First sighting of a raccoon on our property

[TennesseeTruly]

3 am the 4 dogs start barking at the back door. I got up to see what all the ruckus was. Sure enough, there was a HUGE raccoon running into the woods rght past my duck pen.

I was tempted to open the door and let the dogs out but we have coyotes out there and I don't want to lose my dogs to coyotes.

I'm surprised that it took this long for us to actually see one since we live amongst 35 acres of woods. We've lived here since November 2008. Hubby has been telling me that I'm an alarmist because I insisted on building the replicas of Fort Knox for the duck and chicken coops/pens because we hadn't seen a raccoon/possum/any other kind of predators except for a few hawks and eagles.

I told him that we live in 35 acres of woods...what does he think? That they all moved away because we moved here. UGH! Thankfully HE saw the raccoon running away too so I don't have to convince him that it was actually here.

Like I told him, I don't hate raccoons, I understand their predatory nature. But I'm not opening an all night diner for them to eat at their leisure. I'll be purchasing a trap today so he/she can be dispatched of...post haste.

Oh. And what was said raccoon after? The garbage that dear hubby left outside!!

Laurie

 

[SandyRiverChick]

HI! This happened to me last night too! My first racoon encounter. I feel bad for trashing my dog in another thread (I said that she doesnt care about the chickens so wouldnt be a good protector) because she is that one that alerted us. First she barked a bit and then took off out our open porch door. I heard the most evil noises ever! There were 2 of them and we think they were fighting with each other, while traveling from the woods to our chicken run and then of course they were trying to get away from my dog - my giant, sweet, gentle newfoundland. She tree'd one of them, the other ran away. We just stared at it for about 30mins with a flashlight then decided the only way it would come down and take off was for us to go inside. But now what? It was only 1 hour after I locked the girls up for the night! Just like you, it's forth knox for them at night in thier house + run. But during the day, they range around our fenced 1 acre. I havent processed it enough to know how I feel about trapping/killing the racoons but I guess I better figure out my stance soon! Do you think they would ever be a day time problem? Uggghhhh I just want them to go far away and stay off our property.....

 

[homeschoolingchick]

You'd better believe they can be a day time problem! We had a HUGE raccoon that raided our ducks and chickens last winter and this spring. We lost over half our flock. He would come in the morning around 7:00 - broad daylight here before I finally saw how he was getting in. We thought our electric fence would keep him out. No such luck - the rascal scampered over our our gate, hit the electric wire and flinched and bounded on over. That electric fence is strong enough that it makes grown men yell when they bump it... So now all the birds are locked up until at least 8:00a.m. (which they don't like much!).

 

[enola]

If your dogs had caught the raccoon, he would have done more damage than a coyote would.

 

[Kennyog]

A friend of mine just lost 35 good laying hens to a over night raccoon attack.You have to get rid of them.They will keep coming back no matter what.

 

[genabeana]

You can't be too safe - forget about the "fort knox" poking fun. It only takes one night for them to decimate your coop. LOCK THEM UP GOOD!

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Yep, I'm clear on my "stance" now... I was defintelly worried for my dog. The snarls they were making were downright vicious, like a wolverine! I guess I let Washington got into my head there for a sec... I'm from Alaska where lets just say it - laws are fewer, and you have the right to take racoon or porcupine (they can seriously mess up your dogs) control into your own hands - in most areas... Here however.... I swear you need a permit to blow your own nose! Just dont want to get into trouble, but I do know how to get rid of them!

 

[rainplace]

I'm also in Washington and am not allowed to do anything to cull the horrible raccoon problem. I see them out all times of day, not just at night. I've seen them at miday chasing my cats.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

Oh wow... My nieghbor said that she heard they only come out during the day if they have rabies! No idea where she got that info... Do you have cayote probs? I assumed that we are safe from cayotes with the 6ft. wood fence but the racoons use it as a nice safe way to travel right over top of the blackberry bushes.

 

[Debi214]

We have trapped and removed 5 raccoons so far after we noticed that the 2 hens were missing one morning - nothing but blood and feathers left behind. The door was pulled open and only a raccoon would be able to do that. Sure enough - here is what we caught:
This is the mamma

then we caught the babies......I felt kinda bad for them..........

the other 2 raccoons I guess were relatives of some sort
edited to add that there was a third little raccoon but it was killed by a car 2 days before these were caught