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#1
June 24th, 2011, 11:54 PM
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Raccoon encounters, 2 lessons learned
Sitting in the blind, minding my own business
(okay, so maybe mine and that of a few birds on the feeders  ),I heard a rustling coming from the brush in the vicinity of the bear path.  My first thought was that the bear was back, so I started unzipping the door of the blind to make an escape into the yard. Then I looked out and saw this little face.  Lesson #1: Raccoons don't look up. I was in full view through the open window of the blind but even when she heard the camera clicking she never looked up high enough to see me  She smelled hoomanz around somewhere but nothing attacked her so she decided the danger couldn't be too imminent and she ambled boldly down the forest edge to the feeders about 80 feet away.
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." Last edited by hazelrunpack; June 25th, 2011 at 12:21 AM. 
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#2
June 24th, 2011, 11:59 PM
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About the time that she reached the feeder
the birds started to get active. You know hazel, if there's a bird, she's looking at it.  And when I looked back down to check on the raccoon, I saw:
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#3
June 25th, 2011, 12:06 AM
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Now wait a minute! How could she be suddenly so close and walking away from the blind
when she was so much farther away just a minute ago?  Quick check of the feeder: *nom* *nom* *nom* Quick check along the edge: *sneak* *sneak* *sneak* Aha!! Different raccoon! Raccoon the First was not happy when she finally realized she was not alone!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#4
June 25th, 2011, 12:09 AM
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Lesson #2: Raccoons have really impressive growls!
Hey! This is MY seed!!! Ya, I see you're bigger than I am! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! This ticks me off...
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." Last edited by hazelrunpack; June 25th, 2011 at 12:22 AM.
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#5
June 25th, 2011, 12:13 AM
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Well then, okay, if you wanna be that way about it, you can have it.
I have kits to tend, anyway...so I'll just go, k? Sheesh! Some 'coons!!!  Just won't share!  *grumble* *grumble* *grumble*
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#6
June 25th, 2011, 12:18 AM
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Hey!!! There's that funny smell of hoomanz again! Now where is that coming from?
Back at the feeder, another complaint from Raccoon the Second: "A little privacy while I'm eating, please!" That's all, folks!  
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." Last edited by hazelrunpack; June 25th, 2011 at 12:40 AM.
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#7
June 25th, 2011, 12:20 AM
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omg that's just too cute, did she get some of the seeds ?
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Owned by Jack, Golden Retriever born 2/2005 Chewie, Golden Retriever born 11/2006 Sadie, Lab/mix born 8/2007 Chloe, Golden Retriever born 10/2008 Always in my heart Spice, Peanut and little Charlie
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#8
June 25th, 2011, 12:23 AM
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She got a lot of them--the interloper got quite a few, too--and there was at least one other raccoon that partook of the feast, as well. I can't wait till they start bringing kits to the feeders!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#9
June 25th, 2011, 12:25 AM
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Adorable
__________________
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying
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#10
June 25th, 2011, 12:29 AM
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Quote:
Seriously, though, when the third one appeared out of the brush closer to the feeder and the argument began to roll back toward the blind, I waited till they were posturing at each other behind a tree trunk (there's a line of pines there) and took the opportunity to slip into the yard and up to the house. What can I say? hazel is a wuss!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle." Last edited by hazelrunpack; June 25th, 2011 at 12:40 AM.
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#11
June 25th, 2011, 12:40 AM
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no my last dog was a growler  I don't think I'd want to be caught in the middle w/3 facing off either they've got long sharp claws
__________________
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying
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#12
June 25th, 2011, 12:42 AM
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Nice teeth, too.
They're much more impressive close up than they are from a distance. Both the teeth and the raccoons. Like I said...a wuss!!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#13
June 25th, 2011, 04:32 AM
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They certainly are beautiful little animals. I love the perfect rings on those big, bushy tails.
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#14
June 25th, 2011, 08:00 AM
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Lovely, lovely. Great shots.
They only come to our yard at night and boy, when they fight over the compost, it's wicked. I go out in the morning and I'm surprised there is not a body or at least blood on the ground. Nope, never.
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#15
June 25th, 2011, 08:28 AM
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love the pics hazel
especially the one where she is sitting up in the bushes I wouldn't want to be near when they go at it either
__________________
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
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#16
June 25th, 2011, 08:29 AM
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Thx, GF--they do have luxurious tails, don't they! They must be shedding or else kits are really hard on their moms, though, cuz the fems I see have a lot of matts and are all disheveled.
They do sound wicked, Longblades! The first time hubby heard them growling in the brush he thought it was someone revving an ATV. Then the scrapping started and he realized it was animals...We're trying to retrain ours to come only at night. They used to, but after our spring bear raid, we had to start bringing the feeders in at night. Now they know their only chance at the feeders is during the day, so they've been coming out in broad daylight. And, when the feeders are empty, they come inside the fence and try to raid the hummingbird nectar  So now we hang both platform feeders high so they can't easily reach them (my ground-feeding birds will either have to learn to feed higher or settle for the pickings that get dropped over the edge) and the dogs keep vigilant watch through the window and send up an alarm the second they spot a striped tail heading toward the nectar. At night, I dump the last of the seed left in the feeders in a particular spot outside the fence and I know they eat that--I'm hoping they go back to coming only at night and noshing on the leftover seed.  I do have a compost pile--maybe I should start dumping the leftover seed there--farther from the yards and the nectar feeders!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#17
June 25th, 2011, 08:31 AM
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Quote:
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#18
June 25th, 2011, 08:40 AM
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Quote:
and you were safe from her teeth and claws  they now know they can get food there, so maybe they will keep returning and maybe they will get use to you taking pics and they wouldn't be so mad
__________________
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
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#19
June 25th, 2011, 09:06 AM
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If they'd turned on the blind (highly unlikely) I wouldn't have stood a chance--it's pretty flimsy. They're not likely to attack, though--they're more likely to run off, or at worst, just ignore me. Last night there was one in the tree in the basement yard, aiming for the nectar feeders hanging just below. Brier saw it and put up the alarm, so I went down to chase it off. It went up one branch and stopped at the grape jelly feeder instead.
I just don't have an impressive voice! I finally had to clap my hands, put on my deepest loudest voice (pathetically insipid and high-pitched even so ) and charge the tree to get the danged thing to jump down and run to the fence. Our biggest worry is that one of the dogs will catch up with a raccoon when it's on the ground and get hurt by it. Raccoons are good fighters when they need to be since, as Longblades pointed out, they practice every night! What am I laughing for!?! I've seen the damage they can do to a dog if they're cornered...
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#20
June 25th, 2011, 09:27 AM
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Quote:
or you 
__________________
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
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#21
June 25th, 2011, 09:31 AM
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Well, we've lived amongst the wild things for this long without too much damage, so I'm hoping for the best
I think I'm more worried about the porcupines cuz they move slower and the Pack is not likely to be smart enough to avoid them....
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#22
June 25th, 2011, 09:32 AM
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What a terrible thing to say about my dogs' smarts!!! Sorry, Pack...but it's true!!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#23
June 25th, 2011, 10:00 AM
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ok pack,
Listen up, you are not allowed to go after porcupines!! for "ANY" reason I know your faster than them but trust your Auntie Breeze, it's not worth it!!! I know what they can do so heed my warning!! from your auntie Breeze you think that will help Hazel??
__________________
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
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#25
June 25th, 2011, 11:38 AM
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They are cute, chico! I'll bet they're soft, too!
I wanted to groom the one mama so badly--her fur was a mess! It'd be cool if she let me do it, but I'm not gonna ask, much as I wanted to!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#26
June 25th, 2011, 11:39 AM
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Quote:
 Thx, breeze!!!
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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#27
June 25th, 2011, 03:16 PM
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Quote:
I know, sometimes they will listen to others more than mom or dad
__________________
Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts."
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#28
June 25th, 2011, 08:49 PM
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When I was a teenager, a man used to bring me baby raccoons that were found motherless in the woods. ( I didnt think about it then, but now my guess would be he probably shot the mother, glad I didn't know) I raised them, and they were the most fun pets to have. They would have free run of the outside, and live in a doghouse. I would bring them in the house, and they would eat grapes, but first wash their hands in the toilet. My mother wasn't too thrilled when they made a game of climbing up the drapes. I had a collie, and he and one raccoon were best friends, everyday they would go out in the woods together, and come back hours later, walking side by side. It was amazing. After awhile, the raccoon would stay away longer, and only come back every couple of days, then not at all. Nowdays I'm sure you could get in trouble for raising them. Even though it was many, many years ago, I'll never forget how smart they were, and how much fun.
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#29
June 26th, 2011, 10:21 AM
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Beautiful pictures and wonderful captions Hazel!
I think Auntie Breeze's talkin' to should straighten out the pack for you Hazel.
__________________
A dog wags his tail with his heart Dogs have Masters--Cats have Staff Rest in Peace Bailey: 12/10/95-1/9/09 (Golden Retriever) Rest in Peace Kitty: 7/1/2000 - 10/7/2013 Rest in Peace Gryphon (sounds like Griffin): 10/15/2004 - 11/18/2017 (English Springer Spaniel) Bella: 3/09/2005 LHD Cat adopted by/from Child Mollie: 6/2/2009 (English Setter)
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#30
June 26th, 2011, 11:34 AM
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Oh, great memories, lindapalm! What a sweet story!
 Thx, klm. My plan to retrain the coons to 'after dark' only seems to be working--they didn't show up till 9:22 last night Brier let us know when they came a'visitin'. I think he was relieved to see them! He'd been missin' his buddy.
__________________
"We are--each of us--dying; it's how we live in the meantime that makes the difference." "It's not what you gather, but what you scatter that tells what kind of life you have lived!" "Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle."
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