I live in the suburbs on less than an acre, but my lot backs up to woods where I have seen deer, turkey, opposums and skunks. I knew them pesky raccoons were out there somewhere. A few weeks back I found raccoon tracks in the snow. Chickens were fine and it appeared that the coon had checked out the one side of the run and left. Tonight I went to close the coop door ( a bit late at 930pm). When I opened the door to the run, I heard the run roof bouncing around. I looked up and saw a raccoon scooting up the tree that runs from the middle of the run up and out. It's not a very big tree so I started yelling at the coon and kicking the tree which had him swaying in the top of it. I then went and got a powerful water gun and my dog and did my best to scare the hell out of him. I can't shoot a gun here, and it's not his fault really so I don't think I could kill him even I was allowed to shoot. Well there is no where to go from that tree, so i had to go back in and wait til he came back down. When I saw him starting down I ran back out but that sucker must have made a hell of a run for it because I didn't see him at all when i got to the coop. My girls are safe tonight and I am hoping the coon is too scared to try again. I am also hoping that since I have had at least two visits and my girls are ok that my coop is safe. Fingers crossed.