The Visitor to our place

[Squirt's Mom]

I have a compost pile and have noticed food stuffs disappearing overnight. I thought it was turtles, rabbits or deer, all of which I've seen roam the field and woods by us. About 3 days ago, I went out in the late afternoon to see a raccoon chowing down on some boiled sweet potato skins I had thrown out that morning. At first it concerned me seeing her in the daylight - think rabies - but her actions were not of a rabid animal. How do I know it's a "her"? I don't really, it was just the impression I got. She is thinner than 'coons typically are and foraging in the light is in keeping with a nursing mom so I feel she has kits somewhere nearby. She came the next afternoon, too. Her fear level seems very low so I think she has been watching me for some time. When she does show fear, if I speak to her she calms down. I haven't seen her again tho I have watched every nite...however the food stuffs I have been putting out for her disappear by morning. ;)

Of course, the camera was busy snapping pics and I got a video of her walking the fence top the second afternoon. Here is "Mama" -

http://s752.photobucket.com/user/girffie/library/The%20visitor?sort=3&page=1

[mytil]

Very sweet photos.

[SasAndYunah]

Awwww Leslie, how cute! I'm a bit envious at all the species of wild animals you have there. I have been fostering a baby Eurasian Collared Dove. It fell out of the nest togehter with it's sibling. The poor sibling was eaten almost right away by a crow and so I decided to rescue the poor little thing. They cannot fly at first so they will simply sit all day, such an easy prey for birds or cats... During the day I would let him sit in my garden so his parents could feed him (and I would sit with him in the garden to chase away any crows or cats :D ) If I had to leave and during the nights, I would keep him in a cage and this went on for several days. So during the days he was outside (under my constant supervision) so he could be fed by his parents and at night I put him safely away in a cage. And today, he flew! My babydove can fly :D Awwwww, it's hard when they spread their wings...I won't have to put him to bed this night, boohoooo... He now searches his own safe bed somewhere in a tree :) Will post a few pics, it's just so adorable. But anyway, that's about as wild as it gets in my backyard, nothing like your raccoon ;)

[Squirt's Mom]

How precious, Sas! And so sweet of you...I can just see you out there with that little Dove. (insert hug icon here)

I watched a Cardinal that was just learning to fly the other day who's mom was raising cain with anything and everything that moved. She sat in the trees over her baby and just dared anything to touch her baby. Ya don't mess with a mama Cardinal or mama Bluejay if you want to keep the scalp on your head! :p

[Squirt's Mom]

Oh my word! Mama just took a cabbage leaf from my hand through the fence boards! :)

[SasAndYunah]

Awwww, that's so sweet :D As I said, you're so fortunate to be able to have all that wildlife so close... At least I got to cuddle with the poodle pups again ;) With their teeth, they're pretty close to being "wildlife" :p So glad you are able, through the mama, to help the little ones :)

Sas :)

[Woodydog]

She looks so cute loved they way she scratched her ear like a dog does.

Oh almost hand feeding whoa good on you :eek:

[Squirt's Mom]

The kitchen window was open last night as I was fixing supper for the dogs and of course they were carrying on as usual. I looked out the window as I was rinsing my hands and saw her face staring out of the honeysuckle vines....all that was visible was her face, intently staring at me. I cracked up! 'Coons are very intelligent so she has probably learned when the dogs start Barkfest in the evenings, food will soon appear and it looked as if she was adding her 2 cents in yesterday! She may be as impatient with the new feeding schedule as Squirt is. :p

Our temps are already in the 90's and I'm having to water plants and so forth, which means it's time to put water out for the birds, etc. I carried a bowl of water to the outside of the fence, like I usually do, and she followed me. While it was very exciting it was also a bit disconcerting. 'Coons can also be very unpredictable and vicious so I kept looking over my shoulder to see what she was up to and she was just plodding along, waiting for the bowl to be set down. I think she was disappointed it wasn't full of grapes, tho. ;)

She had a partner the other night but it took off when I opened the door and I haven't seen another one with her since. I have learned there are at least 6 living in the neighborhood - the girl down the street said she looked up one night to see 6 'coons walking the rails of her front porch. When she hollered they ran under the house next door, which isn't in very good shape so they have easy access. Mama may be part of that bunch but I only see her come and leave through the woods so who knows?

[molly muffin]

I love the little picture of her peeking over the fence. You know our racoons don't appear nearly as cute or friendly. We've had them move in under the deck a couple of times.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

[paulawhitcomb]

I like the photos you shared here and I like it!

[Squirt's Mom]

Mama brought her babies this morning for the first time! They are about the size of Trinket and so cute! I looked up to see them peeking through the vines over Mama's back. She was protective of them, constantly looking back at them and making little mewling sounds. When I got up to take the food out to her, the babies melted into the woods and I didn't see them again. But now that she has brought them, I hope to see them more and more. What an honor that she trusted me so!

Now when the little munchkins start pulling the screens off the windows I may have other things to say about them but today they are precious!

[labblab]

AWWWWWWWWWW!!!! :o :o :o :o :o

[molly muffin]

I agree, an AWwwww moment was had for sure.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

[Squirt's Mom]

Mama still comes, usually 2-3 times a day. Her babies were both with her last night. One of them will stick around eating until I reach the end of the ramp then it goes back into the woods. The other one disappears the second it sees me but both were sticking around last night as I watched them over the fence.

In the mornings, I am often greeted by the sight of Mama laying on top of the fence pickets, looking for all the world as if she's waiting for me to serve breakfast! :D When I open the door, she stands up - right front and right back feet on top of the pickets, left front and left back on the 2x4 bracing - then drops tail end first over the fence, holding on to the top and peeking over to see if I have her cup in my hand or not. I take her kibble out to her in a coffee cup. She will reach for it and take a handful out to the water bowls and start eating. Then I dump the rest of her food on the ground near her bowls. If I'm not holding her cup, she climbs back up the fence and stands up on the 2x4 on her back legs like, "Did you forget something?" If I have her cup, she ambles over to the bowls and waits. She is so funny and so much fun!

She enjoys the fresh foods as well as left overs but kibble beats most other foods every time - cat or dog! The only things I not seen her give up for kibble are grapes, kiwi, and chicken. What she doesn't care for, the 'possums, rabbits, and turtles are happy to have. I watched her one day peel a banana and eat the peel, dropping the fruit on the ground! LOL It was a bit over-ripe but still! :D I have no idea about a coons nutritional needs and have not been able to find much info at all on that but I still find myself worrying about what she eats. :rolleyes: I tell myself Mother Nature has given her the instinct to know what she needs as well as what she should not eat but I worry anyway. :o And, no, I do NOT plan to start cooking for Mama! :p:D:p

[Squirt's Mom]

When I went out to feed Mama this morning, I saw two other eyes gleaming in the dark from the bushes and I knew her babies were with her. As I walked up with the food, a third set of eyes sparkled in the dark! There was a third baby with them this morning and this one is smaller than the other two. So I don't know if that is someone else's baby or if it is the runt of Mama's litter. If memory serves, Mama has four teats so a litter of three would be possible.

The babies have grown enough now that Mama no longer steps aside for them to eat but hisses and growls at them almost as fiercely as she does other adult coons who have shown up from time to time. I have not seen her do more physically than push them aside with her butt, tho. She does still act protective of them when she senses a danger such as when I walk up too fast or the dogs approach the fence while the babies are around - then she herds them up and puts them behind her.

I found a papaya I had forgotten about in the fridge the other day and gave it to Mama. It was the first really hot day we have had this summer and the papaya was cold from the fridge. She snatched that fruit up and tore into it like it was the best thing she ever had! :D She ate about half of it then carried into the woods - maybe to share with her brood.

[Squirt's Mom]

No sign of Mama or her babies for 6 days now. :( That's the longest stretch of time that has passed without seeing her since this Spring. I hope they are alright!

[molly muffin]

Oh I hope so too. Maybe the babies are getting older and she is showing them how to take care of themselves?

Hoping you see them soon.

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

[Squirt's Mom]

I am trying to tell myself it is something along those lines, Sharlene, but it's not working very well. :o For one thing, even when I haven't seen her I have seen signs of activity - holes dug, bowls muddy and turned over, the ground wet around the water bowls - but there is nothing. In addition I found out yesterday the woods in front of my house is FOR SALE! :eek::(:(:( And I've heard dogs baying in the nights lately so I hope the owner of that land hasn't opened hunting season on the coons or that animal control wasn't called and the coons trapped - tho that would be my choice over hunted! Also the babies are old enough to fend for themselves now tho they will stay with mom for a couple of years at least.

[labblab]

Oh Leslie, I well understand your worry. Even though you will miss Mama, I am hoping, though, that perhaps she took note of the new danger with the dogs and has moved her brood to safer territory since they are old enough to travel now. Dang it all, though. We humans are so destructive. :o

Do you have any idea as to whether the woods will be allowed to remain, or if the land is going to be developed? There are few sounds in this world that pain my heart as much as timber being cleared, and I suspect it is the same way for you too. Poor, poor Mother Earth. :(

[Squirt's Mom]

No I don't know what will happen to the land now. It is a long narrow stretch of woods, around 30 acres. There would be two points of access that I currently know of that would allow road incursions but I am hoping the land itself is too wet to sustain houses. It is low lying land that holds water much of the year. But we clever humans have found ways around Mother Nature. :( And you are right, oh so right. The very idea of these woods being cleared is breaking my heart. :( So much wildlife out there - the coons, deer, possums, rabbits, birds will all lose more habitat if these woods are cut down and 1000's of plant life will be taken. There is a huge old Oak across the woods where Crow stay; I call it the Crow Tree. It is massive and can be seen from all around. No telling how old he is. The trees that line my lot have become friends over the last couple of years and it tears me up when they lose a limb, or heaven forbid when one has fallen in storms or ice. To think of all of them gone is too much. I don't know if I could even stay here if the woods are developed. :(

[Squirt's Mom]

I have continued to put out food and water even tho there has been no sign of coons. The rabbits, turtles, possums, birds, etc enjoy the fare as well and certainly need water. The food has disappeared each night but not in a manner that indicates coons were eating it. They are messy and there was no mess, no pieces in the water, etc. HOWEVER, this morning there were new holes dug in the feeding area and that probably means COONS! :cool::cool::cool: They love the little crawdads in the dirt around here and are always digging them up. They are the only critters around here that I know of who dig for crawdaddies. ;)

It also occurred to me last night that coons can have two litters a year. Mama's spring litter is old enough she could have bred again and be off delivering her fall litter. Wouldn't that be cool! I'm trying not to get my hopes up but I need to believe she is alright. The new holes this morning bolster my hope. ;)

[Squirt's Mom]

OMG! I was washing the dog's water bowl for the night and looked out the kitchen window to see Mama standing on the fence staring at me! :):):):cool::cool::cool::):):)

[molly muffin]

Oh so glad that you saw Momma and she is okay!!! Yay!

(Really they can do 2 litters a year??!) oh my, that is a busy momma!

hugs
Sharlene and molly muffin

[Trish]

Hurray, she's back... wonder what she has been up to!! Love the video of the raccoon doing roly poly's too :D:D

[Squirt's Mom]

Two litters! I know! I wonder what Doc B would charge to spay a coon? :p:p:p

[Budsters Mom]

So glad she's okay! :p

[My sweet Ginger]

You were right, Leslie. I'm so glad she's back with another litter.:eek: A big family now.

[Squirt's Mom]

Mama and her 3 babies are still around and still entertaining me on an almost daily basis. For a Christmas treat, along with cat food and a pile of cut fruits, I offered them a large marshmallow. Mama sniffed then gently took the goodie from my hand and one of the males snagged the first one put on the ground and charged into the woods with it where I could hear him smacking and smacking as he ate it! :D LOL Mama stood up reaching for another and being rarely able to refuse her, she got another to her utter delight. When she took it, she gently patted my hand as if to say, "Thanks!" :cool: The fourth I tossed on the ground for Little Girl who also carried hers into the woods to smack on. So I would say marshmallows for a Christmas treat was a huge hit!

[labblab]

Oh Leslie, I don't know how I missed seeing your earlier updates that Mama had returned, but this Christmas report is just the best! :) :) :) :)

I am so glad your little coon family remains safe and sound, and shared this holiday treat with you. And thanks for now passing the treat on to us. ;)

[addy]

Now I wish we would have had a picture of a coon eating a marshmallow, that would have been awesome.

I admit to being leary of them because one time we lived in an old apartment on a bluff overlooking the lake, the raccoons and foxes would come up the bluff. One time a really huge raccoon was standing in the middle of the path to the front door. I was carrying a bag of groceries. I thought the coon would run away if I told it to scat.

Instead, it stood up on his hind legs, waved his claws at me and showed me his teeth!

I dropped the groceries and ran the other way:eek:

[Squirt's Mom]

:eek: Addy! A very wise move! Coons are very unpredictable and can be vicious. I have told local friends if they hear about a crazy old broad who was ripped to pieces by coons she had been intentionally feeding, that would probably be me! :D

[Squirt's Mom]

It's coon mating season and my bunch has gotten quite feisty as a result - almost to the point of aggression in their haste to be the one that gets the food first. They still lay on the fence top waiting but last week when I came out with their food, Mama came rapidly TOWARD me instead of going over to the other side of the fence with one of the males right behind her! I stomped my foot and both went over the fence, but Mama hung on peeking over the top til I got there. As I reached down to put the feed in their bowl, one of the others snatched the cup out of my hands with a growl. Needless to say, I am being much more cautious this week if they are all present, most nights putting their feed out before I see them. If just Mama comes we are alright tho she is obviously much more high strung right now. The babies are almost a year old so I expect Mama to bring another brood this Spring.

Being concerned about the glass bowls I've been using for water with winter freezes on the way, I went to the Farmer's Asso. yesterday and got a large water bowl and smaller feed bowl made from a heavy black rubbery stuff that holds up in the weather. This morning I went out and the water bowl was where I left it but no sign of the feed bowl. I had this image of a coon on its back legs scurrying across the street with that bowl full of baked sweet potatoes in its front paws! LOL As the day has lightened, I can see the bowl at the edge of the woods so I'll go retrieve it later on. But I got a good chuckle thinking of Mama or one of the babies trotting off with that bowl clamped tightly!

[My sweet Ginger]

Lol. I guess you will have to get a bigger and heavier bowl so they don't carry it around. Yeah, that visual is quite funny. :D:D

[Squirt's Mom]

Well, it finally happened...no, I wasn't ripped to shreds thankfully but one of the coons I feed decided to see what I tasted like this weekend and bit my finger. So now I am going thru rabies shots. The rabies treatment is no longer given in the stomach but can be given in the thigh or buttocks thankfully. The worst of it was the shot directly into the bite :eek: - the rest was and will be nada compared to that one! ;) And in case you are wondering.....no, I won't stop messing with the coons. I was out feeding them and changing their water as usual that nite. :D However, I am more cautious and shoo them back before putting the feed down. My finger is fine and I feel ok other than the shots making me feel sort of sick.

I know beyond doubt she is not rabid. Her babies came running out of the woods behind her just as I was bending down to dump their food and she got me. She was just protecting her babies, being a good mama. But because she is wild and coons are among the animals rabies is most commonly found in, the rabies treatment is required. I have been sniffed, licked, and patted 1000 times by them before and if her babies hadn't shown up when they did I know this would not have happened.

Animal Control came to the ER and took a report as is required by law and told me they have to report these things to Game and Fish. He said it was unlikely they would come and try to take them all away but if a G&F officer showed up, just to tell them what I told him about why she did this. I can't really see them trying to take her - they would have to trap them all to get the one who bit me and even then they couldn't be sure.

[Joan2517]

Ouch! What an inconvenience with the shots, but better safe than sorry~

[DoxieMama]

Yikes!! :eek::eek:

[Squirt's Mom]

Animal Control just came by and picked up the incident report. The AC officer said he had talked with Game and Fish and there will be NO repercussions for the coon nor me. :cool::cool::cool: Should she or I start to act strange (stranger than normal for me that is :D ) then I am to go to the hospital and call AC while on the way. So other than 3 more shots for me, this is a done deal! YAY! I have been crying my eyes out afraid they were going to come trap all my coons and kill them. But now I can breath easy again! ~whew~

[DoxieMama]

Yay! Now you just have to keep a better eye out for those babies. :)

[Budsters Mom]

This good news indeed!!!:) Use caution Leslie. They are still wild animals. Because I care.;)

[labblab]

Oh thank goodness, Les! And yup, I think we need to get Susan to donate some of her pink bubble wrap to cover you with. Your poor body has suffered way too many prods, pokes, and slices lately!!!!! ;)

[Harley PoMMom]

Rabies shots :eek::eek::eek: Those little masked guys can really bite!!! So glad to hear that they are not going to take them. YAYA!!! Now, you best take care of yourself!! ;)

[molly muffin]

Oh my goodness. I'm sure she doesn't have rabies but ouch those shots hurt I hear.
We have had an area with a real big outbreak of rabies in up here.
Take care of yourself Leslie

[Allison]

If raccoons visited our place, I'm sure that we'd end up with the same story as you! We love our dogs and cats, but we also love the wild animals too.


Well, it finally happened...no, I wasn't ripped to shreds thankfully but one of the coons I feed decided to see what I tasted like this weekend and bit my finger.