Re: [GSAS-Member] Deterring raccoons, was pond discussions

[Linda Knapp <linda@bozuk.org>]

I wonder if they where really raccoons or sea otters? I was at the  
marina in Port Townsend once, We had caught a 60 pound  Halibut and  
the bones and what not was out in the cockpit in a garbage bag. Just  
as we where heading to sleep a couple sea otters came on board and  
drug off the bag. I managed to get the bag out of the water with the  
main part of the skeleton and put it in a bucket in a hold to dump out  
in the deeper water the next day. The otters came back and where quite  
unhappy.... But they did get a share anyway.
Cute buggers - I like them better than raccoons even though they can  
get onboard and mess up things a lot.

Linda

On Jul 14, 2008, at 1:19 PM, Betty Goetz wrote:

> I'll be honest, those 50g stock tanks are pretty shallow. They  
> looked like
> raccoon wading pools to me (weak grin). I 'might' get one for bog  
> plants
> but I don't think I'll be putting fish in. I didn't think they were  
> deep
> enough to provide any 'cover' for a fish trying to evade raccoon  
> paws so I
> passed and got a larger tank. The 75g looks like the smallest at  
> DeYoungs
> that might be good for fish, especially in raccoon country.
>
> Maybe it's all the Siberian husky smell, but I never had any  
> evidence in
> 19 years of raccoons going for my goldfish at my old place. I never  
> had
> space for stock tanks there, so used something similar in size to  
> whiskey
> barrels and they were mostly placed near my front porch where they  
> dogs
> spent plenty of time. And I did have plenty of evidence that they had
> discovered my chicken coop...about 100' up on the hill from the  
> house! My
> dogs never went up into poultry territory (except for the occasional
> Siberian chicken raid), hence no dog smell deterrent.
>
> My coworkers have plenty of stories of raccoons swimming out to  
> anchored
> sailboats in the San Juans, climbing up the anchor line and breaking  
> into
> locked cabinets for food (and pooping all over deck), so I think a
> determined raccoon needs something more substantial than netting,  
> but I
> have no personal experience to fall on here.
>
> Betty Goetz - relying on Siberian husky power and DEEP stock tanks to
> protect my goldies
>
>> I just got a little pond - thanks to Betty for suggesting the stock  
>> tanks
>> at DeYoungs and Susan for the pond scoops!    All good, but the  
>> problem
>> is: I have never in the four years I have been living here seen a  
>> raccoon
>> in my neighborhood, until last night!!  The pond has been on the  
>> deck two
>> days and they are already visiting it; I couldn't believe it.
>>
>> Does netting over a small pond keep them out of it?  It is only a  
>> shallow
>> 50 gallon stock tank (about 12 inches deep), but it does have steep  
>> sides;
>> is that enough to deter them or should I cover the tank/pond with  
>> some
>> sort of netting??  There are just tadpoles in there now, but I  
>> definitely
>> want to put fish in it soon, and don't want it to become the  
>> neighborhood
>> raccoon feeder.
>>
>> Thanks, Connie
>> (who has been learning a TON from all these great discussions!)
>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>  From: Tom Watson<mailto:onefish2fish@comcast.net>
>>  To: 'Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member
>> chat'<mailto:gsas-member@thekrib.com>
>>  Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 10:02 AM
>>  Subject: Re: [GSAS-Member] pond discussions
>>
>>
>>  What keeps raccoons out of ponds are steep sides.  They can't put  
>> a paw
>> in
>>  the shallows to brace themselves when leaning out to snatch fish.  A
>> shelf
>>  along the edge would provide that place to brace themselves.
>>
>>  -----Original Message-----
>>  From:
>> gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com<mailto:gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com 
>> >
>>  [mailto:gsas-member-bounces@thekrib.com] On Behalf Of Betty Goetz
>>  Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 8:17 AM
>>  To: Greater Seattle Aquarium Society member chat
>>  Subject: [GSAS-Member] pond discussions
>>
>>  Thanks for the pond discussions! I worked on my 2 larger stock tanks
>> this
>>  weekend. I wish my goldies would decide that Azolla tastes as good  
>> as
>>  duckweed! I'm wondering if anyone has seen something that might  
>> work on
>> a
>>  stock pond edge to help grow marginals or bog plants?  
>> Hmmmmm....maybe
>>  those plastic planters they make for deck railings??????? I really  
>> don't
>>  want to fill up the edges with cement blocks to make staging zones  
>> for
>>  pots.
>>
>>  Trish....your 4 goldies are doing great. They do seem to like flakes
>>  better than floating pellets but are getting the hang of the things.
>> They
>>  are spending less time hanging out in the holes of the cement brick
>> tower
>>  I put in one end to stage some parrotfeather pots. Larry...thanks  
>> from
>>  bring them up north for me! I know I wouldn't have made it down to
>>  Enumclaw!
>>
>>  Raccoons & outdoor ponds - so far I've lucked out. All of my ponds  
>> are
>>  above ground, which may help. Having lots of Siberian husky smell
>>  (including one determined male who likes to mark the sides of stock
>> ponds)
>>  may help as well. I KNOW I've got raccoons around at the new place  
>> as
>> the
>>  neighbors have warned me. The chickens get locked in at night (weak
>> grin).
>>
>>  Betty Goetz
>>
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