Wildlife Removal in the Hill Country: Raccoons, Opossums, and Skunks

Raccoons are strong, dexterous, and intelligent enough to pull up roof shingles, pry open soffits, and enlarge existing gaps. A female looking for a den site before giving birth in late winter or spring is the most common scenario for attic entry. Once she has kits in the attic, removal becomes more complicated because simply trapping the mother and releasing her elsewhere leaves young behind.

Signs of raccoons in the attic: loud thumping at night, tearing or scratching sounds, damage to soffits or shingles visible from the outside, insulation that has been pulled or compressed. Raccoon droppings in the attic create a health hazard (Baylisascaris procyonis, a raccoon roundworm, is present in feces and can be serious).

Removal involves live-trapping the animals, and if kits are present, locating and removing them by hand first. After the animals are out, the entry must be sealed with materials a raccoon cannot pull apart: heavy-gauge hardware cloth, sheet metal, or repaired shingles and fascia boards.

Virginia opossums are common throughout the Hill Country. They are scavengers and opportunists: they eat pet food left outside, raid trash, and settle under any structure with a ground-level opening. They are not aggressive (the playing dead behavior is involuntary, not a tactic) but they will hiss and bluff if cornered.

Opossums under a deck or crawlspace are a nuisance more than a danger. They can carry fleas, and their droppings and nesting material accumulate over time. The fix is the same as with other wildlife: trap and remove, then exclude with hardware cloth buried several inches below the soil line to prevent re-entry from burrowing.

Skunks den under porches, concrete stoops, A/C units, and anywhere with a low ground-level opening near the foundation. They dig, so they can work their way under concrete with time. Their spray is the obvious concern, but skunks in Texas also have rabies risk. Texas is one of the states with documented skunk-strain rabies.

Trapping a skunk without triggering a spray requires care: a covered trap (the skunk cannot spray what it cannot see), careful approach, and a calm, slow-motion transport. This is the situation where calling a professional matters most. Even an experienced homeowner can cause a spray inside or near the structure with an incorrect approach.

Texas Parks and Wildlife regulations classify raccoons, skunks, and opossums as non-game animals. They can be trapped and relocated or euthanized by a landowner on their own property without a permit, but they cannot be relocated to public land, and there are restrictions on transport across county lines. For most residential situations, working with a licensed nuisance wildlife operator (NWO) is cleaner and ensures the animal is handled legally.

Birds that nest in or on structures (house sparrows and European starlings are the common examples) are not protected under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, but many other species are. If you are unsure about a bird species nesting on your property, consult Texas Parks and Wildlife before taking action.

After removal, exclusion is what prevents the next animal from moving in. Seal foundation gaps with hardware cloth and concrete, screen vents, cap chimneys, and repair any roofline damage. Remove food attractants: secure trash lids, bring in pet food at night, and fence gardens.

Persistent wildlife pressure from outside (animals in the yard, not in the structure) can be reduced by removing den sites like brush piles, woodpiles against the house, and under-deck cavities. Ripe fruit on trees and accessible compost bins are consistent attractors worth addressing if you are seeing frequent wildlife activity.