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People must feed them sometimes because some show no fear of me. Last year I saw a mother with two babies and she came right up to me and looked at me the way a dog does when it wants food. I just said no no - you're a wild animal - go away. Then this spring I had a trap set up in the garage and I heard it go off, but when I went out there I saw a coon on the outside of the trap trying to get the cat food. I had trouble shooing him away. But when I did I picked up the trap and he came back in and was eyes me and the food in the trap. So I just opened the door and he crawled right in. He was NOT happy when I put in in my car trunk. And he really gave me a dirty look when I let him go a few miles away.
I discovered a small raccoon living in an oak tree in my front yard several weeks ago, I figure he is an orphan so I have been feeding him for over a week,He does not know fear of humans because he came up to me .I shrewd him away , My plan is to feed him until he gets bigger and then he will move on.
I discovered a small raccoon living in an oak tree in my front yard several weeks ago, I figure he is an orphan so I have been feeding him for over a week,He does not know fear of humans because he came up to me .I shrewd him away , My plan is to feed him until he gets bigger and then he will move on.
He won't. You are teaching him to get food from people, especially you. I would call wildlife rehabilitation in your situation.
People must feed them sometimes because some show no fear of me. Last year I saw a mother with two babies and she came right up to me and looked at me the way a dog does when it wants food. I just said no no - you're a wild animal - go away. Then this spring I had a trap set up in the garage and I heard it go off, but when I went out there I saw a coon on the outside of the trap trying to get the cat food. I had trouble shooing him away. But when I did I picked up the trap and he came back in and was eyes me and the food in the trap. So I just opened the door and he crawled right in. He was NOT happy when I put in in my car trunk. And he really gave me a dirty look when I let him go a few miles away.
It was pretty common in one suburban area that we lived in. People fed the raccoons, deer, and anything else that wandered into the backyard. The raccoons had no fear of people and would come up on porches to beg for food. You definitely did NOT want to set your trash out the night before unless you wanted to end up picking it up off the yard/road after the raccoons got done tearing into it and scattering it. The deer were pretty cocky, too. I went out to the backyard one day to pick some cherry tomatoes and there were deer in the backyard casually eating the brussels sprouts. They looked up at me and went right back to eating. I clapped my hands at them and they snorted at me.
I haven't really seen anyone doing this here. We have people who feed the birds here but it's only generally people who live in town. The ones in rural areas don't often do it because it attracts bears.
Please be careful and try to not call people to take them away. places around here will tell you that they are going to take them to the woods and relocate them or whatever and then they go drown them
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dawnkitty
Please be careful and try to not call people to take them away. places around here will tell you that they are going to take them to the woods and relocate them or whatever and then they go drown them
That's typical of city/county Animal Control people, who are not prepared to deal with wild animals. You need to contact the state Fish & Game or Wildlife department.
I discovered a small raccoon living in an oak tree in my front yard several weeks ago, I figure he is an orphan so I have been feeding him for over a week,He does not know fear of humans because he came up to me .I shrewd him away , My plan is to feed him until he gets bigger and then he will move on.
BAD IDEA! Totally irresponsible! You probably signed that 'coon's early death warrant! Someone else who doesn't appreciate your habituated, fearless, mischief-making "wild" animal will end up trapping and/or shooting it themselves or calling a pest control to deal with it! They may destroy it too. Especially raccoons. They are major rabies, canine and feline distemper vectors. Many areas won't even relocate them these days.
Last edited by Parnassia; 07-27-2020 at 04:05 PM..
Some people keep them as pets, but they are very difficult and destructive. I wonder if you can give him rabies shots and get him a collar so people know he's a pet. This site say exotic pet vets can give it: https://animals.mom.me/there-rabies-...oons-1333.html
Edit -probably not. It's illegal to make pets out of wild animals in most states.
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