AL Raccoon Hunting Guide

Also known as: Coon, ringtail

The raccoon, sometimes called the North American, northern or common raccoon to distinguish it from other species of raccoon, is a mammal native to North America. It is the largest of the procyonid family, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm, and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg. Its grayish coat mostly consists of dense underfur, which insulates it against cold weather. The animal's most distinctive features include its extremely dexterous front paws, its facial mask, and its ringed tail, which are common themes in the mythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americas surrounding the species. The raccoon is noted for its intelligence, and studies show that it can remember the solution to tasks for at least three years. It is usually nocturnal and omnivorous, eating about 40% invertebrates, 33% plants, and 27% vertebrates.

Habitat & Range

Although they have thrived in sparsely wooded areas in the last decades, raccoons depend on vertical structures to climb when they feel threatened.[234][235]Therefore, they avoid open terrain and areas with high concentrations ofbeechtrees, as beechbarkis too smooth to climb.[236]Tree hollowsin oldoaksor other trees and rock crevices are preferred by raccoons as sleeping, winter, and litter dens. If such dens are unavailable or accessing them is inconvenient, raccoons useburrowsdug by other mammals, denseundergrowth, or tree crotches.[237][238]In a study in theSollingrange of hills in Germany, more than 60% of all sleeping places were used only once, but those used at least ten times accounted for about 70% of all uses.[239]Since amphibians,crustaceans, and other animals around the shore of lakes and rivers are an important part of the raccoon's diet, lowlanddeciduousormixed forestsabundant with water and marshes sustain the highest population densities.[240][241]While population densities range from 0.5 to 3.2 animals per square kilometer (1.3 to 8.3 animals per square mile) in prairies and do not usually exceed 6 animals per square kilometer (15.5 animals per square mile) in upland hardwood forests, more than 20 raccoons per square kilometer (51.8 animals per square mile) can live in lowland forests and marshes.[240][242]

Life History

Ursus lotorLinnaeus, 1758 Theraccoon(/rəˈkuːn/orUS:/ræˈkuːn/ⓘ,Procyon lotor), sometimes called theNorth American,northernorcommon raccoon(also spelledracoon)[3]to distinguish it fromother species of raccoon, is amammalnative toNorth America. It is the largest of theprocyonidfamily, having a body length of 40 to 70 cm (16 to 28 in), and a body weight of 5 to 26 kg (11 to 57 lb). Its grayish coat mostly consists of denseunderfur, which insulates it against cold weather. The animal's most distinctive features include its extremely dexterous frontpaws, its facial mask, and its ringed tail, which are common themes in themythologies of the Indigenous peoples of the Americassurrounding the species. The raccoon is noted for itsintelligence, and studies show that it can remember the solution to tasks for at least three years. It is usuallynocturnalandomnivorous, eating about 40%invertebrates, 33%plants, and 27%vertebrates. The originalhabitatsof the raccoon aredeciduousandmixed forests. Still, due to their adaptability, they have extended their range to mountainous areas,coastal marshes, andurban areas, where some homeowners consider them to bepests. As a result of escapes and deliberateintroductionsin the mid-20th century, raccoons are now also distributed acrosscentral Europe, theCaucasus, andJapan. In Europe, the raccoon has been included on the list of Invasive Alien Species of Union Concern since 2016.[4]This implies that this species cannot be imported, bred, transported, commercialized, or intentionally released into the environment in the whole of theEuropean Union.[5] Though raccoons were previously thought to be generally solitary, there is now evidence that they engage in sex-specificsocial behavior. Related females often share a common area, while unrelated males live together in groups of up to four raccoons to maintain their positions against foreign males during the mating season and against other potential invaders.Home rangesizes vary anywhere from 3 ha (7.4 acres) for females in cities, to 5,000 ha (50 km2; 19 sq mi) for males inprairies. After agestationof about 65 days, two to five young known as "kits" are born in spring. The kits are subsequently raised by their mother until dispersal in late fall. Although captive raccoons have been known to live over 20 years, their life expectancy in the wild is only 1.8 to 3.1 years. In many areas,huntingand vehicular injury are the two most common causes of death. Though usually nocturnal, the raccoon is sometimes active in daylight to take advantage of available food sources.[153][154]Its diet consists of about 40%invertebrates, 33%plantmaterial and 27%vertebrates.[155]Since its diet consists of such a variety of different foods, Zeveloff argues the raccoon "may well be one of the world's most omnivorous animals".[156]While its diet in spring and early summer consists mostly of insects, worms, and other animals already available early in the year, it prefers fruits and nuts, such asacornsandwalnuts, which emerge in late summer and autumn, and represent a rich calorie source for building up fat needed for winter.[157][158] Contrary to popular belief, raccoons only occasionally eat active or large prey, such asbirdsandmammals. They prefer prey that is easier to catch, specificallycrayfish,insects,[159]fish,amphibiansand bird eggs.[160]Raccoons are avid predators of eggs and hatchlings in both birds andreptilenests, to such a degree that, for threatened prey species, raccoons may need to be removed from the area or nests may need to be relocated to mitigate the effect of their predation (i.e. in the case of some globally threatenedturtles).[161][162][163][164][165]When food is plentiful, raccoons can develop strong individual preferences for specific foods.[83]In the northern parts of their range, raccoons go into awinter rest, reducing their activity drastically as long as a permanent snow cover makes searching for food difficult.[166] Raccoons usuallymatein a period triggered by increasing daylight between late January and mid-March.[174][175][176]However, there are large regional differences which are not completely explicable by solar conditions. For example, while raccoons in southern states typically mate later than average, the mating season inManitobaalso peaks later than usual in March and extends until June.[176]During the mating season, males restlessly roam their home ranges in search of females in an attempt to court them during the three- to four-day period when conception is possible. These encounters will often occur at central meeting places.[177][178][179]Copulation, including foreplay, can last over an hour and is repeated over several nights.[180]The weaker members of a male social group also are assumed to get the opportunity to mate, since the stronger ones cannot mate with all available females.[181]In a study in southern Texas during the mating seasons from 1990 to 1992, about one-third of all females mated with more than one male.[182]If a female does not becomepregnantor if she loses her kits early, she will sometimes become fertile again 80 to 140 days later.[183][184][185] After usually 63 to 65 days ofgestation(although anywhere from 54 to 70 days is possible), alitterof typically two to five young is born.[186][187]The average litter size varies widely with habitat, ranging from 2.5 inAlabamato 4.8 inNorth Dakota.[188][189]Larger litters are more common in areas with a high mortality rate, due, for example, tohuntingor severe winters.[190][189]While male yearlings usually reach their sexual maturity only after the main mating season, female yearlings can compensate for high mortality rates and may be responsible for about 50% of all young born in a year.[191][192][193]Males have no part in raising young.[143][194][195]The kits (also called "cubs") are blind and deaf at birth, but their mask is already visible against their light fur.[196][197]The birth weight of the roughly 10 cm (4 in)-long kits is between 60 and 75 g (2.1 and 2.6 oz).[197]Their ear canals open after around 18 to 23 days, a few days before their eyes open for the first time.[198]Once the kits weigh about 1 kg (2 lb), they begin to explore outside the den, consuming solid food for the first time after six to nine weeks.[199][200]After this point, their mothersucklesthem with decreasing frequency; they are usually weaned by 16 weeks.[201]In the fall, after their mother has shown them dens and feeding grounds, the juvenile group splits up.[202][203]While many females will stay close to the home range of their mother, males can sometimes move more than 20 km (12 mi) away.[204][205]This is considered aninstinctivebehavior, preventinginbreeding.[206][207]However, mother and offspring may share a den during the first winter in cold areas.[203]

Hunting Season

Hunting: Nov 15 - Feb 28. Trapping: Nov 15 - Feb 28. Night hunting with dogs is a traditional practice.

References

• Alabama — Raccoon