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#1840 - 12/31/13 04:39 AM Raccoon movement
Mike McChurin Offline
Member

Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 497
Loc: NE Oklahoma
A farmer in my area contacted me and wants me to remove as many coons as I can. Over the summer/fall they raided and destroyed his entire sweet corn crop. He didn't get a single ear of it and was understandably upset.

So a few days ago I went and spoke to him and scouted his property. Except for the newly sprouted winter wheat and leftovers from the cut soybeans, there are no crops to forage. I checked around the ponds, but the cattle have pretty much obliterated any sign there might've been. The only coon sign I did find was around a small trickle that flows through a draw between two ponds. I plan to make some sets in this area. The farmer told me he hasn't seen any sign around the barn/silo area as the coons generally tip all the feed buckets over when they forage in that area.

So there it is. The only definite sign is a few tracks, more than likely left by an old bachelor or dry sow, and not much else. This farmer is pretty vigilant about keeping his fields and pastures pretty pristine. No brush piles, fencerows are clear, not much cover.

It looks like the coons may have moved on to areas that offer more forage. I do plan on setting the draw, and I figure on puttingsome sets around the ponds.

Can anyone suggest a spot I might be overlooking?

Mike

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#1841 - 12/31/13 11:46 AM Re: Raccoon movement
castiron Offline
Member

Registered: 01/31/11
Posts: 238
Loc: North Carolina USA
Do you have any woods or trees on the property? Where I live coon will travel a long ways to sweet corn when it starts to come in.

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#1842 - 12/31/13 03:42 PM Re: Raccoon movement
Mike McChurin Offline
Member

Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 497
Loc: NE Oklahoma
On the far SE corner of the property there is a small woodlot that has a stream that comes in from the east and out the south. I am going to put some sets in there as well.

Mike

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#1843 - 12/31/13 09:57 PM Re: Raccoon movement
Mike McChurin Offline
Member

Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 497
Loc: NE Oklahoma
Well...

Ponds had a 1/2" or more of ice on them, so I put sets in some of the other spots.

We'll see what happens. Toughest season for conditions I can remember.

Mike

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#1844 - 01/01/14 05:12 PM Re: Raccoon movement
brlawi Offline
Member

Registered: 02/23/10
Posts: 67
Loc: Wisconsin
I am guessing that with very "clean" farming practices, few if any buildings and few to no livestock and few trees that the farm has many if any major denning sites that are used repeatedly over time. Your coon might well be transcients that found the sweet corn and stayed until gone. They may also stay until field corn or other food is available but by the time they are thinking about some fall and winter housing and looking for breeding and denning sites they are not abundant on your permission land there. I don't know the semi hibernation habits of OK coon but around here in winter mid 20s ( am assuming those temps with 1/2 inch ice) would be a major movement time especially following our 4-5 days of below zero with two days of up to 20s coming Friday-Saturday and then even colder for 3-4 days then now.
Another thing you could do is scout for the trails when the coon are into next year's crops and find where they are staying if you can. Around here when it is warm many coons just bed down in the big corn fields and only come out to get water or investigate. They also like to sleep in grassy swales and or cattails too.

Bryce

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#1845 - 01/01/14 11:30 PM Re: Raccoon movement
Dale F Offline
Member

Registered: 01/09/01
Posts: 552
Loc: Erie, IL
Very interesting about the coon bedding down in the cornfields brlawi, I never thought of that. While trapping a ditch for rats early this season I noticed several trails going into the corn so I set 5 body grips in them while there. 4 days later they still had not caught anything but my last day there the field had been picked the previous day and into that night and every one of the traps had a coon in it.

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#1846 - 01/01/14 11:35 PM Re: Raccoon movement
Mike McChurin Offline
Member

Registered: 12/03/02
Posts: 497
Loc: NE Oklahoma
Thanks Bryce,

Summer ADC work is something I've already considered. Picked up a big sow this morning in the woodlot at a PVC set. I guess I will catch as many as I can during season and whack the rest when the corn comes in.

Mike

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#1847 - 01/02/14 12:29 AM Re: Raccoon movement
brlawi Offline
Member

Registered: 02/23/10
Posts: 67
Loc: Wisconsin
Coyotes and deer do the same thing and I am sure other species as well. Corn provides outstanding cover for certain species plus calories etc. You got a cornfield next to a creek with den trees and you have a coon hotel.

Bryce

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#1848 - 07/27/14 05:45 AM Re: Raccoon movement
Midwest Trapper2 Offline
Junior Member

Registered: 03/12/13
Posts: 21
Loc: Indiana
As well as beaver pandemonium.

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