# Racoons are just giant rats! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 28, 2023, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796 "2023-11-28T05:53:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/1 "2023-11-28T05:53:58Z")
So, kidlet’s 9 pound elderly covid cat was yowling and hissing like it was mortally wounded. I come out looking for Peep, and he’s at the sliding glass door but no blood or anything. Of course, 2 inches on the other side of the door was a big fat racoon. And on second look there were two more a few feet away. Good ol’ Peep was just raring to go and take on 3 racoons. To be fair, Peep has caught a rabbit, a couple of rats, and brought home a mouse, and then played with it all night until morning when the mouse was still alive and trapped inside a rolled up carpet (kidley threw Jerry out). But Peep ain’t gonna take on 3 racoons and live to tell the tale. So, I go out a different door. Made sure the chicken coop is really locked, grabbed an axe and went over to where those racoons were. Of course, gone now that I’m armed and dangerous. Gawd, I hate racoons. Giant furry rats. Not cute. They got my chickens once and killed most of them for sport. Gave my kidlet an air rifle back in June for their birthday. Wanted to bag a few easter bunnies that are infecting the neighboor hood to see how they taste, and my son was good with a couple of rabbit pelts for some kind of clothing. But Grandma was around for the summer months, and lacks the sense of a bottle cap, so we never actually got the pellet gun out and working. Now is the time. Happily shoot them varmits and let my son make a coon skin cap. 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/2 "2023-11-28T05:59:36Z")
Raccoons can have rabies. Make sure Peep is vaccinated. Otherwise, carry on. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/3 "2023-11-28T06:36:20Z")
> [@China\_Guy](#): > > Gave my kidlet an air rifle back in June for their birthday. Wanted to bag a few easter bunnies that are infecting the neighboor hood to see how they taste, and my son was good with a couple of rabbit pelts for some kind of clothing. But Grandma was around for the summer months, and lacks the sense of a bottle cap, so we never actually got the pellet gun out and working. Now is the time. Happily shoot them varmits and let my son make a coon skin cap That is cruel, since an air rifle likely wont kill. It is also likely illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/4 "2023-11-28T09:53:54Z")
Depends on the air rifle. Back when my late spouse and I were maintenance people for the building we lived in we used a CO2 powered pellet gun to deal with part of the invasion. Quite possible to kill raccoons with such a weapon. We did it a half dozen times. The downside is that it’s not quite as certain as a firearm, so if you merely wound the animal you may have to deal with an extremely angry critter with a lot of teeth. The upside is that you’re far less likely to have overpenetration and accidentally kill a building tenant or a neighbor. But you most certainly can kill a raccoon with a pellet gun. Also, entirely legal to do this where I live. YMMV - check the rules of your jurisdiction. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 10:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/5 "2023-11-28T10:01:07Z")
I would just lock the trash can. ---
**Author:** ![Toxylon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@Toxylon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Toxylon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/6 "2023-11-28T11:32:08Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > That is cruel, since an air rifle likely wont kill. It is also likely illegal. Air rifles are commonly used to kill raccoons, ethically. We are not talking about BB guns here, but air rifles designed for hunting. Head shots are preferred here, and a heavy pellet in the brain brings a raccoon down instantly. As far as legalities go, as always it depends on the state, but in many of them, it is perfectly legal to dispatch raccoons with an airgun. Fighting ignorance, is all. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/7 "2023-11-28T13:21:42Z")
Yeah, raccoons is bastards. In my younger days I used to camp in Michigan’s upper peninsula often. We’d take all the precautions with properly securing food, cleaning up the campsite at night before going to sleep, and not ever bringing anything with any scent that could remotely be considered food inside the tent, not even chewing gum. The main fear was bears, but in all the years of camping we had a couple close calls with nearby bears but never had a bear rifle through our campsite. Guess what critter we did get harassed by constantly and unrelentingly? Always poking around at the perimeter and running into the camp area while we were hanging by the fire, looking for food. Not scared of humans at all. I’ve been growled at by raccoons. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/8 "2023-11-28T13:36:19Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > It is also likely illegal. Not true for most states. I trap and relocate the raccoons in our barn with permission of the state game commission and the department of agriculture. They’d actually prefer I kill them, but as long as I’m relocating to a property and the owner is cool with it I’m fine. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/9 "2023-11-28T15:17:01Z")
According to Dave Barry, if we ever want to get serious about space travel, all we have to do is convince the raccoons there’s food on Mars and they’ll find a way to get there. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/10 "2023-11-28T15:27:05Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > all we have to do is convince the raccoons there’s food on Mars and they’ll find a way to get there Conspiracy theory so totally unconfirmed it must be true: Elon Musk is four raccoons in a human-shaped bag. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/11 "2023-11-28T15:28:56Z")
Works for me. And explains quite a lot, really. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/12 "2023-11-28T16:12:29Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > > > all we have to do is convince the raccoons there’s food on Mars and they’ll find a way to get there > > Conspiracy theory so totally unconfirmed it must be true: > > Elon Musk is four raccoons in a human-shaped bag. Raccoons have vastly more appealing personalities. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/13 "2023-11-28T16:18:02Z")
We had a pet raccoon when I was a kid. Very sweet. Slept in the bed with us. They don’t actually make good pets, and he opted for freedom when he was about a year old. I still think they’re cute. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/14 "2023-11-28T16:44:09Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Raccoons have vastly more appealing personalities. And are smarter and better spoken. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/15 "2023-11-28T16:52:47Z")
Title is misleading; raccoons are merely very large rats because the _giant_ rats are the [long-legged, white tailed](https://www.wildlifeillinois.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/deer-banner.jpeg) ones. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/16 "2023-11-28T16:55:46Z")
We had so many around us where we lived in San Francisco. They were not in the slightest bit afraid of humans. I always thought their reaction when you met one on the fire escape or in the shared back garden of the apartment complex, was like unexpectedly meeting a neighbour while going to the laundry, just like “Oh hi. err how are you, OK? Good…” I haven’t seen any here (in the DC metro) but we see tracks and hear them sometimes. I don’t know if that means there are fewer of them, or they are more shy. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/17 "2023-11-28T17:14:56Z")
Agreed. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/18 "2023-11-28T17:42:44Z")
Hard to trust an animal that’s born with a mask. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2023, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/19 "2023-11-28T19:27:29Z")
> [@Toxylon](#): > > As far as legalities go, as always it depends on the state, but in many of them, it is perfectly legal to dispatch raccoons with an airgun. Not in CA, in fact you need a license, and you cant hunt in suburban areas, etc. In Texas, it appears you can. In Fla, you need a permit and it must be done humanely. > [@kayaker](#): > > Not true for most states. I trap and relocate the raccoons in our barn with permission of the state game commission and the department of agriculture. See, you have a permit. In most states you need a permit and cant use a pellet gun. The OPs state may be different. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2023, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796/20 "2023-11-29T12:21:36Z")
> [@DrDeth](#): > > See, you have a permit. No, I have no “permit” or license. I spoke with the agencies to see if I was breaking the law. I was told I wasn’t. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/racoons-are-just-giant-rats/993796.md?page=2)