Well, last couple of outings I have been woke up by raccoons fiddling around with my hammock. Just me and my quilts in it.
anyone else have an issue or suggestions to deal with it?????
Well, last couple of outings I have been woke up by raccoons fiddling around with my hammock. Just me and my quilts in it.
anyone else have an issue or suggestions to deal with it?????
What are the chances you had toothpaste in your pocket, or a smear of dinner on your jacket? They've got a very good sense of smell.
Every time I've had coons prowling the campsite, they went straight for the food.
Out of curiousity where were you camping? Were you wilderness camping or at a campground? I think Shug had a section in one of his videos showing how in wilderness you can look for paths made by animals and try to avoid them.
Raccoons that habituate established camping areas become used to the human presence. They are emboldened by folks accidentally leaving out scraps and by those who intentionally feed them. They will walk all over you and not think a thing about it. I seldom ever camp in an established camp ground. I prefer to camp some where less frequented where contact is nil. I have never been hassled by raccoons out away from established camping. If you are camping in state parks, family campgrounds and etc., get used to it! You are in their living room! The only way that I know to deter racoons is an old trick used to keep them out of the garden. You can pour fox urine around around a perimeter and they will generally not enter in as they are afraid of predators. But I do not know if this would work in a campground situation. Good luck!
Never confuse the facts with the truth! It ain't easy bein' geezy
The only time I've seen raccoons come into a camp site wilderness camping was where someone had left food.
If there is a food source the coons will find it. This year they started eating my chicken feed, and then moved on to the chickens. I lost over 35 to the little buggers this year.
Erin Go Bragh!
I've never had a problem with wildlife while backpacking except for a mouse that tried to make a nest in one of my boots and chewed a couple of holes in my sock. I thought it was so cute when it came out from under that log to lick up the remains of my dinner from the pot.
As a kid, camping at a state park campground in Ohio, we used to always have raccoons and skunks prowling around the camp sites. They'd even come right up under the picnic tables while we were sitting there playing cards at night.
Don't alter my altar
don't desecrate my shrine
My church is the water
and my home is underneath the shady pines
From the song "One Man's Shame" by William Elliot Whitmore
I agree the smell of food is what's bring them into your camp.
Might be time to wash everything to get the smells out of your gear.
I would also recommend a scent free soap.
We camped at our local metropark and were woke up by horendous sounds that ended up being racoons getting in the trash cans. They were the domed type that close up with a swinging door. One of them came back later that night and got stuck inside. I pulled the top off and let him out. The Park guy came by the next morning and said they euthanize any wildlife they find stuck in trash cans. At any rate they are sure to come around where ever there is food.
"He who makes a beast of himself, gets rid of the pain of being a man." Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
Please check out the link below to show your love for hammocks!www.zazzle.com/hammocklife
The raccoons in my yard don't mess with me or my stuff. It MAY be because I put out a lot of food for "The critters" (Birds, squirrels, etc.) as do a lot of locals (My back yard neighbor feeds her dogs outside, but they spend the night inside.) so it may be that they are well fed & not interested in me.
Coons are nearly as smart as Rats*, so you had better have "Your Game ON!" when dealing with anything to keep em from your food, or food smells. Plus, they are just pure curiosity, so it may be an endless battle just because.
*Just so you know, I feel that Rats actually rule the world, they just let us think we do! Like I said, SMART!
When you have a backpack on, no matter where you are, you’re home.
PAIN is INEVITABLE. MISERY is OPTIONAL.
Bookmarks