This raccoon looks pretty well fed. Several years ago, I was living in a 4th floor apartment that had a wooden deck and stairs going down to a courtyard. One evening, I was watching TV next to an open window and an almost full trash basket. I heard my neighbors sitting on their deck laughing and saying my name - I looked behind me and there was this raccoon trying to squeeze under the window. I could have touched this raccoon with almost no effort. For some reason, I would also get an opossum on my deck - it was a finicky eater - my neighbors tried giving it some cheap canned dog food - it would not eat it. This almost seems like a plot line from the comic strip, "Over the Hedge"....
I kow quite a bit about these creatures, I was married to a hunter-trapper, at 17 and within 2 yrs had 2 sons. I hunted, walked traplines with baby on my back and toddler in arms. I also had a huge veg garden, and baked and sewed for the town ladies. Small town Groveton, TX pop. 204, we were the 4. I survived and divorced when oldest was4. Never remarried, but had several beaus...Now I finally found the one God prepared me for and we are on our 6th year. I thank him daily for such a miracle!!
They are wild, and wily, cute but can't be trusted-little thieves. When we lived on the farm in Vermont we would go out to check the corn to get ears that were ready to take in to cook. We would
check for ears that would be ready the next day -and the next morning these masked bandits would have taken all the best ears!!
The problem was mainly the corn stalks, because the raccoons pulled down the stalks to get to the ears, and of course it killed the stalk. They would even climb a 6 foot fence to get into the garden!!
These little guys really are masked bandits. At a campfire one night on the Calif. coast a couple of them tried to take popcorn out of our hands and then open the motorhome screen door themselves and go looting in there. Hard to get rid of the rascals! They are not warm and fuzzy either; they're mean little dudes!
check for ears that would be ready the next day -and the next morning these masked bandits would have taken all the best ears!!
The problem was mainly the corn stalks, because the raccoons pulled down the stalks to get to the ears, and of course it killed the stalk. They would even climb a 6 foot fence to get into the garden!!