How do you stop a raccoon from tearing down the suet bird feeder?

We have tried a commercial trap and it never came around. The first night that the trap was gone, it came back, TOOK DOWN the suet feeder, drug it across the yard, and tore it open.How do you stop a raccoon from tearing down the suet bird feeder?
Raccoons are pretty smart, but we were able to keep them out of the bird feeder by running a heavy wire between the house and a tree, and hanging the feeder from the wire, out in the open where the coons and squirrels could not reach it. It was actually rather funny watching them trying. The wire was about 6 feet above the ground.





Before that, the raccoons even took the hummingbird feeder, because they like sweet flavors, too! I would not want one as a pet because they have very sharp claws and teeth, and are not domesticated. They can carry rabies and parasites.





Possibly the raccoon did not go in your commercial trap, because it might have been trapped before (and released). Once it had this experience, it would be trap-shy forever, no matter how many goodies you put in the trap. People around here do trap-and-release and let the critters go in someone else's neighborhood where they are then impossible to catch... :-( The first poster's idea of the .22 definitely works, though.How do you stop a raccoon from tearing down the suet bird feeder?
Well, I really don't know how to awnser your question without sounding cold hearted. See, Coons are generally quite smart. No self respecting Coon is going to get caught in a commercial trap, even if one did, he'd prolbably find a way out of it.


Truthfully, as much as I, myself like the 'lil cusses, you'r only real choice is to either wait up, shoot it right between the eyes with a .22 or get used to buying a lot of suet.


Now, if you finding yourself incapable of ending his life(as I have a few times, as said I like them) your only other realistic option is to find something that they like more than suet, that being leftover spaghetti, assorted meats, and any kind of fish. And given the right age, they actually make good pets and fare rather well in captivity, I have had 3 so far.