I found the most effective way to rid our home area of raccoons is live trapping them. This is for safety reasons. they are caged and cannot hurt anyone. And are they ever vicious!
And yes, I release them. After the coon and cage have spent at least 10 minutes fully submerged in a nearby lake. Drowning them is the quickest way. Shooting them often ruins the cage when the bullet passes through and cuts a cage wire. And they don’t always die right away, even after being shot several times.