Tag: #Raccoons

Raccoon on November 15

If this is still the same raccoon I have seen on a few other occassions at this treehole, it is getting bigger. It is either more skilled at finding food or has learned well the art of raiding garbage cans and dumpsters.

Raccoon on November 15

Do Raccoons Hibernate?

I did not think they did. When Idid a google search a lot of pest control sites popper up. However I did find information from NorthernWoodlands.org. According to their site “Although they don’t hibernate, raccoons do hole up in dens during the bitterest days of winter and are able to sleep for long stretches of time – up to a month – without heading out into the elements….Raccoons, though typically solitary creatures, will sometimes den in groups during very cold weather.” This period of less activity is entering a state of torpor, which helps them to conserve their energy. NorthernWoodlands also says they will kick other animals out of their den to take it over.

So it would seem this could be the same raccoon. They do eat a lot to build up fat in the autumn to help them survive the winter like other animals do.

Raccoon on November 15

This tree hole appears not to go further inside the tree, and I only see this raccoon here occasionally. I still think this is its occasional sleeping spot that gets sunlight at least half the day. Enjoy your Sunday and have a marvellous Monday!

Raccoons in a Tree Hole

A lot of different animals can live in tree holes. Owls, wood ducks, opossums, and squirrels are some that do. I passed by this tree and saw a fuzzy ear sticking out one day. I decided to go back and it turned out to be a home for a raccoon family.

Raccoons in a Tree Hole- You can see part of the ear of another raccoon on the left side of the hole.

This was near sunset after a rainstorm with thunder and lighting. The light was not that great.

Raccoons in a Tree Hole- He was interested in me.

I am assuming I could be seeing the babies. People think raccoons only raid your garbage. They look cute, but they prey upon other animals like barred owls and screech owls and their young, or steal their eggs. They will go after mice and rabbits as well.

Raccoons in a Tree Hole- Someone else in the family wanted a peek.

Have a great weekend! Here’s hoping you will get some good weather out of it.

Raccoons Canoeing

These were on display in a store in Lake Placid. Raccoons are seen as a nuisance to some in New York. I do not know the history of these animals, whether they were trapped or road kill. My understanding from one store owner I asked a few years ago some of these displays are old.

For this photo I removed what was around it.

The only place I have seen displays like this is in the Adirondacks. There is a long history of trapping in the Adirondacks beginning with the Native Americans with the Europeans entering the region with metal traps in the 16th century. Trapping still exists today in New York with a designated season to do so.