Raccoons, continued

[Ken Anderson]

I don't mind having a few raccoons around as long as they're not too much of a pest, and most aren't. They'll come by and eat whatever food might have been too frozen for the outdoor cats. Despite the fact that they do dump over whatever they don't eat, they don't usually cause a problem. The two that I relocated were another matter, though.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

Y'all probably recall that my husband trapped and relocated a pair a few years ago. They enjoyed taking a poop on the pool steps and this was not OK with me. Apparently it is illegal for private citizens to relocate raccoons in Texas due to rabies concerns but we didn't bother asking permission.

 

[Mary Robi]

"Trash Pandas" is what we call them.

I was astounded at how small the Florida raccoons were, after having only seen the Northern ones who have to put on some weight to get through winter. I thought I was seeing baby raccoons here.

They're strong, though. A small one pushed a large loaded cooler off a picnic table in the middle of the night when we were camping here.

The cooler had a heavy wood box and a wood lantern box on top of it and that rascal scooted it across the table and off the edge, and picked through the contents.

Another one emptied out a watermelon that I had unwisely left on a table. It chewed a little hole and completely clawed out the contents through the hole. Clever little rascals.

 

[Don Alaska]

"Trash Pandas" is what we call them.

I was astounded at how small the Florida raccoons were, after having only seen the Northern ones who have to put on some weight to get through winter. I thought I was seeing baby raccoons here.

They're strong, though. A small one pushed a large loaded cooler off a picnic table in the middle of the night when we were camping here.

The cooler had a heavy wood box and a wood lantern box on top of it and that rascal scooted it across the table and off the edge, and picked through the contents.

Another one emptied out a watermelon that I had unwisely left on a table. It chewed a little hole and completely clawed out the contents through the hole. Clever little rascals.

When I camped in Florida, we watched raccoons open a locked cooler in the next campsite and clean out the neighbor's food stores. Of course, then there are bears....

 

[Mary Robi]

Raccoons can untie knots easily and work complicated catches.

I'm not sure if they're into lock-picking, though. Probably can't afford the pick set.

 

[Mary Robi]

When I camped in Florida, we watched raccoons open a locked cooler in the next campsite and clean out the neighbor's food stores. Of course, then there are bears....

We had a Florida black bear for a while in our neighborhood. One night he was bashing our trash bin up against our garage door. I went out and had a stern talk with him. He wasn't impressed. Back the next night.

 

[Don Alaska]

We had a Florida black bear for a while in our neighborhood. One night he was bashing our trash bin up against our garage door. I went out and had a stern talk with him. He wasn't impressed. Back the next night.

You could try having your husband talk to him. The wild life here seems to know that they are more likely to die at the hands of males than females, although females here shoot a few as well.

 

[Mary Stetler]

My son when he lived in Missouri trapped a raccoon and relocated it...not far enough away. He lost all ten of his chickens to a raccoon. We believe it to be the same one. He said he couldn't kill it as his young children would find out and report it to his MIL, who thinks it is evil to kill any wild critter.

I am slightly evil in that I try to cross a couple of busy roads/highways before depositing.

 

[Beth Gallagher]

I am slightly evil in that I try to cross a couple of busy roads/highways before depositing.

@Don Alaska 's son's MIL needs to have to try cleaning raccoon poop out of a swimming pool and get it all sanitized again, only to have them poop in it again that night. She'd be sitting outside with her shotgun.

 

[Axel Slingerland]

My son when he lived in Missouri trapped a raccoon and relocated it...not far enough away. He lost all ten of his chickens to a raccoon. We believe it to be the same one. He said he couldn't kill it as his young children would find out and report it to his MIL, who thinks it is evil to kill any wild critter.

The secret to success there is to put something over the trap so the raccoon can't see, then not tell it where you're taking it.

 

[Don Alaska]

The secret to success there is to put something over the trap so the raccoon can't see, then not tell it where you're taking it.

Maybe, but the trap was in a car and I am sure the raccoon couldn't see where it was going. It even crossed a small river to get back home.

 

[Shirley Martin]

Try the three SSSs. Shoot, shovel, Ssshhhee.

 

[Don Alaska]

Try the three SSSs. Shoot, shovel, Ssshhhee.

That is often the best remedy, but our son is apparently afraid of his MIL who is 4'10" and weighs about 100 pounds. She is crazy though.

 

[Shirley Martin]

Well, don't give him my advice, then.

 

[Don Alaska]

Well, don't give him my advice, then.

I gave him the same advice @Shirley Martin. He was afraid his young sons would find out and report him to the MIL.

 

[John Brunner]

@Don Alaska 's son's MIL needs to have to try cleaning raccoon poop out of a swimming pool and get it all sanitized again, only to have them poop in it again that night. She'd be sitting outside with her shotgun.

Monday​

Friday​

 

[Axel Slingerland]

Maybe, but the trap was in a car and I am sure the raccoon couldn't see where it was going. It even crossed a small river to get back home.

It seems to not matter how far you take wild critters, they will always find their way home to their marked territory. And if you happen to be in t, you can always expect to see them again. Am I correct to assume that Alaska critter control doesn't think that raccoons need to be controlled?

 

[Don Alaska]

It seems to not matter how far you take wild critters, they will always find their way home to their marked territory. And if you happen to be in t, you can always expect to see them again. Am I correct to assume that Alaska critter control doesn't think that raccoons need to be controlled?

We don't even have raccoons, so their control isn't even on the radar. No snakes, possums, or skunks either. As I said, this happened in Missouri.

 

[Ken Anderson]

Do you want me to send you some raccoons?

 

[Don Alaska]

Do you want me to send you some raccoons?

Nope. We are fine without them. We have porcupines. One of our sons (when he was less than two) saw a porcupine in a tree here and thought it was a raccoon, having been read a raccoon story.