what set up for coon hunting? optic, rifle, light, night vision, help...

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skipbo32

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i own a deer lease in the TX hillcountry and the coons keep eating all the protein off my feeders. ive tried trapping them but they are too smart. i filled a feeder the other night and i went back 30 mins later and there was already a coon munching away.

i would like to shoot them, but wanted advice on how to go about it. first, i would like to get advice on what gun set up i should use. the smallest cal. rifle that i own is this remington 788 22-250. it has a cheap scope on it, but would like to replace it with something more suited for night hunting.

is it better to get an illuminated reticle scope with weapon light or to invest in some kind of night vision optic? some of the set ups ive seen that i like are the lights mounted on the scope.

is this a good rifle for the job or do i need a semi auto like a 10-22?

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also....i have a walther p22 pistol with a laser to pic them out of the trees if i have to.

i would just like advise on how to go about sniping for coons off my feeders and with what kind of rifle, scope, light and or night vision. thanks.
 
Has been years since I went coon hunting. But when we did we just used a .22LR and the headlight on the helmet. If you got lucky maybe someone brought a handheld flashlight but that was rare.
 
wow, good advise....i'll try that. thanks.
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What I meant was is it really worth buying a night vision scope to shoot some coons? How much corn would the coons have to eat to justify the cost. I'm thinking much more than a 1,000 pounds. A cheap .22 and a flashlight is all you need.
 
Grizz Grenade

He's right you are over-thinking this, google the above and unless you want to sit out there and get eaten by bugs,and enjoy wasting hours in the dark just buy 3-4 of these,
Set-em up towards night-fall and come back in am to dispatch the critters
 
i3zo72.jpg Ruger 22 LR handgun with a Crimson Trace laser sight. The raccoon was in a tree in my yard one night. I put the laser on the ball of fur, shot, and a few seconds later, after a bunch of commotion, the raccoon fell out of the tree.

2010Racoon.jpg A Thompson/Center Encore in 300 Winchester Magnum also works well. The sight is a Leupold Mark 4 4.5-14X with an illuminated TMR reticle. Its main claim to fame is its excellent accuracy. I've never used its illumination function for raccoon hunting though, if it were pretty dark, it would come in handy.

Really, any gun you can hit with at the ranges you intend to shoot at from 17 HMR (yes I've done that) up to 378 Weatherby (I haven't done that yet) will work just fine.

Regarding night hunting; you can really see a LOT with a scope. If the night is dark and the target is far away, you may need supplemental light and/or an illuminated reticle but at closer ranges and with a full moon, all you need is the scope. Though I would like some type of night vision equipment, at anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000 for decent stuff, I've never been able to justify it.
 
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honestly though, thanks for the replies guys. i maybe over thinking things a bit. just an update: i went out spot lighting in a truck last night with four other guys. we had two spot lights in the truck and we were armed with everything from 10-22s to .22 pistols, a shotgun, a 9mm and an AK47 with a combination of weapon lights and lasers. we got 14 coons in a matter of 5hrs of driving around. we hit all the places that had water and feed. we probably saw 12 more coons that we were not able to get. when they are on the ground they are almost impossible to tag, when you are driving around.

is it really worth buying a night vision scope to shoot some coons? How much corn would the coons have to eat to justify the cost. I'm thinking much more than a 1,000 pounds.
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we have 4 protein feeders and we are estimating that the coons are eating 650-900lbs of feed in 3 weeks which would be about half of what is being eatin' total. i.e. we are spending almost $100 a week to feed the coons. i am a quasi noob at this, so i dont know what would be deemed normal or justified........i would agree that NV is overkill. i guess im looking for a variety of insights and tactics from people with similar situations.

Grizz Grenade
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i will look into that. thanks. i also have "have-a-heart" traps out there but they almost never work. land management consultants have also told us to not use poison because you dont want to kill unwanted targets.

let me rephrase my original question. i know there is no "one solution". going out w/ a bunch of guys with spot lights and shooting them out of the trees seemed pretty effective as does hunting with dogs (so ive heard....i dont have dogs).....but when i am out there by my self. i would like to have a good rifle to maybe sit in a blind with, with a good night optic. maybe not NV, but something i can snipe coons with as they perch on the feeder (game cameras show more coons than deer at the feeder sometimes). does anyone know anything about those "hawglights" like the "Destroyer"? you can get them with a red lens.

i know coon hunting isnt rocket sience, but i am interested in hearing people's testimonies on coon management and the tools they use.

again, thanks for your replies.
 
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ok, here we go.....i dug up some old photos. i dont have any current ones on hand, but you can see my feed setup and how the coons are eating the protein. i filled one of these feeders one dusk evening and came back to check it 20 mins later and a coon was already there. each one of these feeders has a blind near by..... roughly 75yds away. would it be a waste of my time to stakeout one of these feeders at night to snipe coons off the feeder? i understand there are more efficiant methods (which i welcome), but i just thought these pics would help illustrate my way of thinking. at times i will be hunting by myself and i cant cover a 1,200 acre ranch by myself (searching for coons).

ProtienBuck22008.jpg

BusyProtien2008.jpg

ProtienBuck12008.jpg
 
my single shot Sears & Roebuck .22 and flashlight worked for me for years and years....why go overboard unless you got money to burn. just get basic with this.
 
If you want efficient, then get a bunch of Hav-A-Hart traps, catch the buggers and then execute them at dawn.

At 75 yards, I would probably snipe them from the blind though. On a moonlit night that would be an easy shot with a scoped rifle even without a light. You could really smoke 'em with your 22-250. If you're scope isn't up to night hunting, replace it with a Leupold Mark 4 or a Swarovski.
 
there aint much you can do to keep coons out of your feeder, they just aint coon proof, a .22 will be a whole lot quieter than a .22-250 at night, that will rattle the woods not to mention a game warden. I hear that there is a "monkey food" you can get that coons cant digest and it kills em cause they cant poop, kind of inhumane. by the way I wish I had a 788 in .22-250. you said you "own a deer lease" if it is your property I guess you can do what you want, otherwise the landowner might get a little upset if you just got a lease.
 
You are seriously overthinking this.
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agreed.
what do you shoot the deer with? same thing will knock a coyote down. unless you want to buy a new gun. just about anything would work. how about a 357 levergun with a scope? that would be a fun coyote setup
 
by the way I wish I had a 788 in .22-250. you said you "own a deer lease" if it is your property I guess you can do what you want, otherwise the landowner might get a little upset if you just got a lease.
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yes, i co-own the property with three other family members. my mother, my brother and my cousin.

texaspatriot: every time i mention my 788, someone says they want one. or do you want a 22-250? i guess having a 788 in 22-250 is a good combo because you have an accurate gun with an accurate round.

i guess i am over thinking some things. i guess im really wondering about lights and different light setups.

and yes, i thought about a 22-250 being too much gun for a coon. i just thought there might be someone out there with a "system". i will just chalk it up to trial and error i guess.

i did get one coon tonight after spotlighting for 3 hours. he ran up a dead tree into a hole. i could see his tail sticking out and i just shot through the tree where i thought his body was and got him. it was a good thing i had my AK 47 with full metal jacket rounds.
 
I wouldn't waist the time trying to wait out a coon after dark. My cameras tell me the coons usually don't show up at my feeders until about 2 or 3 in the morning. Spotlighting and calling is about the only way to deal with them in the summer time. Trapping works better in the cooler months because the bait lasts longer. Get a tape player and some bird and coon recordings and give calling them in a try, they are real antsy coming to a call so you better be ready to shoot quick.
 
Skipbo, a 788 is one of the most accurate rifles ever made, wish I had gotten one and if I see one on sale I will buy it in a heartbeat. I have several .22-250s and use em for everything from coyotes to hogs to deer. I have lots of feeders out and there just aint a lot you can do to keep coons out. just get a hand full of friends out some night with good lights and look for eyes.
 
I hear that there is a "monkey food" you can get that coons cant digest and it kills em cause they cant poop, kind of inhumane.
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Fly bait mixed with enuf Coca-Cola to make it wet. Kills quickly-sometimes with their face in the pan.I've never used the stuff but know many who have.
 
Update:

here are some pics of my coon hunitng. so far i've killed 15 coons in 3 days. one of the pics shows us looking down a hole in a tree that a coon crawled in. i killed him by shooting through the tree with my AK.

coon2.jpg

coon3.jpg

before the coon hunt. i still need a better lighting system for my gun. i need to get a 10-22 with some rails.

coon1.jpg
 
I put a "pet lense" in the IR sensor for hog hunting but this is my setup for getting critters of the night. You can hang out at the cabin or work on things that need to be fixed. Once something triggers the IR it powers up the keyed radio and plays back location of the radio on the digital voice recorder, you then go play Indian.

attachment.jpg

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i also have "have-a-heart" traps out there but they almost never work
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Take a Honey Bun and smash it into the bait pan on the trap (where they can't just gently get the bait). This works.

You are the only person that I have ever heard of shooting coons w/ an AK!!!
 
Looks like a nice light. If you're trying to get the coons eye to shine, the red light will help. A strobe light is great too; you can just shake the ligh to get the same affect. Typically, a coon will turn it's head if you put a bright light on them.

Another tip for the trap. Some traps have steel mesh that's open enough for the coon to get his hand (yes I said hand) in through the side. If this is the case w/ your trap, attach some rabbit wire to the sides. And trust me on the honey bun, those critters would alot rather have the honey bun in the trap than what's in the feeders.
 
your 22-250 is perfect for this. one of the best varmint guns there is. get a scope with illuminated reticle and a headlamp and you're set. nightvision is overkill
 
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