Two questions about raccoons

jrsower · October 16, 2002, 05:25 PM

It's raccoon season now. I'm looking to get a nice hide for my collection but I've never shot one before.

1. What should I use to get one with? Shotgun or .22? I don't want to mess the hide up too badly.

2. Do people actually eat raccoons? Is it any good? I kind of thought they were supposed to be dirty animals.

Art Eatman · October 16, 2002, 05:37 PM

A head shot with a .22 rimfire oughta do it.

I don't know of any animal whose meat is "dirty". Any dirt is on the outside.

Somebody here oughta know a recipe...

Art

Double Naught Spy · October 16, 2002, 05:55 PM

You can eat raccoon and people do eat them, especially historically here in the south. That being said, as an omnivore and more specifically as a carnivore that has a quite varied diet, the meat tends to be very gamey. I have only tried it once that was roasted over an open flame and I was not impressed. In a stew with enough spices and it might be okay. At this time of year, they should be putting on a heavy fat layer which will also influence flavor.

I have skinned several and at this time of year, they are about as nasty as opossums. Opossum meat is very nasty, very fatty, and seems to get larger in your mouth the more you chew it. I know that can't be a reality, but that is the sensation I had when I tried it.

Compared to either of the above, cottontail bunny cooked over an open flame is a fabulous meat, even without spices added.

Southla1 · October 16, 2002, 08:19 PM

Well a Cajun is known to eat damn near anything...............I'll eat raccoon if thats all thats there.............its so so at best. If one does try to eat one quarter it, cut the legs off short get as much fat off of it as possible............just pure meat if you can and stew it or cook it a longgggggggg time smothering it in onions. Even Nutria is much better.............it is a lil better than possum

BIGR · October 16, 2002, 09:53 PM

I have heard of people eating Raccoons but I have never tried it myself. I had five coons on my porch the other night eating out of the dog food bowl. They love dog food here around these hills. I suppose if a person was starving he would eat about anything.

scotjute · October 17, 2002, 08:28 AM

If you want the hide use .22. Back when I trapped furs that's all we would use. Shoot them in the head only.
People do eat them. Bar-b-q. I used to sell them. Always had to leave one foot with fur on so they would know it was a raccoon(and not a cat). I've never eaten them.

Keith Rogan · October 17, 2002, 12:15 PM

Art,

The person asking the question doesn't list a location, but if he's up north somewhere a .22 is probably not a good choice.

I don't know how large they really get, but I can recall coons in Michigan that must have gone 40 pounds or so. I recall as a kid, taking a "head shot" on a big old coon in a tree, only to have him climb down snarling while I emptied another 4 shots into him and then running away with an empty gun with this thing on our heels.
Recalling that, I'd say a .22 mag might be a better choice (a .375 would just be too noisy...).

I could tell another story about trapping one in a 55 gallon drum, but since it involves me wetting my pants I think I'll pass.

October 17, 2002, 12:59 PM

You know I really doubted raccoons got to 40 pounds so I checked my copy of "Arkansas Mammals" by Sealander and Heidt. They show mature weights here in Arkansas at 8.8 to 30.9 pounds. So 40 pounds is in line with what one might expect in the northern states.

Still, 150 pound deer are dropped with head shots from .22 lr all the time (poachers). I've shot just one coon in my life. That was with a .22 lr through the chin and out the top of the head (he was in a tree). Instant lights off.

Ledbetter · October 17, 2002, 01:06 PM

Biggest they get around here is 20 pounds or so. Side of the head is best or right under the eye. Also good is through both lungs, although the squeal may wake up your neighbors.

Art Eatman · October 17, 2002, 04:44 PM

Keith, I reckon an irate 40-pound coon would give a whole new meaning to "sport hunting".

My uncle had a big old red Doberman who loved to hunt. His method of dealing with racoons was to just run at them with his mouth wide open, and grab the head. Crunch, shake, crunch, and then look up with an expression of, "Well? What next?"

Every now and then I have some coons come up from the creek, and that's a half-mile or more away and 250 feet down the mountain. Ambitious little devils. They try to get into my "bird seed", a bucket of hen scratch I keep on the front porch for the quail and doves. Watching two coons trying to both be head-down in a five-gallon bucket and eat, and then levitate when I tap on the window, is a hoot...

Art

bastiat · October 17, 2002, 05:01 PM

Ted Nugent has a new cookbook out - there's probably a recipe for raccoon in there somewhere.

I have no experience with .22 magnum, but there's a rifle I'm interested in that's set up for it. Would that be sufficient for raccoons?

Ledbetter · October 17, 2002, 05:41 PM

.22 magnum is enough for even a forty pound racoon, through and through. My favorite .22 magnum round is the Remington with the plastic nose. Watch your backstop.

Sisco · October 17, 2002, 06:53 PM

Found this at www.cookwildgame.com
Coon is kind of like cooking goat. You have to go at this a bit indirectly.

Older coons are good for feeding coonhounds - they're tough and strong. The younger, but grown ones, however are delicious on the BBQ.

Ingredients:

1-2 Raccoons – cleaned and cut into pieces

Sauce:

1-cup ketchup

½ cup cooking oil or butter

¼ cup brown sugar

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. garlic powder (or to taste)

1 Tbsp. onion powder (or to taste)

1 Tbsp. salt

¼ cup lemon juice

1 tsp. pepper

First, make sure when you were dressing these critters, you have removed the "kernels" (scent glands) from under the arms and legs. They leave a distinct flavor if you don't. Cut up the carcass and simmer in slightly salted water until almost done (depends on your altitude and the size of the pieces). Remove from the water and place on a grill over coals. Coat with the following sauce like you would ribs or chicken and cook over medium heat until done and tender. Fried or mashed potatoes, coleslaw, green salad, and toasted French bread compliment this dish well.

Copyright ©1995-2002 FishersNet

SLIM410 · October 17, 2002, 09:07 PM

A .22 headshot should be sufficient.

After you've cleaned it and stretched the hide out for tanning, through the rest of it away and have some deer chili or some wabbit salad sandwiches.

scotjute · October 18, 2002, 07:46 AM

Remember he's wanting the hide. .22 leaves the smallest possible hole. Do agree that 1 shot kills are not always possible with raccoons using .22. They do not die easily.

Medic08 · October 19, 2002, 01:51 AM

Ya know. The 22 will work. However. I know I had one comming down a tree after my ass. He already had 4 to the chest & didn't die till the one to the forehead when he was almost on top of me. The next step was running across the yard with an empty gun.... LOL For now on it will be the 22 hornet.

MeekAndMild · October 19, 2002, 08:57 AM

In my county every year several coons turn up testing positive for rabies. I'd go with the shotgun and bury the rascel using rubber gloves to handle it.

**Bud Helms** · October 19, 2002, 09:35 AM

I gotta go with Southla1, although Coon are pretty clean animals. They sometimes rinse their food before eating when near water. The "meat" they eat is usually small bugs, slugs and such. I'd have to be pretty hungry though. If you're after the hide, just skin the sucker and leave the carcass for the "janitors". Use a .22 LR.

One piece of advice, though ... either a mother with coonlettes nearby or an old cranky bull Coon will make you wish you'd stayed in bed if you mess with 'em and don't kill 'em. I 'got some stories. When they are startled, they can levitate, and teleport themselves toward you with such speed, that the crew of the Enterprise would be envious. They also have teeth you don't know about, unless they want you to. DO NOT underestimate a Coon in the wild. They can hold their own.

Last word: Rabies.

Southla1 · October 19, 2002, 10:30 AM

MY oldest daughter (she is 25 now) had one for a "pet" when she was about 5 or so. He was in a very large cage with a built in room about 4'X10'. Rather comfortable for being penned in. He was one mean SOB. One day while I was offshore Gulf of Mexico my ex goes back to feed him (canned dog food) and he got out and ran her ass all the way back to the house

. He took up residence in his cage with the door open. He would chase her anytime she went to feed him...she ended up driving the 50 yards or so from the house to the cage and just throwing the can of dog food out at him

. I gave him away after I got in.............I feel certain the person I gave him to had a skillet in mind for him

MarineTech · October 19, 2002, 06:41 PM

Here in Maine, coons are generally taken with dogs and a .22LR Pistol. Headshot generally takes them down from the tree, but I have had a few run on me.

The nastiest coon experience I ever had was in the Marines. I was out in the field for MCT at Camp Gieger/Lejeune (NC). The instructors told us repeatedly not to keep food in your hooch (2 man tent). 1 private decided not to listen and had a left over entree from his MRE in his pack. He was in his hooch when the coon decided he wanted it and crawled in with him. Needless to say there was a lot of screaming and yelling and about 3 good thuds when the kid whacked the coon with his e-tool. The private (don't remember his name, but I think it was Maneely) got the heck out of Dodge and made a run for it. Kid ended up looking like a roadmap of Los Angeles he was clawed up so bad. The coon wandered off with the food in tow.

TBAUS · October 19, 2002, 07:50 PM

About every third year before I started keeping my horse feed in steel drums with a mechanical ring that seals the drum, I would get coons coming in the night for the feed. They would open the lids of the garbage cans I kept the feed in and sample all the feed on the first night. On later nights, they would come and open up only the can that contained horse feed of the highest protein level. I don't know how they figured out which feed had the most protein, but they did. I sometimes trapped them and then shot them at point blank range with a .38 round, or I would shoot them at night with a .22-250 head shot. ( the glowing eyes make a nice target) Other than moving them backwards a couple of feet, the .22-250 puts them out immediately. I of course had to be VERY sure of my backstop.

October 16, 2002, 05:25 PM	#1
jrsower Senior Member Join Date: June 5, 2002 Posts: 159	Two questions about raccoons It's raccoon season now. I'm looking to get a nice hide for my collection but I've never shot one before. 1. What should I use to get one with? Shotgun or .22? I don't want to mess the hide up too badly. 2. Do people actually eat raccoons? Is it any good? I kind of thought they were supposed to be dirty animals. __________________ OMG! There's something touching my face!

October 16, 2002, 05:55 PM	#3
Double Naught Spy Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2001 Location: Forestburg, Montague Cnty, TX Posts: 12,717	You can eat raccoon and people do eat them, especially historically here in the south. That being said, as an omnivore and more specifically as a carnivore that has a quite varied diet, the meat tends to be very gamey. I have only tried it once that was roasted over an open flame and I was not impressed. In a stew with enough spices and it might be okay. At this time of year, they should be putting on a heavy fat layer which will also influence flavor. I have skinned several and at this time of year, they are about as nasty as opossums. Opossum meat is very nasty, very fatty, and seems to get larger in your mouth the more you chew it. I know that can't be a reality, but that is the sensation I had when I tried it. Compared to either of the above, cottontail bunny cooked over an open flame is a fabulous meat, even without spices added. __________________ "If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher." -- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011 My Hunting Videos https://www.youtube.com/user/HornHillRange

October 17, 2002, 12:15 PM	#7
Keith Rogan Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 1999 Location: Kodiak, Alaska Posts: 1,014	Art, The person asking the question doesn't list a location, but if he's up north somewhere a .22 is probably not a good choice. I don't know how large they really get, but I can recall coons in Michigan that must have gone 40 pounds or so. I recall as a kid, taking a "head shot" on a big old coon in a tree, only to have him climb down snarling while I emptied another 4 shots into him and then running away with an empty gun with this thing on our heels. Recalling that, I'd say a .22 mag might be a better choice (a .375 would just be too noisy...). I could tell another story about trapping one in a 55 gallon drum, but since it involves me wetting my pants I think I'll pass. __________________ Keith

October 17, 2002, 01:06 PM	#9
Ledbetter Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2000 Location: California USA Posts: 4,533	.22 LR is plenty. Use CCI MiniMags or stingers Biggest they get around here is 20 pounds or so. Side of the head is best or right under the eye. Also good is through both lungs, although the squeal may wake up your neighbors.

October 17, 2002, 05:01 PM	#11
bastiat Senior Member Join Date: February 14, 2001 Posts: 1,771	Ted Nugent has a new cookbook out - there's probably a recipe for raccoon in there somewhere. I have no experience with .22 magnum, but there's a rifle I'm interested in that's set up for it. Would that be sufficient for raccoons? __________________ Flashbunny.org - Pro-Freedom Propaganda Politically Incorrect & Pro-Gun Stuff To Buy

October 16, 2002, 05:37 PM	#2
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	A head shot with a .22 rimfire oughta do it. I don't know of any animal whose meat is "dirty". Any dirt is on the outside. Somebody here oughta know a recipe... Art

October 16, 2002, 08:19 PM	#4
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	Well a Cajun is known to eat damn near anything...............I'll eat raccoon if thats all thats there.............its so so at best. If one does try to eat one quarter it, cut the legs off short get as much fat off of it as possible............just pure meat if you can and stew it or cook it a longgggggggg time smothering it in onions. Even Nutria is much better.............it is a lil better than possum

October 16, 2002, 09:53 PM	#5
BIGR Senior Member Join Date: June 13, 2000 Location: Mountains Posts: 1,385	I have heard of people eating Raccoons but I have never tried it myself. I had five coons on my porch the other night eating out of the dog food bowl. They love dog food here around these hills. I suppose if a person was starving he would eat about anything.

October 17, 2002, 08:28 AM	#6
scotjute Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Location: texas Posts: 260	If you want the hide use .22. Back when I trapped furs that's all we would use. Shoot them in the head only. People do eat them. Bar-b-q. I used to sell them. Always had to leave one foot with fur on so they would know it was a raccoon(and not a cat). I've never eaten them.

October 17, 2002, 12:59 PM	#8
KilgorII Guest Posts: n/a	You know I really doubted raccoons got to 40 pounds so I checked my copy of "Arkansas Mammals" by Sealander and Heidt. They show mature weights here in Arkansas at 8.8 to 30.9 pounds. So 40 pounds is in line with what one might expect in the northern states. Still, 150 pound deer are dropped with head shots from .22 lr all the time (poachers). I've shot just one coon in my life. That was with a .22 lr through the chin and out the top of the head (he was in a tree). Instant lights off.

October 17, 2002, 04:44 PM	#10
Art Eatman Staff in Memoriam Join Date: November 13, 1998 Location: Terlingua, TX; Thomasville, GA Posts: 24,798	Keith, I reckon an irate 40-pound coon would give a whole new meaning to "sport hunting". My uncle had a big old red Doberman who loved to hunt. His method of dealing with racoons was to just run at them with his mouth wide open, and grab the head. Crunch, shake, crunch, and then look up with an expression of, "Well? What next?" Every now and then I have some coons come up from the creek, and that's a half-mile or more away and 250 feet down the mountain. Ambitious little devils. They try to get into my "bird seed", a bucket of hen scratch I keep on the front porch for the quail and doves. Watching two coons trying to both be head-down in a five-gallon bucket and eat, and then levitate when I tap on the window, is a hoot... Art

October 17, 2002, 05:41 PM	#12
Ledbetter Senior Member Join Date: February 23, 2000 Location: California USA Posts: 4,533	bastiat .22 magnum is enough for even a forty pound racoon, through and through. My favorite .22 magnum round is the Remington with the plastic nose. Watch your backstop.

October 17, 2002, 06:53 PM	#13
Sisco Senior Member Join Date: March 25, 1999 Location: KS Posts: 1,558	Found this at www.cookwildgame.com Coon is kind of like cooking goat. You have to go at this a bit indirectly. Older coons are good for feeding coonhounds - they're tough and strong. The younger, but grown ones, however are delicious on the BBQ. Ingredients: 1-2 Raccoons – cleaned and cut into pieces Sauce: 1-cup ketchup ½ cup cooking oil or butter ¼ cup brown sugar 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 Tbsp. garlic powder (or to taste) 1 Tbsp. onion powder (or to taste) 1 Tbsp. salt ¼ cup lemon juice 1 tsp. pepper First, make sure when you were dressing these critters, you have removed the "kernels" (scent glands) from under the arms and legs. They leave a distinct flavor if you don't. Cut up the carcass and simmer in slightly salted water until almost done (depends on your altitude and the size of the pieces). Remove from the water and place on a grill over coals. Coat with the following sauce like you would ribs or chicken and cook over medium heat until done and tender. Fried or mashed potatoes, coleslaw, green salad, and toasted French bread compliment this dish well. Copyright ©1995-2002 FishersNet __________________ "I don't mind it when stupid people say stupid things. Stupid people should be encouraged to say stupid things, that way we always know who the stupid people are." ~ Ted Nugent http://www.awbansunset.com/awcountdown_sm.gif

October 17, 2002, 09:07 PM	#14
SLIM410 Member Join Date: October 16, 2002 Location: Illinois Posts: 40	A .22 headshot should be sufficient. After you've cleaned it and stretched the hide out for tanning, through the rest of it away and have some deer chili or some wabbit salad sandwiches. __________________ "Slim" They call .410's either a beginner or an expert's gun. I'm no beginner.

October 18, 2002, 07:46 AM	#15
scotjute Senior Member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Location: texas Posts: 260	Remember he's wanting the hide. .22 leaves the smallest possible hole. Do agree that 1 shot kills are not always possible with raccoons using .22. They do not die easily.

October 19, 2002, 01:51 AM	#16
Medic08 Junior Member Join Date: January 3, 2002 Posts: 6	Ya know. The 22 will work. However. I know I had one comming down a tree after my ass. He already had 4 to the chest & didn't die till the one to the forehead when he was almost on top of me. The next step was running across the yard with an empty gun.... LOL For now on it will be the 22 hornet.

October 19, 2002, 08:57 AM	#17
MeekAndMild Senior Member Join Date: August 2, 2001 Posts: 4,988	In my county every year several coons turn up testing positive for rabies. I'd go with the shotgun and bury the rascel using rubber gloves to handle it. __________________ In a few years when the dust finally clears and people start counting their change there is a pretty good chance that President Obama may become known as The Great Absquatulator. You heard it first here on TFL.

October 19, 2002, 09:35 AM	#18
Bud Helms Senior Member Join Date: December 31, 1999 Location: Middle Georgia, USA Posts: 13,198	I gotta go with Southla1, although Coon are pretty clean animals. They sometimes rinse their food before eating when near water. The "meat" they eat is usually small bugs, slugs and such. I'd have to be pretty hungry though. If you're after the hide, just skin the sucker and leave the carcass for the "janitors". Use a .22 LR. One piece of advice, though ... either a mother with coonlettes nearby or an old cranky bull Coon will make you wish you'd stayed in bed if you mess with 'em and don't kill 'em. I 'got some stories. When they are startled, they can levitate, and teleport themselves toward you with such speed, that the crew of the Enterprise would be envious. They also have teeth you don't know about, unless they want you to. DO NOT underestimate a Coon in the wild. They can hold their own. Last word: Rabies.

October 19, 2002, 10:30 AM	#19
Southla1 Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 19, 2000 Location: Jeanerette, La. Near the Posts: 1,999	MY oldest daughter (she is 25 now) had one for a "pet" when she was about 5 or so. He was in a very large cage with a built in room about 4'X10'. Rather comfortable for being penned in. He was one mean SOB. One day while I was offshore Gulf of Mexico my ex goes back to feed him (canned dog food) and he got out and ran her ass all the way back to the house . He took up residence in his cage with the door open. He would chase her anytime she went to feed him...she ended up driving the 50 yards or so from the house to the cage and just throwing the can of dog food out at him . I gave him away after I got in.............I feel certain the person I gave him to had a skillet in mind for him

October 19, 2002, 06:41 PM	#20
MarineTech Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2002 Location: Southern Maine US Posts: 299	Here in Maine, coons are generally taken with dogs and a .22LR Pistol. Headshot generally takes them down from the tree, but I have had a few run on me. The nastiest coon experience I ever had was in the Marines. I was out in the field for MCT at Camp Gieger/Lejeune (NC). The instructors told us repeatedly not to keep food in your hooch (2 man tent). 1 private decided not to listen and had a left over entree from his MRE in his pack. He was in his hooch when the coon decided he wanted it and crawled in with him. Needless to say there was a lot of screaming and yelling and about 3 good thuds when the kid whacked the coon with his e-tool. The private (don't remember his name, but I think it was Maneely) got the heck out of Dodge and made a run for it. Kid ended up looking like a roadmap of Los Angeles he was clawed up so bad. The coon wandered off with the food in tow. __________________ Morituri Nolumus Mori - We who are about to die, don't want to. -

October 19, 2002, 07:50 PM	#21
TBAUS Senior Member Join Date: August 15, 2002 Location: Central Texas Posts: 111	About every third year before I started keeping my horse feed in steel drums with a mechanical ring that seals the drum, I would get coons coming in the night for the feed. They would open the lids of the garbage cans I kept the feed in and sample all the feed on the first night. On later nights, they would come and open up only the can that contained horse feed of the highest protein level. I don't know how they figured out which feed had the most protein, but they did. I sometimes trapped them and then shot them at point blank range with a .38 round, or I would shoot them at night with a .22-250 head shot. ( the glowing eyes make a nice target) Other than moving them backwards a couple of feet, the .22-250 puts them out immediately. I of course had to be VERY sure of my backstop.