I had my koi's eaten also and found it to be in the city raccoons. I got
me one of these
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90218
and baited it woth marshmellows. But be warned you will have to haul 20 to
30 raccoons (maybe more) to a very far away place (at least 20 miles) and
release them.

Dusty wrote:
I had my koi's eaten also and found it to be in the city raccoons. I got
me one of these
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90218
and baited it woth marshmellows. But be warned you will have to haul 20 to
30 raccoons (maybe more) to a very far away place (at least 20 miles) and
release them.


They will only come back. If you have that many raccoons they will
repopulate and come back.

I would suggest a net or a means of keeping them away from the pond such
as a sprinkler or high voltage wire.

On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:31:42 CST, Dusty wrote:

I had my koi's eaten also and found it to be in the city raccoons. I got
me one of these
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90218
and baited it woth marshmellows. But be warned you will have to haul 20 to
30 raccoons (maybe more) to a very far away place (at least 20 miles) and
release them.

I agree with CP in the use of hot wire or motion sprinkler, there are worst
things than raccoons, like skunks. Now skunks don't catch fish (though some
say they can, and I'm sure there are probably exceptions to the rule), but
they can make outside a miserable place to be.

I had a raccoon hit my pond, thankfully getting no fish, but making a mess
none the less. I put up a motion sprinkler and didn't have any problems
after that.

My neighbor chose to catch the rascal the next spring and soon after the
skunks moved in. Every dog in the neighborhood got hit that summer, it was
a rare night that one could leave the windows open. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State

~ jan wrote:
On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:31:42 CST, Dusty wrote:

I had my koi's eaten also and found it to be in the city raccoons. I got
me one of these
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90218
and baited it woth marshmellows. But be warned you will have to haul 20 to
30 raccoons (maybe more) to a very far away place (at least 20 miles) and
release them.

I agree with CP in the use of hot wire or motion sprinkler, there are worst
things than raccoons, like skunks. Now skunks don't catch fish (though some
say they can, and I'm sure there are probably exceptions to the rule), but
they can make outside a miserable place to be.

I had a raccoon hit my pond, thankfully getting no fish, but making a mess
none the less. I put up a motion sprinkler and didn't have any problems
after that.

My neighbor chose to catch the rascal the next spring and soon after the
skunks moved in. Every dog in the neighborhood got hit that summer, it was
a rare night that one could leave the windows open. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State


Skunks do catch fish and I bet they are better than raccoons. When my
fish went missing a couple of years ago I automatically assumed a
raccoon. One night I was patient enough to watch my garden from inside
my house after it got dark. I noticed an animal getting close to the
pond so I turned on the patio lights and there it was ....a skunk.

It slowly made a u-turn and slowly went away. Can't believe such a slow
animal could catch fish. The good think about skunks is that if you
seal the entrance to your yard they will normally not climb a fence
whereas a raccoon will.

~ jan wrote:

Ah.... but see, it sounds like you're assuming. When someone actually
witnesses a skunk catching a fish I'll be more apt to believe. Not saying
you are wrong, but it goes against the nature information about skunks and
what they do eat... dare I say, by people who have researched skunks. ;-)



True I never did actually see the skunk eat the fish but it was too much
of a coincidence that when my fish went missing that skunk showed up. I
caught it right at the ledge of my pond. When my fish went missing the
plants are knocked all over the place.

Since then I made sure that my perimeter fencing is totally sealed from
anything bigger than a mouse. So far no missing fish.

From Wikipedia

Feeding

Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material but mostly
meat.

They eat invertebrates (insects and their larvae, found by digging, and
earthworms)

as well as small vertebrates (rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs,
snakes, birds and eggs).

In the absence of insects or other prey, skunks eat wild fruits and
large seeds.

In settled areas, skunks also seek human garbage.

No mention of fish but I bet they would eat them if caught. My pond is
also very small (8' X 4') and only 2' deep so there is nowhere to hide
for the fish if trapped.

©anadian Ponder wrote:

~ jan wrote:

Ah.... but see, it sounds like you're assuming. When someone actually
witnesses a skunk catching a fish I'll be more apt to believe. Not saying
you are wrong, but it goes against the nature information about skunks
and what they do eat... dare I say, by people who have researched skunks.
;-)

True I never did actually see the skunk eat the fish but it was too much
of a coincidence that when my fish went missing that skunk showed up. I
caught it right at the ledge of my pond. When my fish went missing the
plants are knocked all over the place.


I just _know_ I've seen something on the web that says skunks eat fish (not
as a high priority, but that it happens), but given that (a) it's on the
web, and (b) I can't remember where, it obviously isn't terribly
reliable :-)

They're pretty omnivorous, and fairly dextrous, so I don't put it beyond
belief, but they're simply not as big as raccoons, so they don't have as
much access (they can't reach as far) to the fish.
--
derek

In article ,
~ jan wrote:

On Tue, 20 Mar 2007 10:31:42 CST, Dusty wrote:

I had my koi's eaten also and found it to be in the city raccoons. I got
me one of these
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=90218
and baited it woth marshmellows. But be warned you will have to haul 20 to
30 raccoons (maybe more) to a very far away place (at least 20 miles) and
release them.

I agree with CP in the use of hot wire or motion sprinkler, there are worst
things than raccoons, like skunks. Now skunks don't catch fish (though some
say they can, and I'm sure there are probably exceptions to the rule), but
they can make outside a miserable place to be.

I had a raccoon hit my pond, thankfully getting no fish, but making a mess
none the less. I put up a motion sprinkler and didn't have any problems
after that.

My neighbor chose to catch the rascal the next spring and soon after the
skunks moved in. Every dog in the neighborhood got hit that summer, it was
a rare night that one could leave the windows open. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State

A friend of mine who lives in rural Oak Creek canyon, Sedona AZ has a
3000+ Gallon pond. Uses a motion detector sprinkler to keep the critters
away. Work well. Hasn't lost any Koi.

--
To reply by email, remove the word "space"

Derek Broughton wrote:
They're pretty omnivorous, and fairly dextrous, so I don't put it beyond
belief, but they're simply not as big as raccoons, so they don't have as
much access (they can't reach as far) to the fish.

They eat fish according to this web page.


http://muextension.missouri.edu/expl...ife/g09454.htm

On Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:45:24 CST, ©anadian Ponder "
wrote:

They eat fish according to this web page.
http://muextension.missouri.edu/expl...ife/g09454.htm

I have no doubt that they will EAT fish, I just can't see them fishing one
out.... but it would all depend on the type of pond, an opportunity I'm
sure.

Hopefully RPM will rebuild with hundreds of members again and someone will
actually catch one in the act.... especially now days with all the web
cams. ;-) ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State