Need to humanely kill raccoons in a cage

Crash Davis · Saturday at 5:21 PM

Gentlemen,

Long time lurker would like to pick your brains.

Property within city limits is overrun with raccoons. Best way for me to deal with that is traps and have some ordered. Will need to walk past a part of the property that is very visible to the neighbors to get to where the problem is (I'll be out of sight doing the deed) so preferably need an air pistol I can carry discreetly like in a bucket or bag so the neighbors don't have the SWAT team launched. (Actually had that happen to an acquaintance about 10 years ago.) Willing to spend some money if needed. Plenty of gun experience but ZERO airgun experience since shooting a Daisy decades ago which probably doesn't count!

Is there an air pistol made that is 'strong' enough for a humane, point-blank shot or will I need to get a rifle? Have done some research and looks like I can remove the stock on a Notos and put on a pistol grip. Longer than I would like but probably workable.

Any recommendations on ammo?

Any other considerations I am forgetting to ask?

Thanks in advance. I appreciate the advice.

hlee · Sunday at 8:22 PM

I’ve shot a number of raccoons in live traps. Anything less than a perfect brain shot from a 22 lr just riles them up. i wouldn’t use an air pistol.

YBPS · Sunday at 9:21 PM

Get a trash can and fill it with water

mrtoyz · Sunday at 9:23 PM

Yes trash can and water

Edsel · Sunday at 9:30 PM

Is something of this sort an option?

MO Fugga · Sunday at 9:34 PM

Turn them loose in the ghetto.

Roadrace33 · Sunday at 10:49 PM

MO Fugga said:
Turn them loose in the ghetto.

Those fuckers would come back, less than 24 hrs

they’d bring friends too!!

SalomonQST99 · Sunday at 10:56 PM

I think the head of the HOA would like two or three.

Baron23 · Sunday at 11:05 PM

Ah…dead and cooked at the same time. Hmm, Dem' coon is good eating if well done. Lol sorry, just having a little fun w you and yes, I’m useless.

Crash Davis · Sunday at 11:38 PM

hlee said:
I’ve shot a number of raccoons in live traps. Anything less than a perfect brain shot from a 22 lr just riles them up. i wouldn’t use an air pistol.

Damn, thats surprising. Tough little bastards

MountainHombre · Sunday at 11:49 PM

Benjamin Marauder PCP in 22 cal, but it must be a head shot. Put a DonnyFL suppressor on it.

Or go "No Country" style.

MO Fugga · Monday at 12:49 AM

Know somebody with a large predator pet?

cas6969 · Monday at 1:12 AM

I have a pellet pistol that I killed a bunch of rabbits with. Chest/lung shots as well as head shots. And when I tried using it on raccoons skulls at point blank range, they literally just bounced off their heads. I ended up switching to Aguila Colibri's in a short .22 rifle. The noise is so un-alarming and vague, no one seems to pay it any mind. They aren't instantaneous lights out, they some times thrash around a bit for a few seconds, but it's pretty quick.

Prior to that I was putting the have a heart trap in a large plastic bag. Then closing/taping the end around around a short length of hose, then putting that over the tail pipe of the car. Effective, though clumsy on the whole. It also never seemed to take the same amount of time, the whole awkward affair taking place in my driveway in the middle of the night, or early in the morning before work. It was too much, and why I switch to popping them.

Gunfighter14e2 · Monday at 5:40 AM

Hillbilly style, Forked Stick to hold head down & use long tube & spray foam into mouth & nose.
Rambo style, same forked stick hold head into position, Knife, or kill rod, thru the eye socket directly into the brain.

wvfarrier · Monday at 6:08 AM

A Co2 powered pellet pistol kills them quick and easy and most importantly....quietly.

wvfarrier · Monday at 6:10 AM

They will look right at you so just pop them between the eyes or through the top/center of the skull. No fuss and little blood. As others have said....a trash can full of water works too but can also net you an animal cruelty charge if a Karen/Ken sees you doing it

Crash Davis · Monday at 11:17 AM

YBPS said:
Get a trash can and fill it with water

I'd prefer something a little quicker but not ruling that out

Thanks

Crash Davis · Monday at 11:26 AM

MountainHombre said:
Benjamin Marauder PCP in 22 cal, but it must be a head shot. Put a DonnyFL suppressor on it.

Or go "No Country" style.

Huh, slightly better FPS than the Notos. I would've thought that would be good enough but looks like probably not

Crash Davis · Monday at 11:41 AM

wvfarrier said:
a trash can full of water works too but can also net you an animal cruelty charge if a Karen/Ken sees you doing it

That is an excellent point

joe777 · Monday at 11:57 AM

Drowning them has always seemed to be more humane than shooting them in the live trap. They just go nuts and it's hard to get a good head shot

YBPS · Monday at 12:22 PM

The can hold their breath for approx 120 seconds. Just sayin.

Casing012 · Tuesday at 11:07 AM

Get an empty garbage can. Fill almost to top with water. Add raccoon-filled trap. (Don't forget to wear gloves when handling the trap!) Walk away for five minutes while you dig a raccoon-size hole.

That's a lot more mercy than your chickens would get if the raccoon attacked them.

This is a good time to make sure all fencing is secure and all openings to your coop are coverd with hardware cloth with holes too small for a raccoon's paw to reach in. Good luck.

Rileysboo · Tuesday at 11:46 AM

YBPS said:
Get a trash can and fill it with water

drowning them is rather harsh, Instant darkness is best.

carbonbased · Tuesday at 12:15 PM

I have read that trappers kill skunks with something called a “sleeping pole” or “dispatch stick” etc.

Basically, a pole with a special syringe on the end, filled with acetone. Poke the skunk and I guess it’s lights out very quick-like.

Something like this attached to a painter’s pole.

pole syringe, skunks, dispatch, euthanasia - The Snare Shop

The best money can buy. Plunger made of machine aluminum to last a lifetime. The aluminum end cap

www.snareshop.com

No idea if that’s a good product. I have seen a lot of homemade stuff.

Roadrace33 · Tuesday at 3:16 PM

I hate coons, shoot the fuckers all the time but I'm not sure i could ever drown one. Maybe i am a bitch, lmfao.

joe777 · Tuesday at 3:27 PM

All the ones I've drowned have seemed to go much more peacefully than the times ive shot them in a trap with a pistol.

Crash Davis · Tuesday at 6:02 PM

carbonbased said:
I have read that trappers kill skunks with something called a “sleeping pole” or “dispatch stick” etc.

Basically, a pole with a special syringe on the end, filled with acetone. Poke the skunk and I guess it’s lights out very quick-like.

Something like this attached to a painter’s pole.

pole syringe, skunks, dispatch, euthanasia - The Snare Shop

The best money can buy. Plunger made of machine aluminum to last a lifetime. The aluminum end cap

www.snareshop.com

No idea if that’s a good product. I have seen a lot of homemade stuff.

The city will euthanize trapped skunks like this but they use a golf club shaft and a small amount of a prescription drug that knocks 'em out in about 5 seconds

wraithdu · Tuesday at 8:07 PM

If price isn't too much of an issue, take a look at the Huben GK1. I think the V3+ is the version to look at? It's very confusing...

But the .25 cal is capable of ~45 ft-lbs. They are coming out with a .30 cal version soon, which should increase that. It won't be suppressed .22 quiet, but it should do the job with a decent suppressor.

Ronws · 2025-10-22T07:08:52-0400

Leave an air gun in each cage and then force them to watch drag queen story hour. They will do themselves in.

Vivacious Stallion · 2025-10-22T17:39:07-0400

If you were really concerned on the humane killing side, you could create a CO2 euthanasia chamber with a tub, etc. Get a tub slightly larger than the live trap, put it in and seal the top, flood the container with gas and wait the appropriate amount of time (2-3 minutes or until respiration stops).

Would be quiet, fairly humane and relatively cheap. You can find guidelines for lab animal euthanasia on the NIH and AVMA website(s).

You need a well ventilated area to release the CO2 in afterwards. Don't stick your head in the box to try and see if the gas is working.

Username* · 2025-10-22T18:14:36-0400

Dog proof in the ground traps or a cage?

Edit just re read title. Cage might catch a bunch of other things first. Check local laws and abide by them. Especially since you are mentioning it on a public website.

ironman56 · 2025-10-23T10:10:57-0400

I've killed a bunch of coons in my back yard , all with a umarex 25 cal gauntlet with a ATN digital night vision scope. Head shots ,most DRT , but I think a 22 cal pistol like the Benjamin marauder would work for head shots , I have one that I put a shoulder stock on and a hill suppressor, very quiet, donnyfl also makes good suppressors , but pricey. AEA makes a hp backpacker that has a folding stock and with a suppressed barrel it's fairly quiet

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