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Raccoon Removal in Hattiesburg

Last reviewed September 8, 2026 against MDWFP published rules and federal statute. How we research this site.

Raccoons tear their own way in, which is why they do more damage to a house than most animals that get inside one.

Hattiesburg specifically

The river corridors are the highway. The Leaf and the Bouie run along two sides of the city and raccoons follow water, so properties backing onto the bottoms, or onto the creeks feeding them, see more of them and see them more persistently. A raccoon removed from a house on a river lot is replaced faster than one removed from the middle of town.

Raccoons in Forrest County: who does what

Hattiesburg’s animal control is a unit of the police department, and the ordinance it enforces is written around owned animals: running at large, restraint, and the responsibilities of an owner. An animal in your attic has no owner and falls outside that framework entirely. Mississippi handles nuisance wildlife through the state’s permitted operator system instead, which is a private, paid arrangement.

For identifying an animal or damage before anyone is paid to look, the MSU Extension, Forrest County office is at 952 Sullivan Drive, Hattiesburg, MS 39401, 601-545-6083 (office page).

What Mississippi law says about raccoons

Raccoons are not on Mississippi’s nuisance-animal list (beaver, coyote, fox, nutria, skunk and wild hog); they are hunted under regulated seasons (2026-27: trapping 1 November to 15 March). MDWFP says it generally does not do wildlife removal itself and keeps a list of permitted trappers. MSDH says land-animal rabies is exceptionally rare in Mississippi; bats are the main reservoir. All Mississippi rules →

Sources: MDWFP: nuisance wildlife; MDWFP: 2026-2027 hunting seasons; MDWFP: rabbit and squirrel damage management; MSDH: rabies; City of Hattiesburg, Chapter 118, Animal Incidents and Control. Checked October 2026.

A raccoon emerging from a torn soffit beside a damaged gable vent
Illustrative Raccoons make their own gaps, and reuse them every season until sealed.

Signs, and why they matter

  • Heavy, deliberate footsteps overhead: raccoons are big enough to sound like a person walking
  • Chittering, growling or the distinctive cry of kits, usually at dusk or just before dawn
  • A torn soffit, lifted shingles, or a ripped roof or gable vent
  • Rabies: raccoons are a primary rabies vector across the southeastern United States
  • Raccoon roundworm (Baylisascaris) in the droppings, which is dangerous to people and pets

How removal works

A licensed operator finds every entry point, removes the animal, and critically any kits, which are usually hidden in a wall cavity or soffit and cannot leave on their own, then seals the openings with materials a raccoon cannot tear off. Sealing before the young are out is the most common and most expensive mistake.

Animation: a raccoon climbs a downspout and pulls open a soffit panel. The drawing below shows the one-way door that gets it out without trapping kits inside.
Cut-away of a one-way exclusion door fitted over an entry hole A wall in cross-section with the attic on the left and outside on the right. A hinged flap is fitted over the entry hole on the outer face. An animal pushes the flap open from inside and leaves; the flap falls shut behind it, and a stop below prevents it opening inwards, so the animal cannot get back in. INSIDE: ATTIC OR CRAWLSPACE OUTSIDE WALL STOP: IT ONLY SWINGS OUT HINGED AT THE TOP OUT: ONE WAY AND NEVER BACK IN
A one-way door lets the animal leave and not return, which is why sealing the hole is the last step, not the first.

Raccoon questions

How much does raccoon removal cost in Hattiesburg?

$300 – $600 for removal; far more if the attic needs restoring, depending on access and whether young are present. After a long stay in an attic the cleanup is often the bigger bill (attic restoration).

Is there a wrong time of year to deal with raccoons?

Spring is the worst time to trap and seal: females den in attics to give birth, and removing the mother while kits remain leaves them to die inside the structure.

Request a quote

We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Hattiesburg where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.

We are an information and referral service, not a licensed wildlife control operator, and we may be paid for the introduction. You are never charged.

Request a quote from a licensed Mississippi operator

Tell us what is in your house. We read every request and pass it to a licensed wildlife operator covering Hattiesburg where one is available. We are still building our list of operators here, so we cannot promise one is available or say how quickly they will respond.

Request a Quote