Okies in the BYC The Original

[Ivyblaze]

Hey everyone!! Question I posted on predators page...yesterday at 4:30 I went out to the front porch and fed my two cats a couple mins later my dogs were going nuts...a female coon was on my porch eating the cat food!! She was drooling everywhere...all over the concrete the bowl and herself....not sure if she is rabid or not as I went to get the gun I tryed to open the door and she charged the door at me...by the time I could get outside she was trying to run off but the shot was not a safe one as the bullet from this gun would have went through her and probably ricocheted. There was no safe zone to have and then when I did have one I didn't have time to draw down and shoot that fast. I'm a dang good shot but she was hauling the mail out of there....So anyone think this is something I should be worried about....have to feed the cats later and don't know if she will be back or not....my gut says something is wrong with her and needs to be dealt with before one of my animals gets hurt. My animals have had their shots. But my dogs kill any coon they can find....
This is the fourth sick coon we have seen lately (last 2 weeks). The other three have already been dealt with. Not sure what in the world is going on.

 

[Sooner]

That doesn't sound good. I would think that most likely it will be back, you know what they say about a free meal. Is there anyway that you can feed in a spot that will give you a safe zone to shoot? Other than that set a live trap with the food in it for the coon.

 

[Grace'sDad]

Quote:
Sounds more like distemper than rabies:
Here is some information I found about distemper:
Raccoons can acquire canine distemper, a viral disease that infects foxes, coyotes, skunks, and unvaccinated dogs. The disease does not affect humans. The disease is more likely to occur when raccoon populations are large or concentrated. Wildlife biologists note that it seems to run in cycles of 5-7 years. Not all raccoons get the disease and many do survive these outbreaks.

The disease is spread when animals have direct contact with body fluids or droppings from an infected animal. Distemper is always present in the environment, so the best prevention for dogs is to make sure they are vaccinated. Contact your vet to make sure your dog’s shots are current.

Symptoms of distemper may include discharge from the nose and eyes, a rough coat of hair, emaciated appearance, and unusual behavior such as disorientation or wandering aimlessly. The animals’ symptoms become progressively worse and the disease is usually fatal. Distemper is not the same disease as rabies, although some symptoms are similar.

Keep children and pets away from sick raccoons. As the disease progresses, the animal may appear calm, but can become aggressive if approached too closely.

To discourage raccoons, remove attractants from your yard

* Feed pets indoors. If you feed outdoors, bring in feeding bowls right after pets have eaten.
* Make sure garbage cans are secure and can’t be knocked over or their lids removed. Put garbage cans in a closed garage or storage shed. You can also secure them by tying them to a stable object or by putting a long stake through the handle and driving it into the ground.
* If you have a compost pile with fruit and vegetable scraps, make sure compost is securely covered in bins that raccoons can’t access.

Sick raccoons may pass through your yard and move on. If a raccoon dies in your yard, bury it deep enough so pets won’t dig it up.

 

[Ivyblaze]

Already on it....I'm gonna feed today on the front sidewalk...I'm gonna set up near the driveway and shoot towards the woods if she is stupid enough to come back today during the day and still looks ill she will have to go be healthy with god. I will have a safe zone shot this way. Rule of thumb I always live by is not just to look at the animal but to look at everything behind the animal as well in case the bullet goes through. You don't want to take a shot if it is not safe in every way. Could have been she was just hungry which I doubt...but if she is sick I don't want her to suffer either. I have never seen rabies but would not be surprised if that is what she has.

 

[al6517]

Quote:
LOL no just spoiled............... she has always had a receiver in her room but it crapped the bed last week and I promised her a DVR now her new one is better than our main DVR in the living room sheeesh hehehehe. I to love to skip commercials though.

AL

 

[mjgigax]

I'm here, just pooped. Here are better pics of my new Lavender Cochin. I am learning more about my camera.

 

[nnbreeder]

Ivy that coon was definatly sick, remember they don't make much saliva and that is why they like to wet their food before eating. If that thing was drooling watch out.

Here is a page on rabies here in the state

http://www.ok.gov/health/Disease,_P...sease_Service/Disease_Information/Rabies.html



Had a blast over at Matts last night and I was glad to be able to help him. We talked chicken till way in the night.

 

[nnbreeder]

Quote:
That is a good looking chick.

 

[Ivyblaze]

Quote:
Ok then...wonder if I should call the game warden tomorrow? I couldnt believe the amount of drool this coon was producing literally looked like hooch in that movie...

 

[Ivyblaze]

Well it scared me when she charged the door at me....and all i could think was the BF had told me before whenever you see a nocturnal animal out in the daytime something is very very wrong...
The bF is friends with our counties game warden he says he will call him in the morning and let him know what is going on....like I said this is the fourth sick or wierd coon we have seen in the past two weeks we killed the other three so whatever this is is spreading.