Raccoon moves in

[Constance]

This morning we heard my dog, Chloe raising Caine, and discovered she had a raccoon treed behind my old shop building. When DH and I zipped out there in the golf cart to take a picture, the coon decided to make a run for it. There's a small opening under the garage door of the shop where my shop cats used to go in and out, and where strays sometimes find a home now. The coon wiggled under the door before Chloe could catch it, and try as she might, she couldn't fit, thank goodness, or it might have hurt her badly. Raccoons are mean critters when they're cornered.
I was surprised that Chloe was so brave, but I think she thought it was just another cat.
I left a message with animal control. They have live traps for raccoons, and release the animals out by Rend Lake once they catch them.

 

[Loprraine]

release the animals out by Rend Lake once they catch them.

Constance, I think they release them in my backyard!!! You're right, they can be nasty, glad Chloe's ok.

 

[jpmcgrew]

If you give it time the raccoon may leave on it's own.

 

[Barbara L]

Just a reminder to anyone who lives near raccoons--Make sure your pets have had their rabies shots, and make sure your kids know not to try to pet them (the raccoons that is, not your pets! lol). I have read that raccoons spread more rabies than any other animal.

They are cute little guys though!

Barbara

 

[YT2095]

They have live traps for raccoons, and release the animals out by Rend Lake once they catch them.

I`m pleased about that, the creature`s probably more scared that you guys were, glad no one was hurt either.

I`d be tempted to take some Pictures though

 

[In the Kitchen]

When we see raccoon running across road we always slow up so he makes it across. My brother sighs when he sees raccoon smashed on road. For that manner, he loves all wildlife. Constance, you know so much about the outdoors like jpmcgrew, can you tell me what to do when skunk sprays your dogs? Do skunks bite also like the raccoon? Seldom see these critters but they use what they can to keep you away. When walking up in cemetery early morning, still dark, they all seem to be active at night. Life is so interesting if you only take the time to observe and not watch tv indoors all the time.

Thanks Constance for sharing this story. Makes one think of something else other than things you wish you could forget. Love animals.

 

[Loprraine]

I love animals also, but......We have a major racxoon problem in Toronto and the surrounding suburbs. We never see them here during the day, only at night. They are so brazen, I have walked out into the backyard, and they just turn and look at me. And yes, many of ours are rabid. One of my brothers lives outside TO. They had a pet racoon (Ruby) until she fell in love and ran away from home. The SPCA and local vets know him, so if anyone brings in an abandoned litter of racoons, they call him, and he raises them until they can be released. I have often wondered why? We already have hundreds of thousands of them that wreak havoc. But, yes, they are cute.

 

[In the Kitchen]

I love animals also, but......We have a major racxoon problem in Toronto and the surrounding suburbs. We never see them here during the day, only at night. They are so brazen, I have walked out into the backyard, and they just turn and look at me. And yes, many of ours are rabid. One of my brothers lives outside TO. They had a pet racoon (Ruby) until she fell in love and ran away from home. The SPCA and local vets know him, so if anyone brings in an abandoned litter of racoons, they call him, and he raises them until they can be released. I have often wondered why? We already have hundreds of thousands of them that wreak havoc. But, yes, they are cute.

Must run in our brothers. Always kids at heart. Bring home anything that they can handle. I bet your brother is good as gold. Mine is. Helps me more than anyone else in the family. Guess he considers me like the raccoons, want to be loved.

I have had that experience where they don't run. Just like defy your chance to scare them. I thought we were supposed to be higher than they are? We are the ones that are in control, right?

 

[auntdot]

A number of years ago a pregnant mom coon was able to get into our attic. Unscrewed a vent and got in. Secured the vent so even a Ph.D. reacoon in vent unscrewing could not get in and then caught them with a Havahart trap (justs traps them, no injury).

Gave the mom and the kits to a proper shelter except for two who did not make it.

Baited the trap with peanut butter and it worked like a charm.

 

[mudbug]

Baited the trap with peanut butter and it worked like a charm.

aunt dot, my brother has an animal nuisance trapping biz. He says the racoons also love strawberry pie filling.

 

[Constance]

We had one around here for a while that was so tame, it would sit by the back steps with the cats, waiting for me to fill up the food bowl. I did not encourage him.
A friend of mine, who lives way out in the boonies, raised a female from a baby. When got old enough, she turned it loose, but it still came back once in a while, looking for food, and one day it bit the **** out of her ankle.
I could go on...another friend of mine, who lives in town, got a raccoon in her attic one time. But that's a whole story in itself.

Kitchen, skunks do bite and they are big time carriers of rabies. If you come across one, stay behind him, because they throw their scent forward. Best to just stay away from him, period.

If your dog gets sprayed (as my big furry Maggie Dog did once), wash him off with white vinegar or tomato juice BEFORE YOU GET HIM WET! Let me tell you, when that water hits the him, that scent will make your eyes water!

I called our animal control (they burned out last fall, if you remember) and they have no live traps at this time, so I guess I'll have to do some checking around to find one.

 

[pacanis]

Just a reminder to anyone who lives near raccoons--Make sure your pets have had their rabies shots, and make sure your kids know not to try to pet them (the raccoons that is, not your pets! lol). I have read that raccoons spread more rabies than any other animal.

They are cute little guys though!

Barbara

Around here bats are still #1, raccoons second.
I'm pretty sure a raccoon I shot 3 years ago was rabid. I should have had him checked. My state wants critters for testing because it's on the rise in PA. I didn't know that at the time though.

 

[auntdot]

Thanks mudbug, strawberry pie filling, who would have guessed.

Have used peanut butter since and have had good results. But will keep that in mind. Maybe the combination, sorta a peanut butter and jelly will turn them on. LOL

 

[Barbara L]

In a book I am reading it says that if you are out in the woods and are hungry, watch a raccoon. It said that if a raccoon will eat it, it is okay for people.

Barbara

 

[pacanis]

In a book I am reading it says that if you are out in the woods and are hungry, watch a raccoon. It said that if a raccoon will eat it, it is okay for people.

Barbara

What book are you reading?

 

[Barbara L]

LOL It is actually a novel for kids, "My Side of the Mountain." I don't know where she got the information, but from what I've seen raccoons eat, it makes sense.

Barbara

 

[pacanis]

Wellllllll, if I was lost in the woods without food..... and I saw a raccoon eating a piece of something (remembering that raccoons are nocturnal and would be hard to see anyway) I don't think I'd be thinking of eating what the raccoon was eating.
If you know what I mean

I admit. I watch too much Survivorman

 

[Constance]

Raccoons will eat just about anything, and they're very smart with those little hands. In some areas, they can even undo bungee cords to get into coolers.
They really make a mess when they get into your garbage.

 

[In the Kitchen]

We had one around here for a while that was so tame, it would sit by the back steps with the cats, waiting for me to fill up the food bowl. I did not encourage him.
A friend of mine, who lives way out in the boonies, raised a female from a baby. When got old enough, she turned it loose, but it still came back once in a while, looking for food, and one day it bit the **** out of her ankle.
I could go on...another friend of mine, who lives in town, got a raccoon in her attic one time. But that's a whole story in itself.

Kitchen, skunks do bite and they are big time carriers of rabies. If you come across one, stay behind him, because they throw their scent forward. Best to just stay away from him, period.

If your dog gets sprayed (as my big furry Maggie Dog did once), wash him off with white vinegar or tomato juice BEFORE YOU GET HIM WET! Let me tell you, when that water hits the him, that scent will make your eyes water!

I called our animal control (they burned out last fall, if you remember) and they have no live traps at this time, so I guess I'll have to do some checking around to find one.

Constance:
I do remember about your animal control. You hear anything about what is going to be done. Such sad story.

When I was looking for puppies on Internet rescues. One woman called and said if I was interested could come and pick the pup up. Lived in Oklahoma. Well, we had floods all over and were not lucky to go when we should have. This lady she told me she had 26 puppies and 19 cats in her home. I thought she was keeping them but they had no humane society so rather than destroy them, didn't ask how, she said she kept them in her house. She then tells me she was married 59 years and was 86 and her hubby 88. This information will never leave me as it sure made me ashamed of myself. I complain cause I have three that need attention. I just wonder how she does it? Oh, she told me they have to get along, both the cats and the dogs. They are trying to get humane society. I am sure going to send donation just for the job she does personally. Some people never cease to amaze me. I need to hear more stories like this. It restores my faith in humanity.

Again Constance thanks for sharing. You helped with my restoration.

 

[Fisher's Mom]

Constance, I'm sorry to hear raccoons have decided to hang out at your house. They are very cute but bad house guests. It's been my experience that there is rarely just one - usually all their relatives show up in short order. I have an ongoing battle with the coons that have been living at my house for about 20 years now - and I live in downtown San Antonio.

Currently there are only 2 that are living on my property that I can tell but I'm trying to catch them. The live traps are the only thing I've found to work. Catch them and then release them a minimum of 10 miles from your home. Apparently they have a "homing radius" of 10 miles.

The other suggested deterrents never work for long. But I have had luck with pure peppermint oil sprayed in the attic or enclosed areas where you don't want them. They really hate that smell and it drives them from there for a while. That's the best time to trap them. Don't bother with the dehydrated coyote urine - that stuff is worse than living with raccoons and apparently they don't mind it nearly as much as I do. Loud music and bright lights didn't work for me either. (I must have a line of party coons.)

It might be worth buying a trap, as I did. They are about $40 on ebay and most feed stores carry them. Because you may have a few more show up before it's all said and done. Peanut butter is a very good bait. Also, dry cat food mixed with the peanut butter seems to be a raccoon favorite. Good luck with this.