Two 80 pound raccoons were in my yard last night

[goclark]

I have never seen any raccoons in this area.

I was just getting ready to let my 10 lb. darling doggie out when I saw them!

I am still shaking.

What should I do in the future?

[Deja Q]

1. Either play romantic music for them or buy a shotgun

I'm assuming the latter is legal... and I'm guessing the former wouldn't make much of a difference to them... :D

[goclark]

2. I went to a Raccoon lovers website

and they were saying that it is so much fun to observe them in your yard at night.

I would love to watch them but not with my dog within 5 miles of these HUGE raccoons I witnessed last night.

Does anyone know how they get along with doggies?

[pitohui]

29. just don't go to those websites

i think out in california or wherever they must have a different "cute" species of raccoon because they seem to living in a fantasy world

or maybe a raccoon is a rare visitor to their yard instead of a wily beast that keeps a regular "route" of productive yards

i know a man at lsu who studied raccoons in louisiana and they keep mental maps of where they have previously found food, which in their mind includes wild bird nests, your garden, your small pets etc.

they will actually check these spots again and again days or a week apart as long as the spot is productive

they have to be discouraged if you want garden, wild bird nests, small pets

[Shine]

3. So, they actually let you WEIGH them, eh? Wow.

:D

we've got lots of racoons in our area and they've never been a problem. I think they're adorable, personally, and our 10 lb cats aren't bothered in the slightest by them. They keep to themselves, mostly.

In my experience, they're relatively harmless unless they're provoked.

:hi:

[goclark]

5. Thanks a bunch Shine

My cans are kept in the garage but we do have a lemon tree.
I read that they love fruit. I'll check the tree this morning.

My little Maltese is adorable but he doesn't like anyone in his space.

I'm afraid to test the waters and put him outside if I see them and the way my yard is made, they could be there and I can't see them.

[XemaSab]

53. I would imagine

that the first lemon they got would also be the last.

:x

[Flaxbee]

9. it does depend on the pet, though...

if the dog is aggressive and would be prone to harassing a raccoon, there might be trouble. But if the dog is easygoing, I agree there'd be no problems.

In my experience, cats are just 'smarter' and warier about investigating another animal, and dogs tend to want to sniff everything.

[goclark]

12. My doggie will bark at anything that is in his yard. :(

[peekaloo]

4. Secure the lids on your garbage cans. They were probably looking for

food.

Raccoons can be vicious lil bastids so I'd keep my distance.

[goclark]

6. Thanks for the heads up

I tried to scare them by banging on the window but they didn't try to move.

They just kept walking across the grass.

[elehhhhna]

7. don ot play frisbee with baloney slices. trust me, they'll never leave.

[goclark]

11. They were so gigantic I thought they were big dogs owned

by the neighbors down the street!

I have never seen raccoons so large in my life.

[elehhhhna]

24. Huuby SWEARS he was stared down by a 60 pounder on a

county-ish road a few years ago. Big Racoon versus Dodge truck. Hubs finally went around him. Can you say "rabies"?

[goclark]

26. Yes! I was really afraid and that

was before I realized the rabies issue.

It has been more than 12 hours and I am still shaking from the image of those 2 in my back yard.

I just spoke to my friend and she said that she now puts her puppy on a leash and walks her in the yard.

That is what I will have to do too.

[dipsydoodle]

8. Was at Wild Week 1995

that was the Xmas swing dance at the Fort Worden, Port Townsend WA - location for An Officer and a Gentleman. I'm english and didn't know that if you see a bunch of 5 or 6 raccoons at 1am in the morning you don't go over to stroke them ! I was physically prevented from doing so in the nick of time.

[goclark]

13. I love animals but I have never seen raccoons that large,never!

The thought of 5 or 6 being in my back yard would have done me in.

I didn't sleep a wink last night I was so afraid for my little doggie.

I will never let him out after the sun goes down and I will stand with him.

[riona]

10. They can raise havoc

with birdfeeders. I had truly formidable one and they managed to get it out of the tree, drag it away, and break it apart.

[goclark]

14. Thanks for the heads up ~ I was going to buy

a cute little feeder last week.

Not now!

[leftyladyfrommo]

17. The Dog Will be OK - just be sure he's on a leash.

The racoons normally just come out at nite so daytime should be safe.

Keep the dog away from them at all times.

You are probably in more danger from hawks or owls than you are from those critters.

But don't take chances. Racoons can be fierce and that dog wouldn't have a chance.

[goclark]

31. Thanks for the tips, it's Leach or not go outside time at night

[khashka]

15. Shaking? Grow up!

I had two baby racs scooping fish out of my pond.

Then I met the mother. It was weird. Every time I yelled at her, she walked closer. Til we were staring each other in the eye. And you can't tell me animals aren't intelligent. She knew I was saying something intelligible and was trying so hard to figure out what it was.

As for your doggie.... racs carry rabies and they can be very violent. So if you see them, best keep the doggie in. But fear? Not necessary.


Khash.

[leftyladyfrommo]

18. Raccoons also carry distemper - the kind that dogs get.

Racoons should not be out in the daylight - that is a bad sign that they have distemper. If they are sitting out there acting wierd call animal control - do not mess with them,

[khashka]

22. You are right.

I love racoons. I love all animals. And oddly they love me.

But you have to be careful with racs - they do carry diseases than can totally fuck you or your pets up

I just don't think fear is necessary or a good idea. Just be carefull and sensible.

Khash.

[leftyladyfrommo]

23. We have lots of raccoons here in Kansas City

and people feed them dogfood. That is not a good idea. You shouldn't feed wild animals on your front porch.

Distemper outbreaks seem to be very contained in small areas. The news will come out and say there is distemper in Liberty (which is right next to KC) but it doesn't seem to spread out to wider areas.

We just to be careful that our dogs have their shots.

[goclark]

37. Would they have to bit the dog to spread the distemper?

I am clueless about this stuff.

[leftyladyfrommo]

59. No - that is rabies.

I think distemper is airborn. If there is a raccoon population near you be sure and have your dog's distember shot.

[goclark]

34. I'm trying not to fear :)

[goclark]

33. Thanks so much. I'll call Animal Control tomorrow nt

[goclark]

32. Thanks , I am trying to be fearless

But when it comes to my little doggie, I am overly protective.

I have lived in this house for almost 50 years and NEVER have I seen any animal of that size in my yard.

[leftofthedial]

16. you should immediately call National Geographic and Art Bell

because those raccoons are more than twice as big as any raccoon in recorded history!

[hfojvt]

19. that was my thought as well

an 80 pound raccoon? Impocerous!

When I lived in a trailer in the woods I sometimes heard animals rustling about outside. It is a shock when you look out your window expecting to see a squirrel or chipmunk and it turns out to be a possum!! It looks hugh!!1!1!! Sorta reminds me of the SF story "The Very Large Ant" about a 12 inch ant.

I still think they are mostly harmless as my friend's little 20 pound beagle used to tree them when he got the chance. They would rather run than fight.

[leftofthedial]

21. maybe they were chupacabras!

THIS COULD BE HUGH!


I'm series.

[goclark]

38. What are they!

Are you teasing me?

[laheina]

56. Chupacabra means goat sucker.

They are funky little animals that get blamed for killing livestock, but nobody ever proves that they exist--like bigfoot.

It's a latino thing. ;)

[goclark]

36. My boyfriend thinks they were possums too

See my post above.

I don't have a clue now, they were huge to me!

[Lethe]

54. racoons are cute. possums look like giant rats

everytime i see a possum, i go, "oh my god that is a possum!"

everytime i see a racoon, i go, "aww you guys, look it's a cute racoon!"

[goclark]

35. That is what my friend told me this morning

He said they don't come that big!

All I know is they were about 2 feet tall and wide.
My dog is 10 lbs and they would make 5 of him at least.

They had a hump like back.

My boyfriend said they must be possums.

He wanted to know what color they were, I thought black/grey.

But at this point, if I put them in a line up I'm not sure.

: (

[northzax]

40. an 80 pound possum would be even more remarkable

so if they were anything close to that size, they weren't possums.

[goclark]

42. My boyfriend said he is coming over tonight

to see.

Watch, they won't come in the yard tonight. :(

[northzax]

45. did they leave tracks?

that's your best way of identifying them.

[goclark]

47. I'm going out there now to see

Edit: Just looked, no tracks.
Both of our gates were locked, they must really be able to jump!

The gardener was here this morning and he didn't see anything they disturbed.

He may have watered them down.

[goclark]

74. No tracks and I had no luck with the cage last night

How long do you think it will take to catch them?

[leftofthedial]

48. raccoons are hard to mis with their ringed tails and black masks

they do have a majorly humped back

they can look bigger than they are, but I'd think 20 pounds would be a huge one.

[goclark]

49. Really humped back

Really humped!

Lots of fur it seemed to me.

It was so dark and not much light in the yard.

They sure were not scared when I pounded on the window.

They kept right on exploring in the yard.

[leftofthedial]

51. my fairly extensive experience with them is

they have very rounded, almost semi-circular backs

they will look at you, exposing their masked faces, when they become aware of you

there are almost always multiple raccoons

they are not extremely shy; they usually will run away if you act aggressive and chase them or make loud, threatening noises; otherwise they'll just go on doing whatever they are doing

if you are inside and they are outside, they will not run away no matter what you do

Even in the dark, you can see their ringed tails when they run away

when they have babies with them, they may act differently

if you see one during daylight or if one acts aggressive toward you, it is probably sick and you should call animal control immediately.

when they crawl up under some vines nest to your house and die and begin to rot, nothing smells worse.

[goclark]

60. I am calling animal control this AM

Thanks for your info, it was so valuable.

[Jade Fox]

20. I'd love a racoon coat....

:yoiks: :hide:

[elehhhhna]

25. too heavy

mink's lighter and it's a ranch-raised renewable resource

[goclark]

43. :) , I agree

Idon't want to wear fur now at all.

I am a CA girl anyway.

[elehhhhna]

57. Me neither--I'm near Houston, but

when I officed on the Chicago River, it was a lifesaver. One of the weirdest things here is seeing women in full length furs when the temp hits 50. lol

[goclark]

39. Now I am at least smiling

and feeling guilty at the same time.

When I lived in the Mid west, I had a beautiful Raccoon coat.

What size do you wear?

I don't think I can ever wear it again.

[Jade Fox]

50. Thanks-just joking

A racoon coat would be far too warm for my climate, and I don't actually like real fur because of it's animal smell.

[pitohui]

27. is it legal to use a firearm in your neighborhood?

if not i think you need to report it to your local wildlife office and see what they can suggest

raccoon control is an issue here at times, about 15 yrs ago we had an outbreak of distemper in the population

and yes they are incredibly destructive and won't hesitate to kill your animals and sometimes eat only the head!

be careful and try to see if you can remove any food that is attracting them

unfortunately gardens, wild bird nests, and fruit trees are three things that attract them that you would not be willing to destroy

[goclark]

41. I'm calling first thing tomorrow

We never have critters around here ~ never to my knowledge.

Well, now that I think about it, a few squirrels.

[barb162]

28. I have raccoons too. Don't worry about them.

I would put the dog on a leash and stand there with him though. Don't let the dog out at night without you being there.

[goclark]

44. Does it have to be dark or twilight before they come out?

And, what if they are possums? Night only too?

[BikeWriter]

30. Those are raccoons on steroids! Report them!

[goclark]

46. :) That is what my boyfriend said

He kept telling me, if they were that big we'll sell um on Ebay. :)

[BikeWriter]

55. Freak'n A! There has to be a market for raccoons that large!

[goclark]

61. I will keep you posted :)

[Tsiyu]

52. Raccoons want to take over your world

Trust me on this.

:nuke:

[jukes]

58. no worries!

there are lots of misconceptions and paranoia about racoons. they can be a nuisance, but they are no more than that. they are shy creatures, very unaggressive & wd run from your doggie before they'd fight. if there's a tree in the yard, they'd head up that to escape your dog. will NOT fight if they can escape.

they're usu solitary creatures, so you either spotted a mating pair or, more likely, some oppossums. possums, BTW, can NOT carry rabies. they're non-placental mammals and are too different in biology to support the disease.

raccoons are no more prone to rabies or other diseases that cd affect your dog than most mammals. your dog is as likely to get rabies from a squirrel as a racoon. if he's had his shots (which now cover a 3-year span) he's in no danger. the only disease he's likely to pick up from other than direct body-fluid transfer is parvo, and has to get that from the track of an infected dog. clearly you do your yearly check-ups from the vet, and parvo immunization is covered.


racoons or possums, whoever these creatures are, they've been through your yard often, you just rarely see them. leave them alone unless they become a nuisance and don't fear unduly about your dog. almost all wild creatures, especially those likely to be found near humans, are MOST unlikely to hurt your dog. as 1 poster said, you have more to fear from birds of prey than the animals you spotted.

in fact, these animals are beneficial to your dog. as carrion-eaters, they will clean up any carcass that might happen to be nearby before your dog discovers it. dogs are also carrion-eaters, but their "tuned" digestive systems are not as well-geared to protecting them from bad meat as their original feral-cousins & dogs will sometimes sicken themselves w/ food-poisoning. their noses say it's food, but their bodies have been too altered to handle it anymore. the coons & possums will dispose of carrion w/o ill effects before your dog can get to it.

[goclark]

63. I am learning so much ~ thanks!

I called the vet this morning ~ all shots are up to date.

[CBHagman]

62. More links.

http://www.raccoons-raccoons.com/

http://www.projectwildlife.org/living-raccoons.htm

And one for the possums:

http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/a_closer_look_at_wildlife/opossums.html

I love seeing wildlife in the neighborhood but don't particularly care to tangle with it, especially given the local crazed fox attack of a summer or two ago (Yes, really.). When I was in the Scouts, I once got to hold a baby raccoon, a perfectly adorable animal, but one you don't deal with without supervision.

I read the newspaper's Animal Watch section whenever I can. One of the funniest stories concerned a family's discovery of a raccoon passed out on the dining room table. There had been a rum cake positioned there, and you can only imagine the rest.

[goclark]

64. Amazing~ Everyone on the thread has been so giving

and supportive.

I just learned a few minutes ago that the house across the street had raccoons pull some shingles off of their roof!

The owner said she saw them up there and from my window it is a mess.

[nutsnberries]

65. we've called the police on raccoons because....

well, here's the story:

our neighbors are often away for periods of time over the summer and they leave food out for cats and have someone check on the cats and the house from time to time. One of the people checking on the house accidentally left the deck door open and food on the deck. When we came home late one night, there was lots of thumping around in the dark over there. It really sounded like a couple of people were clearing out our neighbors house. I tried the Night Shot and zoom on my video camera to see what was going on but I couldn't tell. We called the police and three cruisers came. Officers came to the area from 3 sides. They found a half-dozen raccoons- on the deck and in the house (making a mess in the kitchen)... just having a Saturday night party. :party: The police got them out of the house and closed it up, contacted the owners. They were very good about it, didn't make us feel stupid... They said the raccoons were huge, probably between 30 and 40 pounds.

[goclark]

69. Ours were HUGE too! I'm on my way

to get a cage from Animal Control.

I'll post again when I get back.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

66. Living in a large urban area...

I have almost nightly run-ins with raccoons. I have had them living in my basement, come in through the cat door to sneak food from the cat dish, I even have had them cruise through my bedroom at night.

My experience with raccoons:

They have never once attacked or hurt my many cats or domestic rabbits they come in contact with in my yard or house. I have seen them tangle with neighbor's dogs -- always when the dogs attacked them first.

They do carry diseases, so your pets need to be up to date on their shots.

They are powerful animals that can hurt you or your pet if provoked -- especially the Mommas with babes -- so respect, not fear, is the word when dealing with them. I've seen them take on a rottweiller when pushed and put up a serious fight. Keep your dogs away from them and everything should be peachy.


Raccoons are adorable, wickedly smart, and potentially dangerous animals. Keep that in mind and act according.

[skygazer]

67. All excellent advice

In addition, I would add that raccoons are scavengers - they are always looking for a free meal. Don't leave any pet food or edibles of any kind outdoors, secure garbage cans and recycling bins either in a garage of covered with a lid secured by a bungee cord. If you eliminate the food source, they're less apt to re-appear at your home.

I've always lived in rural areas with a lot of wildlife. I've had raccoons tangle with both cats and dogs and they can do a lot of damage. But they don't usually attack unprovoked. I'd avoid letting your little guy out unattended at dusk or in the night because that's when you're most liable to have raccoons.

And they can carry diseases though I find rabies seems to be less prevalent here on the left coast than on the east.

[goclark]

70. Thanks!

[tonekat]

68. One of my cats got chased into the house by a raccoon..

This was one afternoon last year. I was in the kitchen, and knew something was up by the BANG! of the cat door as Jello (14 pound solid black, all-weather cat, willing to take all comers) came roaring into the house. There, at the (locked on one-way for he who wears the device around his furry neck) cat door set into the floor level window, was a big light-colored raccoon, who obviously had been on Jello's heels. I held my foot against the cat door just in case, then went outside and shooed him off. It wasn't scared of me, went beneath our deck, I called animal control, but by the time the officer got there, he was gone. She reassured me that he probably didnt' have rabies, but rather, saw Jello as competition for food. We've had more than one in the house in the past, before we got the cat door with the passkey.

[goclark]

71. Unreal!

[uppityperson]

72. Racoons like to eat chickens.

They have broken into out chickenrun and eaten several when we don't lock them in early enough. They destroy small ponds, think of blenderizing all your pond plants. They attack cats, have stalked my kittens several times, 4 kittens make a really loud growling noice all together. They can carry rabies for years without any sign of such. They are opportunistic feeders, will eat anything and everything, we do not have a cat door because they used to come inside our house at night.

They will not attack you unless you corner them and harass them, are very tolerant of people so don't be afraid for you, just be careful with your dog. I have heard of people getting bear spray (pepper spray) and using this on the racoons, but seems a bit much. They are all over, though lots of times people don't notice them since they are (usually) quiet. Their tracks are disctinctive, look like footprints

In the future, check before letting Fifi out.

[goclark]

73. Thanks ~ I called Animal Control and got the Catch Cage

They told me to but fried chicken inside the cage.

Now it is the Waiting Game.

The cage is 5 $ a day until it reaches $100 and then the cage will be yours' :(

Since I have the 2 Bad Boys stalking my yard, I'm sure I will end up buying the cage.

I've talked to the neighbors and they have seen Raccoons in the neighborhood.

I'm being very careful with my little dog, he is so precious.

[goclark]

75. UPDATE - Have Cage, can't catch Them!

I am so upset.
Got the cage,put the recommended KFChicken in the cage and the next morning a darling little kitten was in the cage!

I let kitty out and the next day ~ something had eatten all the chicken and not TRAPPED!


What do I do now?

The Animal Control said they can not do anything until I catch him.

Someone there said that I could hire a private catcher for $$$$$$.

Suggestions?