Corn Bandits get busted

[EZ-E]

Being in the new house i got about 150 yard shot from the mancave/deer stand to the feeder. I've had a few visitors the last few nights that needed killing. I will say that 150 yard shot is getting easier. The ol .17hmr with a ATN NV scope has been getting the job done. It is pretty nice not having to leave the house to creep down the trail to make a shot. I just pop the window open & rain death ....they don't even have a chance.

 

[Texasjack]

Possums have some value in the ecosystem as they're fond of eating ticks and they are otherwise pretty harmless. Coons on the other hand are destructive monsters. Back in the old days, people used to hunt coons and kinda keep their population in check. That's fallen out of favor and those little bandits have multiplied like rats. When I was a kid, my Dad kept a large garden. We spent a whole day cleaning up damage from coons and weeding and such. That night the coons got in there and destroyed 144 ears of corn. They won't wait until it's all ripe, they pull an ear down and just eat the ripe part.

My neighbor had a problem with coons. Before they moved in, coons got in the attic and made themselves a home. The neighbor sealed it off, but the coons kept trying to get back. They set a box trap and caught one. I asked what they did with it. "Oh, we took it over to the lake and turned it loose." The lake is maybe 1/4 of a mile as the crow flies and that coon would walk that far just to wash it's paws. The neighbor was surprised when it showed up the next night.

I worked in central NY for a few miserable years. The owners of the company were old hippies and very big liberals. They trapped a coon that was eating all their bird seed and took it to the office with the intention of dropping it off at a wildlife park somewhere. They of course were driving one of the two company cars. They got to the office and almost immediately got a call from a customer that desperately wanted to meet. They took the other company car and went, getting stuck there all day. It was summer and the caged coon died in the closed up car. The stink was so bad that you could smell the car from 10 feet away with the windows rolled up. They never could get the smell out and eventually had to trade in the car. Several of us non-libs pointed out that a bullet would have been much kinder - and much cheaper - but they never did come around to the right way of thinking.

 

[rotor]

I won’t tell but is it legal to shoot raccoon in Texas? I get a ton of raccoon pictures from my game camera.

 

[Axxe55]

I won’t tell but is it legal to shoot raccoon in Texas? I get a ton of raccoon pictures from my game camera.

Yes, it is. As long as you are not killing and selling the fur. Nuisance killing.

Overview: Fur-bearing Animal Regulations — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

tpwd.texas.gov

• Furbearers may be hunted at night on private property with the aid of an artificial light.
• No license is required if nuisance furbearers are taken while causing loss or damage to agricultural crops, livestock, poultry, or personal property. However, such animals or their pelts may NOT be possessed or sold.

Means & Methods: Fur-bearing Animals — Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

tpwd.texas.gov

Landowners or their agents may take nuisance fur-bearing animals in any number by any means at any time on that person's land without the need for a hunting or trapping license. However, fur-bearing animals or their pelts taken for these purposes may not be retained or possessed by anyone at any time except licensed trappers during the lawful open season and possession periods.

 

[Sam Colt]

Opossum are immune to snake venom and make a dent in that population. They both eat and serve as a repellent to rattlesnakes, water moccasins, copperheads, and coral snakes. They don’t carry rabies and are very clean animals. Unless they’re in with my game birds they get a pass from me.

Trash pandas get no quarter.

 

[Hoji]

Opossum is probably a questionable shoot( unless it was eating chicken eggs) they do more good than anything. If your corn is attracting opossums, then you are going to have less ticks and less ticks is always a positive.

Trash Panda on the other hand........

 

[gasgas]

Opossums are actually a good thing

 

[TreyG-20]

When I was a teen we had a possum crawl up under the house and die. It was pregnant and the babies started eating their way out. There was nothing good about that situation. I can still smell it.

 

[Sam Colt]

In any case =- nice shootin' Tex!

 

[EZ-E]

I've heard that possums eat ticks... they also eat my damn protein.That shit is getting expensive....lol. It's gone up about about $2 a bag the last couple a months. I don't think theres enough possums to eat all the ticks in east Texas. Not to mention... why would they eat ticks when they have protein & corn all year.

 

[EZ-E]

In any case =- nice shootin' Tex!

Thank ya sir. In the past its just been body shots. Last week i popped a coon & that sucker jumped about 3' up in the air, back flipped & took off for the hills. I figure if they get a head shot, they aint running & i can definitely confirm a kill.

 

[Hoji]

I've heard that possums eat ticks... they also eat my damn protein.That shit is getting expensive....lol. It's gone up about about $2 a bag the last couple a months. I don't think theres enough possums to eat all the ticks in east Texas. Not to mention... why would they eat ticks when they have protein & corn all year.

Because ticks are attracted to them, and they will eat them off of themselves.

Creature feature: Opossums are nature's pest control

Opossums are so ugly that they're cute, but beyond their appearances we should appreciate them for their amazing pest control abilities.

www.reconnectwithnature.org

About 4,000 per week, per opossum. Every one that gets zapped ( a little tick math)

Skin Problems and Treatments

WebMD provides details about common rashes and other skin conditions and their treatments

www.webmd.com

Summary is, female tick lays up to 5,000 eggs. If half of those 4,000 ticks a week the opossum eats are female.......

 

[EZ-E]

I get a ton of raccoon pictures from my game camera.

Sounds to me they need some killing.

 

[EZ-E]

Because ticks are attracted to them, and they will eat them off of themselves.

Creature feature: Opossums are nature's pest control

Opossums are so ugly that they're cute, but beyond their appearances we should appreciate them for their amazing pest control abilities.

www.reconnectwithnature.org

About 4,000 per week, per opossum. Every one that gets zapped ( a little tick math)

Skin Problems and Treatments

WebMD provides details about common rashes and other skin conditions and their treatments

www.webmd.com

Summary is, female tick lays up to 5,000 eggs. If half of those 4,000 ticks a week the opossum eats are female.......

Those numbers are pretty high... i guess you've convinced me to lay off the possums for now

 

[MTA]

Raccoons are real assholes. They broke the little feed door of the spinning piece on my feeder. Still works but the amount of corn thrown out is way too much

I use dog proof traps to catch them and my Ruger Wrangler for execution

What rifle and caliber did you use on these two

 

[baboon]

Knowing EZ-E having 3 dogs I understand shooting the grinner. Dogs tend to like investigating them. My wife can tell you what gunner bite dog cost.

While in the old house in Houston I was always amazed at all the critters of the night, coons & grinders were everywhere on the walk of the dog. Night herons were just as common.

 

[Axxe55]

Thank ya sir. In the past its just been body shots. Last week i popped a coon & that sucker jumped about 3' up in the air, back flipped & took off for the hills. I figure if they get a head shot, they aint running & i can definitely confirm a kill.

Ya know, we might have to nickname you the "Corn Bandit Sniper" after this!

 

[EZ-E]

What rifle and caliber did you use on these two

Ruger American in .17hmr. Shooting CCI .17gr VMAX. With a ATN Xsight2 HD NV scope.

 

[EZ-E]

Raccoons are real assholes. They broke the little feed door of the spinning piece on my feeder. Still works but the amount of corn thrown out is way too much

I use dog proof traps to catch them and my Ruger Wrangler for execution

What rifle and caliber did you use on these two

Definitely little assholes, ive seen em run the deer off. Another reason they need killin.

Eta...

 

[rotor]

Devil creatures