Injured raccoon

[RhondaLea 3]

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I feed the grey squirrels around my apartment. They are evil, mean, antisocial little bastards that totally hate people.

And yes, they are cute as all gitout.

"Girl Squirrel" was an adolescent when I got her. It took me awhile to twig to the fact that she was totally blind. I hand-fed her until she figured out how to eat on her own (she loved grapes, but only if I peeled them--no seeds, please). Then, in spite of her disability, she took over the household--dogs, cats, birds, turtles, etc. and so on. She reigned as queen.

She got loose one day, and I never saw her again, so I'm thinkin' something got her.

She bit me once--because I scared her--locked on and wouldn't let go and my hand blew up to twice its normal size. But I'll tell you what. She was as social a critter as ever lived, and she loved me.

Squirrels become what they are because man and his fellow predators give them no other choice.

rl

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[waltappel 1]

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Down Jaye...


the animal kingdom is not out to get you personally....

no really....

I dunno, those grey squirrels really are pretty badass!

Walt

[waltappel 1]

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I feed the grey squirrels around my apartment. They are evil, mean, antisocial little bastards that totally hate people.

And yes, they are cute as all gitout.

"Girl Squirrel" was an adolescent when I got her. It took me awhile to twig to the fact that she was totally blind. I hand-fed her until she figured out how to eat on her own (she loved grapes, but only if I peeled them--no seeds, please). Then, in spite of her disability, she took over the household--dogs, cats, birds, turtles, etc. and so on. She reigned as queen.

She got loose one day, and I never saw her again, so I'm thinkin' something got her.

She bit me once--because I scared her--locked on and wouldn't let go and my hand blew up to twice its normal size. But I'll tell you what. She was as social a critter as ever lived, and she loved me.

Squirrels become what they are because man and his fellow predators give them no other choice.

rl

Yeah, but you're RhondaLea--it's tough NOT to love you!

I love squirrels too, but I wish there were more fox squirrels around here. They seem to be more laidback.

The only time a squirrel has ever bit me was when I really asked for it. I feed squirrels from my apartment all the time, but usually I just put a bunch of food on the patio and/or in my squirrel feeder. Occasionally, though, I'll feed a few by hand.

One of these times, I was feeding the squirrels by hand and I was giving them pecans (still in the shell). Just to be a wiseass, I held on to a pecan as tightly as I could while a squirrel was trying to pull it out of my fingers.

The squirrel merely clamped his teeth down on my thumb. He didn't break the skin, he just wanted to send a message.

I took the hint and let go of the pecan. It's humbling to be out-wiseassed by a squirrel.

Edited to add:

For those of you who have not met RhondaLea in person:

Beautiful, as in waaaaay off the scale.
Intelligent, as in waaaaaaaaaaaaaay off the scale.
And yes, a really nice person.

Walt

[ACMESkydiver 0]

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"Girl Squirrel"

...

(she loved grapes, but only if I peeled them--no seeds, please).

Wow, 'girl' says it all. And a high-maintenance one, at that!

Sorry to hear she ran into some trouble, though. She prolly found this like, nut-hording wealthy squirrel dude, and he promised her the moon, and she was all over that. Then he dumped her for the 17 year old hottie squirrel down the road, and she's off to find a better man to get her revenge. (Or so I've seen in high-maintenance girls before, although never a squirrel. But it could happen! )

~Jaye
Do not believe that possibly you can escape the reward of your action.

[waltappel 1]

RhondaLea,

I was out there for several hours tonight waiting for the injured guy to show up. After hanging out with a couple of oppossums, two armadillos, and as many as 4 raccoons at the same time, he finally showed up.

I couldn't get close enough to catch him, but I did get some pictures and have attached them.

I watched the raccoon eat for at least 10 minutes. He is in no immediate distress--couldn't see any signs of pain at all. He has a great appetite and does all the normal raccoon things that don't require two front legs.

I still can't get a really clear view of that front right leg, but it looks like he may have caught his leg in something (a longneck beer bottle, maybe?) and broke whatever it is off. Can't be sure, but the pictures do seem to confirm this.

I'm going to keep track of him and try to trap him. After seeing that he is not in any real immediate distress, my blood pressure is waaaaaaaaaaaaay down, but I've still got to catch this guy and get him looked at.

As usual, I'll appreciate any suggestions.

Walt

[airtwardo 6]

Sure looks like somebody 'trapped' ole Rocky to me...The leg looks 'de-gloved' which can happen from trying to pull out of a trap.

Hope he makes it...I know some people don't like 'coons...but we're the ones moving into HIS backyard!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[waltappel 1]

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Sure looks like somebody 'trapped' ole Rocky to me...The leg looks 'de-gloved' which can happen from trying to pull out of a trap.

That does look like a real possibility. I'll be looking around for traps and if I find one, it's gonna get ugly for the asshole that put it there. Real fucking ugly.

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Hope he makes it...I know some people don't like 'coons...but we're the ones moving into HIS backyard!

Thanks--I'll do my part to help the little guy. And I agree, we moved into HIS backyard and need to respect that.

Walt

[airtwardo 6]

Dude!

You MUST be as much of a VAMPIRE as I am!!


WHEN do you SLEEP?!??!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[waltappel 1]

Normally I'm in bed before midnight, but this injured raccoon is really stressing me out. I'll probably be doing late nights until I either catch him or give up.

Walt

[RhondaLea 3]

Walt,

The key to survival for a wild animal is to appear strong and healthy. Any show of vulnerability turns even the most ferocious predator into prey.

I looked at those pictures, and I gagged. I never gag. I don't want to raise your BP again but although that raccoon may appear to be in no immediate distress, his leg is a disaster, and he is suffering.

Here is a link that should solve the problem:

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/rehab/orphan/

I can guarantee you that the series of phone calls you will have to make will be a pain in the ass, but it'll be a lot less wearing that watching the scoon from day-to-day until it dies.

Whatever you do, don't touch it. Don't even get near it. The rabies risk is simply too high in Texas right now. Edited to add: Not so bad in Houston, actually, now that I've looked at the map, but still not worth the risk.

rl

P.S. I don't know how to respond to your description of me in your addendum to that other post...but truth-in-advertising really does require you to balance it with a recitation of my many flaws.

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[airtwardo 6]

his leg is a disaster, and he is suffering.

***

Kind of what it looks looks like to me too...

I thought it may have been trapped, but looking harder at the pics, that MIGHT be a broken bottle on his stub.

Thanks for caring Walt!
Try and get the little critter some help if ya can!

~ If you choke a Smurf, what color does it turn? ~

[waltappel 1]

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P.S. I don't know how to respond to your description of me in your addendum to that other post...but truth-in-advertising really does require you to balance it with a recitation of my many flaws.

No need to respond to my addendum--just take it as a sincere compliment. As for the truth-in-advertising thing, screw it. Everyone has flaws, but I'd rather spend my time appreciating a person's good qualities than criticizing their flaws. That being said, anyone who loves animals as much as you obviously do, just doesn't have a whole lot of flaws as far as I'm concerned.

I'm going to make the pain in the ass phone calls for the raccoon, and thanks so much to you and airtwardo for caring and helping out. Seeing an animal suffer just really gets to me.

edited to add:
I checked out the link. I have dealt with the Texas Wildlife Rescue people before. They are great folks and are only about a 10 minute drive from my place.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

I just went to Texas Wildlife Rehab and showed them the pictures. They couldn't offer any help other than telling me that the raccoon needs to be trapped and evaluated (duh....). Don't get me wrong, I like them and they are great people doing wonderful things. Anyway, they gave me the name and number of a place that works on raccoons and also mentioned my veterinarian, who also works on raccoons.

As far as catching the guy, it looks like I'll have to wing it.

I'll keep you posted.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

Ok, my blood pressure is coming down a bit, although it won't be back to normal until I either get this raccoon some help or have really good reason to stop trying.

I was feeding the raccoons tonight and my injured guy was the first to show up. I didn't have a trap so my brilliant plan was to trap him using a laundry basket, get him wrapped up in some really big, really thick towels, and get him in a pet carrier for transport to the vet. I know this is one of the stupidest ideas ever devised, but I'm desperate.

Anyway, I couldn't get any closer than about 5 feet. He has a healthy appetite, so he was eating for about 10 minutes while I was deluding myself that the laundry basket and towels might actually work if I could get close enough.

I never got the chance because something startled him and, unbelievably, he climbed a tree! No shit--I saw him do it. The tree is vertical at its base and is about 15 in. in diameter. He climbed it at a pretty normal raccoon speed! I'm still trippin'!

To prove that I'm not literally tripping, I got some pictures of the little f**ker up in the tree chillin'. I also got a picture of a young oppossum feeding.

As far as the trapping goes, I talked with a friend and she thinks her father has a raccoon trap that I can borrow by tomorrow night. One of the guys at Texas Wildlife Rehab says that using Twinkies for bait works pretty well, so I'll try that. Most of the raccoons don't mind eating while I'm sitting out there, so I should be able to place the trap while the injured guy is eating.

Check out the pics--I'll keep you posted.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

I borrowed a raccoon trap from my veterinarian today. I set the trap tonight and waited in a lawn chair about six feet from the trap.

First, an armadillo came up and was really curious about the trap. I had to shoo him away several times.

Then over the next two hours 6 raccoons came to eat and I had to hand feed them small amounts to keep them away from the trap.

Finally, my injured raccoon showed up. Unfortunately, another raccoon showed up at the same time so I had to keep the healthy raccoon away from the trap and occupied.

While distracting the healthy raccoon, the injured raccoon walked all the way into the trap and was eating. He wasn't quite all the way to the little metal plate that springs the trap when light pressure is applied. Then some noise distracted him and he came out of the trap. He sprang the trap as he was backing out but it couldn't close all the way because he was blocking it. He simply kept backing out until he was clear of the trap.

I reset the trap. A few minutes later he walked back into the trap and was casually eating food off of the metal plate using such a light touch that he didn't trip it! After he'd had enough, he backed out of the trap and climbed a tree.

Little bastard. I'll get him tomorrow night!

I did get a close look at his injured let. It is DEFINITELY a broken-off longneck beer bottle neck on his leg. His paw looks extremely raw and I'm not sure that he has any claws left on it.

He really does need help from a veterinarian and it looks like I will be able to get him that help after trapping him tomorrow night.

Walt

[juliebird 0]

AN ARMADILLO? I don't think I've ever seen an armadillo before.

Poor little guy... there has to be someone who can help him. Good luck!

[waltappel 1]

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AN ARMADILLO? I don't think I've ever seen an armadillo before.

Poor little guy... there has to be someone who can help him. Good luck!

I'll see if I can get a picture of an armadillo or two tomorrow and will post 'em if I get 'em.

I'm going to help that raccoon. My veterinarian is really extraordinary. He works on pretty much any kind of animal, including raccoons.

Walt

[RhondaLea 3]

Walt,

He hasn't lost any part of his foot? It's just raw?

Must hurt the poor little bastard like crazy to try to climb like that. I'm not even going to speculate about how he got the bottle stuck on his paw and then managed to break it off.

But if he has an entire foot, the prognosis is a whole lot better than if part of it is missing. Just don't underestimate the pain he's in when he climbs. I'm really not sure how he manages it--scoons use the back feet to provide the momentum--they look funny when they climb--but they need the front to hold on.

He's a real trooper, this little guy. But so are you.
rl

If you don't know where you're going, you should know where you came from. Gullah Proverb

[waltappel 1]

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Walt,

He hasn't lost any part of his foot? It's just raw?

I don't want to paint a prettier picture than it really is; by "raw", I mean it looks kind of like a stump. It's still pretty nauseating to look at it, but since the bottle neck is definitely there at least I know it wasn't one of those snap traps that hurt the guy so I can kind of convince myself that he might come out of this ok.

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Must hurt the poor little bastard like crazy to try to climb like that. I'm not even going to speculate about how he got the bottle stuck on his paw and then managed to break it off.

When I went to the veterinarian's office yesterday, the assistant I talked with said they get raccoons in all the time with stuff stuck on their front legs like that. Even after seeing him climb that tree twice I have no clue how he does it, but I'm sure it hurts like hell. The fact that he can do it gives me enormous hope, though, and that's something I am desperate for with this little guy.

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But if he has an entire foot, the prognosis is a whole lot better than if part of it is missing. Just don't underestimate the pain he's in when he climbs. I'm really not sure how he manages it--scoons use the back feet to provide the momentum--they look funny when they climb--but they need the front to hold on.

That is indeed how they climb. I've seen it plenty. I don't know how the hell he holds on with that injured foot, but he does. It's got to hurt like hell, but he is managing.

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He's a real trooper, this little guy. But so are you.
rl

He *is* a real trooper, and I will do my absolute best to get him through this. I figure he's going to be one really pissed off raccoon when I trap him but after getting him treated, at least I'll be able to sleep a whole lot better. Thanks for your help and encouragement. It means a lot.

Walt

[pirana 0]

Cool. I too put out a smorgasbord for the nearby wildlife. Dinner scraps, garden leftovers, several feeders for deer, birds, wild turkeys, etc. We live in the country but the subdivisdions are going up fast. We have 27 acres, mostly wooded, but have 3 acres fenced, with a dog and cat. I do all the feeding (other than birds) outside the fenceline, and the wildlife for the most part stay on the other side. I'm guessing because of the bounty of food outside the fence and the scent of humans and the dog. The cat is an awesome hunter and makes a quick meal of any small rodent that finds it's way thru the fence. We've got regularly visiting herons, beavers, river otters, ducks, HUGE snapping turtles, even an occassional badger and fox. If it's indigenous to our area, it's on our property. Kind of like our own little wildlife refuge. Anyway, I think in this environment (a slowly building edge-of-suburbia woodland) there's nothing wrong with attracting the wildlife, while keeping them at arms distance. I've never come upon an animal that, at the first approach of us or our dog, didn't take fast flight into the woods; but we still have the kids well trained to never mess with the wildlife.

" . . . the lust for power can be just as completely satisfied by suggesting people into loving their servitude as by flogging them and kicking them into obedience." -- Aldous Huxley

[Gravitymaster 0]

Walt, if you have the same type of trap I have you should be able to close one end of it by sliding the metal bar into the slot. Then take your bait and put it on the closed end on a piece of aluminum foil. This will force the raccoon to completely enter the trap and when he walks over the plate, it will shut the trap. Good luck.

[waltappel 1]

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Walt, if you have the same type of trap I have you should be able to close one end of it by sliding the metal bar into the slot. Then take your bait and put it on the closed end on a piece of aluminum foil. This will force the raccoon to completely enter the trap and when he walks over the plate, it will shut the trap. Good luck.

Thanks!!! I'll try that.

Walt

[waltappel 1]

Ok, now this is getting personal. The little fucker came earlier tonight (around 11:45pm my time) but he came when there were two other raccoons feeding. He didn't want to get near the other raccoons, so he goes to a section of fence just around the corner. Unfortunately, there really isn't a level place to put the trap, but because he was there, I moved it. He kind of stuck his head in it and sniffed the outside, but never went in far enough for me to catch him.

He then decided he didn't like that location, so he moved to the section of fence where I normally feed him. I moved the trap. He scrounged a few morsels of food off the ground, gave me a "fuck you" look and then walked off into the darkness.

I've been sleep-deprived since this past Friday night because of that little bastard. Now it's war. I'm gonna' get that little son of a bitch tomorrow night. He's fucking with the wrong guy.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.....

Walt

[ACMESkydiver 0]

Post #1:

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that poor raccoon

Post #47:
***The little fucker

[waltappel 1]

Well that raccon is screwing with me. He's probably reading dropzone.com to find out what I'm going to be doing just so he can screw with me.


Understand this, raccoon. As of tomorrow night, I'm gonna own your ass! Give it up smooth you little fucker, because I refuse to outsmarted by a raccoon! This is a battle of wills; a war of attrition; and you, my little furry friend, are going to lose.

You're going to the vet. You're going to hate every minute of it. BUT you'll feel better. I'll even release your sorry ass exactly where I found you. And then you know what I'm going to do? Sleep, that's what I'm going to do. And no way in hell will you be able to stop me.

I know where you live. You can't run or hide, you little bastard.

Get a good night's sleep tonight, raccoon. You'll need it.


And I'm starting to think that you're right, ACMESkydiver--they *are* out to get us.

Walt