a question about Racoon sign w/pics

[shb]

Do racoons root around like little pigs?

I found an area where the water tank that supplied an old feedlot has some broken plumbing. In effect it has created a springhole that flows out and ends up being about the size of a sprawling ranch style house.  I could see the water at the lower end, and there was only one mediocre trail so I checked out the upper end. There were some good trails but I could only find an occasional coon track. There were however alot of muddy, mucked up areas along the edges that looked very similar to small hog rootings. They just didnt have any coon tracks in them.

The entire cement pad around the water tank, which is in the shallow water has been dug and rooted out,  and now the pad and tank look like a short squatty mushroom sitting at the head of the springhole. Also to paint the proper picture I should say that the whole thing is surrounded by 7ft tall weeds and I had to fight my way in just to check it out.  Due to the spilled grain, haybales, denning opportunities, and water in the imediate vicinity I think the area screams racoons, but my lack of familiartiy with actual on the ground sign was what made me ask this question.

I prospected with three griz getters in the middle of the obvious trails  so I should know in the morning. I wanted to know if experienced coon men had ever seen coon rootings?

[rascal (Joe Duncan)]

SHB;
  If you were in my part of the country, what you are describing would probably be armadillo digs.  If you aren't seeing any coon tracks at the digs, could it be skunk or ground hog?

[fishdaddy]

if thers grain around it could also be rats or sguirrles

[shb]

could be skunks, no ground hogs or armadillos here.

its a flat swamp like area and the ground between the open water and the frozen ground looks like it has been shuffled and sorted about 6 inches deep. I know it sounds silly but I cant find a legible track.   There are coon tracks  in the hard old freeze dried mud farther back from the open water.  A good snow would sure help out.

[trappnman]

skunks certainly dig holes looking for grubs-

but in answer to your question- yes, coon certainly do root like bears or pigs.  After catching a few by their noses, I began putting together a few other clues I had be wondering about for a couple of years.

We all know coon "dig" in fresh dirt- thus all the flipped and pulled out traps when land trapping coon with footholds. Coon are notorius for turning traps over and not firing them.  But sign and hair in the trap started convining me that coon were digigng in frsh dirt- but more often (or at least commonly) root in the dirt- thus th nose catches.

A cure is to make your set- then spread a thin layer of fresh dirt in a wide pattern around the set- the rooting/digigng instinct is satisfied by the time he gets to the trap. Puttin in a solid guide stick by the dog (vertical) also helps....trappnman

[shb]

There's nothing to cure yet, I'm just trying to figure out whats doing all the rooting, without using a trail camera. No action yet with the griz getrz.

I'm going to add some 220's to the weed tunnels leading into this area.

[shb]

Heres a couple  pictures of the old concrete pad surrounding the stock tank. in the first one you can see how much dirt has been rooted out from underneath it. in the second one the dark area around the edge of the concrete is rooted up about 4 to 6 inches deep.  I dont know how well it will show in the photo.

I caught two big fat boars this morning, one in a 220 in a tunnel of a trail leading to the water and another in a lil griz about 50 yds away near some round bales where there was a lot  of  racoon droppings.

now I guess I will just have to see how many are using this area.

[trappnman]

I wasn't supplying a "cure" for your specific question.

I was supplying a "cure" as a continuation that coon flip traps while rooting- for those interested in curing the problem..

Take it how you will.....trappnman

[yopper]

Coon  will root with there nose and dig with there feet looking for fishworms or nightcrawlers . They love em      An old coon hunter        YOPPER