Thread: Had to put down a Raccoon

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Has anyone ever had to shoot a sick animal?
Yesterday we saw a raccoon coming toward the house. I didn’t think too much of it until I noticed he was not too agile stepping down the height of a brick to the patio. We kept watching him thinking he or she was looking for food or water. He went to the bottom of the pool that has ice and just a little water around the bottom drain. Then he started a rocking side-to-side move. I threw some bread but he didn’t notice it. I put a plastic container of water out he went right by it. He looked towards the window but by us tapping it didn’t faze him. The raccoon then got close to the house behind a flowerpot and was moving side to side again. He was also trembling; I knew he was sick but hated to think what I would have to do. Once before that happened with a woodchuck. I walked up to him, and he didn’t even notice me. I wanted to make it as painless as possible but I didn’t. The woodchuck went right down with one shot no more movement. I put the 22 right to the raccoon’s head, and it was awful I had to shoot him 3 or 4 more time before he stopped. I felt so bad, and was a nervous wreck all day. I buried him but if someone knows a place to make it fast I sure would like to know. This is the second sick animal I had to shoot in 14 years, I sure do not want to do it but I have read about rabies, and when an animal acts like he did they either have distemper or rabies. We live in the woods so there are alot of animals. Any thoughts about what to do to make it the least painful for the animal would be appreciated.


Richard

I've heard the base of the skull, where head meets neck, is a good spot. The last time I did a mercy killing I shot in the side of the head, and it also took several shots to do it.

I hope I don't have to do that again but if I do I will try for the base of the neck or heart.

Denny, thanks for the link. I will be more careful of what's around the house. That's a shame about the little boy.

Richard

I've sent alot of raccoons to heaven and I don't believe that all that kicking and jumping around they do after you shoot them is painful if it makes you feel any better. It is just the nerves in the brain and spine going whaco, I don't think that they are feeling how they are acting. Have you ever noticed the dumber the animal, the calmer they are after being shot. You mentioned a woodchuck just plain dying and I have had the same experience with them and opossums, they just die. Hope it helps.

I shot a skunk by my house in the field awhile back and those things are tough. Then after it was all done ,like an idiot I had to walk out to the field and check him out, didn't stink until the wind changed direction on me

A number of years ago we used to raise some chickens and often had skunks around. I found that shooting them at the base of the skull as Sinister has mentioned was very quick and usually they did not even have time to release their stink glands. I mostly used a 12 gauge to be sure though.

i was flying down in the 50 chevy the road by the shop it very swapy i seen a big turtle i just could not miss him so i was thinking i would just center up on him. thinking i would miss him with the cross member? i did not the chevy is about 4 inch off the ground well i took his roof off his home he went spinning off like a top as i look in the rear veiw . i felt bad about that for some time .i have shot birds but not any thing else .i would put any animal down if it was in pain or to eat or a threat. i never got in to killing just to kill

Like Resto sez, use a 12 ga. scattergun, they don't twitch much with a hit from one of those at close range. You might want to turn the carcass over to a health official of some sort for testing, rabies is nothing to fool with. Although if you hit them in the head, there may be no point, they need the brain for the tests.