How to Keep Raccoons Away From My Deer Feeder

Raccoons are nocturnal mammals known for the black around their eyes. They are opportunistic feeders and thus will invade your property in search of trash, pet food, fruit trees and deer feeders, among other things. Deer feeders can be expensive to maintain, and even more so when raccoons are stealing the food and damaging the structure. Fortunately, there are ways to keep raccoons away from your deer feeder.

Put a fence up around your deer feeder or property. Raccoons are good climbers, thus you will want the fence to be electric, such as a Sureguard Pingg-String Electronic Fence, or have electrical wires attached. If you do not want to construct a fence on your property, continue to the next step.

Setup traps around your deer feeder. Raccoon traps, available at most home and garden stores, should be at least 12 inches by 12 inches by 32 inches. Almost anything can be used as bait, including cat food and tuna. Once the raccoon is trapped, you will want to move the animal to an area at least 10 miles from your home. Keep in mind that trapping and relocating raccoons is illegal in some states, and thus you should consult your local animal protection service before setting up traps.

Employ scare tactics. In addition to trapping or fencing, consider employing scare tactics to keep raccoons from your deer feeder. This might include motion-activated lights or motion-activated sprinklers.

Some deer feeders are more mobile than others. Raccoons are nocturnal, and thus, if you have a mobile deer feeder, consider bringing it in at night.

Raccoons are susceptible to rabies, distemper and roundworm, so you should be very cautious when trying to trap raccoons.