Very rarely is it only one raccoon. I have many opossum in my area and
have never had a problem with them. I use peanut butter for bait and
it seems to only catch raccoons and an occasional daytime squirrel.
"Mike Miller" wrote in message
. net...
After setting out the hav-a-hart trap for many, many, many nights
and
continuing to catch possum after possum, I finally got "the" racoon
who's
been ransacking my pond, released in many miles from here in the
forest
preserve, and went to bed a few nights w/o hooking up the scarecrow
and
setting the trap.

Lo and behold, this morning I have rocks moved, lily buds nibbled
and plants
shredded. This is a mild one, but I know it gets worse (lily pots
upturned,
etc.). Arg! So a few ?'s from those with experience:

1) Possums don't do this, do they? I keep releasing them, thinking
them
harmless. In the past I've seen snails shells outside the pond,
too, but
could possums ALSO be doing the trashing?

2) I my backyard is enclosed with a 6' fence, so the coons can't see
the
pond, but they can hear the dribble of the waterfall. Would it do
any good
to move the hose each night so it doesn't make a dribbling sound, or
will
these varmints smell the pond or something?

I need to trap this new one, I know, but I'd like to dissuade future
bandits
from even climbing over.