Large Scale Central

Undead Raccoon

General Discussion
#1

Yesterday I was startled to see large animal tracks on the layout. Thought it was a medium- to large-size dog, at first, but after inspecting the fence and gates, confirmed that no dog could have gotten into the yard.

So I looked it up, and discovered they’re a match for raccoon tracks. That’s a first. Although we have seen dead raccoons in the neighborhood on rare occasions, we’ve never see a live one, nor had any in the yard before. In fact, we always joked about having a colony of dead raccoons living in the area.

I guess this one was “undead”.

#2

Um. I think I’d mow a cross into the grass

(http://www.outsidetrains.com/smile/42.gif)

#3

If you have fish in a pond, look out! I have a live trap to catch them. Jerry

#4

Shoot, shovel, shut up.

#5

The big oak tree at my front door has a nest of squirrels. There’s a raised loop of track around the base of the tree which they have to cross over countless times a day, yet they have not bothered any track or buildings.

Yesterday I picked up a bag of parts just inside the front door, only to find a baby squirrel hiding inside. Must have slipped in the screen door, only to be terrorized by the cats. I let him go outside the door, and he was back up the tree, in the nest, in a matter of seconds. I suppose I could have taken him down the street to release, but as long as they coexist peacefully with the Village, I let them be.

#6

My biggest problem is keeping the 500+pound black bears out. So far he has shown no intrest. but it is just a matter of time.

#7

I’ll take the Raccon over the Deer. We have a doe and fawn living off of my wife’s garden and her professionally landscaped front yard. I thought I was going to die laughing the other night.

As we drive down the long drive-way, here stands the doe and fawn across the yard in front of my wife’s flowers. She tells me to stop the van, but before I can fully stop she is out of the van running across the lawn towards the deer. She throws her sandle (which only goes about 2 feet) and starts running at the deer waving her arms and yelling like a scare crow. The funny thing is the deer just looked at her and slowly walked away to the other portion of our yard where my layout sits. I’ve never laughed so hard. Of course my wife wasn’t happy, but she did laugh about it.

I keep telling my wife that all of God’s creatures have to eat. Her comment is let them go back to the forest.

Chuck

#8

Steve,
You echo ‘my way’ of dealing with critters out here in th country. Jerry

#9
Chuck Inlow said:
I keep telling my wife that all of God's creatures have to eat. Her comment is let them go back to the forest.
Kind of an ironic statement. What was there BEFORE your house?
#10

Chuck’s house was there a looooong time before Bambi and his mom decided to stop by for lunch.

#11

Once a coon has discovered your pond, there is NOTHING you can do to keep them away!
Not electric fence, not sensor sprinklers, not razor wire, NOTHING!

I pulled all my beautiful pond lilies out and made a concrete house out of blocks for the fish to hide in and left the pond for the coons. Now the pond is “barren” so-to-speak, they leave it alone.

jb

#12
John Bouck said:
Once a coon has discovered your pond, there is NOTHING you can do to keep them away! Not electric fence, not sensor sprinklers, not razor wire, NOTHING!

I pulled all my beautiful pond lilies out and made a concrete house out of blocks for the fish to hide in and left the pond for the coons. Now the pond is “barren” so-to-speak, they leave it alone.

jb


I dunno, I’ve never met a coon that can handle more than a couple of rounds from a .22 :o

#13
Chuck Inlow said:
I'll take the Raccon over the Deer. We have a doe and fawn living off of my wife's garden and her professionally landscaped front yard. I thought I was going to die laughing the other night.

As we drive down the long drive-way, here stands the doe and fawn across the yard in front of my wife’s flowers. She tells me to stop the van, but before I can fully stop she is out of the van running across the lawn towards the deer. She throws her sandle (which only goes about 2 feet) and starts running at the deer waving her arms and yelling like a scare crow. The funny thing is the deer just looked at her and slowly walked away to the other portion of our yard where my layout sits. I’ve never laughed so hard. Of course my wife wasn’t happy, but she did laugh about it.

I keep telling my wife that all of God’s creatures have to eat. Her comment is let them go back to the forest.

Chuck


We have a slew of deer that have grazed here at the house for years. Amazingly, one morning I found some in the fenced back yard. The fence is low, easy to jump…but never have seen them back there.

Anyhow, for some sport, I put out our Pembroke Corgi bitch to see if she would chase/herd them about the back. She tore off after one doe, who bowed her head, stood her ground, let out a loud snort…that totally threw the dog off!

#14
John Bouck said:
Once a coon has discovered your pond, there is NOTHING you can do to keep them away! Not electric fence, not sensor sprinklers, not razor wire, NOTHING!

I pulled all my beautiful pond lilies out and made a concrete house out of blocks for the fish to hide in and left the pond for the coons. Now the pond is “barren” so-to-speak, they leave it alone.

jb


They are not as bad as herrons, ask my father…

#15
Jon Radder said:
John Bouck said:
Once a coon has discovered your pond, there is NOTHING you can do to keep them away! Not electric fence, not sensor sprinklers, not razor wire, NOTHING!

I pulled all my beautiful pond lilies out and made a concrete house out of blocks for the fish to hide in and left the pond for the coons. Now the pond is “barren” so-to-speak, they leave it alone.

jb


I dunno, I’ve never met a coon that can handle more than a couple of rounds from a .22 :o

A 30-06 is much more effective…

#16

one of the reason that critters come around is that some people leave pet food out side for their pets. We stopped leaving out the dog food and after awhile the coons q

#17
Tony Goatz said:
one of the reason that critters come around is that some people leave pet food out side for their pets. We stopped leaving out the dog food and after awhile the coons q
I HIT THE WRONG KEY !!!!! I'll continue. After awhile the coons quit coming around. Had a skunk knock over a bird bath once, that wasn't fun. I didn't put it back up either, nothing like the sweet smell of skunk to get you going each day. Yummie. T
#18

X,
They got an “edit” button for that fix.
chts

On anudder note:
Don’t let any wild turkeys (not the liquid) get into your layout–ever!!!
They will do more damage than a hunnert coons!

Three came into my front yard and started scratching in the flower beds. My-gawd, the plants and dirt was flying! This ain’t no quail scratching, this is big equipment! That was the closest I’ve ever come to blasting away at an animal. Instead I ran at them and they fled. They fly real good, albeit kinda clumsily!

If they find your layout and decide to scratch for grit (re: ballast) your track will go flying and all the surrounding stuff–buildings, plants, all of it.

Skunks.
I got some living under my deck. They don’t bother me much. Only when they fight the feral cats.
Their young 'uns are kinda cute!

jb

#19

I don’t have any critter problems. One of my dogs is a regular killing machine. I spend a lot of time cleaning up dead critters in the yard. The dog is not so bad now she is getting older. In her younger years it was 3 or 4 dead animals a day. Birds, groundhogs, just about anything you can think of. For a short time I had a mole problem. The dog would dig them right out of the ground.
Ralph

#20

Ralph,
How many skunks did she kill? Or porcupines? :slight_smile: :slight_smile:

Some dogs all it takes is one encounter. Others just love it, no matter how many times they get sprayed or quilled!
I guess some are “smarter” than others. :slight_smile: :slight_smile: