Raccoons!

L

lumberjackson

Participating member
Location
Portland, OR
Got about 70' up the first of three adjacent fir trees I was deadwooding and looked across to see 3 raccoons looking back at me. I don't mess with those buggars so I worked the 2 uninhabited trees and went back the next day to do the third. What do you guys do if going back the next day isn't an option? Do raccoons ever get aggressive if you are near by and try to chase you off?
 
Personally I've never seen a raccoon become aggressive unless you corner them. They tend to run more often than fight.

If I ran into raccoons 70ft up, and I needed to do the tree that day, I would find a way to get them safely to the ground. Destroying their home is enough, I have no business killing them too. But that's just me.
 
Raccoons can be nasty if they're cornered... but they're not stupid, at all. They know a predator when they see one, even if it's not where they're used to seeing them... and a 25 pound 'coon isn't going to attack a 200 pound human if there's an easy way to avoid it. I had to go around to the other side of the stem I was on once, and wait while a big female with two little ones climbed down... on the same stem but opposite side. She snarled at me when I startled her, but never made another sound, except some chortling noises as she took her babies and left. I think she was just telling them to follow her. She really didn't seem all that upset, just inconvenienced.

I wouldn't try to grab one or knock it off the tree, though. They have teeth that are as sharp as a cat's, but as big as a small dog's and they know how to sink them into things real fast!
Try just moving a few feet away, if you can, and they'll usually climb down the tree and leave.
 
There have been a couple other raccoon threads on TreeBuzz.

In NE Ohio they are not always easy to scare away, even on the ground.
Personally I would not get within a few feet of a raccoon, especially without a really fast, really safe escape route.

Rabid raccoons have moved into Ohio years ago. Another reason to keep WAY clear.
Ohio periodically drops rabies vaccine pellets by airplane in my area.

Also, I believe it is Ohio law, if you "live-trap" it; you are required to kill it; & must not transport to another location.
Again, due to rabies.
 
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I've had two run in's with raccoons while in a tree. The first one happened when I was pruning a large red oak near a pond in Massachusetts. I pruned the entire tree and only had one large limb left to reduce. On my way our there was a large hollow section on the back on the main stem I never noticed. I looked inside to see how and the decay was. It was dark in there and the hole was much larger than I thought. A raccoon was hanging out in the hole. All curled up, she just looked up at me. This was in February. She stayed in the hole and I finished the tree and left her alone.
Second time I was cabling a tree that also had a cavity. Out comes a raccoon and climbs to the end of a limb and just sits there watching me. Never snarled or anything. Just stayed out on the end of the limb until I was done.
But like was said here. I wouldn't corner them.
 
I've come across many over the yrs in th crown. Generally they cooperate. No sudden moves. Coaxe them out of your way with pole.
One time we had a suprise visit from one setting lines in some big REDS and the bugger got tngled up in the line and fell from th tree. It suffered terribly. Conservation authority had to quickly and decisively end it's life.:rayos:
 
RopeShield said:
I've come across many over the yrs in the crown. Generally they cooperate. No sudden moves. Coaxe them out of your way with pole.
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X2. Block the path where you are/don't want them to go, give them another option, coax them and they'll begrudgingly move along. I think JeffGu's theory is correct: They are tough but smart and they know when they're outgunned, and therefore would rather move along than risk a potentially fatal encounter.
 
Jeff said:
X2. Block the path where you are/don't want them to go, give them another option, coax them and they'll begrudgingly move along. I think JeffGu's theory is correct: They are tough but smart and they know when they're outgunned, and therefore would rather move along than risk a potentially fatal encounter.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but I think you guy's are nuts.
I have LOTS of raccoons around my house.

In my humble opinion, all these close encounters have just been fortunate.
No, they probably won't attack without some provocation; but you don't know what that tipping point is.
Raccoons are wild animals, with more muscles & viciousness per pound than any human.

Quote: "they're outgunned, and therefore would rather move along than risk a potentially fatal encounter"

What on earth are you "outgunning" them with !
They are at least 100X quicker than you.
They have claws that tear apart their meals every day; and will slash you.
Their teeth will crunch bone, shellfish, etc.
Mother's will protect their young !

If a rabid raccoon bites, you either collect it for observation, or ..................
You undergo 5 to 6 painful injections over several weeks.

If I just got bit, I really don't want to go after it to "collect it" !

If the tree has a raccoon, tell the owner to call a pest control expert.

You have enough hazards, hopefully within your control, to contend with.
You are a tree expert.

All the Best !
 
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GregManning said:
Sorry, but I think you guy's are nuts.
I have LOTS of raccoons around my house.

I my humble opinion, all these close encounters have just been fortunate.
No, they probably won't attack without some provocation; but you don't know what that tipping point is.
Raccoons are wild animals, with more muscles & viciousness per pound than any human.

Quote: "they're outgunned, and therefore would rather move along than risk a potentially fatal encounter"

What on earth are you "outgunning" them with !
They are at least 100X quicker than you.
They have claws that tear apart their meals every day; and will slash you.
Their teeth will crunch bone, shellfish, etc.
Mother's will protect their young !

If a rabid raccoon bites, you either collect it for observation, or ..................
You undergo 5 to 6 painful injections over several weeks.

If I just got bit, I really don't want to go after it to "collect it" !

If the tree has a raccoon, tell the owner to call a pest control expert.

You have enough hazards, hopefully within your control, to contend with.
You are a tree expert.

All the Best !
Click to expand...

It's called a chainsaw.....Hello! It has way more "teeth" Than them!
 
I spent a day in a large sugar with a raccoon major crown redn over two homes etc.
Respect, give space and keep an eye on them.
Love the company.
I'm no grizzly Adams but sheesh it's a smallish animal nothing to overly fear.
 
classictruckman said:
[QUOTE="GregManning, post: 475260, member: 2341"Also, I believe it is Ohio law, if you "live-trap" it; you are required to kill it
Click to expand...
Seems like an oxymoron[/QUOTE]

The concept is that you don't want to kill cats, dogs, squirrels, etc that may accidentally get into the trap. (e.g. leg traps, snares, etc.)
 
I grew up Racoon (coon) hunting and one piece of advice is don't under estimate them and don't ever try to grab one. There is no way to grab one without getting tore up. They usually won't challenge a human, but if they feel trapped or that there kittens are in danger they will become absolutely viscous. Going up a tree is there defense and that is where they feel safe, so I am not sure how to get them to move on. When we hunted them they were pursued by a .22 rifle. I would feel totally comfortable working in a tree with one as long as I could keep a good distance from it. That is as long as it wasn't acting rabid.
 
I was up in a big pin oak and noticed two raccoons sleeping in a hollow below me. I made some noises like I was calling a cat and one woke up looking at me. We had a minor stare down and the raccoon freaked and started running down the trunk. Leapt off from about 25-30', hit the forest floor and ran off. I think it did ok landing on the soft duff. The second racoon looked at me and I looked away, it went back to sleep. It's worth noting that animals with forward facing eyes have what are called predator eyes, think peregrine falcon, cheetah, etc. Humans have predator eyes too, when we stare at a wild animal, we are acting like a predator. So if you want a raccoon in a tree to stay calm look away. As mentioned by others, if you come across a mother denning with babies in a tree cavity, best to keep clear.

In the first warm days of spring raccoons like to get out of their dark winter dens and sleep out in the open high in big trees. I've seen three doing this in an old white pine and several times one or two laying across a big limb in an oak. Once it starts getting hot out they go back to sleeping in cavities to keep cool during the day.
-AJ
 
@GregManning you are correct with some of those points and maybe I overstated it without adding a few caveats:
No, I would never corner a raccoon.
No, I would never try to grab one.
No, I don't ever want to engage one in a fight, because you are correct, they are strong, toothy and blazingly fast.
All of the above discussions go out the window if they are rabid, because then they're fast, strong, vicious and psychotic. I've had several friends get bit and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

It has just been my observation that they'd rather flight than fight.
 
I have heard alot of stories of raccoons in trees, and once witnessed a severely dehydrated one climb to the very tippy top of a silver maple and jump to his death. I only know he was dehydrated because i tried to give him water and directly thereafter he had a very violent seizure. Following the seizure, in a very deliberate calm manner, he climbed slowly and steadily to very top, and then he just let go. Not sure if he was trying to off himself but it kind of seemed like it.
 
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