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Old 02-17-2017, 11:56 AM
johnschmidt johnschmidt is offline
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Default Coons in northern alberta?

Hey guys, I grew up in northern alberta and never saw a racoon all the years that I was there, but yesterday my brother sent me a picture of himself holding a 30 pound coon that he had just taken out of a snare, he's a couple hours north of grande prairie, he asked a friend of mine who has been trapping up there for years, but he's never seen any that far north either, any of you guys seen Coons up north?
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Old 02-17-2017, 12:03 PM
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They have slowly been making their way North for sure .
I remember I danged near fell off my bike when I had to swerve to miss a woodchuck in the late '70's up in Ft Mac!!
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Old 02-17-2017, 12:04 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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Probably hitched a ride on a truck. There have been reports here of raccoons just north of Edmonton but they have been isolated incidents. I think that one day they'll make their way here and become established but for now, there's only the odd one every few years.
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Old 02-17-2017, 12:06 PM
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If the railway is within 20 miles the racoon probably rode the rails into the area. Or maybe a trucker gave him a ride. Raccoons don't typically range that far north but then again species do expand their territories too. I've been seeing a stellar jay near Edmonton and their range is usually 300 miles south.
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Old 02-17-2017, 12:23 PM
Bigwoodsman Bigwoodsman is offline
 
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I remember a neighbour of my Grandparents used to have a couple in a cage on his homestead. This was back in the late '60's near the Saskatchewan border east of Cold Lake. He also spoke of seeing cougars in the area from time to time back then as well.

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Old 02-17-2017, 12:28 PM
johnschmidt johnschmidt is offline
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He's north of the peace river, railway ends on the south side, and I don't think that river ever freezes over for more than a few days of the year, but hitching a ride on a truck certainly makes sense, the tracks were removed north of the river back when Klein was premier, this coon looks not more than 5 or 6 years old, is there a market for them?
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Old 02-17-2017, 01:48 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
I've been seeing a stellar jay near Edmonton and their range is usually 300 miles south.
Se quite a few steller's around here.
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Old 02-17-2017, 06:01 PM
splakeman splakeman is offline
 
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Default Coons in Cold Lake

This one was on my trail cam a few yrs ago near Cherry Grove.
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Old 02-17-2017, 07:07 PM
traderal traderal is offline
 
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A farmer about 10 miles north of Vegreville was feeding a family of coons cause he liked them. I hope they extended their hospitality to his farmyard.
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Old 02-17-2017, 07:10 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Huntnut View Post
Se quite a few steller's around here.
You are probably closer to the mountains. Lots of stellar jays in BC.
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Old 02-17-2017, 07:14 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by johnschmidt View Post
He's north of the peace river, railway ends on the south side, and I don't think that river ever freezes over for more than a few days of the year, but hitching a ride on a truck certainly makes sense, the tracks were removed north of the river back when Klein was premier, this coon looks not more than 5 or 6 years old, is there a market for them?
Not a high value but would make a heck of a nice cap.
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Old 02-17-2017, 07:57 PM
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Heard of raccoons around bonnyville 20-25 years ago, and as Dave said they are well know to be stowaways. As they are nocturnal, i think there are more than most people would guess but the occasional hard winter keeps them in check.
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Old 02-17-2017, 08:34 PM
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Lots around my place near St. Paul, got 2 last year.
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Old 02-17-2017, 09:27 PM
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Dewey Soper's Mammals of Alberta (1964) cites a remarkable record of a male racoon
trapped on the west side of Lake Clair in December 1930. He also mentions an historical
record of one being killed in the Peace River country in 1888 and at that time no one knew what it was. So they are not new to our province. There has been the odd one roaming around Alberta for quite some time.
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Old 02-17-2017, 11:34 PM
fishcommander fishcommander is offline
 
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I had one out by two hills a couple of years ago. He was trying to sing sneak cat food of my deck!


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Old 02-18-2017, 09:58 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Red Bullets View Post
You are probably closer to the mountains. Lots of stellar jays in BC.
Yes I am.
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Old 02-19-2017, 09:11 AM
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The drought year of 02' alot of coons came into Alberta with the train loads of hay from Manitoba.
I shot 2 in the last 5 years and have customers that have killed several more finding whole family's in grain bins. 1 guy got 5 the other 8 mostly Kits .
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Old 02-19-2017, 09:35 AM
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As far as I know there are no coons in the Peace region but there are some Kuhns. Three that I know of.
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Old 02-19-2017, 08:51 PM
HunterDave HunterDave is offline
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Northern Alberta bound.

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Old 02-19-2017, 10:35 PM
Marty S Marty S is offline
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Them dirty coons...

I'd like them a whole lot better if I could get about $60-$70 a piece for them. Can't see it happening though until quantitative easing has its full effects.

Dang, I wish the temperature would drop a whole bunch, I like them coyotes a whole lot better than them dirty little coons.

They make a fine jacket though, you shoulda seen us at the fur parlour in Toronto a few years back. The fat guy kinda looked like a pimp in the coon jacket tho
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Old 02-20-2017, 07:39 AM
JoshT JoshT is offline
 
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Should just be the odd one that makes its way up that far north. My family is from north of peace river and grandpa has one they found in the local dump.
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Old 02-20-2017, 08:03 AM
Thedoityouselfguy Thedoityouselfguy is offline
 
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Default Coons in northern alberta?

Guys have seen them around the pembina river north of Westlock back in the day.
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  #23  
Old 02-20-2017, 09:29 AM
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Saw a family of three August, 2016, approximately 8 miles south of Morecambe, Alberta just off Highway 870.


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Old 02-22-2017, 05:57 PM
Salavee Salavee is offline
 
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There is a recorded indigenous population of Racoons along the Simonette River since sometime prior to the 1940's. I had a trapper come in with a Racoon pelt for tagging from that area in the early '60's. Very prolific and hardy critters.
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Old 05-27-2017, 12:56 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver View Post
As far as I know there are no coons in the Peace region but there are some Kuhns. Three that I know of.
There was a dead one found on the hiway by twin lakes a few years ago. Could of been a hitchhiker on the rail or truck as well.
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  #26  
Old 05-28-2017, 11:46 AM
Big Grey Wolf Big Grey Wolf is offline
 
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Just as mentioned earlier there are considered a trapping species in Alberta, however always believed it was our southern trapping buddies that harvest any amount on their traplines.
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Old 05-28-2017, 09:32 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Talking moose View Post
There was a dead one found on the hiway by twin lakes a few years ago. Could of been a hitchhiker on the rail or truck as well.
I heard about that one, and one other. The one north of twin lakes almost certainly rode the rails. It was found a short ways from the tracks.
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Old 05-29-2017, 02:07 AM
Waterfowler vmax Waterfowler vmax is offline
 
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I'm from Ontario, and I love coon hunting. Would be pretty cool if they started coming up this way
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Old 05-29-2017, 06:37 PM
waterninja waterninja is offline
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I saw a Racoon last week near Two Hill's. My cousins say they have been around for awhile now. Also saw 2 cock pheasant's that overwintered. Be nice to release some hens and maybe see them establish themselves.
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Old 06-10-2017, 12:46 AM
KWO KWO is offline
 
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My family has a farm west of Sylvan Lake. Got a coon on a trail cam last week. Second one in 3 years. My dad said those are the only ones they have seen on the farm ever.
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