Raccoons getting my feeder help?

[srogerson]

I use dog proof can traps and shoot them with a .22

This is the only thing that works IMO, and you have to be vigilant and do it often. Do they make raccoon proof feeders? Probably, but they cost more than I'm willing to pay.

Luckily, there is no longer a closed season on raccoons in Georgia.

 

[Kelljp]

It appears that raccoons have been causing havoc on my feeder. They were able to knock down the feeder motor. Any suggestions on raccoon proofing my set up? Barbed wire? Metal sheet around the tree?
Picture 1 shows it stretched out on the motor. Picture 2 shows the corn on the ground and no motor. Lucky the motor is in tact and will be re set up this coming week.

This is in Arkansas. The feeder is hung to avoid bears.

Live traps and a 22

 

[srogerson]

If you go the trap route, they cannot leave dry cat food alone, in my experience.

 

[RidgeTop]

I thought I had coons hitting my bird feeder at camp. Turns out it was deer - up on hind legs batting feeder down with front legs.

 

[jeffreyjwilliams]

Thanks for all the great advice. I plan to stop using my current hanger and run a chain across two trees and hang the feeder (up high) and in the middle My camera just revealed that my problem is more than a raccoon issue. These bears showed up last night and hanging the feeder off the tree as it is now just won't work.

 

[7mmTikkaShooter]

Jeff,

If you don't want to raise or move your feeder, you have a couple options.

1) Purchase and install "The Eliminator" spinner plate. Make sure you get the correct spindle size for your motor. This will cut off the food access for the corn bandits. This spinner plate works great and they can not physically spin it down from the funnel. Couple others mentioned varmint cages. You will need to do both or you will most likely find your motor on the ground again.

2) As someone earlier mentioned, place a few dog proof canister type traps in close vicinity. Bait them with "golden nugget" or just plain corn. Capture, remove, repeat.

Good luck.

Not sure what you're willing to spend but here's and idea:

https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=E8EC7816-B05E-47A8-8542-73D36841B518

Should be low enough for a deer to easily hop over but the netting would keep any coin out. Don't know if it will discount he deer too much though. Like I said it's just an idea.

 

[105Coues]

Single wall stove pipe wrapped around the tree will be too slick to climb.

 

[weevil07]

I use dog proof can traps and shoot them with a .22

This is the way. Bait with cat food and put a cell cam on it to know when you got one. I got a dozen coons knocked out pretty quick last year doing it. Keep an eye on them because they will regenerate

 

[srogerson]

Single wall stove pipe wrapped around the tree will be too slick to climb.

Unless they climb up a different tree and then over to the one with the feeder.

Killing them is the best option, and your turkeys will appreciate it, also.

 

[257WTBY]

Bears are hard on feeders. Raccoons can be too, but bears will destroy them. I hang mine between two trees. I tie to one tree and sling a pulley on the other put the feeder in the middle. With the pulley on one end run the rope thru it and put feeder in the middle. That way you can raise it to feed and lower to refill. I use corn a lot before season and sweet feed during season and bears LOVE sweet feed. That's the only way I figured out how to keep the bears from getting to it.

I tried a lot before this way and had bears destroy several feeders. I have several gravity feeders as well I buy 6-8ft piece of black PVC with cap. I dig a hole with post hole diggers about 2ft in the ground. Stand the pipe up fill it with dirt I took out of the hole up to about ground level. On the outside right at ground level I use 1 1/4 hole saw and drill hole on each side. Fill it with corn it will trickle out the hole then stop. Put the cap on. Two five gallon buckets of corn fill it about perfect if empty and is actually pretty hardy I've got videos of bears whacking it with their paws to get more corn to come out. I never put sweet feed in these or bears will do anything they can to eat all the sweet feed, break it off, rip the whole pipe out of the ground, they wont quit to they get all the sweet feed...

 

[swampbug]

Them coons are pretty sneaky...

 

[Scythe]

Metal wrap around the tree like you would for a wolverine.

That's what I was gonna say. Power company does it to their poles around here about 5 to 6 feet up.

It's either the height of the guy doing the job or a sadistic fellow letting those pole climbers see their dreams slip away

 

[SEGARE]

Thanks for all the great advice. I plan to stop using my current hanger and run a chain across two trees and hang the feeder (up high) and in the middle My camera just revealed that my problem is more than a raccoon issue. These bears showed up last night and hanging the feeder off the tree as it is now just won't work.

I saw a vid this week of a black bear climbing a tree and crawling down the wire to get to a bird feeder suspended bw two trees.

I don't feed so I can't help you. I do use stove pipe around the pole on my bluebird houses to keep snakes and possums/coons away. It's worked perfectly for 15yrs.

 

[mrbb]

and again, e fence, it will deter bears from climbing things, same with the coons
on the flip side, bear being at a feeder will NOT normally deter deer from using the same feeder if CORN is what your using in feeder
I have seen bears and deer near feeders at same time MANY times, and I have both in food plots at same time all the time
as a FACT, I have sen DEER run bears out of a food plot many times, and NOT the other way ever!
in case your worried about bears running your deer off
odds are they will NOT move any where!