Coon in the daytime!

[Ibicella]

It may well be a female with cubs. Around February is usually when they start having babies.

Raccoons out in the day time is not usual, but not as uncommon as folks would think. If it's not sick, then it's very likely either a nursing mother or very hungry because of the snow.

And they LOVE corn!

 

[darkmatter]

It's rare for me to see Raccoons out during the day, but I have from time to time. There has usually been problems with them, I've shot them to find them emaciated with hunger or disease maybe. I've found them sleeping during the day in the mulberry trees and the grape arbor--I guess too stuffed to waddle back to their den, and after I found them, they were too "leaded" down to make it back.

 

[thepremo1]

i maybe crazy, but i would have unloaded on the thing.

 

[Uzuri]

Quote:
Which would have been incredibly difficult from the next county over, where I was.

Haven't seen it since, but we've had some Canada geese settle in between the coop and the cornfield, which I'm hoping will have the coon think twice before coming close. I know I wouldn't want to cross one of those geese if I had a choice.

 

[beckymom3]

Raccoons devastated my flock one afternoon BEFORE DARK when they were in the run and not yet up for the night safe and sound in their coop. I realize now I was in the habit of throwing out ears of corn for the flock and wonder if that was one of the things that attracted the raccoons to the yard in the first place. I know they LOVE chicken, but still, I think I'll avoid corn in the yard from now on....

I also fantasize about elaborate ways to super reinforce the fencing and yard....my favorite being a grenade launcher that detects raccoons automatically!

 

[4dabirds]

Coons are mostly nocturnal and will "hibernate" through the really cold parts of the winter. I agree it wouldn't be uncommon for a coon to be out on a nice afternoon trying to fill up and get ready for spring. If I was gonna go after a coon in the daytime I would go to where I think the den is and put my Dennis Kirklands Coon Puppies tape in my daughter's tape player. They come running and ready to fight off the noise from the tape. I'm new to chickens but I've been a fur trapper for several years.

 

[aprophet]

most of the sexally mature males are looking for girlfriends at this point of the year it is kina a round the clock activity for them I see them a fox and coyotes round the clock here that and occaisional bobcats , no worries I have their control all figured out

 

[Uzuri]

Well thankfully I haven't seen him (or her) for almost two weeks, so I'm hoping it was the coon version of a midnight snack and that now that the weather's a little more normal around here he;ll stick to what the Encyclopedia says he's supposed to do

If I can just keep going for another 6 weeks... A fort Knox run rebuild is in the works, but I've got to wait until we dry out some.

 

[plumberroy]

You guys do realize most predators are game animals. Unless they are actively harrassing live stock shooting them is illegal.. walking across the corn field across the road doesn't make him a threat to you chickens in the eyes of the D.N.R. officer
Roy