The best way to deal with a racoon is get a haveahart trap, trap the little sucker and toss the whole trap into a garbage pail full of water for about 10 minutes. toss the racoon  into a garbage bag, throw it out and the problem is solved. Or you could make a racoon skin hat ,lol.

Nice.

Rookie, that's funny but not beyond my abilities. I quilt afterall. I can make a fur hat. I hate the thought of drowning so I'd rather shoot it and make it quick. I can patch the hole ;-) I can't even drown the darn squirrels I catch.
 
Knowing that capturing a skunk is a possibility I'm setting the trap FAR away from the house. :-) I like skunks, they are very pretty and playful beasts. I would hate to harm one. Actually racoons are beautiful animals too but it's them or me.

I will inherit my mom's dog when she passes, a rough collie. I need to get a fence built for him though. My property is totally fenceless and I really like it that way but...

Rabits love bananas. Ask anyone who's had them as pets. When a pregnant rabbit wont eat anything else, she will eat a piece of banana.

Many years ago I took a taxidermy class in the evening at my high school.  I also trapped ground squirrels and once caught a skunk which I shot.  I admired the fur and talked my younger brother into giving me a hand into removing it's fur to be tanned.  I was careful, but careful enough and we both discovered the precise location of the scent sacks.  As I recall, it was maybe around Thursday or Friday and by Sunday we still smelled to much so mom said we weren't going to Mass, LOL.  The racoon hat would be fine, Sue, just don't get confused and decide to make yourself a skunk hat, it's just not worth the risk! ;)

By the way, I persevered and did finish removing the fur from that skunk and had it framed out and in an empty grain silo when our levee broke in June 1972.  We lost our home, crops, and many of our belongings, including one skunk pelt.  I can't say I really missed it.

Dang if that racoon wasn't at my rear screen door tonight! I had picked up the bowl of dry cat food and put it on top of the BBQ. I wouldn't think it could smell it from there but he did...guess I need to stop feeding the semi-feral cat.

Bob , I will try bananas for the rabbits...thx!

I have been trying to trap squirrels using a live trap that has one door that closes on the prey and another door that can be opened (and then secured) in order to bait the trap.  I have been using peanuts as bait and have only caught one squirrel so far.  Usually the bait is missing but the trap hasn't been triggered or the trap has been triggered with no prey inside.  Yesterday, I caught a male cardinal!  Then this morning I found that whatever animal that was caught managed to get the rear door off!  This isn't supposed to happen.  Also the bait pan was clearly bent out of shape.  I suspect I have a racoon too.  I guess I need a bigger trap and will try using the melted  marshmellow trick as Dennis suggests.  Also this morning three birds were caught in the netting I just installed over the blueberries.  I suppose it is time to put netting entirely around the tomato patch if I want to each tomatoes this year. Critters seem worse this year...it's a never-ending battle.

Oh, I forgot to ask - Sue did you catch your racoon?  If so, do you have any tips???

The trap just arrived. I'll have time to set it up this weekend. I have to stop at the store for marshmallows too.

Rewton, I've had a lot of success with the squirrelinator. I've caught up to 4 squirrels in the same trap at once and have pretty much cleaned out the squirrels for now. I know over time the new void will be filled but for now I'm squirrel free. I baited with bird seed (sunflower seed) and peanut butter.
http://squirrelinator.com/. Unfortunately I'm thinking some bigger critter (coyote, racoon?) carried off the trap probably trying to get to trapped squirrels because it is gone. I have to go get another one.

Sue

Sue,

what does the squirrleinator run?  I could not find a cost on thier site.  I am guessing they do not sell direct but I have to find a dealer?

Sue, the squirelnator even comes with its own basin - gotta love it!  I'm definitely interested in this trap too.

Greg, about $50 on amazon. 

Please be very careful when letting your dogs go after racoons. My son's dog got one and ripped it's stomach open. Two weeks later we find the otherwise perfectly healthy dog laying in the living room floor horribly jaundiced and unable to move.
Rushed him to the vet and even talked about the racoon and asked if it could be from that. No, no the vet says, his kidneys are shutting down, he's gonna die. I throw a fit and make him run more tests and put the dog on an IV so I can keep him hydrated and have something flushing his kidneys. I keep the dog on IV fluids for 6 days round the clock at home while he farts around and sends the tests wherever. Finally we get an answer....it is a bacterial infection from the racoon, something only they carry in their digestive tract. Finally 6 weeks if injectable antibiotics with pills as well and the dog lived. However he is also living with irreversible kidney damage.
This was in Washington before we moved. Funny thing was, I was telling my cat vet about it and before I got past the word racoon she named the infection. We no longer employ the dogs vet!

Gregg,

Amazon and ebay both sell it for around $48-$65.
http://www.shopping.com/%22squirrelinator-squirrel-trap%22/products?CLT=SCH&KW=%22squirrelinator+squirrel+trap%22

A couple other places have it too. I'm lucky my local feed store, Kahoots, sells it.

Sue

Tami,
Great story and I applaud you for the courage and tenacity to save your dog's life. GOOD JOB!
As far as your dog vet;
Just remember half of all doc.'s graduate in the bottom half of their class.

I've had some recent failure in using the squirrelantor.  I was putting an ear of dried field corn in the trap but twice in a row I found the empty cob in the trap.  I think the squirrels must have reached in and pulled the cob to the side and then chewed off the kernels.  They have an appetite for corn so I'll go back to putting some loose corn on the ground below the trap.  I tied the trap to a tree so that coyotes wouldn't drag it off like something did with Sue's though I didn't have problems with that in my orchard near the house.

About 14 years ago I saw a young coyote pup eating peaches from one of my trees about 25 feet from my house.  That's the first and only time I've seen that though I do see coyote feces around the farm with cherry pits so I guess they prefer eating fruit from the neighbor's cherry orchard. ;)