Raccoons getting my feeder help?

[PApa Black]

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.

"The Eliminator Spinner Plate" We have one and it works great!

The-Eliminator, The Missing Link in your Feeder's Efficiency.

Scatter plate for your deer feeder unit that eliminates corn loss from wind and road vibration.

the-eliminator.com

 

[Carlos88]

"The Eliminator Spinner Plate" We have one and it works great!

The-Eliminator, The Missing Link in your Feeder's Efficiency.

Scatter plate for your deer feeder unit that eliminates corn loss from wind and road vibration.

the-eliminator.com

Yes, yes and yes.

 

[Ol' Red]

View attachment 392645
Them coons are pretty sneaky...

Did he make it for a full eight second ride?

 

[RidgeTop]

A guy wanted to keep squirrels out of bird seed. He strung the feeder on a line of balls with the cord going through center each ball. Squirrels hit the ball it would roll and dump the squirrel. Took squirrels a couple days to solve problem. They found if they run across the balls so fast the ball they were on did not have enough time to roll and they got to the seed. Problem solved.

 

[woodneagle]

Look into electric fence chargers at Amazon or ? About $30.00 or so. Do NOT use household current, it may be deadly to a child or other person... you? Run a spiral wire loosely around the tree, but held in place with some short staples into the bark.
Other than deadly force, which others have suggested, this may be your best solution.

Amazon.com : electric fence charger

 

[freddogs]

I had racoons eating the suet and birdseed I put out in my yard. They climbed the tree and stole the suet feeder. Then I chained it to the tree. They still got the suet. Then I put out a cage trap and dogproof traps which I baited with suet. After 7 coons later they did not return.

 

[mrbb]

a funny on topic some what
and yes coons are rather creative at getting to things, so are bears
I have a bird feeder here on a 10 ft tall street sign metal post, that is attached to the top of a 4x4x6 ft post, I then run a 1/2 aluminum rod out of the street sigh post to be 5 ft above the post, making it a good 14+ ft off the ground, and I have a bear that has now climbed it twice, a small female, she goes up the METAL post like a stripper on a pole!
doesn't use claws at all to climb it, the post itself is only 2-1/2 inches wide, yet she can climb it!, stay at top and them swing the metal rod around to get to feeder which is 5 ft out from the post!

just crazy seeing her climb it
like they say, where there is a will, there is a way HAHA!

 

[mrbb]

or a video or two

 

[Teri Anne]

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.

Well here in Wisconsin baiting is illegal in most of the state due to CWD restrictions, whether useful in controlling CWD or not. However that being said I have found that the best way to hunt Raccoons is at night and eliminating their presence with a .223 with a 60 gr Nosler. It permanently eliminates the problem. The dead ones also make good bait for coyotes.

 

[Moondoggie]

Yeah. I agree. The hanger I bought is obviously too short. I was looking for an option with my current set up (using razor wire around the tree or a piece Of sheet metal).

They don't call em 'masked bandits' for nuthing!

 

[Moondoggie]

I've seen videos of racoons ignoring tack strips. Maybe Georgia coons are used to the briars they deal with daily and don't see the nails on the strips as anything different.

I've seen this discussed many times on the GON forum. I think the consensus is that bearing grease works on tripods, and tin or stove pipes, or electric fence, works on trees.

My dad put two runs of electric fence, spaced about one foot apart and staggered in height, one 4-6in above the ground and the second one about 10-12in around his grape vines. It stopped racoons and opossums, but could easily be stepped over. He used a similar set-up around his (2ac) garden but the first was at about 24in, the second at about 4ft, and the third at about 6ft. They were run about 3ft apart. There were break-through episodes where a deer would panic after hitting the first one and tear the others out, but it usually was a one-and-done event, and the deer stayed away until he pulled the fences when he was done and turned his garden over to the deer. He did have a rogue black bear get caught in the fence. He dragged it several hundred yards down the road until he finally hit the woods and left the fence dangling...what a mess. I think we just trashed the wire and started over. The nearest bear population is about 50 miles away in the Okefenokee Swamp.

I use the offset electric fence method for my garden. Works like a charm for deer when absolutely nothing else would. They can't judge distance well and will not jump over one into another.
Greased tripod pole stops coons from climbing but better to eliminate the problem with a 22 or live trap and take them far away

 

[Moondoggie]

A guy wanted to keep squirrels out of bird seed. He strung the feeder on a line of balls with the cord going through center each ball. Squirrels hit the ball it would roll and dump the squirrel. Took squirrels a couple days to solve problem. They found if they run across the balls so fast the ball they were on did not have enough time to roll and they got to the seed. Problem solved.

squirrels, coon, bear, deer, etc. Just put out enough feeders to keep them all fat and happy!
I call my food plot 'the field of dreams' … "If you feed them, they will come"

 

[Rem81]

If you don't trap them and get rid of them you are just feeding coons when the corn hits the ground!!! They also discourage the deer to feed while they are there! Dog proofs work great. Use corn or sardine or anything else! I had a coon problems and in 2 weeks caught 16! First night 4. Now get pictures of one a month and when I do set a trap!

 

[Tulsa Reiner]

We use varmint cages, you can buy them or make your own. The cage needs to be strong enough and the mesh small enough.

Game Winner Universal Varmint Cage | Academy

Keep pesky varmints out of your feeder with the Game Winner Universal Varmint Cage. Solid powder-coat steel construction ensures that the cage will stand the test o...

www.academy.com

I doubt the cages are made large enough to fit over his 35 gal drum.
Can you hang the feeder further away from the tree trunk? A black bear will easily to the same thing the coon did.
Dukes dog proof traps have been my answer. This eliminates them totally, and thus saves a lot of wild turkey poults also.