On Thursday, around 9:15pm, as it was getting dusky dark, I went outside to turn the water off. The hot temperatures, in the 100's, had already sucked what rain we got in May and June right out of the ground and the grass was beginning to turn brown. So I had the sprinkler going. Brandi went out with me, as she usually does.
When I was rolling up the water hose, I heard Brandi barking near the front yard gate. I dropped the hose and went to see what had caught her interest. There was something moving just outside the fence and as I got closer, one of the animals started climbing the fence. I called to Brandi to be careful and she knows from past experiences what that means. Then I recognized the animal as being a raccoon. There were two of them, one on the ground, flattened as if to be hidden. The other one was larger, obviously the mother, and was sitting atop the chainlink fence, growling at Brandi. The raccoon had a scraggly tail, kind of like the squirrel that visited briefly on two different years. This made me think there are slim pickings for meals in this part of the country. Not that I can say with any certainty that regular meals would make a difference in the bushiness of a tail, but one would think it might.
I have seen raccoon tracks at and near our stock tank in the past, but hadn't happened upon an actual raccoon here. I assumed these two had come to get water from the pans I had out for the birds and small ground critters such as rabbits, lizards or whatever else needs a drink. The last two years have been dry, without runoff enough to catch a lot of water in our tank, which means we haven't had as much wildlife around as in the past. The tank where the grebes, Simon and Deever, entertained me two years ago has been dry the last two summers. I have missed the visits of the grebes, ducks, quail, and other wildlife that depend on these watering holes for sustenance.
Brandi and I then went into the house to get the camera. I dared not leave her alone with a raccoon growling at her, possibly ready to pounce at the slightest hint of danger to her kit or herself. I took a few pictures of the raccoons and then they started moving along the fence line. I tried to scare them away so they wouldn't come in the yard as the one still looked menacing, obviously only trying to protect its' young. They wouldn't scare though and I lost track of them near the tractor shed.
It was then time for a flashlight and I also brought the gun, thinking if the one started to attack I might have to deal with it. I was hoping, however, that they were just traveling through. When we got back outside, I sent Brandi on the scent trail, with me following close behind. The raccoons must not have come in the yard as there was no sign of them and Brandi did not pick up a scent.
In the meantime, we happened upon a tarantula, which was nothing new to Brandi or myself, but afforded me to opportunity to take another picture.
Sunday morning I called my neighbor to see if she had seen any raccoons. Sure enough, Mary said her dogs were raising a ruckus the night before and she had gotten out of bed to see what they were barking at. The little one was sitting on the fence of her dogs' pen, but she did not see the mother. She scared it away so the dogs would be quiet and went back to bed.
So once again, Brandi and I have shared another experience with wildlife, albeit this is another one we do not care to repeat. A raccoon is not something I would want her to get up close and personal with as not only can they fight a fierce battle and severely injure or kill a dog, they are brazen about tempting the pet into pursuit. Raccoons also can carry distemper and rabies, therefore being a disease threat to your dog. One must be careful around all critters.
Stories referenced above:
Grebes Come to Visit - March 2007
Hurl a Squirrel - December 2007
Return of the Squirrel - August 2008