Any raccoon experts in the house?
Tuesday night, around 10 or 11, we heard the most horrible shrieking from just outside our living room. I had to go look. I grabbed my flashlight and expected to find half a cat or something out front.
Instead I saw three raccoons. They seemed to be together as they all ran up the same tree. One of them, though, was just howling--didn't seem hurt as he wandered around and eventually joined the others--but he was just screaming while doing so. Picture a toddler having a meltdown.
Then last night, more screaming--but this time not from our yard. So, I had to go look. It sounded like it was coming from around the corner--that's loud. I didn't see any raccoons but did see a cat just chilling. Maybe he was watching.
So, territorial dispute? Mating ritual? Raccoons doing raccoon stuff?
Rigby video just because.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
The racoons have learned out to lure you out of the house.
Now they can begin Phase 2.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
You don't happen to look like Cyril Sneer do you? That might account for problems with The Raccoons.
In reply to Indy "Nub" Guy :
That's not a porch, it's a Ferrari.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
Yes, a little bit. 
We've been tending to these 2 orphans for a couple weeks, and will have them for about another month or so until they can go join a larger group around their age.
I'm guessing you have a couple older juveniles trying to establish dominance. Unless there's been recent construction/deforestation nearby that may have reduced their territory - in that case it could be fighting between a couple different groups of raccoons.
Terminix said:
For example, raccoons may whistle like an owl when communicating with other raccoons. Raccoons also growl in defense when in the presence of danger. Other vocalizations may include a low grunt, loud purr or even a scream (when under stress), which can indicate their presence to homeowners.
Yikes! Click if you're curious.
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
You know, I'd believe that they're older juveniles. They weren't tiny but not big--all in the group seemed to be same size.
And no construction or anything around us for years. So maybe trying to figure out who's the boss?
Thanks.
In reply to David S. Wallens :
That sounds like it, just typical teenager stuff. Well, hopefully without the drugs, booze and/or car chases.
Relatively new construction, the good news is they will move onto better beer selection as they mature.
Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) said:
In reply to David S. Wallens :
That sounds like it, just typical teenager stuff. Well, hopefully without the drugs, booze and/or car chases.
That's cool and thanks for the info. It really did sound like bloody murder.
In reply to 02Pilot :
It is great! I watched this video several times. It's cute and touching. This man is doing a good deed when he feeds the animals. Unfortunately, the habitats of animals are shrinking and this leads to the extinction of some species.
In reply to Pete Gossett (Forum Supporter) :
Where I am from raccoons are pests. They are just bigger smarter rats. Highly destructive especially once they get the taste of human food or grane/oats. They are also destructive to the rest of the wildlife especially the bird population. Chickens and there eggs are a problem as well.
As kids they were always fair game for the varmint rifle and/or trapping.
Yes I was raised in farm country. The farmer next door would take coons and "process them" and sell the pelts at the farmers market every now and then.
Coons were really the clean up crew for the fox and other critters that would be after the chickens or the grane. The other issue with coons was they seemed to get rabies quit often. I had to shoot more because of that then just about any other thing. Rabid coons generally don't care about people. Healthy ones while they won't panic will be wary of people.
In reply to dean1484 :
They definitely are a rabies vector species. Fortunately there hasn't been a case here in MS for over 50-years though. The rehab we volunteer for keeps all new intakes in quarantine for 10 days, and also vaccinates them.
We get frequent requests to relocate problematic animals, but that's rarely possible - a single raccoon will get killed if it's introduced to an area with an existing population. Our rehabbers will raise them in groups so they can all be released at the same time. Fortunately the rehab has an agreement with a private party that owns several hundred acres of woods that doesn't allow hunting.
Ultimately, what the rehab can provide to home/property owners is assistance/tools/techniques to make their property inhospitable for the raccoons, so they'll move on to somewhere less populous.
Funny timing that I find this thread today. This morning I came to the barn to find that a raccoon had evidently eaten too many wild raspberries and climbed up on the cowl of the jeep to barf them back up. Yay! (aren't you glad I'm not posting a photo?!)
I guess I'd better stop leaving the keys in it lest an ornery, little bandit recreate a C.W. McCall song or something.
I saw several roadkill raccoons today as well so they're definitely out and on the move for whatever reason.
Banana peal on the breakfast nook floor after once again pushing the makeshift barrier aside at the pet doors .....at least momma wasn't hanging from the window frame above the dog food bins....
Neighbor trapped the one that was getting into his house. On a whim he posted the pic to NextDoor "found a stray dog". Hilarity ensued.
