Kay vs. the Raccoon population. Again.

Things have rocked along and the backyard has been quiet since I de-populated it with one medium-sized, very crafty raccoon earlier this fall. Then… not so much.

The cat's water was disturbed and I knew I was again being invaded. I turned the game camera on and sure enough, two raccoons and a possum were taking turns divesting my cats of their midnight snack. I didn't care who went into the trap first, but we were once again playing the game.

First trapped: Sam cat. We had had ribs and raccoons (and cats) love them. We had shared with the cats away from the backyard and I put one in the trap. Alas, Sam decided he needed just one more. When he realized he was trapped, he curled up and slept the night away. All that was missing from the game camera was the raccoon looking on. They didn't show that night.

So much for ribs as bait. I went back to oranges and fruit and was successful! This raccoon must have been dining with me for some time because he was very large. I'm not sure how he got himself into the trap in the first place. I do know he turned it on its side and when I found him the next morning, he had stuck his little paw through the metal bar and was very sad-eyed. He got to be very sad-eyed all the way to the country. You know, where God intends raccoons to live.

It's been raining and I don't trap under those circumstances, but the game is back on tonight because the water was gone this morning. The raccoon had tipped it up and drained the quart onto the patio.

Oranges or strawberries or both? We'll soon see.