Washingtonians

[DIYSeattle]

As for the raccoons in the city I dont know what the laws are about them. It is my understanding that you need a trapping permit even if you are the property owner in Washington to trap them with cage traps. You can get a permit in Olympia throught the game department. I have seen raccoons in my area. You cannot discharge a firearm in the city and you cannot relocate them legally as my understanding of the trapping laws. I dont know how you would get rid of them. A caged raccoon is not a happy raccoon when you try to carry the cage.

I dont think that I know Owen. I have lived here for about a year and havent really been too terribly social as we've been working in the house a lot.

I have entertained the thought of building an incubator and getting some welsummer or maran eggs. Im not sure what Ill do but I havent hatched eggs out in ta long long time. I used to hatch quail eggs in a gallon jar when I was a kid but havent done it in a very long time. I think that I could do better now as far as an incubator goes with a christmas light on top.

I am open to nearly any time for a meeting in my area. If I were to go to Monroe or somewhere like that I may need some parameters to be met but otherwise Im okay with about anytime. I dont know that I have anything interesting to say but Id like to hear what others are doing. Pretty much any day of the week or time.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

What racoons?Where? No problem here! LOL

Quote:
Something to keep in mind for raccoons. If they are truly becoming a problem, you can "take 'em out". Washington's hunting season for raccoons just opened:

Small Game Species:
Raccoon

Bag Limit:
None

Season Dates:
Statewide: Sept. 1, 2010 - Mar. 15, 2011

Notes and Exceptions:
CLOSED on Long Island within Willapa National Wildlife Refuge

You'll need a small-game license which is $38 for adults ($20 for youth), plus something for the taxidermy place to make you a warm hat or small rug.

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
You may find this helpful: http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/raccoons.html and http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=77.36.030

Also, you may want to keep me in mind for Welsummers. You can do a search on BYC for either "Welsummers" or "Tailfeathers" and find out more about my birds. My website also has pics of them as well as of their eggs.

God Bless,

 

[Imp]

Thanks everyone for the suggestions about the raccoons. They are just a minor nuisance. I think they got a few of my goldfish. But I get more annoyed by them climbing in the pond, tearing up the plants, and I worry about them poking holes in the liner. I think it's the same pair that show up every summer with 3 or 4 babies. Last year one of the babies tried to become a house raccoon. Lived for about 5 days on the deck with the cats, kept trying to come inside. They have never shown any interest in the chickens, and have seen them cross the lawn headed for the cherry trees, and pass within 3 feet of some very nervous chickens. Then the chickens hung out under them goading them into throwing cherries down.

My wayward RIR was trying to hide in the patch of bamboo, setting on an egg. She just doesn't understand that without a roo it will be a long time till hatch. Although I don't think she's really broody, kind of half broody. Wants to set on eggs at night only.

redroosterfarm,
That photo is shopped right?

Russ- gotta admit I buy dogfood, and I don't have a dog. Guess what I'm feeding?

 

[NurseELB]

RUSS!

We have a motto in the ER world- Don't feed the raccoons! If we are suggesting that our drug seeking population will come back time and time again if we give them narcotics by calling THEM raccoons, there must be a reason. Have you not seen the video of the lady with 30 raccoons in her backyard demanding their dinner? For shame!

They are cute little stinkers, though, aren't they?

 

[Tailfeathers]

Quote:
Don't be surprised if they don't show some interest in your chickens before long. Coons are ferocious and notorious killers. They're cute bandit looking faces are deceiving and one morning you're liable to wake up and find a bunch of your birds dead with nothing missing except for their heads and crops.

Also, I'd be careful with your cats too. I just dispatched two coons and I'm fairly confident that they are the ones that are responsible for one of my cats and a kitten disappearing earlier this year. I thought my catfood was disappearing awful fast. Thankfully I happened to catch them high-tailing it off my porch the other night. I'm pretty sure it was Divine Providence at work because my pregnant cat just gave birth last night in a carrier I had set up on the porch. Had I not gotten those two potlickers when I did, I probably would have lost another cat and all her kittens too.

Oh, btw, coons are good for one thing... eating!! They're great in chili or a stew!

God Bless,

 

[Imp]

It's OK guys. Thanks, I'm not unmindful of the potential of raccoons. I remember the story about the hand fed raccoons in Stanley Park coming out and attacking tourists, who didn't have food. And that couple in Ballard?? getting attacked in their back yard.
They've been around for several years. I don't know why they don't mess with the chickens or cats. They did swim to the bottom of the pond and drag out 5 2ft channel cats, a couple years ago. Fortunately they cannot get into the run or coop, so the chickens are safe at night.
And the cats will stand cheek to jowl with them. Just occasionally they will growl at the raccoons. These are feral cats, the two I know are about 14 years old. So I guess they have some sort of truce. I've long since come to peace with not being able to help all ferals, sometimes all I can do is provide a meal, and hope for the best. The pet cats are mostly indoors, just 1 indoor/outdoor stray.
That young one in the picture stayed on the deck begging for food with the cats last fall for several days. He was trying to push his way through the screen when I took his pix. Just before that, he started walking into the house (I was getting the cat bowls). I reached down to push him back out then thought better of that idea and grabbed a nearby houseplant and pushed him out with that. Still have all 9 fingers.
I just think they are just fat lazy raccoons. Most of my neighbors feed pets outside so no need to expend energy for food. Their favorite food- The bulbs off the water hyacinth & La. Iris in the pond.

Russ

NurseELB,

I've been in healthcare for my entire life. Never heard of drug seekers being called raccoons. Is it because of them coming back over & over again or the dark circles around the eyes?

 

[DIYSeattle]

Tailfeathers, I think I tried to get some welsummers from you last spring. You had just gotten rid of your welsummers. I was looking for 4 of them but you didnt have any available at the time. I ended up getting my chicks form someone on Vashon or the peninsula. They took the ferry over one day and I met with them.

 

[Chicken Rustler]

Man I wish my worst concern was a few coons. about a week ago I had a coyote about 50 yards from the coop at like 10 in the morning. And tonight a neighbor stopped by to warn that 4 days ago her son saw a cougar cross the road about 300 yards from our place. I will be staying alert but also keeping in mind that I still had several deer in the yard last night. Also this same person tends to come around about once a year or so to tell of a cougar or bear, amazing thing is that she is the only one that ever knows of any such sightings and they are always by her or her family.

If I notice that the deer have left then I will be a bit more concerned.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
This only proves that I live in magic never never land. Several years ago (when I still smoked)(cigarettes people

) I was outside on the front stoop,(hot summer day) before work(6am). I saw the druggies (Raccoons)neighbors fluffy black cat sleeping on the front lawn. A coyote trotted down the street, walked up to Zulu (the black cat that now lives in my backyard) and sniffed him, then just walked on. Later I asked several neighbors about it and they said they had seen the funny looking dog. I'd let Zulu move inside, but he likes to spray.

Russ- Doncha just love the gratuitous use of parenthesis