Home invaders not deterred by lights.

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Pellidon

Pellidon

Flashlight Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 19, 2002
Messages
1,432
City & State/Province
39.42N 86.42 W
I am standing out in my back yard shining my CT Zero Rechargeable in the trees, comparing it to some of my other lights. Then I hear a large rustling in the woods. Thinking it is my neighbors' dog coming around for his nightly scratch behind the ears I start to sweep the woods for him. He is a German Shepard but I do not see him. Next thing I know I am staring at ten small green lights looking back at me. A large momma raccoon and four babies. Think of one of those large Kliban cat cartoons and that was mom. They just waddled through my back yard passing within 20 feet. They did stop and check me out once or twice but they were un deterred.

For about five minutes I spotlighted them rumaging my neighbors' yard for yummies in the dirt. They totally ignored me and my lights. The Zero, a 6P with a P61, a G2 with a P60 and an 8NX. Then a dog barked from about a half mile away. They scampered up a tree then. Me they ignore and I was talking to them and spotlighting them /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

Inside I went for my second barrage (luxeons). A Blaster II(I), A cyan HD in a 2C mag, A cyan HD and LD in a pair of mags. None fazed these guys. I did learn that the best spot was a HD in a mag.

I stood out there for about ten minutes listening to the youngsters, watching them learn how to climb down a tree. I wish I had a low light vidcam, they don't have the hang of climbing down yet. Then they played around cooing and looking for mom who waddled off somewhere.

I got tired and worried about mom hiding somewhere and coming after me if the kids got spooked so I called it a night. They stopped cooing and started hissing so I left.

Results: Great test of my lights. Confirmation that humans are mostly loud noisy moving rock things that can be mostly ignored in a raccoon's thinking.

I do know how to keep them away. Sprinkle black pepper around the area where they are raiding. They tend to sniff the ground a lot while rambling on and do not like a snout full of pepper. Screaming, stick throwing, rock throwing, firecrackers, cap pistols, cold water and such have no effect on them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twak.gif They are not impressed by expensive finely crafted lights nor one's creative hack mod skills. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twak.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif
 
Did you try barking?
Only other option I see besides taking care of them yourself is to call animal control. Guess it depends on what kind of area you live in.

BTW-nice collection.
 
About 3 days ago I was sitting in my back yard at about 10:00 having a conversation on my cell phone. (the only place I get reception at my house) I heard a noise in the bushes...a few minutes later a big fat raccoon climbed up the big old cherry tree. I shined my vector 1.5mcp spotlight right on him...just so I could get a better look. He couldn't have cared less... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
I live in a forest. The bandits are harmless 99% of the time. My neighbor has a trashcan that they found and think it is raccoon Denny's. They are more a source of bemusement as long as they don't become destructive.

The giant woodpecker eating my eaves on the house is a different story. Rather than spend $80 for repellent (10 oz) I tried spraying WD-40 on the spots he was terrorizing. It's been a week and no new activity. If he continues however I will go to work one day and cut lengths of stainless tubing to make a forty foot long string of wind chimes to hang from the eaves. That will tick him, me and the neighbors off I'm sure.
 
It is very funny to see how close you can get in a kayak to a beaver with a tigerlight. You can get 15-20 feet while hitting it in the face with the beam, then they notice you and smack the tail in the water and get you wet/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif
 
Possum also seem to be "not at all concerned" with the guy holding the bright light. All momma possum did when I hit her with a bunch of Lux was to give me a bit of a "Hissss" as she walked over my feet. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon23.gif
 
I can't help thinking these nocturnal mammals are blinded when hit with a strong light, and so they aren't eager to run in any particular direction...? Probably can't see a thing for a while...
 
They act the same in daylight without spotlighting them. We don't register as a threat, only some kind of giant gnat like annoyance.
 
tell me, exactly how tall are you? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
The dude in the picture? He is slightly taller than a 123 battery /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif I'm six feet tall, a giant in a varmint's estimation.
 
That is why you use a bright light attatched to a rifle when hunting raccoons and other nocturnal pests. Most of the time they will sit and stare into your light for 5-10 seconds. It is quit unusual for a raccoon in a rural area to get close to a human though. I think those ones in the city had been slightly "domesticated" from raiding trash cans, and the humans never bother them. It has always been interesting to note how much more "wildlife" you see in the suburbs compared to a rural area like where I live.
 
Actually I am very much in the middle of "nowhere" with the raccoons, squirrels, possums, deer, moonshiners (shh!) and unfortunately skunks. The local varmints have always ignored us humans except for the deer.
 
That is kinda wierd. Don't have those shinemooners around here though. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Ya know, Brookstone sells a flashlight with a speaker built in. Turn it on and hit a button and not only is a beam of light projected out, but in the same direction of the light is projected the sound of a barking dog...
 
I know. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif

It is very loud and not easy to turn off. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohgeez.gif
 
The quantity of roadkill raccoons on the highways are proof that they don't care about bright light. They just stop and stare at the light until....splat. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Pellidon said:
...The giant woodpecker eating my eaves on the house is a different story

[/ QUOTE ]

Friends in Canada mentioned a "giant woodpecker". I think it was called a Pillated or Piliated woodpecker. Sounds like a nightmare bird who could dig a hole in anything, including us. Just how big is it?

Brightnorm
 
According to this site:
Birdwatch , the bird is 17" (43 cm) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

piliated_woodpecker.jpg
 
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