Photo: Kevin D. Arvin, Bugwood.orgFull disclosure: This is not 'Ricky,' but a reasonable facsimile,
perhaps an "understudy."
There he was in the pre-dawn, lumbering across my backyard. Startled, as I raised the window sash to hurry him along, he turned into an olympic athlete... scaling a wire fence, jumping down onto the neighbor's lawn, sprinting across the yard, up and over another fence, disappearing down the hill, through the brush and finally, skirting the swamp (Lily Pond).
This siting was actually a bit scary, what you might describe as a close call. Lucy and I had just come in from the yard. It was starting to get light, so I hadn't bothered with the floodlights. Fortunately, Lucy had stayed in another part of the yard, with me. You can have daylight savings time - I want my early, well-lit mornings back! Anyway, my Chihuahua-mix would have been no match for any raccoon, let alone this particular beast.
Given to momentary hyperbole, I later told my mother he was the size of a Buick... OK, maybe a Volkswagon Beetle. Honestly, I see my share of raccoons, with the swamp down back, and I have never seen one this big. He had a gorgeous coat and actually looked fat and healthy. Here comes spring and all the creatures, great and small!
©Deb Lambert 2008
This siting was actually a bit scary, what you might describe as a close call. Lucy and I had just come in from the yard. It was starting to get light, so I hadn't bothered with the floodlights. Fortunately, Lucy had stayed in another part of the yard, with me. You can have daylight savings time - I want my early, well-lit mornings back! Anyway, my Chihuahua-mix would have been no match for any raccoon, let alone this particular beast.
Given to momentary hyperbole, I later told my mother he was the size of a Buick... OK, maybe a Volkswagon Beetle. Honestly, I see my share of raccoons, with the swamp down back, and I have never seen one this big. He had a gorgeous coat and actually looked fat and healthy. Here comes spring and all the creatures, great and small!
©Deb Lambert 2008
14 comments:
Wow! That was quite the adventure. You got a great photograph! What nerves of steel you must have. :-)
Hey, want to check out my dark, early morning adventure of last Spring? I just looked it up - It's May 28, 2007. ("So, Was it the Neighborhood Fox?") ;-)
Boy oh boy .. I would be cautious too ! .. if you told me he was that size .. I would BELIEVE you girl ! LOL
You don't want to have a confrontation with some one like that .. he might just win ? LOL
Joy
Shady - Very interesting fox adventure you had last May! We occasionally have a fox around here, usually down by the swamp. Last winter, I watched him crossing the frozen swamp and circling around through the brush and snow, no doubt looking for a meal. He had a fair amount of gray in his fur, mixed with the red and those long, black "velvet" stockings... handsome fellow.
And, no, that is not my raccoon photo (photographer accredited beneath photo)... and, yes, that's about as close as I (and Lucy) care to come to this gigantic bandit. This guy was not "cute" like the one in the photo, although this very mature adult was handsome... but mostly, he was BIG!
It's always an adventure out there. We sometimes hear the coyotes up in the woods of a neighboring hill, refining their choral skills at night. I'll have to have Lucy post her coyote episode, soon... Deb
Joy - I may have employed some hyperbole, but he was gigantic! I think slinking back indoors, watching him from behind a windowpane is the better part of valor, in this case.
I never leave Lucy out alone in her fenced yard... just too much wildlife that's bigger than she - wildlife that may view her as a quick snack. It's also why my cats never, ever go outside (except in carriers to the vet). They've got 5 windows, with sun, and in season, plenty of fresh air... a giant 'cat tree/jungle gym' and lots of other things to amuse them.
I am so tired of pet owners weeping on the late news (not that I don't sympathize), about the coyotes who killed their cat or, more often, their dog who was tied out, unattended, in the yard. I should think that hearing such an awful story just once, would be enough for that 'ounce of prevention' rule to kick in.
Anyway, time to head out with Lucy for another round of squirrel chasing. Thanks for dropping by and I hope Sophie's keeping warm and cozy... Deb
Raccoons definitely are not to be messed with! When I was a kid, there was a large (for the breed) Dachsund in our neighborhood. He was scarred and ran on 3 legs, as one was crippled. He incurred his injuries in his many battles with the neighborhood raccoons. Dachsunds were bred to hunt badgers, but he was tough even for a Dachsund. You're right to be concerned about your cute little Chihuahua.
MMD - That poor little Dachsund. My grandmother raised Dachsunds for a number of years, so I have fond memories of the breed.
Yes, even at nineteen pounds, my giant Chihuahua (mix) would not survive such backyard battles with wildlife. I'm quite sure I would be as over-protective with any size dog.
Two summers ago, in Newbury, MA, a black Lab (trained hunting dog) was making his last rounds of the evening, in his well-lit yard, when he was attacked and killed by a pack of coyotes - before the owners could get outside to save him.
That, along with other sad tales, makes me rant about the carelessness of some pet owners. OK, that's out of my system, for now. Ricky Raccoon's athletic events reminded me to continue 'hovering' over Lucy.
Thanks for dropping by and your valuable input... Deb
When I lived in Ottawa, I heard Hazel, my cat, hissing loudly - opened the door, thinking she was confronting a neighbourhood cat, but nope. She was ready to do battle with a raccoon. Luckily, the raccoon turned and left because Hazel wouldn't have budged.
About one week later, I was walking home from a film when I looked up and almost had a heart attack. Looking down from the crook of a large tree was a family of masked bandits. I don't think I've ever moved that fast since. Nope, that's not quite true ... I ran way faster when I accidentally scared a skunk.
I sincerely hope you don't find any more of these cute little animals in your garden ...
Kate - It seems that high adventure awaits us, often not far from our own door. I'm glad that you were able to resolve Hazel's problem. I don't think I'd have stayed to visit with that raccoon family, either.
Now, as for skunks... not so lucky, here. But, maybe that's another story for another day, best told by Lucy.
Thanks for the visit... Deb
Raccoons are scary! I had a run-in with one about 10 years ago, in the middle of the day, he was within arms reach. I went out the front door, and assumed a kitty was eating out of the food bowl and reached down to pet it, before I realized it wasn't a kitty. I screamed and ran and tried to gather up my ducklings but only got two, he got the other one. :( He got a 2nd one a couple weeks later and I sadly took the 3rd to a nearby lake to be with other duckies and away from big bad raccoons. The ones around here are as big as VW Beetles too, so I believe you!!
Lisa - That is scary! But, it could have been even worse for you... sad about the ducklings. I often wonder how our backyard mallards protect all their ducklings from the raccoons that patrol Lily Pond (our huge, glorified swamp). They regularly raise from 8-11 each year and none (at least in recent years) seem to go missing. We often have snappers down there, too! Nature can be scary, but is always amazing. Deb
Hi Deb, if you lived closer you could borrow my trap. It has reined Ricky's sister, Rocky several times.
When we lived in Friendswood, Texas, Rocky would pull the wooden shingles off the roof of our house and come into the attic. Uninvited, Rocky was unwelcome and unwanted as well. So when she would come out in the evenings I would put the trap, baited, on the roof. I also would nail a board over her hole.
After we would catch her, she took a quick trip to our local wild life preserve to find freedom from the trap.
Either she would return following those seven miles or her siblings would try our attic space for a new home.
New fiberglass shingles solved our problems.
I will check out your new venture now. I hope it does well for you.
..
Jim - My backyard adventures pale, in comparison with yours. What time and effort was invested in solving your raccoon problem! And I hope 'Rocky' stays in Texas.
We're well-stocked, when it comes to raccoons. They fight down by the swamp every night, all summer long and sound like they're killing each other. Evidently they're not.
Thanks for sharing your raccoon tales.
Yes, raccoons have handsome faces and delicate little hands, but yes, indeed, they can be killers. My husband and I heard a terrible ruckus one evening and it turned out to be a huge raccoon killing another raccoon. Now we are wary of them, since we love our kitty cats. We are careful not to leave tempting food, like cat food, out at night.
Terra http://terragarden.blogspot.com
Terra - Dreadful raccoon experience. They really are so fierce. You make a good point about not leaving cat food outside.
A neighbor's cat was killed by a raccoon years ago and I've never let my cats out, since. We have a local coyote population, as well... so the dog only goes out with me, even though the yard's fenced. I read they can leap about 14 feet, so I'd rather err on the side of caution.
Thanks for dropping by! .. Deb
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