Anybody have a sure fire method of getting a momma Raccoon out of the attic with her young short of lead poisoning?

Call a professional wildlife trapping company 450donn, these are intelligent creatures and capable of doing anything to protect their young and might even be illegal to remove them yourself. Check with your local wildlife agency.

Call a professional wildlife trapping company 450donn, these are intelligent creatures and capable of doing anything to protect their young and might even be illegal to remove them yourself. Check with your local wildlife agency.

I agree, you need a professional to take care of this for you.

Here is a link with much information, and some photos as well.

How to Get a Raccoon Out of an Attic (http://www.247wildlife.com/raccoonsnareattic.htm)

Anybody have a sure fire method of getting a momma Raccoon out of the attic with her young short of lead poisoning?
Try the local humane society or animal control they might have a live trap they could loan you. I would bait it with moist cat food, sardines, or something similar. I don't believe removing a racoon from your home is illegal anywhere that I know of. It is a good idea to get it out though especially if you have other pets. Racoons along with other mammals can carry rabies and should be approached with cautiion even if they are in a trap and please don't let them bite or scratch you. If they do you will need to seek immediate professional medical attention.

Raccoons are protected fur-bearing mammals is most states with seasons established for running, hunting, or trapping them. Most states, however, will have provisions for landowners to deal with racoons that are damaging their property. Check with your state wildlife agency.

In my department, (I work for a county agriculture dept), racoons are referred to our federal US Dept of Agriculture trapper. Our first response is to teach people to exclude the racoon, or otherwise live with it. One local city refuses to euthanize captured animals so they have declined our service.

Other than the legality issue the previous answers are good ones. Seek professional help. An additional resource is your county extension agent or your state or local agriculture depts.

If you do decide to do the work yourself, here are reminders, considerations and tips to help:
1. a mother racoon will be defensive and can be vicious 2. Close all entrances but one to force the mother out through the one entrance. If there weren't babies then I would have recommended closing that entrance when the racoon is known to be outside. 3. Racoons are nocturnal. 4. Use flour sprinkled at the last exit/entrance to indicate movement. 5. Don't trap the babies inside. 6. It is probably illegal to relocate the racoon, but if you do choose to relocate, relocate it properly, be careful, and remember that you might be introducing a pest to some other property, or it might not survive where you move it to. And finally 7. Are you prepared to deal with a live racoon?

More information can be found at Raccoons Management Guidelines--UC IPM (http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74116.html)

One thing to keep in mind in response to being referred USDA "trapper" (Wildlife Services) will most likely refer you to a local animal control or nusaince wildlife control company.