raccoon info

[BjornBee]

I've had a raccoon in the rafters of my garage for the better part of a year. The kids get a kick as it comes down at night and feed at the back door.

I have not seen it for about two weeks. It sleeps in a place not easily accessible. So I am not sure if someone shot it, trapped it, or do raccoons sleep for periods of time? Do they hibernate? I thought they were active all the time, but is there a winter siesta? We aren't having the coldest of winters, and I thought as warm as it is, the raccoon would be more active.

I thought maybe she went off to mate and found another place. But the lodging was quite nice, and food was abundant. Somethings amiss.

Last year we had a mother and three babies. That was hysterical to watch.

[dgl1948]

They will hibernate. Come about March they will stir and get the urge to mate. They can be pure hell in a bee yard. We use pails on top of the hives in the fall to build stores. They were using more feed than the bees. We ended up removing 13 of them from the yard. We have a real problem with them on outbuildings in the spring and fall. In the fall they will take shingles off to get in and hibernate. In the spring they take them off so they can get in and raise a family.

[BjornBee]

Intersting. Thanks dgl.

I don't have a problem with shingles, my wide did once, but thats another story.

My raccoons just use the cat doors. ;)

I thought maybe the raccoon was still up there, but it just seemed so warm for them to actually sleep.

This particular raccoon will climb down some boxes I have stacked on one side of the garage, and I be hammering away or painting on the other side. It has become rather friendly, but in no way will I make an attempt to get any closer than it feels best. I had though about trapping it, but my wife was always concerned if she would of had a litter/nest hidden somewhere.

[honeyman46408]

Well I say DEATH to all varmets that bother bees!

In the spring of 2003 I did away with twenty two (22) coons in my beeyard after they did away with 12 hives. I have caught 5 in my front yeard this winter.

They are "cute" but can bee distructive and if cornered they can hurt you, I have watched them try to get out of a trap and it is amazing to see how they use their "hands" to try to open the trap.

I just foud out lately that I can sell them to a fur dealer for 10 bux and I dont have to skin them, oh well day late and $ short.

[iddee]

I don't know what kind of coon they have in Canada, but here they do not hibernate. I have hunted and caught coons all months of the year and in temps down to 0 F. As for the hives, it must be food availibility. I have never had a coon or possum touch a hive. Of course, there is normally a good supply of other food for them in this area.

Honeyman, along with the 10 bucks, coon is one of the best meats you can find, and he may even up the price a little if they are skinned.

Bjorn, the kits are born in May in this area. That may vary in warmer or colder climes.

[Black Creek]

i've seen my fair(unfair) share of those rascals. although none have gone after the bees yet, they've killed more chickens than i can remember. last year i went through about 3 dozen chickens and never even got an egg, although there were plenty of late night wake up calls to chaos outside. nothing like running outside with a flash light at 2am to find another headless bird. they are very crafty critters. i have the 'chicken concentration camp' now. 6ft high wire pen with 4 electrified fence lines going up the sides and grounded to the wire pen itself and netting overhead to keep out owls and hawks.... raccoons still occasionally find a way in at night. i think they cross through the tree tops or something. i've even spiralled electric fencing up the trunk of the closest tree to their pen, seems they figured out how to use that to climb up and jump 4ft out and over the top of the pen to get in.

[honeyman46408]

Well iddee, you should know by now I am to lazy to skin a coon and havent eaten one sence my Father in law passed he did some wicked coon BBQ

I use a live trap baited with marshmellows or anything sweet, I was useing 22 CBs but I now use a 55 gal drum of water to "do away" with them.

Crafty critters is an understatement, I have had them dig under the trap to get the bait so I set the trap on a board and a cement bolck on top th keep them from turning the trap over to get at the bait-----ooooooohh I can go on and on about thoes pesky waskels :(

[dgl1948]

iddee: Intersting how wildlife can adapt. Up here they go into hibernation around the end of Oct. I do not think it is a true hibernation because they will stir if the temps get warm up to the thawing point. I have not had them bother a hive but they downed enough syrup to give thier heart a test. One of the things we have to watch for is they can be a source for Rabies.