Apology To Mr. Racoon

[Shannonwbl]

We are so proud of our first garden and enjoying all our veggies. In the last couple of days I have noticed that someone is helping themselves to my ripening tomatoes. At the same time I have noticed more raccoon prints around my barn. Being the detective that I am, I added 2+2 and concluded that the coon has developed a taste for tomatoes. Fearing that chicken is next on the menu, even though my girls are locked in tight every night, I decided it was time to take action and bought and set a trap last night. No coon last night, but again this afternoon I noticed more tomatoes on the ground half-eaten. Then on second look I noticed our pullets were among the plants pecking away at my tomatoes! Arghhhhh!

I am sorry Mr. Coon for blaming you.

On a possibly related and more perplexing note, I have a live trap for mice in my barn and last night there were three mice in it. I woke this morning to clean stalls and do some chores. I planned to take care of the mice by introducing them to the flock but the trap was no-where to be found.

Could a raccoon have CARRIED off a book sized live trap? It is in a feed "stall" with concrete floors and a 3 1/2 foot stall door it would have had to climb over. I have already proven that I am NO detective with the tomato caper. Is it safe to blame a coon for kidnapping mice?

 

[Emzyyy]

LOL I don't know if the ratcoon could carry it off. I am guessing they can if they can break into coops the way they do.

 

[danielbrown]

Never underestimate a coon.

 

[bigkford]

Not only do my chickens eat our tomatoes I have three cats that go and dine on them too. They like the taste of my tomatillies. My dogs like green beans and lettuce. This year we put a fence around the garden but they still get in.

 

[Shannonwbl]

I resend my apology!

Since it cooled off this afternoon my boys and I did some snooping around and found the mouse trap, or what we FORMERLY called a mouse trap. It was 15 yards from the barn in pieces.

I am still having trouble believing it. This thing must be part MONKEY and based on the size of the footprints and the fact that it carried the trap off like that it is likely a whopper too!

I posted pics below and will set the coon trap again tonight. I will also be dead-bolting my doors and leaving the lights on!


The feed stall where the live trap was:

Incriminating footprints leaving the scene of the crime:

15 yards away where we found the empty trap in pieces:

 

[cw]

yea i fixing to post that coons like those little shiney mouse traps, they like shiney things any, as far as the coon goes if he has been snoopin around and figure out there is food there he will become a problem sooner or later

 

[Brindlebtch]

I saw squirrels, rats, mockingbirds, bluejays, cardinals and woodpeckers dine on our tomatoes. They probably got 25% of the tomatoes this year but it was so hot and dry I think the wildlife was desperate.

 

[redhen]

Smart little things arent they?!

He must have been like, "Wow!, She packed me a lunch box this time!(as he was carrying off the little mouse trap) What a nice lady!" Little does he know your plotting his demise..

 

[Shannonwbl]

Quote:
You betcha. It is game on! I hope he fits in the trap though. He tripped it last night and dug around it a bit but the can of cat food is still there tempting him. If I HAD a mouse trap I would dangle one by the tail for added encouragement.

 

[antlers]

Most likely he got his front paw stuck in the hole the mice go in as he was reaching in to get the mice and got that far out of the barn before he got badly ticked and ripped it apart to get his paw out.