Which gun do I use?

littlecordelera

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So I'll try this...

I have a raccoon in our backyard. He's been there since yesterday and he is not right. I can walk up to within about 20 feet and he just gets angry and shows teeth. I think he is rabid and I'm afraid he is going to get into the house. My husband is out of town and not answering texts. I've called the major exterminators and they don't do raccoons. I called another joint and the phone just rings. Another can't be out here until Wednesday. WTF?

I'm ready to go out there and shoot this animal myself. My husband has every type of gun you can imagine. Which one do I use? If I use a shotgun, what size? What kind of bullet/shell? He has everything under the sun. I've shot guns before, but that was always at cans and stuff. I've never had to figure out what to use for a particular animal.

Oh, btw, I only have one neighbor in close proximity. She already knows about my plan. As for the others farther away, they'll probably call the cops, but...

"Hmm...I didn't hear anything."

My close neighbor says she didn't hear anything either.

And there's nothing behind our house but a pond.

So, which gun? What size bullet/shell? Like 00 shot, 1 shot, 2 shot, 6 shot, 8 shot?
 
I'd call the police. There is probably a animal control in your area who could take care of things without worrying about being arrested.
 
I'd call the police. There is probably a animal control in your area who could take care of things without worrying about being arrested.

I called animal control. They don't do wild animals, only domesticated. And it's not illegal to fire a shotgun where we live. This is Florida.
 
I called animal control back and asked them. I'm too impatient to wait. They told me what to use. Problem solved.
 
I called animal control back and asked them. I'm too impatient to wait. They told me what to use. Problem solved.
Good for you!
I'm guessing you went with a .22?
Should be good enough for a raccoon but not too much racket. If you could get fairly close and have even fair aim and experience you could blow the little sucker away with a shot or two.

DO NOT HANDLE THE REMAINS!!!!

If the creature was rabid put on some rubber glove and grab it with a garbage bag, just turn that inside out around it (especially if there are brains around but that part may just be something my uncles told me to gross me out, no point taking chances though.) Tie that up tight and get it in the trash PDQ. If you have pets then hose down the area and pour some sort of disinfectant anywhere there was blood.

If you went shotgun, depending on which shotgun and if you gave the critter both barrels then just skip to the hose and the lysol since all you've probably got left if splatter.

Keep a sharp eye out, there is rarely just one.
 
If the creature was rabid put on some rubber glove and grab it with a garbage bag, just turn that inside out around it (especially if there are brains around but that part may just be something my uncles told me to gross me out, no point taking chances though.) Tie that up tight and get it in the trash PDQ.

Before you put it in the trash, you might want to give your local health department a call and ask if they want to autopsy the remains for rabies. You'd think they'd want to know.

If you have problems with animals getting into your trash cans, there might be a problem with the animals feeding on the remains and contracting the disease through sores in their mouths or something. (I'm just guessing; I don't know much about how rabies spreads.) Another reason to have the health department take care of it.
 
It is probably Distemper instead of rabies, but you can never be sure until a lab tests the remains.

And I would have suggested a sub-sonic .22 out of a Ruger 10/22, but it sounds like you got that part figured out.
 
Before you put it in the trash, you might want to give your local health department a call and ask if they want to autopsy the remains for rabies. You'd think they'd want to know.

If you have problems with animals getting into your trash cans, there might be a problem with the animals feeding on the remains and contracting the disease through sores in their mouths or something. (I'm just guessing; I don't know much about how rabies spreads.) Another reason to have the health department take care of it.

I've been on the phone with them. They will help me and it turns out they would have dealt with it all along.

Great! Now they tell me!
 
My husband keeps a loaded shotgun in one of our closets. I checked it out with the animal control guy on the phone. It is a 20 gauge and it has 1 size shot shells in it. He said that would be perfect. Must have been, because that raccoon didn't move a bit after I shot. Thank goodness for that.

But CRAP! That sucker was LOUD!
 
If she couldn't get animal control to come out that means they'd likely want her to bring the carcass in. I personally would not be keen on handling it that much. If they had come out when she called then they could test for what they liked but this was a DIY and I'd just want it gone.

I can't see why a .22 rifle is a bad choice. It's easy to use and not difficult even for someone who isn't a regular shooter. Myself I'd likely have skipped the rifle and used my pistol just because I'm more comfortable with the feel of it in my hand.
 
If you are out in the country, use the shotgun. Number 6 shot is perfect. If you are in town use the .22--it's much quieter! Do not bury the racoon until it cools that way all ther virus will be dead.
 
If you are out in the country, use the shotgun. Number 6 shot is perfect. If you are in town use the .22--it's much quieter! Do not bury the racoon until it cools that way all ther virus will be dead.
I'm not sure about burying it. You will have to dig deep or some scavenger is going to go after it and strew it all over. I don't trust anything that might carry that virus. Alive or not given my choice I'd see it burned but doubled bagged and in the trash may be the best she can manage.
 
Poison it and it may run off and die anywhere. Assuming it takes the bait and with a rabid 'coon it may just sick it right back up. Then where are you? Best to deal directly while you've got a clear shot.
 
We had this problem several years ago. After getting some great advice here and checking out every other avenue (Animal Control here suggests live trapping, then releasing the animals far away :rolleyes: ), my husband finally shot the two problematic raccoons with a .22 rifle. But he's a good shot, and we live in a neighborhood, so that was our best option. We did warn the neighbors first and bait them with food (lasagna leftovers, IIRC) to get them to safest spot on our back deck. The first raccoon wiggled through the railing in its death throes, and minutes after it hit the ground below, we heard its buddy feasting on the carcass. :eek: He got the same treatment when he came up to check out the bait. Hubby wore gloves and picked them up with double garbage bags, then disposed of the remains way out in the woods.

I hate to kill any animal that isn't posing a serious immediate threat, but those two raccoons were getting bolder and more threatening by the day, so I can't say I feel bad about getting rid of them. We haven't had a raccoon problem since. :)
 
My husband keeps a loaded shotgun in one of our closets. I checked it out with the animal control guy on the phone. It is a 20 gauge and it has 1 size shot shells in it. He said that would be perfect. Must have been, because that raccoon didn't move a bit after I shot. Thank goodness for that.

But CRAP! That sucker was LOUD!

Well done!

I declare you an honorary Texan AND a Redneck!

Um, that also works well on people breaking in on you...
 
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Well done!

I declare you an honorary Texan AND a Redneck!

Um, that also works well on people breaking in on you...
Bama's already claimed her so Texas can just keep it's hands off.

Mostly we leave the critters around the house alone but when you get one acting funny or threateningly there really isn't much choice.
Anything that threatens house or household has to be dealt with quick and sharp.
 
My husband keeps a loaded shotgun in one of our closets. I checked it out with the animal control guy on the phone. It is a 20 gauge and it has 1 size shot shells in it. He said that would be perfect. Must have been, because that raccoon didn't move a bit after I shot. Thank goodness for that.

But CRAP! That sucker was LOUD!
Dammit! Somebody should have told you to wear ear plugs. Sorry about that.
 
All of it. A raccoon. A raccoon that needs to be killed. Rabies. Which gun because there's a billion to choose from.

It's all so foreign.
Well raccoons are fairly common in the SE US, we see them in the wooded area near our place but not near the house. They are notorious for carrying rabies. When they are healthy they're pretty shy unless you're foolish enough to start feeding them then they get bold really fast.
My aunt made that mistake and one broke through the screens on her back porch.
Seeing them out in the daytime and acting weird? Big red flag. I'd have done the same as littlecordelera. Some things you just don't take chances with.
Gun owning? We have a fair number to choose from at the house too although I would just go with one of mine instead of messing around with one of his. I'm more familiar with them, true they're a bit less firepower but less face it, it's a raccoon not a rampaging elephant.

Around here my first move would have been to call the Sheriff's office but if they didn't have a deputy in the area they'd likely have asked me if I was good with taking care of it myself. If a deputy came out he'd have blown the critter away himself, would have just saved me the round.
A rabid animal is no joke. People die from rabies.
 
A few years ago there was a raccoon acting strange at my husband's parent's place, they have 30 acres. He had everything to choose from and chose a 22. Raccoon died in one shot, but he is pretty good. We checked the internet and ended up taking him out in the woods with gloves on.

In any case, good for you. I am woman, hear my shotgun roar.

BTW, I asked my husband and he said number 6 shot is too small unless you are fairly close. He recommended number 2 or bigger. He told me the bigger number means smaller pellets. I would not use a shotgun in any case, I don't want to be knocked down. I fired my husband's twelve gauge once. It hurts my shoulder to remember it.
 
Crazy crazy crazy. How do you know an animal is rabid?

We don't have a rabies problem over here. My only exposure to rabies was as a child through the movie Cujo.
Generally you can't be absolutely certain unless it's REALLY sick and a wild animal I would think will have found someplace to die by then. I was taught to be leery of--
-animals that are visibly sick--gaunt, appear to have stopped grooming themselves, seem disoriented or just 'not right' (that's a southern expression and I can't really translate it.)
-nocturnal creatures that are active during the day
-creatures that show unprovoked or uncharacteristic aggression
-creatures that have become overly bold in approaching people or human occupied places, if you shout or try to warn it off and it doesn't go that's a sign that something isn't right
-bats just flopping around on the ground

For the most part if you have kids that play in your yard or outdoor pets then I'd say err on the side of caution. Try to know ahead of time who to call if you're in the situation the OP was in so you aren't scrambling for answers. If it has to be dealt with then it does, that doesn't mean taking out every creature that wanders through your yard. Just using some common sense.

Don't leave food out, that just attracts them and raccoons especially will get bold and demanding pretty quick if they get used to a place being a food source.
Be mindful (right now especially) that a female of nearly any species will go for you if she thinks you're a threat to her babies so watch and listen if you're near a patch of woods. Be prepared to just back away because you won't drive her off and hurting her is unnecessary.
Seal up your crawlspaces if you have them and any other small accessible space so that you don't wind up with it being turned into a den. (Skunks moved in under my parent's house a few years ago. That was fun. Whew.)

All of that is far more relevant to folks like me who see more trees than people when I look out the window but it's still good to know.
 
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