CityClucks
The Center of a 50 Mile Radius
This coon has killed one pigeon and eaten a leg off another - through the wire of their pen. When the pigeon attack happened I thought it was a cat, but since the metal pan beneath the coop was bent and torn halfway off, exposing the mesh metal floor, nnbreeder - a very credible BYC member - said it was most likely a raccoon. He was right.
We've had wet weather in Tulsa today, so about 7:00 p.m. I checked all the animals and put the outdoor cat's food on the side porch rail where it would be out of the rain. About an hour later Titus my Jack Russell Terrier, who was indoors with me, freaked. There was something on the porch. I opened the side door and Titus bolted out, snarling in the dark at what I thought was a strange cat. At first I called off the dog because in the dark the fluffy creature looked like my indoor long-haired black cat. But it wasn't a cat.
As it tried to climb up the side of the house I saw that it was a coon, so I told Titus to "Get it!" He jumped up and dragged it off the house onto the porch. Titus is maybe 20 pounds and about 12" tall.
A few months ago Titus killed what I believe to be this coon's littermate - that was very quick for the coon - a few amazingly powerful, quick, silent shakes - no blood - and it was over. I felt bad for the little raccoon, but I knew it would grow to be a predator of my poultry. But that was a few months ago, and although young, this coon was a lot bigger.
Before some of you start second guessing my choice to let the dog at the raccoon, let me say it was dark and I couldn't see how big the raccoon was until the combatants were engaged. I would not let my JRT go against a grown raccoon, and having had this experience, I wouldn't make the same decision if faced again with the same circumstances - this coon was almost 9 pounds. The fight was nasty and went on a long time. Titus is spent. The coon got some good licks in, but caused no serious wounds. (Titus has had a bath, been soaked in hydrogen peroxide, and is current on all shots.) But that's one less coon in the neighborhood.
(The camera was right inside the door.)
Note the top of the dog kennel in the background - this is my chicken run/pigeon coop housing.
We've had wet weather in Tulsa today, so about 7:00 p.m. I checked all the animals and put the outdoor cat's food on the side porch rail where it would be out of the rain. About an hour later Titus my Jack Russell Terrier, who was indoors with me, freaked. There was something on the porch. I opened the side door and Titus bolted out, snarling in the dark at what I thought was a strange cat. At first I called off the dog because in the dark the fluffy creature looked like my indoor long-haired black cat. But it wasn't a cat.
As it tried to climb up the side of the house I saw that it was a coon, so I told Titus to "Get it!" He jumped up and dragged it off the house onto the porch. Titus is maybe 20 pounds and about 12" tall.
A few months ago Titus killed what I believe to be this coon's littermate - that was very quick for the coon - a few amazingly powerful, quick, silent shakes - no blood - and it was over. I felt bad for the little raccoon, but I knew it would grow to be a predator of my poultry. But that was a few months ago, and although young, this coon was a lot bigger.
Before some of you start second guessing my choice to let the dog at the raccoon, let me say it was dark and I couldn't see how big the raccoon was until the combatants were engaged. I would not let my JRT go against a grown raccoon, and having had this experience, I wouldn't make the same decision if faced again with the same circumstances - this coon was almost 9 pounds. The fight was nasty and went on a long time. Titus is spent. The coon got some good licks in, but caused no serious wounds. (Titus has had a bath, been soaked in hydrogen peroxide, and is current on all shots.) But that's one less coon in the neighborhood.
(The camera was right inside the door.)
Note the top of the dog kennel in the background - this is my chicken run/pigeon coop housing.
