Fox Urine. That's what my neighbor started using to keep the possums from digging under the skirting of his house. I think you can pick it up at places like Tractor Supply Company. Douse strips of cloth with the stuff and drop them below the decking. If you have critters down there, it should encourage them to seek shelter elsewhere.

This post was edited by Leekle2ManE on Sat, Dec 8, 12 at 20:33

I think I will try that idea myself. I have a critter tearing up my veggie garden. Thanks.

Fox Urine

I'd like to try that too for the opossums that are getting under my deck and digging holes in the garden. Will it also drive off the racoons that occasionally steal my tomatoes?

Tom

The only problem with fox urine is that it too will attract your dog. To most dogs, if they are like mine, a fox is just another critter and now it is peeing where the other critter was living. I say this from personal experiance. I had trouble with possums under the house and used fox urine. The dogs not only tore a bunch of shirting off but dug holes to China where the fox urine was applied.

Oklawhat?

Tom, I have no experience with it myself. Just relating what my neighbor used for his house and a possum problem. It is supposed to drive off most anything that might normally fear a fox as a predator. I would think this would include coons, but they're crafty little buggers and might figure out the ploy.

This post was edited by Leekle2ManE on Sun, Dec 9, 12 at 9:24

My hubby suggested getting bob cat urine, it's an even bigger predator. My veggie garden is fenced separtately from the rest of my yard so my dog can't get to it. We went to a feed store and got some type of repellent. So we'll see how it works tonight. Wish me luck. A place that sells hunting and fishing supplies would have the urine, perhaps coyote would be a good one too.

From a quick look out side, it seems my critter stayed away last night. We did have heavy rain though, so that could be the reason and not the soak rags at all.

I've had some success with driving away critters with rags soaked in amonia. If the scents don't work and the critter in question is causing damage then I'd set out a live trap. The only problem then is what to do with the critter once it's trapped. At my house when I have to resort to a trap whatever is caught is usually shot and then fed to the neighborhood hawks. We usually only put out the trap for squirrels and racoons although we did catch a big possum once. Just remember that it is illegal to relocate certain animals so if you can't stand having to shot the critter then don't use a trap. I think that raccoons are one of the animals that are illegal to relocate.

Yes, it is a $500 fine to relocate racoons, but I can't shoot them either. I live in the city limits and cannot discharge a fire arm. I really feel the state should make some provisions for the removal of these critters.

Katkin, is it illegal to shoot a pellet gun/BB gun, too? What my dad uses to shoot the racoons and squirels is a pellet gun rifle that he bought a walmart. The only time he's had to pull out a real gun was when an armadillo kept trying to dig under their house and just would not go away.

Kara, I'll ask my hubby when he gets home, I am not sure. Does a pellet gun kill the racoon or just sting his butt?

I routinely execute trapped coons in an almost silent fashion. I use a .22 rifle, but only use a particular type of ammo called CCI CB Shorts, found at Wal-Mart. You can also use CCI .22LR Quiets, also found at Wal-Mart. Both products are very quiet, especially when firing down into a trap. If you are discreet about it, your neighbors will never know what you are doing.
Now, I'm a hardcore sportsman with top-flight firearms and equipment, but you could easily make do with the cheapest single-shot bolt-action .22 rifle your local pawnshop has to offer. It can be an ancient, beat-up piece of junk with which Annie Oakley would be unable to hit the broad side of a barn from the inside. All your junky old rifle needs to have is a functioning firing pin. Your target won't be more than ten or twelve inches from the muzzle.
I'd suggest placing your trap in a place out of sight of the neighbors and going outside at first light, walking with your rifle held close against your leg. Approach the trap slowly so as not to agitate the coon, line up your shot, take it, and put the rifle back in the house. Dump your coon into a five-gallon bucket and drive to someplace you can dump it. A weedy ditch will do.
This whole thing is pretty gruesome the first few times you do it, but eventually you'll get used to it.
It has to be done. So, work up the nerve and do it!

Well, I've tried all suggestions to no avail. I am particularly interested in the pellet gun idea. Not for the critters, for the dog. (Just kidding!!!!!).

We have contacted a carpenter who will be fencing off the deck so we can salvage the deck boards. If the dog eats the fence I'll have to rip out the deck, fill the pool with dirt, and maybe grow corn or tomatoes there.

Whoever said they calm down after spaying/neutering was dead wrong.

I purchased a remote control training collar on amazon for $49 after my dogs killed a baby gopher tortoise. It has both vibrate and shock modes. I haven't had to use shock. The vibrate only mode stops them in their tracks. I put the collars on when they go out at night, and some times during the day. It works. It won't get rid of the critters, but will stop your dog from chewing deck boards and harassing the critters.

I also have a shock collar, though mine lacks the vibrate. It has variable strength (on the remote) and a beep instead. I was worried about how it would feel to my dog, so I tried it on myself at full strength. It really wasn't any worse than sticking my tongue on a 9-volt battery. My method was to give an audible warning (I didn't want to be 'confined' to just the beeping collar). When my dog ignored my audible, I gave her as weak a buzz as I needed to get her attention. It took all of a week of training and now all I have to do is issue the audible. She has it in her head, even though it's been at least three years since she last wore the collar, that if she hears that audible, then she needs to calm down and return to me.

The only time this doesn't work is when people talk excitedly to her, despite me telling them to ignore her and not talk to her. One time she even snapped at someone who, against my wishes and instructions, tried to scratch her head before letting her calm down (she's a Field Springer, a breed known for it's high energy and excitability). I could probably use the collar again in these situations, but the way I see it, this isn't her fault. It's people not listening and thinking they know better. I'm not going to 'correct' her for that.

The pellet gun/rifle that my dad has is one of the stronger ones and it usually only takes one or two shots to the head to kill a racoon. Believe it or not it's the squirells that are harder to kill since they're a smaller target that tends to move around very quickly.

I've found that once you've trapped and killed one or two racoons the rest of the ones in your area will avoid your house for which I'm gratefull. I really don't like having to kill any wildlife and only resort to it when the animal in question is either causing property damage or there is something obviously wrong with it. In my area we have to keep to squirell population down or the crazy things start eating the lead boots from the pipes coming out of our roofs among other destructive past times.