Northwest Fishing Reports

I have a raccoon problem. Will my daughters 18lb draw weight bow take out a raccoon at ~10 yard range?

Also, the food source attracting them is my garden and I'm not removing it.

bionic_one wrote:I have a raccoon problem. Will my daughters 18lb draw weight bow take out a raccoon at ~10 yard range?

Also, the food source attracting them is my garden and I'm not removing it.

it will walk off with a target arrow. Get razor tips.

It would probably work, but the chance of error and having the stuff hit the fan is pretty big. Racoons are tough....and I'm not talking just a little tough. Even if you got a body cavity hit, it'd still probably take off with the arrow stuck in it (broadhead or not). If it turned and came after you, then you'd better have a good backup plan. I'll say you'd be better off renting a cage trap and then dispatching it after it was contained. I don't know what the laws are on these types "situations". If you do decide to go Rambo on it, I'll second the razor tip though.

I'm betting this thread is going to be a hot button here pretty quick. Good luck with resolving your issue.
edit: What are they doing to your garden? We've had racoons in our yard for the last 6 years and they've never done any damage to our garden (albeit it's small) aside from the cubs rolling around playing and squashing a few plants. They haven't touched the produce.

Yeah I'm planning on razor arrows.

They're pretty 'tame' - to the point that I feel like someone has been feeding them. My first encounter went like this:

I heard a noise at the back steps, something got knocked over. Thinking it was a theif, I open the back door ready to shoot. Well, turns out it raccoons and discharging a .40 S&W to dispatch a raccoon is pretty irresponsible, dangerous, and illegal (I live inside city limits)

I got really concerned when they just looked at me stupid when I yelled at them (oh it was 4 of them, big and FAT). I start to open the door to shoo them off, and they get on hind legs up against the glass panel of the screen door. To me, seems like they were expecting table scraps, they certainly weren't fearful of me.

They didn't leave and I took a broom to one of them. That got them to scurry away and hide inside my squash plants. I figured I wasn't going to get into anything but trouble if I chased them in flip flops and my bathrobe - so I just went back to bed.


I did some research and City of Tacoma specifically states on their website that they will NOT remove raccoons. WDFW says it's legal to trap them, but moving them to another location requires a permit... Seriously this state is retarded.

I have a chain link fence around the yard, and I'm not worried about them running off once they have a broadhead arrow through them. I just don't know if the kid's bow can pull it off.

Want to borrow a bigger bow?

not a hunter here, but don't you need a license to hunt even if it's a "varmit"?

If the bow doesn't get the job done, I'll buy my own, been looking for an excuse anyway



from WDFW site:

The raccoon is classified as both a furbearer and a game animal (WAC 232-12-007). A hunting or trapping license is required to hunt or trap raccoons during an open season. A property owner or the owner’s immediate family, employee, or tenant may kill or trap a raccoon on that property if it is damaging crops or domestic animals (RCW 77.36.030). In such cases, no permit is necessary for the use of live (cage) traps. However, a special trapping permit is required for the use of all traps other than live traps

I've found a shovel works great on the bold ones. We "had" a few in our neighborhood as there was someone feeding them dog food on a daily basis. They came out during the day once while I was cleaning my fish in the side yard, I haven't seen any more since. It's officially open season on raccoons and there is no limit, so have at it. If you go after them with a bow, an aluminum bat or a sturdy axe handle should work just fine as backup.

I'd use a pellet rifle if it was me. A pellet's enough to do the job if you put it in the right place. It's reasonably quiet and doesn't leave an obvious mark like a .22 rifle.

does your daughter want a new hat? The bow might be a little weak but it should get the job done with proper tip and well placed shot. After you shoot iwould beat with bat or another blunt object. Don't stop until you see blood squirting out of it.

Racoons are tuff and even after you think they are dead it still might get up walk away and clibe that fence, then you got a racoon walking around bleeding with an arrow sticking out of it, that is if it didn't go through.

if it was me i would set a live trap then make a new hat:-"

She actually wants in on the hunting part. Unfortunately for her, they didn't show up again last night. The broom may have deterred them for a few days.

LORDY

'OL GREY DOG wrote:LORDY

That's a very informative response.

I'll admit, the topic is rather entertaining. I'm not doing anything illegal though, and there isn't anything wrong with an 8 year old wanting to 'hunt' a raccoon either.

Teach them at an early age that the best "gift" one can give prey is a swift kill. I take pride in the fact that almost all of my big game shots were at animals who had no clue as to what had happened.

bionic_one wrote: ...... and there isn't anything wrong with an 8 year old wanting to 'hunt' a raccoon either.

LOL. I'd say that depends on who you ask! For example, I think it's quite normal....and I'm sure my wife would think it's quite nuts! Just depends on how one was raised I guess. To each their own.

When she first got the bow she wanted to shoot at a bird, I explained that she would have to eat it. Now I get to explain why we won't eat the raccoon. My dad taught me really quickly that shooting a bird with my pellet gun, just to shoot it, was not good.

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/raccoons.html

Most of the info you want is in the bottom sections. Shooting it, even with a bow, may or may not be legal (with or without a license). WDFW recommends one contact the local WDFW office for your area to confirm - the "legal section" of the page has some good info. Neither condoning or criticizing your plans or actions, but it would be important to make certain to have all the facts before you proceed. Hope your problem gets solved... on my end too bad I can't trap or shoot tomato grubs...

Here's the part about trapping and methods for "disposal" of the animal:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/nuisance/trapping.html

Thanks - I read through those already and I'm pretty sure I'm covered under property owner section that states it's legal (see above quotation)

Try hanging your tomatoe plants - it could solve that problem. It's my only plant that hasn't been bothered by anything other than over-watering.

Clearly the Bionic one wants to go Rambo on the coons. :bounce: I have never hunted a day in my life (outside of rod/reel) But for my 2 cents, I say, Light 'em up Bionic one. In the food chain they don't likely have many predators to keep their numbers in check. Maybe a few coyotes, don't know where you live.
Obviously using judgement on your over shoots etc. Have fun. Almost wish I had the problem myself.