Raccoon Busted Stealing Feed

[centrarchid]

Looks like we are done for a while. No new sign since last raccoon caught. No time to address more pressing issues. Five hens that will be coming off nest with broods all within a week of each other. Having raccoons out of the picture will make spreading broods out in field easier.

 

[centrarchid]

BLANKITY-BLANK-BLANK

Something took out two ground roosting birds in the extreme NW corner where raccoons where coming from last night. My beautiful bamboo was shorting the fence dead as a hammer. Pass with mower caused a slow-mo collapse after I did walk through. Hen was one with only one wing while rooster was an American Dominique cock that had not need roosting up for a while. Both were taken in the night in high weeds between barn and fence.

The bamboo must be kept back at least 8' from fence or I will have to devise a way to keep it from collapsing on fence. When I passed through with mower last night I had to wear goggles and still could barely see where I was going even when going over previously cut area bordering fence. That bamboo is still growing fast because weather has been perfect.

Murder death kill time. Live traps will be re-positioned and dog proof traps will be positioned exactly where I think critters are coming in. One will be strapped to rooster carcass. I hope predator ID incorrect with perp being GHO as that can be stopped by simply penning all birds. Hen I think was roosting vegetation too thick for GHO to hunt.

Issue needs to be resolved tonight because I am leaving town for a few days.

When I get back perimeter will be reset to encompass the bamboo. That is going to be a lot of work.

 

[centrarchid]

Troops organizing. Friend up for challenge will be out this evening to put out some serious sets. Student and I back tracked kill sight to find where encounter started for rooster. Hen's end started within 10 feet of that. She was hiding in ragweed. A trap or two will be set in those locations. Likely point of entry (same a earlier) will have a set or two there. Dominique carcass will have a trap. You can see where raccoon drug rooster carcass in parallel to fence towards location I think it came in. Barn will be a minefield as far as raccoon is concerned. Fence tweaked to funnel foe to concentration of traps.

Two game cams will be positioned, one on carcass and likely opening in fence and other over broody hen pens. Last pass nobody came in after feed so must be in carnivore mode.

Dogs and student will be trained to work together. Student is not familiar with firearms. Dogs must stay back so traps can do their work. Only if a chicken screams will dogs be released.

Hopefully I will get this resolved so student does not have this issue to deal with. Not knowing dogs and how to work in tight confines can get another pen destroyed. The dogs have no problem ruining a cage by chewing through it.

 

[aart]

Bamboo and electronet, a match made in heaven....NOT!!

 

[Howard E]

Sorry to hear about this latest attack. I think you have convinced me bamboo is not in my future.....and I thought crabgrass was bad.

My daughter informed me yesterday that after nearly a year with no issues, they had something dig under their hoop coop and got a single bird. Strange thing was it broke out from inside the coop vs. taking the bird back through the hole where it came in. Likely suspects were the fox that hangs out in their backyard or a coon. Latter being the mostly likely suspect due to breaking down the door from the inside......but only killed and took one bird instead of them all. Single bird could have been the fox, but the breakout part wasn't consistent with their normal patter.

I loaned them a spread of live traps and dog proof types and they had a BIG coon in the live trap this morning. That coon is now deceased and is on the menu for the local buzzards. Sometimes ya gotta snuff em to save the birds and this was one of those times. Traps still set to snag any more perps that might be lurking around.

 

[imnukensc]

Trying to control bamboo is a bit like herding cats, isn't it? I've heard the only way to get rid of bamboo is to move.

 

[centrarchid]

Bamboo not spreading so much as leaning. Stuff shorting fence is 15' tall and just under 8' feet away. Heavy dew ways the plants leaning over down to contact fence. This just started in last few days with flush of additional bamboo growth.

 

[centrarchid]

Everything now in place.

 

[Wickedchicken6]

Sorry to hear you got hit centrarchid. Best of luck getting it tonight.

 

[aart]

Bamboo not spreading so much as leaning.

It's just pointing the way to show the roots which way to spread!