Subsonic, quiet, and similar energy to a .22 mag.

As for letting live raccoons out of a live trap, well it's your hide not mine. They can get downright nasty if they've been in there a while.

 

I've trapped dozens and never had any problems releasing them.