Raccoon Hunting

07.27.2007 - Ha ha HAA!!! I've got the little sucker now! I'm going to blast it with my .22 rifle, let the dogs get at it, skin it, tan the hide, make raccoon stew, and pick my teeth with the bones! Rar! That raccoon doesn't stand a chance against my superior manly intellect and my super manly weapon that I carry with me. I can't wait to take my rambo knife to this sucker's throat! No way you could outrun my trusty pack of hound dogs, you sneaky little raccoon. You thought you could get away from me, but now it's lights out! The final curtain for you!  I see you trying to hide up in that tree, you think you're smarter than me, well come here my precious, and have a taste of cold steel, hee hee...  I am so keen and so smart, I beat you raccoon! HA HA HAAA, OH HOW I LOVE RACCOON HUNTING!!! The raccoon (Procyon lotor), is a unique animal native to North America. It's not closely related to any other animals, with distant relatives such as bears and weasels. Coons are easy to recognize, with a black mask and ringed tail. Raccoons tend to weigh between 10-20 pounds as adults. They are mostly nocturnal, and are omnivores. Racoons average a lifespan of about 5 years in the wild, and have a litter of 3-6 young each spring. They are very strong, excellent climbers, very intelligent, and they are very skilled with their hands. Raccoons have learned to thrive in urban areas, and live in very high densities in cities, where they eat garbage and pet food. They commonly break into homes and attics, where they cause considerable damage, and they also destroy other property, and thus racoons are considered pest animals by many people. Raccoon control and removal, especially from inside homes, is best left to a professional. It is very important to me that all wildlife is treated as humanely as possible.  I have observed raccoons up close for many years now, and it is obvious that they are very intelligent animals with very real emotions and feelings, and unique personalities, just like dogs have.  I can tell when a raccoon is scared, when it wants to get back to its babies, when it is relaxed, and so on.  It's not rocket science.  We're all animals together on this planet.  It is my job as a nuisance wildlife removal specialist to solve conflicts between people and wildlife.  If someone has a problem with an animal, they are going to address the problem.  I'd rather have myself on the case than anyone else, because I take the greatest care to ensure that the animals are treated humanely and do not suffer or receive any injury. The above photo is one of my favorite photographs that I've ever taken, because it's of a cute, vulnerable juvenile raccoon.  It's a very pretty animal, and very capable.  The only raccoon hunting that I do is with my camera, and when necessary, a humane live cage trap via which the animal is quickly relocated.

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