Saw my first Racoon by my bird feeders this morning.

[ConcernedCanuk]

.
.
.

Feeders are about 30 feet from my front window.

Kitchen living room is what they call open concept, so I can see both the front and back yards most of the time.

Washing machine is in the kitchen, turned around from loading the washer, saw a huge striped brown tail scooting across the yard approaching my feeders.

didn't know what it was until he climbed up to the feeders - feeders are for the birds, not the racoons!

Opened the front door, and he scooted away across my driveway into the bush.

Only been here less than 2 months, and so far, seen a Black Bear wander ten feet from the house, a Porcupine woke me up chewing on one of my walls (scared him away too) and this Racoon.

I'm a luvin' it!

No need to go to a Zoo to see critters!



CC

[In_The_Wind]

1. FFO!

Love the description of your home!








Just a friendly suggestion: Bring the bird-feeders in at night.



Cute!



Not so cute!

[ConcernedCanuk]

7. Those cubs ARE cute!

.
.
.

only thing I would ever aim at them would be my camera!

and my feeders are fixed permanent -

they are not going anywhere unless a bear takes them away,

then I'll just build another bunch!

But momma bear looks to be being gentle with that feeder.

Maybe she knows it will get refilled if she doesn't destroy it?

CC

[ConcernedCanuk]

2. 'twas a good thing

.
.
.

I discouraged that Racoon away

Had about 6 Blue Jays shortly afterwards fighting over the feeders.

Much prettier to watch than that Racoon!

And the large yard I've been mowing down around the house has Robins galore!

I almost think momma nature approves of me,

but the black fly, mosquito thing . . .

makes me wonder . . .



CC

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. until I got my two kitties, I had all kinds of wildlife in my yard, on my porch and nesting in my

window boxes. The deer were eating my roses and hostas. Now, I still have all the woodland creatures but, they keep to the
edge of the yard and play along the treeline more.

Kind of a trade-off, I guess.

Still, I have the best of both worlds, I think.

Still yet to see a bear here which is kind of OK by me

[Smarmie Doofus]

4. I have a family of NYC raccoons in the back yard.

I can tell by the accent.

Actually the neighbors' yard.

That and the spilled, turned-over garbage cans after mid-night din-din.

One crashed a barbecue/party I had last year. Literally climbed a fence to check out the wafts of tilapia.

A micro-panic ensued. No one was injured. He/she went back over the fence.

Raccoons are everywhere.

[Loryn]

5. There were 10 of them this morning.

I feed them dog food.

I love them.

[ConcernedCanuk]

6. As much as I like wildlife, I don't encourage them

.
.
.

Racoons especially.

Racoons will enter your house through a screen, window, chimney or a door, and literally tear your house apart.

Wildlife is just that - WILD!

When you stop feeding them as much as they want, they will invade.

I suggest you talk with your local ministry-whatever that handles problems with wild animals.

You may not consider this a problem at this point - but it could well become a serious one.

Racoons are not domesticated like cats and dogs.

Be cautious

CC

[Locut0s]

8. They can carry rabies too. nt.

[PearliePoo2]

10. Boy, are you ever correct!

My neighbors at one time fed the "cute" little raccoons and their population increased rapidly. They would beg for food at her door, eventually their porch was full of them. Then...their dog "Royal" (a full size collie like Lassie) came up to the porch and the raccoons attacked him. They tore the collie up badly. Emergency trip to the vet for 60 stitches and a bill of hundreds of dollars.
You can go online and find videos of raccoons killing cats too. It's graphic and brutal.
About 5 of them got under my house one night and my little Border Collie went to investigate and I heard her yelping in fright. They were growling and chasing her. I immediately bought a trap. When the vicious little bastards come to my territory and start tearing things up, eating birdfood, eating the eggs from the wild bird nests, eating baby ducklings and attacking my dog, they are history.

[Owl]

15. You are absolutely correct! They can be amazingly vicious, and strong bastards too!

[Blue Diadem]

11. Very wise to not encourage them.

Our son had one that showed up on his porch at the door while he was outside. It was trying to get through his screen door in the middle of the day. There had to be something wrong with it the way it behaved. He scared it off the porch with a broom and it disappeared. Later that day he found out it had been in the engine compartment of his truck and had destroyed wiring and hoses. $$$$ A neighbor eventually took care of it when it showed up at his house.

[Jeff R]

9. Our Raccoons

Seem to be a lot different here, they seem to only go after our bird and squirrel feed after dark.
It seems to happen after midnight.
That could have something to do with our chocolate lab. who hangs out on the back deck when the weather is good.
We seem to get the occasional skunk after dark also. Got the dog one night. She was not happy about that. Neither were the humans that had to wash her.

[ConcernedCanuk]

12. Much as I like momma nature.

.
.
.

she can keep the skunks in the bush.

CC

[Jeff R]

13. That is ok by me also.

[ConcernedCanuk]

14. +1!

.
.
.

CC