Home › Forums › Open Discussion › Coyotes? Raccoons? Chupachabra?
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August 6, 2008 at 12:42 pm #587703
ToddinWestwoodMemberI woke up early this morning to get ready for work. I looked out in the backyard to find my daughter’s blow up pool and blowup beachball laying inthe yard flat and torn to shreds.
My first thought was to call the police, that we had been vandalized, but upon further investigation, the plastic outdoor toys are full of little teeth marks, like an animal got to them. I can post a pic later today.
Nothing else in the yard was touched.
It is the weirdest thing. Anyone else have something similar happen? Please?
Kinda freaked out,
Todd
August 6, 2008 at 1:29 pm #633452
MunchkinMemberSounds like raccoons to me. Years ago our next door neighbor had their kid’s pool torn up and every night, the rope swing hanging from a branch would have one of the ropes untied. Drove him crazy. Several weeks ago we had a ball deflated in our own back yard and one of our ducks attacked (she’s now ok) and have since learned we have 2 mamas and 5 babies in the neighborhood.
Am I hearing “but they’re soooo cute” ?
August 6, 2008 at 1:35 pm #633453
MissKMemberBoy Todd you sure are having issues in your neighborhood.
I would wager that it was raccoons. They love standing water. They use it to drink and wash. I think their little claws shredded the pool. They might be around because of the garbage left out at your problem neighbors.
I saw a story on the news that raccoons are becoming more of a problem. With the late start of spring they are looking for food. I would suggest next time dump the water out of the new pool.
August 6, 2008 at 2:10 pm #633454
hammerheadParticipantIt has been very dry out for all of the wildlife. They are looking for water to drink. Just provide them an alternate water source and they should leave the pool alone. The wildlife dept. says not to. I totaly disagree. I do not have any problems with my racoons, I also have 15 ferals and they do just fine together. WORK WITH NATURE NOT AGAINIST IT.
August 6, 2008 at 2:42 pm #633455
JenVMemberit was the hillbillies….
August 6, 2008 at 2:48 pm #633456
AnonymousInactivelol jen
August 6, 2008 at 2:51 pm #633457
melissaParticipantIt’s those wascally wacoons! Seriously, though, my neighbor had precisely the same problem last year and solved it by getting a thick plastic cover. Now they cover the pool at night and haven’t had a problem since.
August 6, 2008 at 3:39 pm #633458
MargLMemberYes! We had the same thing happen to one of my little girl’s bouncy balls last night. And we just bought it at Fred Meyer’s this weekend :-(
I saw it in the yard last night and thought -Gosh I should bring that inside in case those raccoons are in the yard because I remember somebody mentioning having things chewed by raccoons in a different thread. But then I got distracted… lesson learned!
I’m just waiting for them to go after the soaker hose in the garden tho’ we do have that covered with a little mulch.
August 6, 2008 at 4:09 pm #633459
ToddinWestwoodMemberThere is also a large wall of blackberrys across Roxbury. I have seen Racoons over there. It was a creepy feeling, thinking that someone had vandalized us.
Thanks folx.
August 6, 2008 at 4:41 pm #633460
WSBKeymasterThis one wins subject line of the day.
I read it aloud to Junior Member of the Team, who is highly honked off at going to a daily half-day organized activity every morning this week, and it made him laugh. Particularly the Chupacabra part.
However, I’m sorry to hear that critters are causing damage to kids’ stuff. We have nothing in our yard but extreme amounts of overgrowth so I haven’t experienced that one.
-TR
August 6, 2008 at 10:34 pm #633461
MissKMemberHammerhead I have to totally disagree with you. I think that putting food or water out for wild animals only invites trouble. A pet, a person, or personal property can be in danger by doing this type of activity. The balance of nature is to let it take its course. Sometimes wildlife prospers and sometimes it struggles, that is the by laws of mother nature. If you saw the news last night on KIRO about the poor dog that was almost mauled to death by the raccoons that the neighbors “help out” you would hopefully change your tune.
Dump the pool water before going in for the night. That way you won’t wake to a shredded pool.
August 6, 2008 at 10:42 pm #633462
ZenguyParticipantI had a blow up pool a couple of years ago (confession it was mine…it was hot!) I left the water in it and got popped because of the damn crows landing on it to take a drink. Obviously that would not account for the teeth marks, but I am sure when it is hot they are all looking for a nice drink.
August 6, 2008 at 10:58 pm #633463
ToddinWestwoodMemberTo combat the crows, we put a beachball or two into the pool. The slightest breeze makes the balls scoot around the pool, scaring off the crows. The other thing is, they try to land on the highest thing in the pool, the ball, and fall off.
August 6, 2008 at 11:00 pm #633464
SueParticipantMissK, I’m having this argument with my husband right now, about leaving water out for whatever creature ate my garden hose last night, to keep them from the hose. Not only do I not need a mosquito breeding ground, but I don’t want to put an advertisement for every neighborhood animal needing a drink. If he thinks we have problems now, he has no idea!
August 6, 2008 at 11:08 pm #633465
ZenguyParticipantI would enjoy watching a crow trying to land on a beachball.
August 6, 2008 at 11:26 pm #633466
MissKMemberSue have him watch the story on KIRO last night about the dog who was attacked during the day mind you by raccoons. The Fish and Forest agency strongly advises to NOT feed nor water the wild animals. It just opens the doors for many many problems.
August 7, 2008 at 2:07 am #633467
JeraldParticipantI haven’t been able to find that dog/raccoon story. But did come across the Montauk Monster. http://www.kirotv.com/video/17062215/index.html
It’s worth a look…hope we don’t have these in our back yards.
August 7, 2008 at 4:38 am #633468
MissKMemberOops wrong station. Here is the link to the story.
http://www.king5.com/topstories/stories/NW_080508WAB_raccoons_dog_attack_KC.1b8a7ee2.html
PLEASE DONT FEED THE RACCOONS!!
August 7, 2008 at 7:41 pm #633469
PDHParticipantWe had the same problem with the raccoons having fun playing with our son’s toys…. Left out a hop bop (big ball you bounce on) and I thought my son had figured out how to deflate it. We took a look after he vehemently denied he let the air out. There were teeth marks all over it and a huge slash in it–like something from “Freddy Kruger”!! The raccoon had torn it up!! Few nights later after we thought we had picked up everything, my husband looked outside to see the raccoon rolling across our back yard with a pair of water eye goggles in his mouth. No amount of loud noises or bright flashlights in his eyes would get him to drop them. He laid on his back with his feet on the goggles and holding them to his mouth rolling over and over. Sort of comical thinking about it. We now have to put up everything because after eating the handles off the scooter, the balls being shredded, etc nothing is safe. Last night we saw the raccoon just rolling back and forth on our yard w/o any toys. He really seem to like our yard–Argh! If only the elderly lady in the neighborhood would stop feeding them and letting them into her house….!
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