Raccoons

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

We're suddenly having problems here with raccoons. As more land is cleared
and more houses built the wildlife, being squeezed out, is entering people's
yards, going for trashcans and getting on porches.

Last night one completely trashed my small 150g inground pond. 10 of the 12
fish are completely gone. Beautiful longtailed Shubunkins all! Plants
were broken and trampled. Rocks knocked in the water. It's a total mess. I
saved the two remaining GF and pulled out all the plants. I wont be able to
keep fish in this pond anymore. Netting this one isn't practical.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }

Archived from group: rec>ponds>moderated

chatnoir · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

On Nov 21, 2:32 pm, "Reel McKoi" wrote:
> We're suddenly having problems here with raccoons. As more land is cleared
> and more houses built the wildlife, being squeezed out, is entering people's
> yards, going for trashcans and getting on porches.
>
> Last night one completely trashed my small 150g inground pond. 10 of the 12
> fish are completely gone. Beautiful longtailed Shubunkins all! Plants
> were broken and trampled. Rocks knocked in the water. It's a total mess. I
> saved the two remaining GF and pulled out all the plants. I wont be able to
> keep fish in this pond anymore. Netting this one isn't practical.

Which is one reason I enclosed my pond! Had one mother raccoon and
her 5 babies all over my yard this year! They trashed my grapes; but
did not get to the pond! And people feed them which makes them think
that people equal food! A raccoon can be a very dangerous animal!

> --
>
> RM....
> Frugal ponding since 1995.
> rec.ponder since late 1996.
> Zone 6. Middle TN USA
> ~~~~ } ~~~ }

~ jan · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 276

On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 17:52:18 CST, chatnoir
wrote:

>Which is one reason I enclosed my pond! Had one mother raccoon and
>her 5 babies all over my yard this year! They trashed my grapes; but
>did not get to the pond! And people feed them which makes them think
>that people equal food! A raccoon can be a very dangerous animal!
>
So far the motion sprinklers have worked, while other ponds around have
been hit so far so good. Course they're screened in once winter comes. Too
cold to have exposed water filled pipes. ~ jan
------------
Zone 7a, SE Washington State
Ponds: www.jjspond.us

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

"chatnoir" wrote in message @w40g2000hsb.googlegroups.com...
> On Nov 21, 2:32 pm, "Reel McKoi" wrote:
>> We're suddenly having problems here with raccoons. As more land is
>> cleared
>> and more houses built the wildlife, being squeezed out, is entering
>> people's
>> yards, going for trashcans and getting on porches.
>>
>> Last night one completely trashed my small 150g inground pond. 10 of the
>> 12
>> fish are completely gone. Beautiful longtailed Shubunkins all! Plants
>> were broken and trampled. Rocks knocked in the water. It's a total mess.
>> I
>> saved the two remaining GF and pulled out all the plants. I wont be able
>> to
>> keep fish in this pond anymore. Netting this one isn't practical.
>
> Which is one reason I enclosed my pond! Had one mother raccoon and
> her 5 babies all over my yard this year! They trashed my grapes; but
> did not get to the pond! And people feed them which makes them think
> that people equal food! A raccoon can be a very dangerous animal!
================================
All my outdoor 720g tanks are netted as are my 2 inground ponds. This small
one had a waterfall so was not easily netted. I guess I'll just leave it as
a small frog pond. My husbands suggested filling it in. We may just do
that.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }

Hal · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 138

On Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:32:06 CST, "Reel McKoi"
wrote:

>We're suddenly having problems here with raccoons. As more land is cleared
>and more houses built the wildlife, being squeezed out, is entering people's
>yards, going for trashcans and getting on porches.
>
>Last night one completely trashed my small 150g inground pond. 10 of the 12
>fish are completely gone. Beautiful longtailed Shubunkins all! Plants
>were broken and trampled. Rocks knocked in the water. It's a total mess. I
>saved the two remaining GF and pulled out all the plants. I wont be able to
>keep fish in this pond anymore. Netting this one isn't practical.

I'm sorry about losing your fish and the use of a pond.
--
Hal Middle Georgia, Zone 8
http://tinyurl.com/2fxzcb

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

"Smitty" wrote in message $ck5.17208@newsfe09.phx...
You'll have to use a live cage and then take them to the country. Skunks are
also pond killers. When I catch one of those I have to call a critter guy to
come out and euthanize them in the cage. A sad thing to do, but in a city,
skunks and raccoons carry rabies. Strange note, Opossums do not carry
rabies. I catch them too, and they go with the raccoons to the country for
release. Cats are illegal to haul off. They are catch and release.
Get a live cage. It is your only hope. For Raccoons I have to tie the bait
in the cage. They are smart. Once they find your pond they will be back! I
have had the same pond for over 25 years. These things have worked for me.
Good luck!
=============================
I live in the country and we have all kinds of critter out here. Most stay
away from the houses because of all the dogs people have. We do have a
Have-A-Heart trap but it's too small for an adult coon and this one is
LARGE. Sad

If this critter continues to be a serious pest it's going to "go" one way or
the other.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

"Hal" wrote in message @4ax.com...
>
> I'm sorry about losing your fish and the use of a pond.
================================
Thanks Hal. I'd rather it be a frog pond than a free dinner place for
raccoons and the end of the line for beautiful Shubunkins.

Have a HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Smile

--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }

chatnoir · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

On Nov 22, 7:14 pm, "Smitty" wrote:
> He will continue to be a problem. When they come once, they'll come back again. I think I bought my big cage for $25. It has been worth every penny. Take care.
> S

Sent in the Hunter! Send in the Hunter!:

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jMwV1GENKXgcfyBAxvMRoALAiMWQD8T31TJG0

Shooter Says He Mistook Cow for Coyote

1 hour ago
COLFAX TOWNSHIP, Mich. (AP) -- A man says he shot and killed a
neighbor's cow after mistaking it for a coyote.
Authorities and the owner are skeptical.

The undersheriff in northern Michigan's Benzie County says he doesn't
see how anyone could confuse a 1,400-pound, pregnant cow with a
coyote, which typically weighs 20 to 45 pounds.

And anyway, shooting coyotes is illegal during deer-shooting season.
Authorities asked the county prosecutor to bring charges.

The 42-year-old man told authorities he was out to shoot coyotes near
his home Saturday when he killed the cow, Undersheriff Rory Heckman
said. Heckman said the man then tried to drag the cow home.

"The part of his story he his holding to is he shot at a coyote. I
don't know how he hit a several-thousand-pound cow mistaking it for a
coyote," Heckman said.

The cow, named Hannah, had wandered away from her farm.
"My husband thought that he should go through some therapy looking at
repeated pictures of cows and coyotes, because they look nothing
alike," said owner DeAnn Mosher. "It didn't make any sense to me."

>
> "Reel McKoi" wrote in message$ck6$1@news.albasani.net...
> "Smitty" wrote in message
>
> $ck5.17208@newsfe09.phx...
> You'll have to use a live cage and then take them to the country. Skunks are
> also pond killers. When I catch one of those I have to call a critter guy to
> come out and euthanize them in the cage. A sad thing to do, but in a city,
> skunks and raccoons carry rabies. Strange note, Opossums do not carry
> rabies. I catch them too, and they go with the raccoons to the country for
> release. Cats are illegal to haul off. They are catch and release.
> Get a live cage. It is your only hope. For Raccoons I have to tie the bait
> in the cage. They are smart. Once they find your pond they will be back! I
> have had the same pond for over 25 years. These things have worked for me.
> Good luck!
> =============================
> I live in the country and we have all kinds of critter out here. Most stay
> away from the houses because of all the dogs people have. We do have a
> Have-A-Heart trap but it's too small for an adult coon and this one is
> LARGE. Sad

>
> If this critter continues to be a serious pest it's going to "go" one way or
> the other.
> --
>
> RM....
> Frugal ponding since 1995.
> rec.ponder since late 1996.
> Zone 6. Middle TN USA
> ~~~~ } ~~~ }

Pat · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 6

> Thanks Hal. I'd rather it be a frog pond than a free dinner place for
> raccoons and the end of the line for beautiful Shubunkins.
>

Coons like frogs too.

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

"Pat" wrote in message @corp.supernews.com...
>> Thanks Hal. I'd rather it be a frog pond than a free dinner place for
>> raccoons and the end of the line for beautiful Shubunkins.
>>
>
> Coons like frogs too.
=================================
That's nature. The GF aren't native to the USA, the frogs are. They've
existed with the coons since who knows when. I'll let the frogs take care of
themselves. Wink

The GF are so hard to catch with the net that I can't see how the raccoon
got them all that one night. How on earth did he catch them? ????
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }

chatnoir · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

On Nov 25, 7:37 pm, "Reel McKoi" wrote:
> "Pat" wrote in message
>
> @corp.supernews.com...>> Thanks Hal. I'd rather it be a frog pond than a free dinner place for
> >> raccoons and the end of the line for beautiful Shubunkins.
>
> > Coons like frogs too.
>
> =================================
> That's nature. The GF aren't native to the USA, the frogs are. They've
> existed with the coons since who knows when. I'll let the frogs take care of
> themselves. Wink

>
> The GF are so hard to catch with the net that I can't see how the raccoon
> got them all that one night. How on earth did he catch them? ????
> --

Hook and flip out!

Chris Barnes · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 24

Crossbow?

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
chris@txbarnes.com Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
"Usenet really is all about standing around and hitting the ground
with clubs, on a spot where many years earlier a dead horse lay."

Reel McKoi · Joined: 27 Sep 2007 Posts: 385

"Chris Barnes" wrote in message $79g$1@news.tamu.edu...
> Crossbow?
====================
I'm thinking more of a 22.
--

RM....
Frugal ponding since 1995.
rec.ponder since late 1996.
Zone 6. Middle TN USA
~~~~ } ~~~ }

Chris Barnes · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 24

Reel McKoi wrote:
> "Chris Barnes" wrote in message
> $79g$1@news.tamu.edu...
>> Crossbow?
> ====================
> I'm thinking more of a 22.

Sure, if the city ordinances will allow for it (or if you're like me and
outside the city limits). For inside a city, I like a crossbow because:
(a) they are VERY accurate
(b) they have a very limited range
(c) they are quiet (but not silent)
(d) virtually no city has ordinances against them.

--

+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Chris Barnes AOL IM: CNBarnes
chris@txbarnes.com Yahoo IM: chrisnbarnes
"Usenet really is all about standing around and hitting the ground
with clubs, on a spot where many years earlier a dead horse lay."

chatnoir · Joined: 16 Aug 2007 Posts: 34

On Nov 27, 1:07 pm, Chris Barnes wrote:
> Reel McKoi wrote:
> > "Chris Barnes" wrote in message
> >$79g$1@news.tamu.edu...
> >> Crossbow?
> > ====================
> > I'm thinking more of a 22.
>
> Sure, if the city ordinances will allow for it (or if you're like me and
> outside the city limits). For inside a city, I like a crossbow because:
> (a) they are VERY accurate
> (b) they have a very limited range
> (c) they are quiet (but not silent)
> (d) virtually no city has ordinances against them.
>

I find raccoons are easy to live trap! Gluttony has its price!