God Bless the Skunks and Raccoons

[whitehall]

But very dumb. I watched one go to sleep in the middle of a road once.

Possums are the dumbest. Years ago when I drove a rural road late at night I had to stop to keep from running over the creatures. I don't know how many teeth they have but it's a lot. They will hiss when confronted and play possum when all else fails. Neat animals that nurture their young in a pouch and later give them a ride on their backs. I had a dog that apparently shook one and it got away but left about a dozen little critters scattered around the yard. I gathered them up and took them to the wildlife center.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

But very dumb. I watched one go to sleep in the middle of a road once.

That's fear. They don't "play dead."

Its body goes limp, its breathing appears to stop, and its tongue sticks out, but it's not merely pretending... Opossums don't actually play dead when they're threatened. Instead, they involuntarily enter a catatonic state

 

[Carl in Michigan]

That's interesting, I just bought a coon trap and haven't used it yet, they are crapping beside my arbor vitaes and one climbed up in one and was raiding a bird nest at 1:00 AM, the racket woke me up. Not sure yet if I'm going to relocate them or not.

You're pretty much guaranteeing several deaths.

Call a Wildlife Rehabber if you want anything but an "opportunity" to kill several animals. They can advise you or possibly come out and help you remove and relocate responsibly.

The raccoon is probably a mother and is looking after several babies. She raises them for a year, teaching them where and how to get food and water.

"Relocating" the mother guarantees a slow painful death for the babies. If you drop the mother in an unfamiliar environment, she won't know where to get food and water and there will be new territorial disputes with other raccoons. Almost certain death for the mother and the babies.

Call a REHABBER

 

[westwall]

That's fear. They don't "play dead."

Its body goes limp, its breathing appears to stop, and its tongue sticks out, but it's not merely pretending... Opossums don't actually play dead when they're threatened. Instead, they involuntarily enter a catatonic state

Nah, he just got tired, and laid down. There was nothing around so no reason to be afraid.

 

[BackAgain]

So, I was out back doing some much needed mowing, when my wrist felt like it was on fire

View attachment 805044

Turned out I disturbed an underground nest of yellow jackets. The little critter bit down on my wrist and wouldn't let go. Before I could detach him he got a couple stings in.

I left the mower (ran like hell) when I started feeling the "burn" on my ankles, then my neck

These things are super aggressive.

Do you know what keeps these monsters under control? Skunks and raccoons! They find these nests at night and destroy them!

Treat these animals kindly. They serve a useful role in this world

I once (as a kid) walked through a lot at the end of our dead end street. It was what was left of the land the farmer who sold to the developers kept. It became a short cut.

That’s where I first learned that yellow jackets nest under ground. I was swarmed and stung multiple times. I swelled up fast. I became very allergic.

Many years later, I visited my old home and my dad was mowing his lawn. Another yellow jacket nest came up like a fuckin’ cloud. It was akin to a nightmare. My niece was nearby and oblivious and couldn’t hear my shouted warnings over the lawnmower racket. So I ran over to get her the fuck away.

I succeeded — but one of the little bastards landed on my finger near the tip. A quick sting and it was gone. My finger immediately ballooned to the first knuckle. Then, pop, to the middle knuckle. Then bam! To the hand. Then the hand swelled up to the wrist. Then the wrist swelled up to the elbow. I thought, “well fuck; I guess I’m dead now!”

But that’s where the swelling stopped. I got a major instant headache but no heart attack or anything. Now I love me some Epipen.

Skunks are great for keeping them away.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

But that’s where the swelling stopped. I got a major instant headache but no heart attack or anything. Now I love me so Epipen

I have a friend in Texas who carries one just for this. Shes allergic too. I never really understood how people die like this. I just thought, "leave the area" and they'll stop. But they don't. They swarm and they'll follow. If you're allergic at all, a dozen stings from these little demons and you're dead.

This is one creature I don't let live.

 

[odanny]

You're pretty much guaranteeing several deaths.

Call a Wildlife Rehabber if you want anything but an "opportunity" to kill several animals. They can advise you or possibly come out and help you remove and relocate responsibly.

The raccoon is probably a mother and is looking after several babies. She raises them for a year, teaching them where and how to get food and water.

"Relocating" the mother guarantees a slow painful death for the babies. If you drop the mother in an unfamiliar environment, she won't know where to get food and water and there will be new territorial disputes with other raccoons. Almost certain death for the mother and the babies.

Call a REHABBER

A Rehabber? Umm........no.

There are going to be some coons moving across the river pretty soon, hopefully the kids are out raiding their own dumpsters by now, maybe they will join their parents again in a new neighborhood. Just got done holding my breath and using old tongs to clean up their mess.

 

[petro]

In fall here the bastards get really aggressive before the big freeze.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

G

A Rehabber? Umm........no.

There are going to be some coons moving across the river pretty soon, hopefully the kids are out raiding their own dumpsters by now, maybe they will join their parents again in a new neighborhood. Just got done holding my breath and using old tongs to clean up their mess.

Good liberal.

I guess I'm not as delicate as you. I have a one acre yard. Animals roam freely here. Most of my neighbors don't obsess over things like this. They enjoy the wildlife. I've never seen their droppings a nuisance or a problem of any kind. In fact I rarely see it. Nature take care of it. You are who you are. You will do what you do.

In the next life may you return as a raccoon and deal with a human just like yourself.

 

[Carl in Michigan]

In fall here the bastards get really aggressive before the big freeze.
View attachment 805122

. That's the guy who assaulted me! They were INSURRECTIONISTS!

 

[odanny]

G

Good liberal.

I guess I'm not as delicate as you. I have a one acre yard. Animals roam freely here. Most of my neighbors don't obsess over things like this. They enjoy the wildlife. I've never seen their droppings a nuisance or a problem of any kind. In fact I rarely see it. Nature take care of it. You are who you are. You will do what you do.

In the next life may you return as a raccoon and deal with a human just like yourself.

I don't have an acre, we live in diffetent worlds, one where nusiance animals don't congreate and shit next to your house, not to mention raiding bird nests next to your home, or dragging garbage into your yard. I'm not killing anything, but your religion and politics have clouded your judgement, not surprisingly. It's expected. It's how you people purport to "think".

 

[odanny]

Would it be better if I prayed over the coons safe release, or to hold a Satanic seance? You do realize either one would have the same net effect?

 

[Carl in Michigan]

I don't have an acre, we live in diffetent worlds, one where nusiance animals don't congreate and shit nextà to your house, not to mention raiding bird nests next to your home, or dragging garbage into your yard. I'm not killing anything, but your religion and politics have clouded your judgement, not surprisingly. It's expected. It's how you people purport to "think".

I gave you real world solutions, but you have your mind made up. There are people out there who handle these problems responsibily

"AllStarTrapperMelissa"

 

[Care4all]

I have two family of Skunks this year, both females with 6 babies each.... Oh boy oh boy, this could be interesting! So far, since we moved here near 17 years ago, our resident skunks and families with baby skunks have never sprayed us or sprayed around our property. One of the mother skunks, Put Em Up we named her when she was a baby runt in a skunk litter coming here, and got tired of her siblings not letting her eat and pushing her around, she got some spunk, and began standing on her hind legs and putting up her arms like she was trying to box them, like the Lion in the Wizard of Oz who shouted, Put Em Up, put 'em up! So cute, wish I had video...Anyway, we feed the skunks and raccoons, they come at dusk and eat the left over deer corn every night, together, side by side....they are close friends it seems?

Glad to hear they take care of those yellow jackets, though....I've never seen one up here in Maine? maybe we don't have them up here? I've been bit by three at once down in Florida when we lived there!

 

[Carl in Michigan]

I have two family of Skunks this year, both females with 6 babies each.... Oh boy oh boy, this could be interesting! So far, since we moved here near 17 years ago, our resident skunks and families with baby skunks have never sprayed us or sprayed around our property. One of the mother skunks, Put Em Up we named her when she was a baby runt in a skunk litter coming here, and got tired of her siblings not letting her eat and pushing her around, she got some spunk, and began standing on her hind legs and putting up her arms like she was trying to box them, like the Lion in the Wizard of Oz who shouted, Put Em Up, put 'em up! So cute, wish I had video...Anyway, we feed the skunks and raccoons, they come at dusk and eat the left over deer corn every night, together, side by side....they are close friends it seems?

Glad to hear they take care of those yellow jackets, though....I've never seen one up here in Maine? maybe we don't have them up here? I've been bit by three at once down in Florida when we lived there!

Skunks are really peaceful creatures. They try to get along. But they have lots of predators -- including Man. They're easy to make friends with if that's your goal. Raccoons too. Mostly I leave them alone but I don't give them reason to fear me

 

[Carl in Michigan]

50 years ago a yellow jackets had an nest in the wall of rocks in the backyard. The kids couldn't play so I called someone to take it away. At this time it cost us $100.00 dollars. That was a lot of money then, so I decided to kill them with the hose.

I took the hose and a full pressure water went into the hole in the wall. General Quarters came flying out of the hole. My wife and children were looking out the slider as I raced to the house. She wouldn't open the door, so I ran around the house with plenty of stings and turned the front hose on the grass and sat on the water over my head.

Guess what? I called the same guy who recognized me when I called him, and the first words out of his mouth were, "how many stings did you get".

Sevin powder is what you need if you know where the nest is. You pour it at the opening in the evening just before dark, or early morning when they're not active. They will carry it into the nest and withing 24 hours they'll be gone

 

[Carl in Michigan]

My next cat will probably be a skunk