Last year the raccoon tromped iris island.
This year he is after the dog food.
So far it is raccoon 3, homeowners 0.

DH thought he had the lid to the dog food storage
down tight. Didn't work. We moved the dog food to
another container and put two heavy pottery bowls
with plants on it. Last night one of them hit the deck
and broke at 1am and I caught the raccoon bending
back the lid (this is not an easy feat!).
Raccoon kept coming back every few minutes until
I got DH out of bed, armed us with a broom and went
out and rescued the dog food and brought it indoors.

Next plan DH plans to bungy cord the original container
shut..... anyone want to place bets?

k :-)

Okay, did some more research and we don't even
want this animal in the yard at all. Too much disease
in the poop and not good for people with impaired
immune systems to get anywhere near it. So DH
is trying to find the animal control place to rent
a humane trap. Doing all sorts of research about
how to properly handle trapped animal and remain
safe. Will also move the dog food into the house
and attempt to work around it (our house was not
build for anything as silly as storage!).

k :-0

On Fri, 16 May 2008 15:38:09 EDT, kathy wrote:

Last year the raccoon tromped iris island.
This year he is after the dog food.
So far it is raccoon 3, homeowners 0.

DH thought he had the lid to the dog food storage
down tight. Didn't work. We moved the dog food to
another container and put two heavy pottery bowls
with plants on it. Last night one of them hit the deck
and broke at 1am and I caught the raccoon bending
back the lid (this is not an easy feat!).
Raccoon kept coming back every few minutes until
I got DH out of bed, armed us with a broom and went
out and rescued the dog food and brought it indoors.

Next plan DH plans to bungy cord the original container
shut..... anyone want to place bets?

k :-)

I have had some rather negative experiences with raccoons. In the
campground at the Okefenokee Swamp I was putting up my tent and turned
around to see a raccoon sitting on the fender of my car drinking my
Pepsi. Down in the Everglades I thought I'd secured my cooler lid
with bungee straps, but the raccoons got in anyway and stole all my
food. The darn things will actually chew through metal cans. So the
next time I went down I pop riveted a hasp on the cooler and put a
clip on it. It took the raccoons a little longer, but they got that
open too. So I made up a cooler with a combination padlock (I lose
keys) -- it looked pretty silly and I got a lot of grief from folks
when I'd take it to other campgrounds, but it was the only way I found
to keep the (*^%$#) raccoons out.

We went camping once and wedged our cooler under the seat of a picnic table,
figured the little buggers couldn't get the lid open and get in that way.
We got back to the camp and the hotdog buns and weiner packages were lying
around the campsite!!

"Galen Hekhuis" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 16 May 2008 15:38:09 EDT, kathy wrote:

Last year the raccoon tromped iris island.
This year he is after the dog food.
So far it is raccoon 3, homeowners 0.

DH thought he had the lid to the dog food storage
down tight. Didn't work. We moved the dog food to
another container and put two heavy pottery bowls
with plants on it. Last night one of them hit the deck
and broke at 1am and I caught the raccoon bending
back the lid (this is not an easy feat!).
Raccoon kept coming back every few minutes until
I got DH out of bed, armed us with a broom and went
out and rescued the dog food and brought it indoors.

Next plan DH plans to bungy cord the original container
shut..... anyone want to place bets?

k :-)

I have had some rather negative experiences with raccoons. In the
campground at the Okefenokee Swamp I was putting up my tent and turned
around to see a raccoon sitting on the fender of my car drinking my
Pepsi. Down in the Everglades I thought I'd secured my cooler lid
with bungee straps, but the raccoons got in anyway and stole all my
food. The darn things will actually chew through metal cans. So the
next time I went down I pop riveted a hasp on the cooler and put a
clip on it. It took the raccoons a little longer, but they got that
open too. So I made up a cooler with a combination padlock (I lose
keys) -- it looked pretty silly and I got a lot of grief from folks
when I'd take it to other campgrounds, but it was the only way I found
to keep the (*^%$#) raccoons out.

Hi..

kathy wrote:

Last year the raccoon tromped iris island.
This year he is after the dog food.
So far it is raccoon 3, homeowners 0.

Don't worry - be happy..! :-)

The illegal aliens here (raccoons!) are - of course - very German _and_ easy
to see through..! *g*

Maybe the North American Raccoons might be too clever for human
beings..! :-)

And this is why I'd like to offer storing the dog food _close_ to the dogs..

Because _dogs_ are very clever , too..!

BTW: The closer the better - but not too close.. :-)

--
cu
Marco

We now have two 1/3 full bags of dogfood and two
new bags (our little darlings have diet food and tooth
tartar control food) sitting in our rather small kitchen
and dining area. I put the security bar down on the
slider just in case! That critter has me spooked!

I remember doing research that says they can take
three days to cover their territory so that would get
him back here Sunday night. (Great another work/school
night.) The trap is set out baited with kibble and marshmallows.

k :-)

raccoons are like squirrels. you really dont want to "move" them out anywhere else.
in Wisconsin I think it is illegal. they have to be killed. I put the trap, with the
squirrel in it in, in our spa filled with water. they drown fast. our house has
been under attack by the squirrels for 3 years. we have tried everything to evict
them but they chewed thru aluminum flashing to get back in. I have now trapped and
killed 2 adults and 3 young squirrels. I will continue to try and trap every single
squirrel comes near our house (I mean we are in the city!!!). the only way to get
relief from them is to kill every one that has a memory of a "free" meal. Ingrid

On Fri, 16 May 2008 17:38:20 EDT, kathy wrote:

Okay, did some more research and we don't even
want this animal in the yard at all. Too much disease
in the poop and not good for people with impaired
immune systems to get anywhere near it. So DH
is trying to find the animal control place to rent
a humane trap. Doing all sorts of research about
how to properly handle trapped animal and remain
safe. Will also move the dog food into the house
and attempt to work around it (our house was not
build for anything as silly as storage!).

k :-0

Doing some research and so many different
states and localities have different laws.
Who knew?!
Our state fish and wildlife says don't move them
outside their territory.
We're hoping he comes back, sees our hopefully
new raccoon proof box and then gets caught in the
trap and the whole experience disgusts him to the
point he doesn't come back.

DH got the idea after I told him about Galen's combination
lock cooler. He said 'what about a locked truck tool box?'
Expensive.... BUT a ponding friend had been trying to sell
one for a year, no luck, so we bought it from her. DH built
it a box to rest in and now we have a tough, locked box
off the ground (that's a nice benefit!).

So tonight is the second night for the trap.
k :-)

Was at the emergency vet once with my dog when the owner of a Labrador came
in with her's. Seems as though the dog had gotten into a fight with the
raccoon and the raccoon tore the dog's throat open and the dog died.



--
"kathy" wrote in message
...
We now have two 1/3 full bags of dogfood and two
new bags (our little darlings have diet food and tooth
tartar control food) sitting in our rather small kitchen
and dining area. I put the security bar down on the
slider just in case! That critter has me spooked!

I remember doing research that says they can take
three days to cover their territory so that would get
him back here Sunday night. (Great another work/school
night.) The trap is set out baited with kibble and marshmallows.

k :-)

"JB" wrote:
Was at the emergency vet once with my dog when the owner of a Labrador
came in with her's. Seems as though the dog had gotten into a fight with
the raccoon and the raccoon tore the dog's throat open and the dog died.

Friend of a friend had a Collie that attacked a raccoon. 'Coon rolled over
and with one swipe of his hind legs gutted that collie from sternum to
stern. Same result. No vet needed, just a shovel. Happened right in the
exercise area of a riding acadamy where I was working. Guess which $20 a
week wrangler got to clean it up?

Raccoon belonged to the owner and was very friendly. Caught a lot of rats,
too!

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

On Tue, 20 May 2008 10:07:56 EDT, Nick Cramer wrote:

Raccoon belonged to the owner and was very friendly. Caught a lot of rats,
too!

Raccoons eat rats?

I've got a rat raiding my squirrel feeder that I'm not too happy about, but
I can't see the lazy-fat-dog-food-snitching raccoon doing anything about
it. I've got to figure out a way to trap it, where I don't end up trapping
a squirrel. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

So far - no caught raccoon, no sign that he has even
been back and seen our wonderful dog food container.
We get to keep the trap a week.
k :-)

~ jan wrote:
On Tue, 20 May 2008 10:07:56 EDT, Nick Cramer
[]
Raccoons eat rats?
[ . . . ]

This guy spent a lot of time in the hayloft and around the office. If
they're otherwise well fed, they probably wouldn't bother hunting. It may
be that his mere presence scared the rats off. Never found rat droppings
around the grain bin. We had about 30 horses, some hack, some boarded. 55
years ago.

--
Nick. Support severely wounded and disabled Veterans and their families!
I've known US vets who served as far back as the Spanish American War. They
are all my heroes! Thank a Veteran and Support Our Troops. You are not
forgotten. Thanks ! ! ~Semper Fi~

~ jan wrote:
On Tue, 20 May 2008 10:07:56 EDT, Nick Cramer wrote:

Raccoon belonged to the owner and was very friendly. Caught a lot of rats,
too!

Raccoons eat rats?

Raccoons are actually members of the bear family - meaning they are
omnivores. We just bought some baby chicks (layers) - I'm kind of
worried about moving them outside.. not for the coyotes, but the 'coons.

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
"Usenet really is all about standing around and hitting the ground
with clubs, on a spot where many years earlier a dead horse lay."

The trap tripped the other night but nobody was inside.
Tonight is the last night and then it goes back.
No gnaw marks on the new kibble storage device
so that's probably a good sign.
DH has decided it was his performance with the
kitchen broom that turned the tide.

k :-)