LittleChief

and I'm not proud of it, so no pics.

We have a dog door installed in our back door so that our three dogs, a Golden Retriever, Black Lab and a Beagle/Spaniel mix can go into our fenced back yard as they please.

I'm accustomed to hearing the dog door flap in the night, but last night, something didn't sound right. Then at around 3:00 am, the dogs went absolutely ballistic. I got up, ran to the bedroom door, turned the light on and there was a racoon halfway through the dog door just looking around checkin things out. I yelled and walked towards it and it just stood there looking at me! The Golden and the Black Lab are wussies, but when Bouncer, the Beagle/Spaniel mix, saw me that close to a strange animal, he flew past me in a blur. The raccoon saw him coming and backed out and Bouncer flew through the dog door and they tangled for a few seconds. God, what a racket! Then Bouncer came flying back in the dog door like he was being chased by the devil.

I ran to the door, unlocked it, opened it and turn the outside lights on. There this big sucker was, around 20 yards from the door, just sitting there like he owned the place. I tried repeatedly to scare him away, and he started walking straight towards me! I've never seen anywild animalact like this, and I started to get a little concerned, as the word"Rabid" was running through my mind. Well, that and the fact that I was dressed only in my skivvies. Then the Racoon caught sight of one of our cats in the back yard and headed her way. I called for my son-in-law, Mitchell, to get up (he and my daughter are staying with us for a while[:@]) and get the flashlight.

I grabbed my Montana and and two of my arrows with Magnus Stingers and we went outside. Fortunately for our cat, she was faster than the raccoon. When we got outside, here he came again... straight towards me. Mitchell was holding the light on it and at what I guess was 15 yards, I drew and released. The arrow hit the ground right in front of it and it stopped and turned sideways. I grabbed the other arrow, nocked it, drew and released. This one was a perfect shot to the vitals, and it was over in about 30 seconds.

The cry this thing made washauntingly pitiful. I had no idea they could make that sound. Once it was dead, we got a closer look at it and now I think Iknow why it wasn't afraid. Someone had, at some point, captured it and had it in captivity. It had a collar on it! It had obviously escaped a long time ago, because the the collar was severely recessed into the neck whichpartly explains why I couldn't see it. It probably wouldn't have lived much longer anyway, but somehow that doesn't seem to make me feel any better.

As a safety precaution, my wife is taking our dog and thedead raccoonto the vet this morning just to make sure. Bouncer took a fewsignificant cuts to his muzzle and right ear. I'm pretty sure it'll check out okay, but we definitely want to make sure.

Well, racoon season is in here in west TN, so I didn't do anything illegal, but for some reason, Ireallyfeel like crap. Even if I'd known what the problem was, I have no idea how we'd have ever gotten that collar off a live racoon. Now I'm just really sleepy.[&o]

Planter

Rest easy!! No way you could know about any previous captivity and a strange acting coon should be dumped.
I also understand what it is like to feel poorly but I think that points to your good character.
I had to take the dog that lived on the farm I worked for a walk. He had been worrying the sheep and it was getting worse. It wasn't like we could have given the dog away to another farmer. The problem was mine.
We took a walk to the farm pond where he watched the ducks for a bit b4 I shot him in the head. It was like the ending of " Of Mice and Men ".
Damm he wasthe nicest Lab mix but his name wasn't lenny.

gutshot

Dude don't feel bad you did what you had to do to protect your pets.

LittleChief

I know, but it's just the thought in the back of my mind that this guy might have been just been trying to find his way back to the free food.

When I think about it, it must have been alaughable sight; me standing there in my back yard at full draw with just a pair of briefs on.

jackflap

Hey you did what you thought you had to do to protect your pets. I would have done the same thing.

On a lighter note, it is your son in law I feel bad for. I can hear him telling his co-workes about it right now and wondering HOW will ever get that image out of his mind.

LittleChief

Okay.... good one. Actually, I think I look pretty darned good in my skivvies.

Schultzy

Lmao Jack!!

I understand your emotion's there Chief but someone didn't do there job right when they had this coon for a pet. Shame on that person!

Good shooting by the way!!