Earliest flint corn harvest for seed viability

I was hoping someone knew how early I can harvest flint corn and still have it usable for seed next year. I have a large patch of Longfellow flint corn that has huge beautifully full ears but the raccoons also find it agreeable to knock down the ears, just to sample before moving to the next.

Thanks in advance
-Michael F.

You can harvest at the dough stage and still have germination. If it is gummy when you stick a fingernail in, that's enough. I have not tried earlier than that.

My suggestion would be to pull up entire stalks and hang them to ripen so that the ears can continue to develop in a safe location.

Not something I have done before though.