quote:

Originally posted by Suppressed:
It's rare to see raccoons active during the day.

No, it isn't.

I used to believe that, but I've seen more than enough during daylight hours to realize it isn't true. None of them displayed any signs of rabies either which is another old wife's tale.

Years ago, my Dad lived in Fla, intercostal was right in his back yard. EVERYONE hated "those goddamn lizards". He couldn't figure out how to get rid of them. The burrowed under the neighbors hot tub, and screwed up the wires, causing $$$ in damages. Another got under the canvas of one of the boats, and died, in the hot Florida sun. I guess the smell was almost impossible to get out.

I had to drive down for a few days. I brought with me 2 boxes of early Christmas presents. First box contained a Pith Helmet...
My Dad just looked at me like I was crazy... I'm used to it by now.

"You want me to be a mail man?"

He opened the 2nd box. A good Beeman pellet rifle. 10 pumps and the .177 is moving at about 1100fps... Again, he looks at me like I'm crazy...

"You're the Great White Hunter, Bwana!"

He shook his head and muttered something about "that's a gift for a 12 year old"...

The next morning, about 9:30, we're having coffee on the deck, overlooking the dock & intercostal. One of those "goddamn lizards" came scampering by. I grabbed the pellet rifle, gave it about 2 pumps, and dropped it where it stood.


My Dad looked at me with a "Hmph".
"Here Dad, give it a try."

My dear Father found a new hobby in a matter of moments!

One of the neighbors told him that he'd give him a beer for every one my Dad got on his lawn. Dad had a 12 pack by 4:00pm.


When my Dad died, there was a small chalk board by the back door.
Over 200 KIA. I forget how many WIA, and Missing, presumed Dead.

His neighbors loved that goofy old timer!

lotsofhatsneedtobemade

Raccoon pelts still bring a few bucks each if you have an interested taxidermist around.

It's not just that raccoons will kill or steal a chicken overnight. If they get into the coop a raccoon will kill every chicken they can get their hands on. I had a pair of coons kill 11 chickens one night dragging only one off. The rest were damn near turned inside out.

And yes, raccoons do in fact carry rabies. They along with bats are at the top of the most likely to carry rabies list. Interestingly enough opossums very rarely carry rabies. Scientists believe that is due to the fact that opossums have an unusually low body temperature for a mammal.

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:

quote:

Originally posted by Suppressed:
It's rare to see raccoons active during the day.

No, it isn't.

Good to know. Around here they are. I live next to a couple hundred acres of wooded land. I see plenty of sign that raccoons are around but the only time I have seen a live one during the day was when I cut a tree down that had a family of raccoons inside of it. I see plenty of dead raccoons on the road, though.

Kind of a misleading thread title.

It's hardly a "vs." The iguana had nothing for the raccoon.

Many of the sick, oddly-behaving raccoons you see are suffering from canine distemper, not rabies.

(That is NOT to diminish the threat of rabies in any way.)

Tastes like chicken, they have good taste.

That looked like the lizzards tail wiggling around on the black top. Lizzard better think of something pretty quick. Maybe change to a color the raccoon dont like or emit something that makes him taste or smell bad. That was a full on attack by golly.

Seems that 'coon is fortified by sleestak.

I tried to hunt a cat food raiding racoon once. Every night around ten pm this racoon would come and wipe out the cat food bowl. I laid in wait one night with a high power pellet gun.....until my cat found me and jumped on my lap begging for lovin'. She made so much ruckus by purring and meowing and jumping up and back down, no way that coon was coming around for food. Same thing happened the next night. Stupid cat.

quote:

Originally posted by Skins2881:

quote:

Originally posted by bigdeal:

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
They can really tear up or even kill dogs sent hunting them, too.

Unless that dog is a Coonhound. Love me some Coonhound.

What the heck? Why do you shoot so many? I assume you don't eat them? Pelts?

Don't know. That's a random pic I grabbed. However, given the run ins I've had with these damn things, I'm not shedding any tears for that pile.