There's Something Out There

[Scythe13]

Did you ever find out what was out there? If not, shoot yourself another racoon, and set up a night vision camera to check it out. Having said that, you might also be causing it to associate your home with food, so if it is pretty dangerous, you might not want that association... well, unless you have an 'unknown, but damn this gun can take it out' gun. Oh wait, you already have a bear gun.

One thing you don't have, a water gun, for shooting water!!! I got one!!! Yeah, now who feels under equipped?!?!? haha

[Mortblanc]

These critters are driving me Looney!

Something is roaming about making the hens go into their distress squawk every hour or so. That alone is nerve wracking and it is also making me less responsive to their calls. Eventually something will run out of the bush and grab one of them and I will not realize it has happened until it is over.

As for attracting animals to the premises, that is going to happen no matter what. It is not like a campsite where one can put food in an air tight secure canister and suspend it in a tree. The livestock has to eat and they spill food while eating. They have to have water so water is always out. And they do have to poop, so the smell of manure is present. Any predator is going to put all that together and declare it an open feast.

The best I can do is secure them well at night, watch as closely as possible during the daytime, keep the guns loaded and the traps set.

[Scythe13]

Baited traps?

[Mortblanc]

Yep, baited traps. If you don't bait traps they seldom work!

http://www.tractorsupply.com/en/store/ca..._vc=-10005

You bait the trap, go to sleep, wake up in the morning and dispatch the critter.

After 4-5 sleepless nights I decided it was the only sensible solution.

Between the trap and my rampage I have taken reasonable control of the situation. No Raccoons for two nights but I am still chasing a big possum. For some reason he is not attracted to any bait I leave in the trap.

I watched him through the night vision goggles last night and he circled the pen, examined the trap without going inside and ambled off to try and open the door of the hen house.

I suspect some animal rights nut-job sent him and e-mail and warned him off.