Raccoons!!!! and Electric Fence Question

[Clarity]

My garden is a prep, so I need to protect it from these bandit bastards. Whatever steps are taken, I understand they should be taken before the raccoons are feeding on the garden.

Live traps sometimes work, but can accidentally attract more raccoons. And I would like a fix that is on auto-pilot.

One option is electric fence. I also want to exclude deer, so I'd like to make an 8' high welded wire fence (using 6' and 4' rolls spliced with hog rings), with a raccoon proof gate, and apron it out at the bottom a couple of feet to deter digging under (10' total). Most recommend putting a line of electric fence around such an enclosure, about 6-8 inches high and 6-8" out from the bottom. This seems like a pain to me for purposes of mowing, and the necessity of shutting it on and off to enter, etc.

My thought is to build the fence enclosure, and put a strand of electric fence at the top, a few inches above the welded wire, and a few inches outside. This could be continuous, with no need to disconnect for a gate, and should deter anything that would try to climb over the fence.

Anybody have any thoughts or advice? I couldn't find any discussion of such a setup in a few quick searches.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Leadeye]

Raccoons are a tough, smart and adaptable animal, hard to keep out. Best of luck.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I think, if you have a foot or so of mesh buried at the bottom and you have an electric wire near the top of the fence, that could keep out most, if not all critters.

But, like Leadeye says, Raccoons are hard to keep out, when they really want to get in.

 

[fordfarmboy]

Get some pvc pipe and wire . Pvc will not conduct use for post . Drill holes in pvc run wire through start with about 4" off ground go up to about step over height such be good for all . Good luck

 

[Cpt Caveman]

Live trap em and then give em a five minute bath in a 55 gallon drum (Or a pond). Lather rinse repeat. Soon no more raccoons. Multiple traps helps with this technique.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I was thinking of something similar to fordfarmboy's suggestion. If you use steel T posts, they make electric wire holders that stick out like arms so that you can set your wire high enough to mow under but still in a position to make for a nasty day for the unwanted invaders.

 

[Cpt Caveman]

Electric fences wont keep them out, especially if you can mow under it. Don't waste your time and money. Take the fence money and buy live traps.

 

[Expat]

I put electric fence around my sweet corn a couple of years and worked fine. I put 2 strands around it, one about 3-4 inches above ground and the next about a foot above that.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I have trapped four in the last week, and a possum. Fences won't keep them out, just give them a challenge. Good bait is the key to traps, and lots of traps.

 

[winchester]

cleaned out the freezer and found some strawberry ice cream that was iffy so put it in the live trap. woke up this morning to a great biggun that was pissed off and tried to eat the front site off my 10-22. i have had very good luck with electric fence wire around my corn, the birds not so much.

 

[dwagner3701]

"Coon Cuffs" are a cheap trap that works good. They are about $10 each. You stake them down of tie them to something heavy. Put a marshmallow inside it. They reach in and grab it....they wont let go of the marshmallow to get away, so they cant get their hand out.
Fly bait works better... if you can find it. They don't sell it in Indiana any more. A small pile of fly bait in a pan with a little Pepsi on it....
you will find them laying there in the morning....sometimes face down in the pan.

 

[rhino]

cleaned out the freezer and found some strawberry ice cream that was iffy so put it in the live trap. woke up this morning to a great biggun that was pissed off and tried to eat the front site off my 10-22. i have had very good luck with electric fence wire around my corn, the birds not so much.

Some of the raccoons around here are either part horse or part grizzly bear.

 

[fullauto 45]

I've removed 10 coons and a couple of opossums in the last week from my play. Lil rats were everywhere. Tractor Supply has a nice size live trap and a smaller one for $30.

 

[Papa]

We use electric horse fence and place it about 4-6in off the ground. Just make sure you don't have cats.

 

[rob63]

If you are going to trap them, I can confirm that cat food does in fact work great as bait.

 

[BigMatt]

I put electric fence around my sweet corn a couple of years and worked fine. I put 2 strands around it, one about 3-4 inches above ground and the next about a foot above that.

I have been using this technique for the last 3 years and I haven't had a problem with raccoons in my 2 acre sweet corn patches. I haven't had one get through that I know of.

Just keep the weeds cut down and it works great.

Birds are another issue...

 

[Enkrypter]

Motion activated sprinkler...

https://www.amazon.com/Orbit-62100-...4H&redirect=true&ref_=as_li_tl&tag=racoons-20

Ultrasonic Sound deterrent

https://www.amazon.com/Sentinel-Ele...AG&redirect=true&ref_=as_li_tl&tag=racoons-20

Boom, no coons.

 

[Aggar]

"Coon Cuffs" are a cheap trap that works good. They are about $10 each. You stake them down of tie them to something heavy. Put a marshmallow inside it. They reach in and grab it....they wont let go of the marshmallow to get away, so they cant get their hand out.
Fly bait works better... if you can find it. They don't sell it in Indiana any more. A small pile of fly bait in a pan with a little Pepsi on it....
you will find them laying there in the morning....sometimes face down in the pan.

i was gonna say fly bait. You have to go to Illinois to rural king or tractor supply and get it. I have about 10 acres of sweet corn and use a little of it. Only way to get them and they definitely won't be coming back.

 

[Grelber]

Electric fences wont keep them out, especially if you can mow under it. Don't waste your time and money. Take the fence money and buy live traps.

I put electric fence around my sweet corn a couple of years and worked fine. I put 2 strands around it, one about 3-4 inches above ground and the next about a foot above that.

Put one up to discourage a very talented fence climbing dog a couple weeks ago.

Noticed that they sold fence power supplies rated for dogs and pests, as well as power supplies rated for horses and hogs. I do not know if one might be more effective for coons than the other, but perhaps it is worth noting that they are not all the same.

 

[Expat]

Put one up to discourage a very talented fence climbing dog a couple weeks ago.

Noticed that they sold fence power supplies rated for dogs and pests, as well as power supplies rated for horses and hogs. I do not know if one might be more effective for coons than the other, but perhaps it is worth noting that they are not all the same.

My charger came from my FiL, so I am sure it is for livestock.