I stop over to help an old fella out with a raccoon he caught. Now I didn't want to take that havajunk trap, so I go to transfere it into one of mine. An old sow and a mean one at that..jumpin', bitin' at the cage...."aggrevated as all g'it out"

When the door doesn't close all the way and I reach to slam it shut...about the time the sow 'coon jumps straight at my wrist and nails me...only my (almost quick) reaction gets by with nothing more than some teeth scrapes and luckily no broken skin....Now, why did I do that? Surely at this point, after all these years of handling 'coons, I know better than to reach toward a PO-ed one, without protection! Well, it could've been worst!

Ever make a stupid mistake when you should've know better?

Hi LT Just imagine what would have happened if it had boroken out of that Havajunk just as you reached for it. OMG!!!!!!Now I would have sold tickets to that fight. My money is in your corner. HaHaHaHa!!!!!!
Pete

Probably More times than i care to admit. I seem to forget about them when posting on this forum. You need to get over your phobia about those Havajunks. Below is a picture of the last two days catch of armadillos. I think that armadillos are tougher on traps than are raccoons. Some of those traps are over 20 years old!!!



Good post! We do need to be careful when working with some critters. At least armadillos don't bite. And, if they did, they don't have any teeth in the front of the mouth. They might "gum" you to death though.

Ever make a stupid mistake when you should've known better?
Well,let's see. Been bit by two gray squirrels, about a dozen raccoons, a flying squirrel,(he bit me as hard as he could, but never broke the skin) and a woodchuck(they hurt)
The worst was my son. Got bit by a Rottweiler/Shar-Pei mix.
Well, what do you expect from a dog that's mean and ugly?

Lt you are just as rational as the rest of us.:) Dont feel bad. Happens more times then it should. I am kind of a dive in and grab them kind of guy myself.I have been told more times then I like to admit that I am a bit crazy.You try to be careful and I am for the most part, but there are times you just have to get things done, what the heck..... Guess that is the old trapper in me.

Here's a question for you guys more experienced with handling LIVE animals. What's a good kind of glove to wear?

YES but what's worse is when you're doing something wrong and you think to yourself "OK, I know this is gonna end bad" but keep on doing it anyway? I do that.

Had a skunk in a cage today. No holes cut for a skunk pole (new trap). I couldn't get within 6' of that cage. Ended up shooting it from about 15' into the chest in hope of minimizing the chance of spraying.

First 5 shots hit wire. Broke welds. Broke wire. Next 2 shots when into the shoulder area. I guess I didn't like the fact that the animal wasn't going down as easily as other similar size animals when shot there. As he lay on his side, still breathing I sent a 3rd round into it's chest. OOPS! Spined him and like a sprinkler he let loose with both barrels. I couldn't believe the amount of "liquid mustard" that thing sprayed. I was amazed. Anyway, I get what I deserve I suppose.

I'd like a ticket to that fight also. I'll even pay for a manicure for LT just to make sure it is a fair fight!

To answer the first question ahh Duh! yes I do that more often then I actually do something intelligent.

In regards to gloves, I use just plain cheap welding gloves. I have large hands and any of those specially designed designer gloves that cost over a hundred dollars and suposed to protect you from getting bit make me feel like the little brother from a christmas story all dressed up for school.

That being siad a little technique and some deterity and quickness (usually acheived by not thinking twice about what you are about to do) go along way, and when youget tagged it heals and is a part of what we do.

LOL if you do not want to get bitten or scratched do not spend a lifetime working with wildlife, hire me instead that is what I do.

Buck NE, Try welder's gloves. Only they don't bend as easily as I'd like....

Rattie, too funny!

Thats why I carry a chamber in my truck. Just slide the trap in, turn on the gas, and presto, it's done in a few minutes.

Sometimes it works out to scruff a coon when the conditions are right. But I prefer to bare hand them.Gloves dont let me get the grip I need to hold on to them.And Ive earned a few scars in the past perfecting this method.

So since I'm new, and I haven't had a chance to make my mistakes the first time, there's no way for me to know any better.

Like, climbing a tree, in shorts and a t-shirt, with a catch pole... every time I reached up, the chain slid down and yanked the loop shut!
I'd have to get secure, hugging the cherry tree with both legs, and reset the snare pole.

In the end, I'm just glad I'm not the one who fell out of the tree.

Another one, customers can't judge vertical distances... 15 feet was way closer to 50!

Again, in the end I'm glad I wasn't the one who fell out of the tree.

Lastly, when climbing under a raccoon, I don't care how sunny it is, wear a raincoat.

I was really glad, ONE of us, fell out of the tree, and that was the end of that!

I thought I was fairly scratched up from hanging on, but I got it worse getting out of the shower without getting any one me!

A quick scramble to the ground, a short burst of mayhem, including a leap over a four foot tall fence with a stunned and snarling raccoon by the back foot, in one hand, to the open and waiting cage, and I was the client's hero!

I learned a whole lot in five minutes, that's for sure!

Oh yeah... with a huge dose of adrenaline, I can move like a kid again, I can do anything!

Krusty

"COON DIED"! Oh $#(%^#$@#%^@#^@#!!!

Krusty,
I love adrenaline. It makes me run real fast towards a good fight, and even faster away from one.

LT,

The fall didn't do much besides stunning it, and that didn't last long.

I didn't want him to, but he just backed his way right out to and off of the small branches?

And yes, the raccoon died, as required by law, because I dispatched it with a firearm.
I figured, by that point, after a fall, and a knock on the head, it deserved the expedience.

And I had another, bigger, raccoon, still in the tree, to deal with.

Krusty

I was talking about the 'coon that bit me died...I had it, for the 10 day holding period, when it just started vomiting blood and went into convulsions........Should I be nervous???

Lt., Looks like that raccoon got sick from biting you, Or mabe too much of a good time the night before. LOL

LT,

My apologies, your post was tagged as a reply TO ME, so I figured that's who you were talking to.

How am I supposed to know? Half the time you're busting my chops, and half the time offering advise... and it's getting really hard to tell which is which.

But, I thought you were busting my chops... this time!

I guess, I just don't "get you", dude?

Krusty

Does this mean we have to cut off LT's head and send it to the state for testing?!

Anybody got a trap we can catch him in and what do you think is the best set?