this is war

It started several nights ago... in the middle of the night, I hear what sounds like someone walking on the roof of my bedroom. Then I hear noise in the backyard. I take up the small but powerful flashlight my father insisted I take with me last time I was home to visit and jump to a window. There he(she?) is... a rather large raccoon rummaging through the backyard. I trained the flashlight on him and he stared back at me completely unafraid. The only emotion I could ascribe to the look is annoyed, though I recognize that is just me putting human emotions on the animal.

Eventually after not allowing the light to leave him, he decided to leave, but not the way he came. Instead, he tried to get into the little flap that the skunks use when I startle them during foraging. Only this raccoon is a lot larger, so getting in through the flap meant breaking it, at least half of it. I hoped that the raccoon would figure out that maybe this wasn't a good place to live.

But I was wrong.

The very next evening he/she was back. This time, he/she scrambled up the top of the old garage and lumbered off. Again, I hoped that he/she would think that I was more trouble than this backyard was worth.

But, I think he/she may have already had started a nest nearby.

The following evening, just at dusk. I heard a loud sound coming from the backyard -- also how I enter my apartment -- and I went out to find the raccoon had opened one of the doors of the shed. Not only that, the opening from the flap area was larger, clearly he/she had been in there and just come out. As he/she stood in the doorway of the shed, I tried to imagine how I could get him/her out. My landlady was not home, so I was on my own. Even though I didn't want to leave him/her in there, I also didn't want to take him/her on by myself. I needed just one other person...but there was just me and the raccoon.

I grabbed a small rake as a self-defense weapon should the animal try to attack me... I walked as close as I thought reasonable, and I started to talk to the raccoon. Perhaps thinking I could talk a wild animal out of the shed was not my wisest notion, but I didn't have a lot of options. The raccoon did the typical stare down I have become accustomed to... and I talked. I told him/her that it was not ok for him/her to take up residence in the shed. I said over and over, come on out now. I looked from the raccoon to the opening under the shed, sort of hoping he/she would follow my eyes and figure out that this was a possible escape route.

I am not sure how long I was out there talking to the raccoon. But, eventually he/she did exactly what I had suggested was the best course of action. He/she walked out of the shed and into the opening. Great...

Now I wanted to get close enough to the shed to secure the door, but I didn't want to occupy my hands with the latch without a hand for the rake. Just in case... But the raccoon would not back down. He/she kept his little head with bright, staring eyes right on me from the opening. He/she would not move away from the opening as long as I was there. I talked and talked, but he/she was done doing as I asked.

There was nothing I could do... he/she had ceded as much ground as he/she intended for the night.

I went inside and hoped for the best...that whatever was in the shed wouldn't be ruined and that the raccoon wouldn't hurt itself on any of the gardening tools in the shed before morning.

The following morning, my landlady and I rigged a cover for the opening, now completely open thanks to the raccoon. We used whatever was on hand, piling logs, rocks and bricks in front of the opening. Not after some talcum powder, a big flashlight, and some reconnaissance. We also discovered the popularity of the opening was enhanced by the exit door on the other side. So we had to find a way to secure that opening as well.

I left the light on just in case, hoped the raccoon would be dissuaded by the obstructions and find another place to live.

Wrong again.

This morning, the other shed door was opened, the pot with dahlia bulbs turned over and a small fence knocked down. If is possible for the raccoon to be annoyed and angry, I am voting for that. My landlady thinks not...

Today we secured the second door, sprinkled pepper flakes and left other not so nice smelling things for the raccoon. Let's see if that works.

It's a bad time to be wrangling raccoons -- breeding season. I am hopeful that this raccoon will decide to build a nest elsewhere. Fingers crossed.