From: Adam <""4thwormcastfromthemolehill\"{at}the field.near
the bridge">

Rich Gauszka wrote:
> These are urban raccoons. They're probably better armed than that 
>

Add Pit bulls & new sport is born. Possibly some running hounds to
corner them first.

Adam

>
> "Gary Britt"  wrote in message
news:44eb69e9{at}w3.nls.net...
>> Sounds like they need some bait and a shotgun autoloader.
>>
>> Gary
>>
>> "Rich Gauszka"  wrote in message
>> news:44eb26f7$1{at}w3.nls.net...
>>> Dunno - just got a chuckle out of the headline
>>>
>>> http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060822/ap_on_sc/rampaging_raccoons_1
>>>
>>> Psycho killer raccoons terrorize Olympia
>>>
>>> OLYMPIA, Washington - A fierce group of raccoons has killed 10 cats,
>>> attacked a small dog and bitten at least one pet owner who had to get
>>> rabies shots, residents of Olympia say.
>>>
>>> Some have taken to carrying pepper spray to ward off the
masked marauders
>>> and the woman who was bitten now carries an iron pipe when she goes
>>> outside at night.
>>>
>>> "It's a new breed," said Tamara Keeton, who with
Kari Hall started a
>>> raccoon watch after an emotional neighborhood meeting drew 40 people.
>>> "They're urban raccoons, and they're not afraid."
>>>
>>> Tony Benjamins, whose family lost two cats, said he got a big dog - a
>>> German Shepherd-Rottweiler mix - to keep the raccoons away.
>>>
>>> One goal of the patrol is to get residents to stop feeding raccoons and
>>> to keep pets and pet food indoors.
>>>
>>> Lisann Rolle said she began carrying an iron pipe when she goes outside
>>> at night after being bitten by raccoons when she tried to pull three of
>>> them off her cat Lucy. She obtained rabies shots afterward as a
>>> precaution.
>>>
>>> "I was watching her like a hawk, but she snuck out,"
Rolle said. "Then I
>>> heard this hideous sound - a coyote-type high pitch ... It was vicious.
>>> They were focused on ripping her apart."
>>>
>>> The attacks have been especially shocking because raccoons came within
>>> five feet (1 1/2 meters) of cats without any problem in previous years,
>>> Benjamins said.
>>>
>>> "We used to love the raccoons. They'd have their babies
this time of
>>> year, and they were so cute. Even though we lived in the city, it was
>>> neat to have wildlife around," he said, "but this
year, things changed.
>>> They went nuts."
>>>
>>> In one case five raccoons tried to carry off a small dog, which managed
>>> to survive.
>>>
>>> The attacks, all within a three-block area near the Garfield
Nature Trail
>>> in Olympia, are highly unusual, said Sean O. Carrell, a problem wildlife
>>> coordinator with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, adding that
>>> trappers may be summoned from the U.S.
>>> Department of Agriculture to remove problem animals.
>>>
>>> "I've never heard a report of 10 cats being killed. It's
something were
>>> going to have to monitor," Carrell said.
>>>
>>> Meanwhile, residents have hired Tom Brown, a nuisance wildlife control
>>> operator from Rochester, Washington, to set traps, but in six weeks he
>>> has caught only one raccoon. He and Carrell said raccoons teach their
>>> young - and each other - to avoid traps.
>>>
>>> Brown said he had seen packs of raccoons this big but none so into
>>> killing.
>>>
>>> "They are in command up there," he said.
>>>
>>
>
>

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