I've been trying to figure out how to deal with chipmunks, squirrels and the worst of them is raccoons.  Sometimes skunks.

I live in a regular type neighborhood.  Across the street is a wooded area and no houses. But I have a house about 15' to my right, about 25 yards to my left and rear.  Obvously, the only way one can really shoot is not towards any houses.

I've been reluctant to ever shoot any firearms in my yard, but I have killed a chipmunk and a squirrel with my air rifle.  But everything is so close.  The ones that concern me the most are the raccoons.  We've had them descend on our house a few times and keep us up all night.  The big problem with them is I'm not seeing if it's actually legal to kill them once in your yard.  They have a season for hunting.  So I have to dig deeper into that.   But if I CAN kill them, I'm trying to figure out the safest way to do that in a tight neighborhood.

Obviously I would need to make sure I'm pointed in the right direction.  There are plenty of times where they are in my front yard and there would be nothing beyond them that would be a problem.  There aren't any houses for over 5 miles and only 1 that I know.  If I was pointed towards the ground, I would be comfortable taking a shot.

But with what?  I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with a .223 / 5.56.  Although like I said.  I think a shotgun would be the way to go.  I have 2 options. .410 and 12 gauge.  Obviously any shot would work for chipmunks from a 12 gauge and probably any .410 shot.  For the real small game.  I'm wondering what to shoot coons with.  Maybe buckshot in the .410?  Only problem with that one is I have a single shot break action.  12 gauge might be the better way to go for them.  I wish I had a pump .410 or lever.  I think that would probably be ideal.  Just seems like .410 might be kind of light for coons.  Unless I could do multiple shots, quickly, of buck loads.

I've heard .22 works but, maybe, maybe not so well????

My air rifle is toast.  It was old and it no longer is sealed.

I did drown some chipmunks last year in a bucket with seed scattered on top the water.  That did work for a few of them.  Seemed like they got wise to it after a while though.  LOL.  Probably not, but it seemed that way.

Just thought I'd ask here and see what you guys think.  I've always wanted a 20 gauge pump so it could pull multiple duty.  Hunting / home protection / varmint culling, but money is real tight right now.  I may think about trading something if it was necessary.  Or a .410 pump if that is the way to go.

I could use the 12 gauge too but that seems overkill for all of them and I'd rather use something with less recoil if I can help it.  Although maybe some managed recoil rounds would do the trick.....

I do have a .357 revolver.  Maybe some shot in that would work for the chipmunks and squirrels.  But I'm assuming that would just tick off a raccoon, eh?

I have killed many ground hogs with my 22lr with subsonic rounds and a suppressor. Spookey quiet. I would not hesistate to take clean shots on a raccoon out to 25-50 yards.

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If you don't own a suppressor, .22 shorts don't make a lot of noise and are still deadly enough with good shot placement, and distances in the 50 yd. range.

22lr with Aguila CB.

Crossbow

This for the ground squirrels and regular squirrels. Put bait in front of a target and use a small game point, I use the G5 Small game head.

A live trap and a trash can full of water for the raccoons. The crossbow will work for raccoons too but the trap will work 24/7.

.22lr bolt gun with a can, shooting subs.

Stupid quiet.

I like the idea of a can or crossbow.  Not sure if I can afford either though.  BUT, the .410 single shot I have also has a .22 barrel and I could use shorts on that for the smaller stuff.  But would a .22lr really do alright on a raccoon?  I had read in some places it's marginal.  They are kind of big and mean and grizzly.  I do have a 10/22 also.....

I was thinking a .410 because of the close proximity of everything else.  I didn't want a .22 round going somewhere I don't want it to with a ricochet or something.  I would think shot looses steam a lot sooner.

If you have to use what you have a .410 will work (and I wouldn't buy a new gun/crossbow for nuisance animals). Use larger shot, #4 would be where I would start.

.22 will DRT them with proper shot placement. They could scamper off with a body shot.

It appears that raccoon are not unprotected and you can only shoot them during the winter season.  That is seriously screwed up.....

I'm not advocating breaking the law but a live trap and a trashcan full of water can be hidden behind fence and doesn't make any noise. Just saying.

Hang on, I just found the spot that says I can shoot them on my land.  Don't need a license to and don't have to follow the season.  That is GREAT NEWS!!!!!!

WOOHOOO!!!!

Let the fun begin.

What problems do the chipmunks and squirrels cause?  I guess i can see racoons getting in the garbage, but i have squirrels all the time.  Seem relatively benign.

As far as skunks, I'd rather they just go away than take a chance on blasting their stink gland.

Well, the chipmunks are more of a problem then squirrels.  For a while I had a hard time rigging up a system to cover the exhaust on the dryer.  The one we had bought was not very good....  Anyways...  Two times they got down in there and into the dryer.....  The first time it was just one, clean cut when we started it up, dead chipmunk.  Got it out but it was a pain.  2nd time, it was like 3 or 4 youngins....  A bloody mess once we turned it on and we actually replaced that dryer because it was such a mess.

They also are small enough I think they might get into the house in other ways.  Every once in a while I'll find a stash of seed that we put out for birds in a pile somewhere in a basement.

Then when we had that out in the garage waiting for the new one to come and the guys take away the old one, it started to stink.  That was one of the nights the raccoons were freaking horrible.  They were all over the house all night. The must've smelled it and wanted it.  Every time I could hear them on the roof, I would go out and they'b be gone and I couldn't figure out where they were.  It sounded like the were in the attic but I think it was just the roof. They were crawling the walls.  They were like an army of Roman soldiers attacking our stronghold.  It was bad.

And that wasn't the first time.  They got into our garage one night and one was scratching on the door.  It all happened real quick.  Someone forgot to close the big garage door.  So now we have to make sure it's closed every night.  Anyways...  I thought for sure there was a guy breaking in.  It was before CCW so I went and retrieved my M9 in my dresser and I thought for sure I was going to have to shoot someone.  It sounded like a person for a minute.  Well a moment.  Then after I thought about the sounds it I kind of figured it was raccoons.  So I went out the front door and sure enough.....

Anyways....  Squirrels are little rats too.  I've heard stories of them getting into car engine bays and chewing up wires.  I've not necessarily experienced issues with squirrels, but I think the potential is there.  Actually our pastor has a story of one ending up in his toilet by way of a plumbing exhaust pipe on the top of the house.  It tore up their bathroom.

With the distances you’re talking about, I would get a cat, and depending on your neighbors, consider shot shells in a 22.

25 yeas ago, I started culling the chipmunk problem with a RWS model 26. Within a year I stepped up to the RWS model 54. With a 7.9gr. pellet, it will shoot through an armadillo. Over the years I’ve killed hundreds of raccoons, armadillos and opossums with it, but it isn’t quiet. My weapon of choice now is a suppressed 22 bolt with subsonics, but I still use the model 54 for certain circumstances.

One of our cats keeps everything under the size of a Fox squirrel under control, fwiw.

Good luck

Do you do only headshots on coons with your .22?  Every search on the topic on the net says a bunch of people use it, and some saying it's marginal.  But it doesn't seem like they actually tried it.  Or maybe 1 or 2 had a failure.....  Oh yeah, sometimes people say it won't defeat their skulls.  Personally I would just be taking body shots I think......

Trap the coons first, as BlgDAM suggested, and then shooting them in the head gets a lot easier.  

I prefer the dog-proof tube style, like this:
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The dog proof are awesome. I use them around feeders. Attached File
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Likewise. I like how you've attached them directly to the feeder leg. Ours are tied to metal posts with a leader of high-tensil fence wire, which isn't a good way to do it.

It takes at least 1,300lbs of pressure to break that stuff but the other day a coon twisted it up enough to do so and ran off with the trap.

D'OH!

I used rebar tie wire on the leg because I'm lazy.

I lost a dog proof trap that I zip tied when I didn't have any wire. I felt like shit. He was stuck for two hours before getting away according to the game camera.

Where you live I would suggest a good air rifle. A .22 cal or larger if you can afford a good one. I have no experience with them though. Traps are your friend. Watch the laws about firearms where you are. Nobody wants the neighbor calling the cops on them.

I live in the country on a 5 acre lot in the woods with a pond and a large ditch on my property. There are tons of wildlife here some are great, but some have got to go.

A suppressed.22lr shooting cci sv is my primary chipmunk gun. A mouse trap works surprisingly well on them too.

For some of the larger nuisance critters I routinely use a mix of live animal traps, foothold traps, and body gripping traps. A suppressed 5.56 ar comes out when I want DRT.

A live animal trap allows you to catch the animal legally in close proximity to your neighbors. You can just throw the trap in the bed of your truck and drive to a safe release/disposal site. I am not a fan of sharing my nuisances with others so I favor the disposal over releasing. Check your laws.

If you have neighbors that close I would definitely refrain from any centerfire gun. Don’t forget that just because you shoot in one direction it doesn’t mean that your bullet won’t go another after hitting something.

In the end

.22+ air rifle
Bow or crossbow
Traps

I can’t suggest a gun for you. It sounds like you’ve got neighbors all around you and way too close to safely shoot the animals.

Yeah, for the most part, a gun probably isn't the right tool.  It is if I'm shooting towards the front in to the woods though.  It would be pretty much impossible for it to ricochet back at the neighbors houses.  I would only shoot when the backstop is completely safe.  Otherwise traps are the better way to go in most circumstances around my house.

I have had squirrels chew thru brand new vinyl fascia.  I understand your pain.  For squirrels I put a small conibear trap over the hole they were using to access my attic.   Got a few of them that way. And solved them getting into the house

Legally if you discharge a firearm in city limits you are in deep shit if you are caught.  It wouldn't take but a single neighbor to call the cops and your being charged.  In this day and age of anti gun hysteria I would do nothing to draw unwanted attention.  Your best bet is to trap them.  You could contact your local animal control to see if they would provide you with the traps or trap the raccoons for you.

When I lived up north we had problems with chipmunks and squirrels getting into the engine compartments of our cars and chewing the insulation from wires.  Caused all kinds of problems.  Back east raccoons were a nuisance and we would use foot traps and a bat .  Live traps and a water tank work also.

This, no shots needed

As somebody else said, every place I'm aware of it is illegal to discharge a firearm in city
limits. Also most places have laws about how close to a road or house not owned by you. I know I couldn't shoot in your situation in my state.
Make sure you follow the law. Something I've learned in my life is everybody is a snitch. With people that close to you I'm sure they are watching your every move.

Live catch trap for the coons. Large mouse/rat traps for the chipmunks.