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Post by chils on Apr 21, 2020 11:43:42 GMT -6
I live in a 125 year old house. All the animals have figured out how to get in. There's no hope. I just nod and wave when I see one in the house. ETA: about a month ago my GFs 16-yo caught a mouse scurrying away when she walked into the kitchen in the middle of the night. She texted the GF and I "We OFFICIALLY have mice". I just laughed to myself. Oh, girl, if you only knew what else was living in this house with you. So do you hear scratching and clawing at night while you're asleep? You haven't lived until scratching and clawing (in very close proximity, btw) wakes you from a deep sleep. Sincerely... I was wondering if I was dreaming. When I had the rats they were clawing/scratching at the heating vents trying to get in. I caught and hauled off 20 coons over a 2 year span out here tearing my bird feeders down
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Post by Ken on Apr 21, 2020 12:01:27 GMT -6
So do you hear scratching and clawing at night while you're asleep? You haven't lived until scratching and clawing (in very close proximity, btw) wakes you from a deep sleep. Sincerely... I was wondering if I was dreaming. When I had the rats they were clawing/scratching at the heating vents trying to get in. I caught and hauled off 20 coons over a 2 year span out here tearing my bird feeders down Ack. I gotta admit that I'm mildly freaked out about a number of things. My neighbor just mentioned some other neighbors of ours who had raccoons in their attic and they created an $18k cleanup bill between the physical damage, the piss and shit, the insulation, etc. Insurance originally said "you're covered" but then later said no. I'm also not looking forward to hearing this thing every night until it's caught. I'm planning on sleeping in the basement tonight to avoid it. I'm also not looking forward to an on-going thing. If days pass and the trap is empty then the thing left last night and did not come back or else it's stubborn and doesn't want to give up its home. Then what? Grab a baseball bat and garbage can lid as a shield and go after it myself? I really wish the guy would have checked the attic... I would feel better.
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Post by chils on Apr 21, 2020 12:05:22 GMT -6
When I had the rats they were clawing/scratching at the heating vents trying to get in. I caught and hauled off 20 coons over a 2 year span out here tearing my bird feeders down Ack. I gotta admit that I'm mildly freaked out about a number of things. My neighbor just mentioned some other neighbors of ours who had raccoons in their attic and they created an $18k cleanup bill between the physical damage, the piss and shit, the insulation, etc. Insurance originally said "you're covered" but then later said no. I'm also not looking forward to hearing this thing every night until it's caught. I'm planning on sleeping in the basement tonight to avoid it. I'm also not looking forward to an on-going thing. If days pass and the trap is empty then the thing left last night and did not come back or else it's stubborn and doesn't want to give up its home. Then what? Grab a baseball bat and garbage can lid as a shield and go after it myself? I really wish the guy would have checked the attic... I would feel better. If it hasn't been trapped before then it'll be an easy catch. If it's been caught before it may know and avoid the trap. I had one like that that I ended up shooting cuz he wouldn't get in the trap.
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Post by jkor on Apr 21, 2020 14:19:23 GMT -6
I live in a 125 year old house. All the animals have figured out how to get in. There's no hope. I just nod and wave when I see one in the house. ETA: about a month ago my GFs 16-yo caught a mouse scurrying away when she walked into the kitchen in the middle of the night. She texted the GF and I "We OFFICIALLY have mice". I just laughed to myself. Oh, girl, if you only knew what else was living in this house with you. So do you hear scratching and clawing at night while you're asleep? You haven't lived until scratching and clawing (in very close proximity, btw) wakes you from a deep sleep. Sincerely... I was wondering if I was dreaming. No, my housemates are more considerate than yours.
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Post by Ken on Apr 21, 2020 14:36:35 GMT -6
Well, here's the setup: An article I read said that raccoons can stay in an attic without food or water for about 5 days. I hope it doesn't take that long for this thing to find its way to the trap.
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Post by chils on Apr 21, 2020 14:54:41 GMT -6
Well, here's the setup: An article I read said that raccoons can stay in an attic without food or water for about 5 days. I hope it doesn't take that long for this thing to find its way to the trap. They'll grab that food quickly or something else will. I've caught possums, squirrels, and a few cats in my live trap. All was good eatin'
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Post by Ken on Apr 21, 2020 15:46:16 GMT -6
So it's open on the right side and the screening is there to keep it from trying to get away without going into the trap. I think he used dog food in the trap. Will something else try to get in there? Will something else pull down that screening? I'm a stranger in a strange land so I have no idea. I would like to see this thing in the trap either late tonight or tomorrow morning. I would also like it if the babies weren't born yet and... it would be cool if it didn't wake up the whole neighborhood too. That's asking a lot, right?
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Post by chils on Apr 21, 2020 16:32:07 GMT -6
So it's open on the right side and the screening is there to keep it from trying to get away without going into the trap. I think he used dog food in the trap. Will something else try to get in there? Will something else pull down that screening? I'm a stranger in a strange land so I have no idea. I would like to see this thing in the trap either late tonight or tomorrow morning. I would also like it if the babies weren't born yet and... it would be cool if it didn't wake up the whole neighborhood too. That's asking a lot, right? It will dig and claw at the roof under and around the cage after it gets trapped. May damage your shingles. If you have a mat to protect it it may be a good idea to put under the cage. I've had them fill the cage up with dirt digging all night after being trapped as they are stressed. The only noise they make is mostly popping their jaws when you get near them or growling but no screeching or anything. Here's one I caught with a blue eye.
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Post by Ken on Apr 21, 2020 16:48:51 GMT -6
It's now and only now that my wife and son are starting to freak out. Also, they're both looking at me wondering why someone wouldn't come into the attic and just take it out. Of course, they're both experts now. Chils, how likely do you think it is that it took off once I started making noise at 4am? I went outside, came back in and the noise was still going, then I went back outside and I was talking to my wife and then I listened and there was no more noise and I have heard nothing today. Many things I read said that once they find a spot, they generally don't leave just for the hell of it. So I'm not optimistic but I wonder if it's possible. This is going to be a weird night.
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Post by chils on Apr 21, 2020 16:58:39 GMT -6
It's now and only now that my wife and son are starting to freak out. Also, they're both looking at me wondering why someone wouldn't come into the attic and just take it out. Of course, they're both experts now. Chils, how likely do you think it is that it took off once I started making noise at 4am? I went outside, came back in and the noise was still going, then I went back outside and I was talking to my wife and then I listened and there was no more noise and I have heard nothing today. Many things I read said that once they find a spot, they generally don't leave just for the hell of it. So I'm not optimistic but I wonder if it's possible. This is going to be a weird night. It is possible that it left and didn't come back. When I had rats in the crawlspace the only time I heard them was late at night when no one was moving around. If you moved the scratching would stop. Coons aren't dangerous unless threatened. No worries about them. A good smelling meaty treat and they will usually get in the cage. No way would any sane human attempt to go in there and drag one out. NO WAY! They all have different personalities like people do. Some are placid and some are really pissy. I had one that would have killed me and anyone I knew if he could have. Carried the cage with a rake to keep him away from me. Another patted my arm while I was carrying the cage like he was saying "Hi buddy" Cornering one would be flat stupid. Let the trap do its job. If it doesn't I'll guide you thru this further.
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Post by Ken on Apr 21, 2020 17:24:23 GMT -6
Thanks Chils. I'm going to use that NO WAY! line on my wife and son so they know that it's not an available service. Also, the first place I called said they "weren't going into attics at the moment because of the coronavirus..." so there's that. It's good you're here and have seen this before. I appreciate the helpful info.
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Post by chils on Apr 21, 2020 17:37:58 GMT -6
Thanks Chils. I'm going to use that NO WAY! line on my wife and son so they know that it's not an available service. Also, the first place I called said they "weren't going into attics at the moment because of the coronavirus..." so there's that. It's good you're here and have seen this before. I appreciate the helpful info. No problem. I've dealt with enough of these critters to know how they act. Outside and unthreatened they just run away from you as they don't want to deal with you. In a cage or cornered and they can be raging lions. The trap is the way to go. They are used for a darned good reason.
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Post by Ken on Apr 21, 2020 18:06:35 GMT -6
Thanks Chils. I'm going to use that NO WAY! line on my wife and son so they know that it's not an available service. Also, the first place I called said they "weren't going into attics at the moment because of the coronavirus..." so there's that. It's good you're here and have seen this before. I appreciate the helpful info. The trap is the way to go. They are used for a darned good reason. I keep trying to explain that to them but they keep acting like there is some "deluxe service" that I should have paid for that would make the raccoon turn into a hologram. My wife's strategy is... make me do everything and then complain about the way I did it. Maybe she'll get a snuggly visitor tonight.
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Post by chils on Apr 21, 2020 18:19:11 GMT -6
The trap is the way to go. They are used for a darned good reason. I keep trying to explain that to them but they keep acting like there is some "deluxe service" that I should have paid for that would make the raccoon turn into a hologram. My wife's strategy is... make me do everything and then complain about the way I did it. Maybe she'll get a snuggly visitor tonight. "Honey, I called Zed's coon disposal service. He will come out immediately and blow the coon away with a 12 gauge shotgun. He said he will not clean up any of the remaining blood, entrails, brains or bone fragments. He will also not fix the resultant holes in the house. For an extra $50 per, he will kill the babies if they survive the shotgun blast. I'm fine to wait on the cage to work so I'll leave the clean up to you if this is the way you want to go. When do you want him here?"
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Post by Ken on Apr 22, 2020 6:16:31 GMT -6
I set up the trail camera last night and pointed it at the cage. I was getting ready to go to bed last night around 11:15 and thought I heard some scuffling but it could have been humans too. Nothing in the trap this morning and the camera was not tripped at all. It would be really cool if this thing dipped out the night before and the trap is for nothing.
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