Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[chickflick]

Hi RaZ! Glad you are feeling good enough to take walks. Hope your sleep problems resolve themselves.

(RaZ is recovering from heart surgery)

Happy 4th! Be safe!

 

[audy5000g]

Hi RaZ!  Glad you are feeling good enough to take walks.  Hope your sleep problems resolve themselves.

(RaZ is recovering from heart surgery)

Happy 4th!   Be safe!   

Oh, wow. That's crazy. I do pray for quick healing.

 

[1muttsfan]

That is so cool Raz, love to see wildlife.

I had some nuthatches use their special ESP power on me yesterday. I was out watering, and a group of them kept flying down by where I was watering, flying up onto a low branch in a cedar just above, and staring hard at me. So I moved a little farther away, and they came down and had a bath in the water that was beaded up on my giant-leafed hostas. Interesting how they obviously knew what they wanted me to do, and got me to do it. And people call animals dumb.

 

[bigmrg74]

Got one of my Rangers out in the smoker right now. the smoke is blowing towards the layer's pen. Sure hope that motivates some ladies as I only have 3 eggs in the fridge right now, all laid this morning.

 

[bigmrg74]

That Ranger turned out to be pretty good.

 

[Folly's place]

 

[wannahomestead]

Oh man, had myself a visitor this evening. I stepped outside to do something, I can't even remember why now. I turned the light on outside and heard some kind of rustling noise. I looked in that general direction and saw what looked like little eyes and something run by. Raccoon! I ran inside and grabbed my flashlight and my .22 because it ran off in the direction of the coop, and my ducks were sleeping in the run. I have welded wire around the run, but it's 1x2 so a smaller critter could definitely reach through/squeeze in (eventually will add hw cloth to this).

I found the raccoon, and it was a small thing. It must be juvenile. I hollered at it, and it seemed real unsure about what to do. It sort of approached me a bit, then backed off. Eventually it ran across the yard and back into the corn field.

I went into the run and put the ducks up in the coop, secured all the doors, and double checked they were latched well.

What're the legalities of dispatching a raccoon if it threatens my flock? It's pretty clear when it comes to coyotes, but not so sure w/ raccoons.

 

[aart]

Oh man, had myself a visitor this evening. I stepped outside to do something, I can't even remember why now. I turned the light on outside and heard some kind of rustling noise. I looked in that general direction and saw what looked like little eyes and something run by. Raccoon! I ran inside and grabbed my flashlight and my .22 because it ran off in the direction of the coop, and my ducks were sleeping in the run. I have welded wire around the run, but it's 1x2 so a smaller critter could definitely reach through/squeeze in (eventually will add hw cloth to this).

I found the raccoon, and it was a small thing. It must be juvenile. I hollered at it, and it seemed real unsure about what to do. It sort of approached me a bit, then backed off. Eventually it ran across the yard and back into the corn field.

I went into the run and put the ducks up in the coop, secured all the doors, and double checked they were latched well.

What're the legalities of dispatching a raccoon if it threatens my flock? It's pretty clear when it comes to coyotes, but not so sure w/ raccoons.

Don't think there's any regs against dispatching a raccoon, whether it's a direct and active threat or not.
But there may be firearm regs in your area...and, as always... be very, very careful of what's beyond your target.
Would probably be easier to set up some live traps, you'll catch the whole family within a week, then shoot them.

 

[taprock]

Raccoons can be taken any time. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/nuisance_animals_quick_reference_511461_7.pdf

 

[wannahomestead]

Thanks!

I don't have any livetraps right now, but this seems like an excellent excuse to pick one up. I just want to make sure The Man(R) won't be on me over harming an innocent little chicken murderer if I walk out and find it being an active threat.