In Grand Traverse Bay on Lake Michigan there is a little island called Power Island that has some designated campsites. When we camped there we thought it was funny that they had "racoon poles" metal poles that looked a bit like coat racks. The next morning we had about a thousand racoon muddy footprints on our kayaks. Fortuantely no damage. One of the power boaters we talked to had camped out on the island with friends and they had prepared a vodka watermellon. He said it was too strong they could hardly eat any of it so they left most of it on the picnic table. They awoke that night to the sound of an army of drunken racoons crashing about the camp. The next night no problem. Apparently the beasts were still nursing a hangover the next night. Michael Daly wrote: > Evan Dallas wrote: > > > > In racoon > > country, we always hang everything that could possibly be a temptation. And > > even hanging the food is no guarantee unless it's very well hung (the food, that > > is), since the racoons are smart enough to gnaw at the ropes, if accessible. > > > > As a long-time observer of raccoons in the wild (mostly in Algonquin park) - > did you know that contented raccoons purr like cats? - allow me to tell you > a secret. > > Raccoons aren't as smart as some folks think, however, they are persistent and > won't give up easily. Their primary approach to getting something they want is > to scratch at the bag/container/whatever until something gives. They go for > the spot that has the strongest smell, like a zipper, the crack between the > bottom and lid of a cooler etc. Since they have longish claws, clawing at a > zipper will sometimes let them catch and open the zipper, making folks think > they're smart enough to have figured them out. Even canoe barrels have been > opened by raccoons who've accidentally snagged the metal closure lever with > their paws (since bears don't use this approach, canoe barrels seem to be > bear proof). If you use them in raccoon country, put something into the > closure lever to make sure it can't be opened easily. > > Now the secret. A raccoon will not jump in a tree. They can climb anything > they can get their claws into - including parachute cord or other fine line. > In order to raccoon proof your hanging pack, use a length of stainless steel > wire, 1/8 inch diameter, between your pack and the rope you hang it with. > It has to be longer than the reach of the raccoon. I had one made up at a > marine shop, a meter long with stainless thimbles at each end. The raccoon > can't grip the wire and therefore can't climb down to the food. I've used > this for years and haven't had a single problem since I started. I've > watched the buggers try over and over to get to the food pack and give up in > disgust. > > Mike > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not > to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
>One of the power boaters we talked to had camped out on the island with >friends and >they had prepared a vodka watermellon. He said it was too strong they >could hardly >eat any of it so they left most of it on the picnic table. They awoke that >night to >the sound of an army of drunken racoons crashing about the camp. The next >night no >problem. Apparently the beasts were still nursing a hangover the next >night. I shared a house in Ontario many years back. The local racoons had learned to work the latches of our "varmint proof" garbage cans with all the skill of the cartoon safe-crackers their masks make them resemble. One night, inspired by home-brew, we smeared the outsides of the garbage cans with Five-alarm chili. Never saw the bandits again. Two theorys: 1. They had exploded Hindenberg-like from gas build-up. 2. Bouyed by their diet, they drifted off to the far skys, where they are now the pets and/or prey for Inuit crotch-drigible propelled hunters. Philip Torrens N49°16' W123°06' *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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