Raccoons

[Kapidolo Farms]

There is evidence that in pre-Columbian times raccoons were numerous only along rivers and in the woodlands of the Southeastern United States.[136] As raccoons were not mentioned in earlier reports of pioneers exploring the central and north-central parts of the United States,[137] their initial spread may have begun a few decades before the 20th century. Since the 1950s, raccoons have expanded their range from Vancouver Island—formerly the northernmost limit of their range—far into the northern portions of the four south-central Canadian provinces.[138] New habitats which have recently been occupied by raccoons (aside from urban areas) include mountain ranges, such as the Western Rocky Mountains, prairies and coastal marshes.[139] After a population explosion starting in the 1940s, the estimated number of raccoons in North America in the late 1980s was 15 to 20 times higher than in the 1930s, when raccoons were comparatively rare.[140] Urbanization, the expansion of agriculture, deliberate introductions, and the extermination of natural predators of the raccoon have probably caused this increase in abundance and distribution.[141]

From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon#Distribution_in_North_America

They are called a 'supertramp' species by some biologist who are aware that raccoons' range has expanded by the virtue of people and how we modify the overall environment. It is exactly like exterminating mice in your pantry, rats in a grain silo etc.

I don't see/read any willy-nilly, advocacy of killing any animal for 'sport', whatever that may mean in this thread. All those introduced ants that we kill are also animals, and that is often done under the guise of managing our captives. Raccoons are also quite the petri-dish of zoonoses.

Will

 

[SpdTrtl]

I live in an area ripe with coons, hawks and Texas buzzards and do whatever I can to protect my little guys by providing a safe secure outdoor habitat.
I hear raccoons in my backyard about once/twice week even though I don't keep any accessible food or trash around back there. I think they like my fig tree.
I shoo them away either by making a loud noise or shooting a bb gun close to them (not directly at them) but I have never seen them try to get to my torts, yet, knock on wood. I don’t use poison or rat bait because my neighbors have cats and I’m not trying to hurt anyone else’s pets.
I have never shot one nor would try to hurt one without good reason but my pets are like my family and if I see something about to attack my family I would shoot it without a second thought.

 

[mike taylor]

I think this thread and made its points . No body likes killing anything just to kill . I kill what I eat. Not just kill for fun or because something annoying me . If that was the case there would be a lot of dead people in my wake.

 

[raymond]

Hey tortadise I happen to be a field researcher for the us foresty plz do not ever insult my education I didn't insult u or urs and ur walking a fine line between opinion and disrespect so plz be as nice as u can remember thumpers mom in bambie if u don't have something nice to say don't say it at all. And to figure out if a animal is rabid u must dispatch it u have to check the brain matter to determine if said animal is rabid or not, outs not like anyone said hey let kill a animal for fun and yes if a over population of raccoons is chasing harm to a protected animal ever the humane ppl will tell u to first try to trap the dispatch hope this helps u have a great day

 

[mike taylor]

I don't see where your intelligence was insulted. Kelly was just saying the op or forum members weren't breaking any rules of the forum . By the way I respect your opinion and your job . I wish I could work with wildlife for a living but that is not what I do . I say we just need to stop this picking on each other and support the op's problems with raccoons . If it was my raccoon problem I would do the same as the op. But I would have some stew . Sorry but thats the circle of life . I would waste it . But to each there own .

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Wow, a raccoon really is yummy huh? (genuine, not sarcastic) I'd be very curious to hear more but my questions would take this too off topic lol.

Yes they are good eating . Just like rabbits. You cook the slow and low . In a crock pot just like you would cook beef stew . Yummy !!!! Some people just see them as big rats or pretty animals . I see the as one of gods gifts he gave us to live . Every animal on the planet is here for a reason . Some for food so to clean up after the bigger animals like them poo bugs uhhh. Thats just nasty eating poo . You get what I'm saying .

 

[wellington]

Hey tortadise I happen to be a field researcher for the us foresty plz do not ever insult my education I didn't insult u or urs and ur walking a fine line between opinion and disrespect so plz be as nice as u can remember thumpers mom in bambie if u don't have something nice to say don't say it at all. And to figure out if a animal is rabid u must dispatch it u have to check the brain matter to determine if said animal is rabid or not, outs not like anyone said hey let kill a animal for fun and yes if a over population of raccoons is chasing harm to a protected animal ever the humane ppl will tell u to first try to trap the dispatch hope this helps u have a great day

Not sure what you read. But, Kelly didn't say anything about you or your profession. Please, all be sure of what your reading, whose it is your reading and respond without threats and with respect.

 

[raymond]

Over it

 

[ascott]

I happen to be a field researcher for the us foresty plz do not ever insult my education

I am sorry, however---I personally have met alot of idiots that work for the USFS and their education was entirely irrelevant ....

Over it

Oh good. Although a proper apology to tortadise would have been the better choice, especially for an education Forestry employee ..

 

[stinax182]

i rehabilitate raccoons. they are incredibly smart animals. what they really love is marshmallows releasing them far away, perhaps in a different town, does suffice. unless you're the only house for miles.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

i rehabilitate raccoons. they are incredibly smart animals. what they really love is marshmallows releasing them far away, perhaps in a different town, does suffice. unless you're the only house for miles.

Word on the street is Oreos are better in their minds.

 

[bigred]

I have never heard Tortadise ever say a bad thing about anyone on this forum ever. He is about as good as it gets here on the forum

 

[ascott]

Word on the street is Oreos are better in their minds.

Rats apparently think oreos are all the rage....

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I have never heard Tortadise ever say a bad thing about anyone on this forum ever. He is about as good as it gets here on the forum

Agreed and big ole DITTO Ed...

 

[Jacqui]

releasing them far away, perhaps in a different town, does suffice.

I never understood how dumping your problems (raccoons in this case) onto somebody else is a good plan. Plus you could be setting the animal up for a long painful death out in a foreign area with it's own "click" of creatures, traps, ect..,

 

[raymond]

I said nothing bad about anyone but I have been called a idiot uneducated I am the one who needs to apologize u all need calm down take a chill pill plz

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I take them to protected land with lots of natural space to roam where ppl are not allowed to go so its a safe place to relocate

 

[Jacqui]

Okay folks Mod warning here.... stay on topic which is raccoons. Nothing more about education or lack of, ect.., ect.., Any more in such a tone will be removed.

 

[kathyth]

To my Raccoon friends.

 

[jaizei]

Okay folks Mod warning here.... stay on topic which is raccoons. Nothing more about education or lack of, ect.., ect.., Any more in such a tone will be removed.

I think this is sufficiently clear. Anything off topic (raccoons) will be removed.

 

[ascott]

Jacqui and Jaizei....have a great day...

Raccoons are fluffy, just keeping mention of the topic here

 

[thatrebecca]

I'm traveling for business and hubby called to tell me he was awakened last night by what sounded like a person on the roof at about 3am. Turns out it was a raccoon about the size of a German shepherd. The coon hopped off the roof onto the ledge outside the bedroom window, which we leave wide open most nights to let in a cool breeze. Yikes.

Our DTs sleep inside right now. I had been bringing them in for health/weather reasons, but in light of our recent visitor, I might be inclined to bring them in during warm weather as well...

 

[stinax182]

Re: RE: Raccoons

I never understood how dumping your problems (raccoons in this case) onto somebody else is a good plan. Plus you could be setting the animal up for a long painful death out in a foreign area with it's own "click" of creatures, traps, ect..,

raccoons don't necessarily have a "territory" because they don't get along well with other animals, it's mainly based on food supply. they will always move from an area if it becomes over populated and food is scarce. and unlike other animals, they will gladly live under your porch or shed, even of it's just for the warmth and a couple trash scraps. they are very resourceful and are often not spooked by humans like skunks or opposums. if you want to live peacefully with raccoons that are bothersome there are many things you must do. close up any place they could nest, which is anywhere a cat can fit. lock up your trash and if you have animals that stay outside 24/7 they will probably always hang around.

when i say relocate i don't mean onto some private property or anything like that. it's never ideal to relocate something but if you can find a stream or river in a forest, it'd be great. when i release youngsters that I've bottle fed since their eyes were closed into the wild, i have a person with a lot of land where we build a box in a tree and they provide the babies with dog food for a couple weeks and they're always on their own after that.