I know that our neighborhood is crawling with raccoons, but I am nervous about what I saw today. To back up, last weekend the neighbor's weiner dogs had a coon treed on our property line. I was never so glad to hear them yapping! This was about 4 o'clock in the afternoon. I got tired of waiting for it to come down, and hoped that it would leave and not return.
Tonight I came home about 5:30 and caught the coon out of the corner of my eye in the vegetable garden. It took off, but I eventually caught it scaling a tree somewhat near the coop. I waited around, came back about 1/2 hour later and followed it along the top of the fence to the backyard, where I lost it. During this time, we came face to face about 10' apart. I could clearly see teats--does this mean it is a momma? She does not seem very afraid of me, but I don't think she is rabid. (BTW my neighbors down the street FEED the raccoons!)
I feel pretty secure about the tightness of the coop house, but I am nervous about the top of the run. If she worked on it during the day, she probably could get in. I have not seen any sign of an animal trying to get into the run (or coop) so far.
The only gun we have is a BB gun--could that kill a raccoon? Should I try to trap her? I wish it wasn't a momma coon. Should I put electricity around the coop and run? The fact that she is strolling around in the middle of the day, apparently looking for food, has me completely unnerved. I think I'm going to go out now and put flour out...
Tonight I came home about 5:30 and caught the coon out of the corner of my eye in the vegetable garden. It took off, but I eventually caught it scaling a tree somewhat near the coop. I waited around, came back about 1/2 hour later and followed it along the top of the fence to the backyard, where I lost it. During this time, we came face to face about 10' apart. I could clearly see teats--does this mean it is a momma? She does not seem very afraid of me, but I don't think she is rabid. (BTW my neighbors down the street FEED the raccoons!)
I feel pretty secure about the tightness of the coop house, but I am nervous about the top of the run. If she worked on it during the day, she probably could get in. I have not seen any sign of an animal trying to get into the run (or coop) so far.
The only gun we have is a BB gun--could that kill a raccoon? Should I try to trap her? I wish it wasn't a momma coon. Should I put electricity around the coop and run? The fact that she is strolling around in the middle of the day, apparently looking for food, has me completely unnerved. I think I'm going to go out now and put flour out...