My nerves are SHOT!

[justusnak]

I get up this morning.....everything is " normal" Feed the hogs....let the free roamers out....feed and water everyone...and pull a few weeds. DH is on the front porch, drinking his coffee....so I go join him for a cup. We are sitting there talking...just watching the chickens....when he spots them!!
A mother coon, and 3 little ones...coming out of the field across the road..and head straight into the thicket...NEXT TO THE COOPS!!! I run and get my .22 and fire a few shots into the thicket...then with hammer in hand...I go around and TRY to secure all the coops. My stomach is in knots! We have never seen a coon around here. I mean, I know they are here, I know there are coyotes as well. Last week, I was in the garage, just getting ready to close the back door, when I hear something running in the woods behind the house...I look out, and there goes 2 coyotes. Less than 30 feet from my back door!! Again, I run and get the gun....and fire a few shots after them.
We live next to Jefferson Proveing grounds...its a place where the military go " practice war" Then just up the road is another place...Muskatatuck Urban Training and Developement. Another military training place. In the last few weeks they both have been very active....Fake bombs going off...helicopters flying all hours of the night doing manuevers...rapid fire weapons going off....UGH!! The wildlife are on the run...and all seem to be running right through here!!!!All doors are locked up tight...baby monitors on...but I just know I wont sleep a wink!

hopeing they all are just passing through...and keep going elsewhere!!

 

[panner123]

Next time, take aim before you fire. A well placed shot ends your worries about that predator. Had you shot the mother coon, the little ones won't be coming back either. It is that or lose your chickens.

 

[PoultryPedia]

I hope it's as you hope and you just need to help the predators shuttle through quickly without endangering your pets, as the predators are seeking safety. Sounds TRULY nerve-wracking.

 

[josh_bigler]

thats always my biggest fears, a dang coon getting my whole flock! my Golden retriever has killed 3 coons in the past 3 weeks! but im not going to trust him on getting everything, he'll end up getting hurt sometime, so we are installing electric fencing around everything, expensive route to go, but when it comes to the safety for my chickens i'll spend the few hundred dollars! lol, Glad to hear that Nothing got hurt! except the coons though, to bad they didnt take a bite of that .22 bullet! lol

 

[justusnak]

Well, everyone was safe and sound this morning. Altho they were NOT happy about being locked in untill 7am. Nothing in the traps either...I guess they were just running through. Whew! I hope they keep going.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

Sorry Deb, hope things calm down for you

 

[cmom]

Quote:
First, I put out a critter cam and captured a racoon. Next I trapped it in a have a heart trap. Then shot it and burried it. There are so many around here where I live. Ocassionally I see them dead in the road.

 

[Miltonchix]

Quote:
I too live on the edge of a Military testing/practice range. 5 to 7 nights a week they are shooting, bombing and who knows what all. The critters around here don't even take notice anymore. To them its just another day in the neighborhood.
Myself, I kinda enjoy watching the AC-130's flying in circles shooting at the ground and the F-15's chasing one another in mock dogfights. To me its the sound of freedom!!