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laceyvail

Finally figured out what it was and stopped it!!

laceyvail 6A, WV
9 years ago

Everyone is probably tired of my ongoing battle with the mysterious night marauder, but I've finally got it clear. After many nights lying in bed and hearing something dabbling in the creek right under my bedroom window and putting that together with the torn up paths, it got through to me that it must be a coon.

So I got someone to move my single strand electric wire down to about 6 inches above the ground and baited it with cotton balls soaked in salmon juice and wrapped up in tin foil. That night I heard it cross the creek, and then quite soon return. It still comes into my yard and tears up the mulch in the ornamental beds but it hasn't climbed the fence around the vegetable garden.

I just hope it has a good memory of that shock. The corn is coming on.

Comments (9)

  • loribee2
    9 years ago

    If it's a raccoon, I've heard you can leave a radio out in your garden all night tuned to a talk radio station. Do that a few nights in a row and you will get yourself off their list of places to visit.

    I haven't tried it. We have raccoons coming through our yard. They keep dumping over a watering can we have full of water, so we finally took the watering can away. If that doesn't do the trick, we will be trying the radio trick next.

  • catherinet
    9 years ago

    The radio never worked for me. But sometimes, I think the station went off the air in the middle of the night.
    Coons are soooooo frustrating.

  • loribee2
    9 years ago

    Yeah, we've been finding large poo piles in our back yard--too big for a cat. Problem is, our yard is fully fenced and we don't own a dog so...??? Hubby thinks it's raccoon dung. He's been catching them in our yard lately "just passing through". They live among the redwoods behind our house and I think our California drought has them searching for water in places they don't normally go. I'm hoping by keeping our watering can empty they'll stay in the neighbor's yard where they belong, haha.

    They're the reason I won't plant corn or grapes.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    if you have dung.. then post a pic of it in the dung forum ... lol.. just kidding.. i dont think there is one ..

    but crikey.. post a pic of it.. best thing to ID an animal on..

    short of raking some ground.. and getting a pic of some tracks ...

    i dont understand.. from your description.. where you IDd it????

    ken

  • songsearch
    9 years ago

    Didn't know what was wandering thru our yard at night, so bought a game camera for Xmas. Very educational - I now know we have a grey fox (longest tail I've ever seen) who comes thru nightly, plus a coyote or two. Was also able to ID what was digging the 6 inch tunnels in the rocks - ground squirrels.

  • loribee2
    9 years ago

    LOLOL on the dung forum. It wouldn't surprise me if there IS one.

    Hubby cleaned it all up yesterday, got rid of the watering can, and so far, no new raccoon sightings. But if I do find new dung, I just might post a pic for confirmation. We've always known raccoons are in the neighborhood, but they usually stick to yards of folks who keep dog food laying around. Don't like seeing them in my yard. I've got a teenager who comes home late at night and doesn't need to run into one. I don't know if all raccoons are ballsy, but when people run into them around here, the animals just stand there and look at you like, "Got a problem with me? Bring it!"

  • nancyjane_gardener
    9 years ago

    We have possum, skunks and coons, but I have never had problems with the garden!
    The only critters that have messed with my gardens are voles, rats (have several fixed "barn cats" now) and turkeys! Many shiny things in the garden seem to have taken care of the turkeys! Nancy

  • loribee2
    9 years ago

    Ohhh Nancy, I have to share my turkey story: A coworker of mine was selling his dark blue Mercedes. Had it detailed and polished to a mirror shine. Then because he didn't want it touched, he passed on the parking lot and parked it near open space surrounding our office.

    Yep....you know where I'm going with this....the turkeys happened upon it, surrounded the car, saw "that rival gang of turkeys" in their reflection and pecked a turkey-high ring around the entire car. We all learned about it when he was on the phone explaining what happened to his insurance company. You've never seen so many people with tears rolling down their eyes, trying to stifle the laughter.

  • planatus
    9 years ago

    Another story. This week a friend who has half wild, fixed barn cats noticed a new critter hanging out with the kitties -- a half grown raccoon. It's living in the old barn with the cats and thinks it's one of them.