Mark,

Raccoons consume many of the same food items as deer such as persimmons, blackberries, corn, etc. They often attempt to consume them at the same time as deer. I’ve reviewed 100’s of trail camera images of raccoons at a food source challenging deer. This by itself isn’t a major problem, but when raccoon population densities get high, it’s a constant form of stress for deer. I like raccoons, but I like deer more, so I opt to favor deer and attempt to reduce raccoon populations.

I really like to turkey hunt, and many research projects have reported raccoons as being the most frequent predator of turkey nests. This alone is enough reason for me to trap raccoons and share their pelts with family and friends.

Growing Deer together,

Grant