Raccoon

[Julie Bove]

Funny, brings back memories of my encounter with raccoon. I made mistake of rescuing a baby raccon after its Mother was road kill and the little baby kept running into road to be next to dead Mother, pretty sad, so I let my emotions get the most and saved it from death. Took it home, as an animal lover, just wanted to give it a fair chance, so fed it until it was big enough to go out on its own, but didn't. lol

Long story short, I couldn't get rid of him for they are always looking for the easiest meal, and I was it. He would break into house, pulling screens off windows and doors, amazing how cunning they are when it comes to getting free food. I ended up taking him deep into the woods for he wouldn't leave, actually would sleep up on my roof at night as safe as it was and easy not to leave his food source.

So lesson learned, get rid of raccoon if you can, just buy a safe trap and catch him, then take him to woods a couple miles away and your problem is over. Easy to catch as they will eat just about anything, so bait your trap with maple syrup which was my raccoons favorite snack. lol A more expensive option is to get an electronic pet door which activates from reciever on pets collar, works great and only opens for your pet. By the way, raccoons stink to high heaven if they get into your home and start marking their territory as food source, so if you notice a smell, try Green-Homes.com air odor purifier, worked great in my home.

Success to all,

[rbowman]

A friend of mine went that route. Buy a Hav-A-Heart trap, catch the raccoon, drive him out to the woods, release him. I think the raccoon made it home before my friend did. I offered to provide a more permanent solution but this is a guy who had a panic attack when I reached into my pocket for parking meter change and ge saw a stray .357 cartridge in my pocket litter.

[gfretwell]

That is true. They can find their way back from pretty far away. I had one in Maryland that I moved several times, the last two, he had a splash of white paint on his tail to be sure The last time I took him to work with me and dropped him half way around the beltway in Rock Creek Park and he didn't come back. I guess that Montgomery County trash was good enough to convince him to stay.

Here in Florida, I just tolerate them. I made a rack for my trash cans that keeps them from turning them over and they have not been able to get the tops off in the rack.

This guy grew up in my yard

[Stormin Mormon]

Javoe! Ze more permanant zollution, mein herr?

I thought you were in Alaska, and everyone carries multiple guns, there?

As the racoon making it back, it's a dynamic population. And the guy next over probably moved to fill the void.

. Christopher A. Young Learn about Jesus

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[rbowman]

You're confused. I was in Prince Rupert, BC once and you can see Alaska from there. That's as close as I need to get.

Actually, the racoon episode was in Lexington, MA. Emerson's poem immortalized North Bridge in Concord, but the first shots were fired in Lexington where 8 colonials were killed and 1 redcoat wounded. Neighborhood has went to hell since then.

I lived in New Hampshire, which is still a free state, and had been out shooting in the morning before driving down to Boston for a seminar.

[rbowman]

Fortunately, the coyotes, mountain lions, and the odd wolf keeps them sorted out around here. I did find a small, dead racoon on the lawn one morning that was a little worse for the wear, so maybe the eagles get into the act too. It's not widely advertised but eagles and ospreys do fumble sometimes. I've found fish on the lawn too.

[gfretwell]

Gators like them around here but we still have plenty of raccoons. There is enough wild area around here to provide natural habitat. When I put my wildlife cam out, I see more cats, armadillos and possums than raccoons.

I would give a cat a swimming lesson before I would bother the natives.