July 21, 2016
The garden was " rototilled " again last night but I found raccoon tracks in the mud. They are formidable adversaries because they are highly intelligent and dexterous. Their front paws can open containers, gates and latches. In the suburbs they are known as trash pandas because they raid the neighborhood garbage cans. They eat everything and can climb fences..
One year I found corn husks in the garden and empty cobs so I tried trapping it. The trap door kept shutting but every morning the trap was empty. He got tired of my shit and skedaddled..
July 23, 2016
It's a good idea to reset your traps after you catch a varmint because their mate is often around. I caught three gophers in one tunnel once. One must have been a visiting uncle. Caught two moles in the same gopher hole with gopher traps because moles are blind and use gopher holes to confuse us. In trying to trap a ground squirrel I got a baby possum one night and then another one every night for 5 nights..
Boy did I avert a potentially huge problem that week. Possums will eat everything, but are partial to peanut butter, so trapping them when they were small enough to fit in the trap was very cool. My son had a deer print in his garden once. The only print that I can think of that would be worse is cougar:)..
