Last time I grew Painted Mountain corn the racoons left me one cob. This year, in two nights they have destroyed a third of the crop on their way to the live traps. It's odd how they get the high cobs so it looks like deer damage, but the garden is enclosed in deer fencing and my deer food (sunchokes) is untouched. That's what I get for trying to grow something with more nutritional value than modern corns.
The racoons don't bother sweet corn hardly at all here, not that they had a choice this year since none of it sprouted.
-
applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30540
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
What a bummer! 
I look out of the window overlooking my corn several times a day, searching for any sign of predation.
...but I discovered a geoundHOG summer vaca hole (I think) AND an opossum nonchalantly walks behind me while I was watering (could be it's subletting that hole) ...as posted about it in the Wildlife sub-forum. They are at the opposite corner of the property with the house in between, but I'm really worried.
I look out of the window overlooking my corn several times a day, searching for any sign of predation.
...but I discovered a geoundHOG summer vaca hole (I think) AND an opossum nonchalantly walks behind me while I was watering (could be it's subletting that hole) ...as posted about it in the Wildlife sub-forum. They are at the opposite corner of the property with the house in between, but I'm really worried.
-
DoubleDogFarm
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 6113
- Joined: Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:43 pm
I'm very sorry that you've lost so much of your crop to the raccoons. Nasty, they are. The second post in this thread tells the sad story of what happened to a lovely rabbit and a hard-working duck at the hands of raccoons within just a few miles of this house. 
Live traps are too good for 'em, but since they're not good eating, I'm not sure what to suggest. Sorry again.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
Live traps are too good for 'em, but since they're not good eating, I'm not sure what to suggest. Sorry again.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
-
mattie g
- Green Thumb
- Posts: 583
- Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2010 7:58 am
- Location: Northern VA, USA -- Zone 7a
That sucks, TZ. I'd be mighty pissed if I were you!
I have plenty of raccoons in my area, and one which has taken to sneaking into my shed a few times to sleep during the day, but my dog sniffed him out and let him know he wasn't welcome! Knock on wood, but those raccoons haven't bothered with my garden in the three years I've been growing stuff here. It might be that they have better places to go for food, rather than mess with a garden that has a 55-lb dog looking after it!
Eric...I was dreading seeing a last picture of you taking a leak between your rows of corn...
I have plenty of raccoons in my area, and one which has taken to sneaking into my shed a few times to sleep during the day, but my dog sniffed him out and let him know he wasn't welcome! Knock on wood, but those raccoons haven't bothered with my garden in the three years I've been growing stuff here. It might be that they have better places to go for food, rather than mess with a garden that has a 55-lb dog looking after it!
Eric...I was dreading seeing a last picture of you taking a leak between your rows of corn...
I've eaten raccoon several time in my life and they were quite tasty. The trick is to clean them without spoiling the meat with the musk glands. I once worked with a guy that hunted them and he would bring them to the fire station and cook them with sweet potatoes and we'd have a feast. Then again, I'm in Louisiana and we eat most anything that swims, flies, crawls, hops and doesn't eat us first.cynthia_h wrote:I'm very sorry that you've lost so much of your crop to the raccoons. Nasty, they are. The second post in this thread tells the sad story of what happened to a lovely rabbit and a hard-working duck at the hands of raccoons within just a few miles of this house.
Live traps are too good for 'em, but since they're not good eating, I'm not sure what to suggest. Sorry again.
Cynthia H.
Sunset Zone 17, USDA Zone 9
I hate raccoons. I hate raccoons. I hate raccoons.
They got more of my corn at home garden than we did, and what we had was SO GOOD. They stripped the stalks, got most of the ears. I hate raccoons, and I got two of them.
Got some corn at the farm, out in the wild blue yonder, where it is at great risk. I saw evidence last Sunday that the raccoons had attacked some corn. So I parked my tractor right next to the rows, and put a long white tarp alongside, with two cameras. Went back yesterday afternoon, gathered enough to freeze four large quarts, and had no new sign of attack, Will go back Monday and see what we have.
They got more of my corn at home garden than we did, and what we had was SO GOOD. They stripped the stalks, got most of the ears. I hate raccoons, and I got two of them.
Got some corn at the farm, out in the wild blue yonder, where it is at great risk. I saw evidence last Sunday that the raccoons had attacked some corn. So I parked my tractor right next to the rows, and put a long white tarp alongside, with two cameras. Went back yesterday afternoon, gathered enough to freeze four large quarts, and had no new sign of attack, Will go back Monday and see what we have.