I Love it When She Talks Like That

So the raccoons won't give it a rest. A while back the little dog, Chewie, tree a coon out by the barn one night when the Mrs. was locking in the chickens. I blasted it. About a week ago, same thing, only this time the varmint was in the barn. I grabbed the trusty 12 gauge, but couldn't get a shot without adding a vent to the barn. He ran out and was lost to the dark night.

I man has a few things he really likes to have his wife say to him. Last night I was trimming finger nails with the lads when my wife bangs on the bathroom window and yells... Oh, it was a dream come true. She yelled, "Get your shotgun!" I only had two fingers left to trim so I finished and grabbed up the trusty "problem solver." The raccoon was up a tree. C. shined the light on the critter and I let him have it with a load of #4 buckshot. Then much to my surprise C. says there's another one inside the barn. I've already played this game but alas I don't get a shot for fear of structural damage to the barn. The little bandit ran out and was gone into the night. I almost blasted Harvey the pig in the darkness.

We looked around a bunch but couldn't find 'em. So we disposed of the carcass of the unlucky one. I was really frustrated knowing there was another coon out there that was sure to come back. So we did some more looking with the light. There are tall trees all around the barn that they typically run up. There is one fir that is a favorite but we just couldn't see any shiny eyes. Then I notices a funny colored spot that had two white horizontal stripes. So we studied that for a minute and figured out it was Mr. #2. He was laying low hiding up in the branches. So I took a whack at him. He hit the ground with a big "whump." It was screaming and growling and flipping up into the air about 3 feet. So I had to administer the coup de grace.

Both of those raccoons were very healthy at between 20-30 pounds. Hopefully the cats will get their food to themselves and the chickens won't feel threatened. We lost four chickens this winter. DMP