Racoon Removal
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rswyan
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Just for the record, raccoons are potential carriers of multiple diseases.
And a number of those diseases are zoonotic - meaning they can be passed from animals to humans. Of course, some of them can also be passed from raccoons to pets (and then possibly onto humans)
These diseases include (but are not limited to): Giardia, Leptospirosis, Raccoon Roundworm, Rabies, Canine Distemper, and Infectious Canine Hepatitis.
There are others as well.
And a number of those diseases are zoonotic - meaning they can be passed from animals to humans. Of course, some of them can also be passed from raccoons to pets (and then possibly onto humans)
These diseases include (but are not limited to): Giardia, Leptospirosis, Raccoon Roundworm, Rabies, Canine Distemper, and Infectious Canine Hepatitis.
There are others as well.
rswyan
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Yup.
A couple of winters ago I went out our basement door to get some wood for the wood-burning furnace and there was a raccoon down in the swimming pool at water's edge. It noticed me and started hissing and growling. And it was a big coon.
Unthinkingly, I picked up a small log and chucked it at it.
Don't recall that I actually hit it, but it came up out of the pool in nothing flat - and was making a bee line for me, snarling and growling.
The second log - which was a little larger - stopped it in its tracks ... about 2 or 3 feet away from me ... but it was still alive, most likely just stunned.
I proceeded to beat it to death with another log from the wood pile.
If you've ever heard a raccoon go at it with another creature, you know it ain't something you want to be on the receiving end of.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
I keep a .22 and a 12 gauge handy for Ricky. The Raccoon Roundworms was a new one for me, but I knew about some of the other diseases the things carry. I know first hand of their aggressiveness. Especially when they are fully grown. We have taken down all the bird feeders now that the mother in law has went to assisted living, and that has cut back on the number of them I see around here. Which is a good thing in my opinion.
TnAndy
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MossRoad
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I've told this story several times here, but here goes again...
When I was a kid, pretty much everyone in the neighborhood fed raccoons on their back patio. There were several mommas that would bring their babies around and make the rounds house to house. Possums would follow later in the evening. Anyhow, for years, it was never a problem. The mommas would bring the babies, we'd hold the food (usually day-old-bread bought on the cheap), she'd take if from us and give it to the babies. My dad had a half of a giant clam shell that was about 2.5' across (once belonged to Clem Studebaker, the car manufacturer family), that we used as a bird bath. The raccoons would soak the bread in the water and eat it. Eventually, the babies would climb all over you, taking food from your hands. It was fun for many, many years.... until one year....
There was a little male raccoon that became very friendly. He'd climb right up your pants leg and shirt and sit on your shoulder and take food out of your pockets. He'd play with the dog. He'd sit in your lap and go through your pockets. Quite fun. One day I was sitting in the kitchen talking on the phone and the raccoon comes walking by me. How'd he get in? I carried him outside. A couple days later my sister, who had a bedroom in the basement, woke up and the raccoon was sitting on her. She carried it out of the house. 10 minutes later, it was in the kitchen again. We couldn't figure out how it was getting in. Finally, I figured out that it had slit a screen at the top of a window, would climb in, and the screen would flap back into position. So, we only opened the windows about 2" so it couldn't fit through. And then it got bad.
If you went outside, it would chase you down, aggressively clawing at your clothes.
Then it shredded several more window screens trying to get in.
Then it started clawing and gnawing up the wooden doors and window frames.
Then it started clawing at the tar and gravel roof trying to get into the house.
It ended up doing about $2000 damage to the house.
My dad called the Humane Society for suggestions. They explained that raccoons, especially males, can turn highly aggressive and territorial once they hit puberty. My dad felt it was our fault for creating the monster, so he didn't want to shoot it. The Humane Society suggested we live trap it and they had a place to release it. It took several days to trap it, as it was so big it would leave its tail in the trap door and it wouldn't latch when it closed. He'd eat the bait and back out of the trap. So my dad fastened some bricks to the trap door for added weight and we caught it that night. They took it away and we learned our lesson.... no more feeding wild animals.
When I was a kid, pretty much everyone in the neighborhood fed raccoons on their back patio. There were several mommas that would bring their babies around and make the rounds house to house. Possums would follow later in the evening. Anyhow, for years, it was never a problem. The mommas would bring the babies, we'd hold the food (usually day-old-bread bought on the cheap), she'd take if from us and give it to the babies. My dad had a half of a giant clam shell that was about 2.5' across (once belonged to Clem Studebaker, the car manufacturer family), that we used as a bird bath. The raccoons would soak the bread in the water and eat it. Eventually, the babies would climb all over you, taking food from your hands. It was fun for many, many years.... until one year....
There was a little male raccoon that became very friendly. He'd climb right up your pants leg and shirt and sit on your shoulder and take food out of your pockets. He'd play with the dog. He'd sit in your lap and go through your pockets. Quite fun. One day I was sitting in the kitchen talking on the phone and the raccoon comes walking by me. How'd he get in? I carried him outside. A couple days later my sister, who had a bedroom in the basement, woke up and the raccoon was sitting on her. She carried it out of the house. 10 minutes later, it was in the kitchen again. We couldn't figure out how it was getting in. Finally, I figured out that it had slit a screen at the top of a window, would climb in, and the screen would flap back into position. So, we only opened the windows about 2" so it couldn't fit through. And then it got bad.
If you went outside, it would chase you down, aggressively clawing at your clothes.
Then it shredded several more window screens trying to get in.
Then it started clawing and gnawing up the wooden doors and window frames.
Then it started clawing at the tar and gravel roof trying to get into the house.
It ended up doing about $2000 damage to the house.
My dad called the Humane Society for suggestions. They explained that raccoons, especially males, can turn highly aggressive and territorial once they hit puberty. My dad felt it was our fault for creating the monster, so he didn't want to shoot it. The Humane Society suggested we live trap it and they had a place to release it. It took several days to trap it, as it was so big it would leave its tail in the trap door and it wouldn't latch when it closed. He'd eat the bait and back out of the trap. So my dad fastened some bricks to the trap door for added weight and we caught it that night. They took it away and we learned our lesson.... no more feeding wild animals.
Moss you are just up the road from me. I am the South Side of SB.
As for letting them go in the "woods".... ummmm.... they are coming out of the woods to see me. So don't let any more go in my woods please.
Looks like a .22 to go along with my 9mm is in order.... or at least an excuse to buy another toy.
As for letting them go in the "woods".... ummmm.... they are coming out of the woods to see me. So don't let any more go in my woods please.
Looks like a .22 to go along with my 9mm is in order.... or at least an excuse to buy another toy.
PILOON
Super Star Member
We had a neighbor that had a large screened in porch with a nice very well stocked wet bar.
Coons managed to slit the screening, opened the bar and sampled every bottle in the bar.
As you know they have very capable 'fingers' so a screw cap is not much of a challenge.
Gin and scotch was not to their liking so they let them drain out, but boy they loved the sweet liqueurs and drained them all.
Only problem was the learning curve to drink from a bottle.
Gotta tell you they sure left a very sticky mess.
They more they drank, the more rambunctious they became judging by the mess.
\Sofas, carpets etc were all a sticky mess.
The owner said it cost him a pretty penny to restock that wet bar as they probably drank/trashed over a dozen or two bottles. (and he loved single malt and had a complete complement of digestives (Drambuie, Cointreau etc etc) as well as fine wines.
Coons managed to slit the screening, opened the bar and sampled every bottle in the bar.
As you know they have very capable 'fingers' so a screw cap is not much of a challenge.
Gin and scotch was not to their liking so they let them drain out, but boy they loved the sweet liqueurs and drained them all.
Only problem was the learning curve to drink from a bottle.
Gotta tell you they sure left a very sticky mess.
They more they drank, the more rambunctious they became judging by the mess.
\Sofas, carpets etc were all a sticky mess.
The owner said it cost him a pretty penny to restock that wet bar as they probably drank/trashed over a dozen or two bottles. (and he loved single malt and had a complete complement of digestives (Drambuie, Cointreau etc etc) as well as fine wines.
MossRoad
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This was back in the late 70's. I'm guessing they took it out towards Potato Creek! hahahaha
My wife and I have some land SW of town towards North Liberty. Been here all my life.
Right.... there are plenty of coons to go around already... kill them or don't trap them... that's like dropping off dogs on a backroad... gona be someone else's problem soon
