Trapping is the fastest and permanent solution. If you have free roaming dogs and/or cats,leg hold and conibear might not be a good idea. Check with your local animal control to see if they will loan a live trap and whether you must dispose of animals,take animal and trap to them or if they pick them up. There's some skill involved in releasing a coon from a trap unless you choose to shoot it first. After releasing a collared and tagged coon about 2 miles away then having it re-appear within a week, I take them at least 5 miles away. BTW,you should lighten up on the spices if they are causing a coon to leave puddles of yellow oatmeal in the yard. (:

I have a large fox trap I bought just for trapping and releasing raccoons - it is much safer to release them with it because you just roll it over 180 degrees and the door falls open and they high tail it for the woods. To bait it (unless you live in bear country) use miniature marshmallows because 'coons and bears both have a sweet tooth. That way you avoid catching neighborhood cats, dogs, possums and skunks.

In the garden I just toss around a little large snake poop (such as python, anaconda, etc.) and all the critters that like your crops other than humans will smell the ultimate carnivore and decide they are not that hungry. It's not water soluble so will last all season. Happy gardening.

PS.- As klem said release it far enough from your house that it won't find his/her way back. Please don't gift someone else with your nuisance and make sure this isn't a mother trying to feed her kits - if so you have to catch all of them and release them together.

@ steve2416,

75.2% of my reason for looking at houzz is for intertainment and observation of people but I just learned something I can use.

I began trapping around the farm so young I don't recall how old I was. I'm embarrassed to admit I had never thought of marshmellows for coons. I've caught cats,dogs,skunks,birds,rabbits and an armadillo while coon trapping so this will help.

410/22 over-under?

I hate coons. They got in the attic of one of my buildings and pooped in there all winter before I realized what was happening. I'm talking two 5-gal buckets worth of poop, and it's still not all cleaned up.

How about a motion-sensor sprinkler? If you can chase them off enough times, they will eventually lose interest in that spot.

chirp, chirp. Awefully quiet in the mulched beds this year - or lackof. We always see a new crop of feral cat gangs roaming. They love the mulch - it's kitty litter to them. Did the 'coons get predatorial. I've noticed a lack of feral felines this year. Go you youtube and type in racoon+iguana...

>>In the garden I just toss around a little large snake poop (such as python, anaconda, etc.)

Steve, I gotta ask where you get that stuff...do you have snakes, work in a zoo, or buy it?

Started out doing snake rescues, then raised Burmese Pythons for 20 years. Now I'm retired, gave away all my snakes and just have some snake poop squirreled away for my gardens. I would think zoos and hobby herpetologists would be glad to part with some. Good luck.

Are coon's like cats in mulch = litter. Once again, another one has decided to p00p in the flower bed. No signs of mulch disturbance - aka, burying though. Grrr...off to Petco to buy me snake for some snake turd

@a1an realizing I am late to this party

>I'm pretty disgusted by todays yellow oatmeal mound I found.<

I'm thinking that is what is often called dog vomit fungus aka slime mold.

"Dog Vomit Fungus. Fuligo septica is a species of slime mold. It is commonly known as the dog vomit slime mold or scrambled egg slime because of its peculiar yellowish, bile-colored appearance."

Take a look to see if that is what you have ...

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=dog+vomit+fungus

Yes. I've got both soil mold....and coon problems. It uses to be feral cats. tell tale sign was their hall-a44ed attemp to bury it. Now the 'coons just come, do their business with no effort of burying it. OMG, it was like a month ago. I swear, I've never seen such a large mound of 'turd left. Was more than my 2 toddlers -poop- combined.

Never have much signs of dog vomit on mulch....I blame it on this years super soggy soupy spring

ic well you could try fox or coyote urine tho I think an outside dog would be more effective. I have some motion sense solar lights I use to tell when something is passing thru - just so I know.

Also Harbor Freight sells (audible) wireless motion alarms that work pretty well. Wait for them to go on sale.

I just open the door and the coons run.

I recommend a Back and Tan. Others are partial to the high intelligence of a Bluetick, the drive of a Plott or Redbone, or a hot-blooded Walker.

SNAKE POOP ISN‘T WATER SOLUBLE?!?!?