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Barnyard Buddies:  Friendly RACOONS  |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
 Posted - May 28 2007 : 05:01:17 AM
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well, i wouldn't exactly call these 'buddies' .. but our daughter lives at the very edge of a beautiful 'wildlife' park .. and while i was visiting her .. a momma racoon would come to her glass door every evening and 'scratch' to come in! it would have been 'cute' except for the fact that two children live there!
then one night .. she brought the 'whole clan' .. about 5 babies! they got into the neighbor's yard .. sat on his fence .. were very (TOO) bold! and hissed and spit at the neighbor when he tried to shoo them with a broom!
frank went out and got a 'humane' trap .. where you trap them and then gawd only knows what you do with them!!! (take them to someone else's neighborhood?) i was concerned because if the momma got caught .. what about the babies .. but then ... hmmmmmm .. maybe that WAS the solution.
anyhoo, the next night .. yep .. SNAP! momma coon got captured ..
frannk and lucas had gone to a ballgame up in detroit (TIGERS WON!) .. and by the time they got home that evening ... that racoon had figured out how to get out of the trap!!!
but .. she did not come back for the rest of the week i was there!!
what DO you do with a nuisance racoon???
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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ThymeForEweFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
705 Posts
Robin
An organic farm in the forest in
Maine
USA
705 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2007 : 06:17:51 AM
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We shoot them. It's illegal here to just relocate wildlife. It can be a long, agonizing death for the newly moved animal that doesn't have shelter or know the food supply, creates territorial wars with established animals, and can spread disease to a formerly non-diseased area. Or, you expose the animal to a disease it hadn't been exposed to before it was moved.
Raccoons are viscious killers. We've lost chickens to coons that ripped the window screens off the hen house, ripped wings off and left the birds to bleed to death. They've raided nests and left redy-to-hatch poults (turkeys) to die when they smashed eggs. When they aren't terrorizing the birds (we have raise chickens, ducks and turkeys) they're creating havoc with the garden (my income) and destroying bird feeders. The there's the rabies problem. We don't have it in this county yet. One relocated coon could change that. I used to think they were cute. Then I learned about the reality of farm life and raccoons.
Robin
www.thymeforewe.com
www.outdoorwriter.wordpress.com
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EmmJay
True Blue Farmgirl
352 Posts
Mary Jane
Amherst
Nova Scotia
Canada
352 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2007 : 06:22:54 AM
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Oh Robin,,,,I hear ya! I have only been here a couple of years, and thought how can you shoot those cute things. Well, after loosing several chickens, eggs and turkeys, it was time to get rid of them. They will kill chickens just to kill them. Yup, not even for food. That was the breaking point for me, so now hubby shoots them, and gets rid of them.
A few years ago in NewBrunswick, we had one, that was coming towards the house and kids, so hubby called the game warden. Come to find out, after the thing was shot and removed he had rabies......to think that the kids wanted to pet it, and I made all stay in the house.
MJ
"Thank GOD I'm a country girl"
http://s119.photobucket.com/albums/o134/EmmJay07/ |
Edited by - EmmJay on May 28 2007 06:24:33 AM |
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UrbanChick
True Blue Farmgirl
331 Posts
Ayako
Atlanta
GA
USA
331 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2007 : 12:42:51 PM
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| I had a problem with a racoon killing my chickens. He tore the roof off the coop (corrugated roofing) and killed them. I saw him in there with the girls and he was huge! Bigger than my 30lbs Sheltie. We tried to trap him but he was too smart to get into the cage. Eventually my neighbor saw it in his yard terrorizing his cat under the deck. He shot it. I don't think you can relocated wildlife here either. My pest control guy says he has to kill them if he traps them. |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - May 28 2007 : 1:40:01 PM
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Well, I shoot them, too, but with a BB gun! It is only a temporary put-off for them, but they do not like it when they get zapped by a BB.
This is a true story, I have seen one unzip a tent and go inside for Doritos. I have also, while camping., watched one flip open an igloo. They are very, very smart. And a nuisance. Best thing is not to have any pet food or water in the area around your house, if possible.
I know they are trying to live like all of us, but they are way too aggressive and unafraid.
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
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Tracey
True Blue Farmgirl
766 Posts
Tracey
State of Confusion
USA
766 Posts |
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 30 2007 : 09:48:02 AM
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I don't have livestock, and I've never shot them (and wouldn't, probably), but we did have them in our attic, nesting. After contacting several relocation services, and finding their prices to be OUTRAGEOUS (total $800), I happened to mention my situation to one of our elderly clients, who still farms. He told me to get a flood light, and the loudest "transistor" radio I could find, tuned to the most awful loud station. We did, put both light and radio up in the attic and she and those babes left in a huff.
That was 4 years ago, and knock on wood, haven't had any others who wanted to take up residence.
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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EnchantedWoodsGirl
True Blue Farmgirl
959 Posts
Kathy
New Jersey
USA
959 Posts |
Posted - May 30 2007 : 10:42:23 PM
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I am not particularly fond of raccoons but I would not harm them. I have a lot of barking dogs and that seems to keep them away. I also try not to leave catfood outside or anything that would attract them to hang around. I have a hard time with killing an animal if something more humane can be done. Try calling a wildlife refuge and see if they will trap and relocate for you. The refuges are usually very helpful.
Kathy of the Enchanted Wood
http://enchantedwoodmusings.blogspot.com/
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2007 : 03:04:42 AM
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Oh, raccoons! They are just so cute - especially babies - that it's hard to believe what damage those guys can do, isn't it? We've had to dispatch a few that really did some awful things to our chickens, and yet I still like to see their tracks down by our big irrigation canal - it's more like a river, really.
Frannie - it sounds like your humane trap must have done the trick for that one, and I sure wish it would work for all of 'em! I've used (very un-smartly) a humane trap for a skunk. Once. Then, heck, what do you do with a live skunk in a humane trap?
Nuisance animals are so difficult to deal with... I liked the transistor radio and light trick - if my little nuisances weren't so busy killing my livestock, I might try that one !
XOXO, Libbie
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ArmyWifey
True Blue Farmgirl
712 Posts
Holly
Abilene
KS
712 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2007 : 06:32:36 AM
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Racoons are cute but they can not only harm your animals but can be very mean and carry disease. I wouldn't fool with them much longer. Call your local fish and game? If not I'd shoot them too.
OOOH and yes we were camping and one tried to get to our cooler inside the tent. At midnight when we were indside! Little bugger put a hole in our new tent.... a small one with memories attached but still.
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
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Edited by - ArmyWifey on May 31 2007 06:33:50 AM |
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BamaSuzy
True Blue Farmgirl
138 Posts
Alabama
USA
138 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2007 : 06:48:02 AM
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Even though I live on a farm WITH LOTS OF FREE RANGE CHICKENS, I was priviledged to get to help in "fostering" a baby racoon last year....I was associated with someone who worked in wildlife rescue and someone brought them the baby racoon when it was only about two days old!
They didn't think it would make it but I kept it EVERY day for about two months while the other woman worked during the day. I fed it from a tiny baby bottle at first...
It was a joy to watch him grow and develop....
He has since been relocated to a large wildlife area (which is huge but has an enclosure fence) but I have seen him and he is doing fine...
I don't believe I would be able to kill a racoon now even if I saw one attacking my chickens....I might shoot one inthe butt with a bb gun as has been suggested here but I would be more likely to just try and scare it away....
Most of the wild animals who come onto farms are there simply because their area in the wild have been disturbed...
My cats are all contained (one kitty inside the house and the other six in a LARGE LARGE LARGE screened porch with rabbit wire) so I don't have to worry about the racoons getting them...
The only predators I've had with my chickens in the eight years I've had them have been 'possums and once a badger (even though the Game Warden said we didn't have badgers here he changed his mind after that one was run over near our house!)....
You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt! |
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asnedecor
True Blue Farmgirl
1054 Posts
Anne
Portland
Or
USA
1054 Posts |
Posted - May 31 2007 : 06:55:45 AM
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We get raccoons all the time - wouldn't think that would happen since we live in a large city. But down the street about two blocks is a large church camp - looks like a park - so I think they come from there. Most of the time they just pass through our yard without any problems. Occassionally though they get into a little bit of mischief - once I was getting ready for work (5:30 am) and I looked out into our backyard and there were 5 teenagers playing in my little birdbath. They were wrestling, throwing water and having a great time until I opened the back door and "shooed" them. The other time, when we still had our huge fir tree - DH and I were in the backyard one late afternoon talking about the tree and I looked up and there on a very high branch was this big old raccoon sound asleep. Well I went up to our second story to get a better look and sure enough it was a coon as big as a small dog. We just left him/her there and figure that they would be gone in the morning - sure enough gone.
We just make sure that there is nothing outside - like cat food or anything they might want to get into - and most of the time they move on.
Anne in Portland
"Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them" Eyeore from Winnie the Pooh
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Edited by - asnedecor on May 31 2007 06:56:25 AM |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2007 : 04:53:45 AM
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I spent 5 summers rehabbing baby raccoons and relocating sub adults. I know all too well about thier destructive behavior and vicious tendencies.
Cute is one thing, but a big adult is a force to be reconed with.
They can carry distemper and rabies. Best to enjoy these cuites from afar and kept away from our homes and small children! |
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Annab
True Blue Farmgirl
2900 Posts
Anna
Seagrove
NC
USA
2900 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2007 : 04:56:32 AM
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| Something else to remember,,,,,ALL wildlife has the potential to turn vicious and without much warning if the inexperienced pesron doesn't know what they are looking at! |
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CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2007 : 08:52:21 AM
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soo true .. i guess when mother nature says 'wild' .. she means 'wild'. it takes 'eons' for critters to evolve and get domesticated. and yet .. there surely does seem to be some 'exceptions' when you read of 'tame wolves' .. but .. i think i'll stick to our olde english sheepdogs. xo
True Friends, Frannie
CABIN CREEK FARM
KENTUCKY
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horse
True Blue Farmgirl
371 Posts
laura
pontotoc
mississippi
USA
371 Posts |
Posted - Jun 01 2007 : 2:11:32 PM
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I had a horse once that caught a disease from coon poop and we had to put the horse down. We have a coon now that comes up front part of the pasture near the house. We have been lucky for it hasn't gotten brave to get very close. The dogs just set at the fence and watch it , the coon is bigger than they are. Calmaity Jane here tries to shoot it but DH won't let me do my Anni Oakley for fear I will hit something other than the coon. Just wait till I catch him gone to the races. BANG BANG
Laura
www.2lmzfarms.blogspot.com |
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Barnyard Buddies: Friendly RACOONS |
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Friendly RACOONS
