The set-up: Just yesterday 7/1, I was telling my friend Joe about the lily I
got from Muffin and how big the leaves were and he commented on how the frog
will appreciate that and I told him I haven't seen the frog in about 5
eeks - that maybe he was a victim of a raccoon, a raven or something very
negative so I sent the following e-mail to him and several other buddies
last night...

Joe:
Seems like every time we talk about something, it happens.
Title this: Where the hell are all the coyotes when you need one?
10:15 Tuesday night...

I'm sitting here in the recliner watching NYPD Blue and I look to my left
and a big ass raccoon is staring me right in the face! I had the back door
open as usual and I haven't had a screen on that door for about 5 years so
he just wanted to see what was in the house and came right in.

As soon as I yelled at him he turned and headed out but then stopped right
at the door threshold, waiting to see if I was following him. When he saw I
was he took off out the gate through the pickets. Either there was two of
them or he circled around and came onto the patio from the next door's area
as 30 seconds later there he was again. This time he climbed one of those
Italian cypress trees at the end of my patio and I couldn't see him anymore.

When I followed him to the door I noticed that my feet were getting wet as
he had tracked water in from the pond. When I looked closer at the patio, I
saw the remains of a goldfish and there were little miniature handprints all
over the patio and water all over around the pond.

A few minutes later I looked out again from the chair closest to the patio
and there he was again standing in the shallow area of the pond trying to
scoop out another fish. When I ran out to stop him, he got out of the pond
but didn't run this time and almost stood his ground...kind of surprised me
that he was so bold. Kind of freaked me out to tell the truth as he almost
looked like he was going to come after me.

Well if he's that bold, how am I ever going to discourage him from eating
all my fish while I stand by and watch?

I haven't looked at it for years as its been in with my shotgun, but I went
to the closet and dusted off my 45 year old Sheridan pellet rifle. I thought
I had some pellets but I couldn't find them and in retrospect, if you pump
the rifle 15 times or so, it can be as powerful as a 22 rifle and I didn't
want to kill the raccoon, just let him know he shouldn't come back here.

I put a wooden toothpick in the barrel and tested it on a pillow and it shot
out pretty well but only at a very close distance and after the way he
acted, I didn't think I wanted to get that close to him. While I was looking
for the pellets, I came across a bunch of golf tees. The shanks of the tees
are about the exact diameter of a pellet so I took a side cutter and cut a
bunch of them to about 3/4" and tested them...worked well.

Just about then, I look out and there he is again so I stuck the pellet gun
out the door. As I opened the door he took off for the gate but I got a shot
off and I'm pretty sure I got him in the butt. Apparently, either I missed
or it didn't phase him at all as 2 minutes later there he was again. This
time he looked right at me as I squeezed the trigger and I got him right in
the snout. I know it stung as he flinched big-time when it hit him.

I camped out near the patio door waiting for him to return and about 10
minutes later he came to the gate but didn't come in. As I'm typing this
about every paragraph, I go to the door to see if there's any sign of him
and there hasn't been any. Crossing my fingers, maybe it worked. Going to
check again right now....back....no sign of him and the water he splashed
all around is almost dried up, as is the carpeting.

If any of you guys want to do any coon hunting, come-on over tomorrow
night - no license required! Don't bring your dogs though - too noisy. *LOL*

12:20 AM Just looked again - still clear
1:30 AM - yawn - still OK
2:35 AM - getting sleepy - I don't think he's been back
4:40 AM - DAMN - I fell asleep and he came back and ate all the fish
5:30 AM - just kidding (about the 4:40 report)
BK