Raccoons Return (but we were ready)

[ddyke]

In eight days we have returned 10 raccoons to the earth as fertilizer. Will this plagued never end?! We streamlined our disposal procedure and so it is less time consuming and minimizes danger (to us).

[Ember]

Ahhh... The cycle of life.

We've got a jolly big possum that has decided our roof is a good shortcut between the neighbour's place and our apple tree. Some time between 22:00 and 22:30 there is an almighty bang as he lands on the roof. Then a clatter and racket as he scurries across it.

Trimmed back all of the trees to try and stop him. It didn't work. His landing is just louder now.

He did misjudge and hit the ground on his way back the first night after the pruning though. Made quite a thud from a 16' drop.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

I'm not a very good Buddhist, either, pal. I will say that the prilled urea lime that is used as a fast "green up" for lawns commonly (Home Depot balled grey or brown stuff), is a great digestor for organic material that is buried to return to the destiny of nature. The other form of lime (white lime like the baselines on a ball field), works fine, but leaves a white stain in the ground.

Watch out for dead opossums, Lynne. They are about 50% fat, and when they break down, they stink like spoiled offal. You have to have enough alkali material to balance the acidity of the rotting fat. And bury it deep. At least four feet under the lime to keep the clean up crew from digging it up. I learned from burying ground hogs that I shot, that nature has a crew of very dedicated diggers ready to expose mistakes.

[Ember]

We don't have opossums here Rob. We have real ones. ;)

This is my culprit. Don't let the cuteness fool you. They're tough customers. A bit smaller than the average cat. And like so many of our cute and furries they growl like a monster.

[TsgtRet]

Lynne, if you could get a picture, couldn't you get off a shot?

[waaytoomuchintothis]

[chappy]

Lynne that is one very cool picture.
Wish I was good with a camera like that.
Mind you down your way I'm not so sure I would go looking for wildlife.
Bob

[Ember]

I can't claim credit for the photo guys. That one is just an internet grab as an example.

As far as giving him lead poisoning goes, all native wildlife is protected here. And one is supposed to be licensed to trap and release. Being in the heart of town a weapon that goes bang would be out of the question. The angle of attack makes an arrow awkward. But a ping with a slingshot is on the cards. Next full moon should allow enough light.

Funnily enough these guys are considered vermin in NZ. They were taken over there to be bred for fur (the brush tailed possum has a black fluffy tail as distinct to his smaller ringtailed cousin). Of course they escaped, and in a land where the critters at the pointy end of the food chain are all birds, there was not much competition.

[ddyke]

Bait is peanut butter. Possums and raccoons both love it. Read your laws before doing anything. These were really big ones.

[waaytoomuchintothis]

I don't think anyone does that anymore. The world is too crowded. People used rat poison sacks in the attics in Texas, and I was always going up there in mine to keep disturbing anything that tried to live there. I didn't want to have to make that decision.

[ddyke]

Got a possum today. We never use poison.

[OL Mike]

http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Raccoons Hope this helps it works

[2FER SLOTS]

The racoons,opposums,beaver,turkeys,deer,woodchucks,coyotes and wood ducks were all living on this creek when we moved in.
We are quite happy to be in their neighborhood :D

[ddyke]

Ohio and the city of Cincinnati are really restrictive on how to deal with them. It is illegal to move them dead or alive off your property.

[ddyke]

We are plagued with them. In my neighborhood over a hundred coons and possums have been taken out by home owners and more just appear. We see them dead on the road several times a week just in our area.