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.
I’ve never had one live for more than a minute after being shot. I understand the drowning thing though.
BTW - I got good advice from a friend who was doing rabies research for the state (PA). He read me the riot act when I told him that I threw a dead raccoon into a ditch after shooting it. He said rabies was much more widespread than people know and the virus stays alive for a day or two after the animal dies.
He said to burn to the body to ash.
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.>>. You are not drowning them. You are teaching them to swim. My dad did that with the local squirrels.
Throw the cage in a 55 gal drum of water