Raccoon holds family hostage for two hours

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Raccoon holds family hostage for two hours (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:39:22 AM EDT

Friday, February 10, 2006

Raccoon terrorizes family

By TRACIE TROHA

Staff Writer

HESPERIA — A local family received a rude awakening early Thursday when a 30-pound raccoon entered their home and caused havoc for two hours.

The large raccoon entered the Kenyon Avenue home of Tim and Mary Holly sometime before 1 a.m. through an opening in a garage door.

"I got up at 1 a.m. to make sure both cats were in the garage and I saw this large gray thing," Mary Holly said. "I didn't know what it was at first because its head was down."

Holly said the raccoon ran outside when it saw her, but as she was closing the door the animal panicked, ran back in and went into her house.

"It ran right past my legs," she said. "I jumped on the washer and dryer and started screaming."

All the excitement woke up Holly's husband and their children. After a quick search of the house they found the very angry raccoon in the family room running across the furniture and growling at them.

"It terrorized us for two hours," Holly said. "It was running around screaming and growling. It was like we were being held hostage."

After several failed attempts to capture the raccoon, the family called Hesperia Animal Control. It took the animal control officer 20 minutes to get the raccoon out of the home.

"The raccoon fought the officer all the way out of the house," Holly said.

Code Enforcement Supervisor Tony Genovesi said the incident was the first time Animal Control dealt with a wild raccoon inside someone's home.

"I haven't even seen one since I've been here," he said.

Genovesi said the animal control officer released the raccoon back into the wild at Hesperia Lake Park.

The raccoon did little damage to the home, but Holly said it was a night her family won't soon forget.

"The opening in the garage door was so small," she said. "I'm still trying to figure out how it got under there."

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:39:59 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
Friday, February 10, 2006

Raccoon terrorizes family

By TRACIE TROHA

Staff Writer

HESPERIA — A local family received a rude awakening early Thursday when a 30-pound raccoon entered their home and caused havoc for two hours.

The large raccoon entered the Kenyon Avenue home of Tim and Mary Holly sometime before 1 a.m. through an opening in a garage door.

"I got up at 1 a.m. to make sure both cats were in the garage and I saw this large gray thing," Mary Holly said. "I didn't know what it was at first because its head was down."

Holly said the raccoon ran outside when it saw her, but as she was closing the door the animal panicked, ran back in and went into her house.

"It ran right past my legs," she said. "I jumped on the washer and dryer and started screaming."

All the excitement woke up Holly's husband and their children. After a quick search of the house they found the very angry raccoon in the family room running across the furniture and growling at them.

"It terrorized us for two hours," Holly said. "It was running around screaming and growling. It was like we were being held hostage."

After several failed attempts to capture the raccoon, the family called Hesperia Animal Control. It took the animal control officer 20 minutes to get the raccoon out of the home.

"The raccoon fought the officer all the way out of the house," Holly said.

Code Enforcement Supervisor Tony Genovesi said the incident was the first time Animal Control dealt with a wild raccoon inside someone's home.

"I haven't even seen one since I've been here," he said.

Genovesi said the animal control officer released the raccoon back into the wild at Hesperia Lake Park.

The raccoon did little damage to the home, but Holly said it was a night her family won't soon forget.

"The opening in the garage door was so small," she said. "I'm still trying to figure out how it got under there."

Ban raccoons, do it for the children.

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:40:54 AM EDT

[#2]

Quoted:
Friday, February 10, 2006

Raccoon terrorizes family

By TRACIE TROHA

Staff Writer

HESPERIA — A local family received a rude awakening early Thursday when a 30-pound raccoon entered their home and caused havoc for two hours.

The large raccoon entered the Kenyon Avenue home of Tim and Mary Holly sometime before 1 a.m. through an opening in a garage door.

"I got up at 1 a.m. to make sure both cats were in the garage and I saw this large gray thing," Mary Holly said. "I didn't know what it was at first because its head was down."

Holly said the raccoon ran outside when it saw her, but as she was closing the door the animal panicked, ran back in and went into her house.

"It ran right past my legs," she said. "I jumped on the washer and dryer and started screaming."

All the excitement woke up Holly's husband and their children. After a quick search of the house they found the very angry raccoon in the family room running across the furniture and growling at them.

"It terrorized us for two hours," Holly said. "It was running around screaming and growling. It was like we were being held hostage."

After several failed attempts to capture the raccoon, the family called Hesperia Animal Control. It took the animal control officer 20 minutes to get the raccoon out of the home.

"The raccoon fought the officer all the way out of the house," Holly said.

Code Enforcement Supervisor Tony Genovesi said the incident was the first time Animal Control dealt with a wild raccoon inside someone's home.

"I haven't even seen one since I've been here," he said.

Genovesi said the animal control officer released the raccoon back into the wild at Hesperia Lake Park.

The raccoon did little damage to the home, but Holly said it was a night her family won't soon forget.

"The opening in the garage door was so small," she said. "I'm still trying to figure out how it got under there."

damn coons

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:42:06 AM EDT

[#3]

Must be a slow news day in Hesperia.

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:42:08 AM EDT

[#4]

I blame Bush

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:43:18 AM EDT

[#5]

only if i had my pitchfork or Glock!

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:47:10 AM EDT

[#6]

That would be California, right?

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:47:25 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Must be a slow news day in Hesperia.

No kidding, I tangled with 4 raccoons trying to get into the garage and it never made it in the paper (only in TEAM) course if the neighbors had ever figured out that the "funny smell" was me shooting pepper spray at a raccoon in a tree next to an open 2nd story window in their house....

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:51:01 AM EDT

[#8]

Good thing they didn't shoot it in the house. It would have been an angry cool-aid geyser for a few seconds before it bled out, and they'd end up replacing most of the furniture. Lesson: When a raccoon is running at you, shut the door!

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:51:58 AM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Must be a slow news day in Hesperia.

Yeah I know.

Heck, a girl left me a sweet comment on my myspace and it didn't make the news.

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:52:12 AM EDT

[#10]

Quoted:
Must be a slow news day in Hesperia.

And Beaumont ... Banning story next?

Raccoons are nasty powerful animals - not up to a wolverine but they're smart, got the claws and teeth thing going. I've seen one chase off a pair of German Shepards that were getting too close to a den. I was more than worried for my uncle's dogs.

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:52:21 AM EDT

[#11]

The only "real' solution to the raccoon problem....

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:52:57 AM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:
Must be a slow news day in Hesperia.

+ A GA-JILLION AND A HALF.

This is news?

I was reglazeing a window in my house a couple of summers ago. I went to bed with one window completely out of the frame. Well, a young coon found it's way in. Climbed up the fireplace (the brick only goes up to the mantle). Then, it climbed up the frame of the picture, and got stuck at the top, it couldn't/wouldn't climb back down. Stupid lazy dog slept threw the whole thing! My wife wakes me up and says she hears something. I finally get up and walk downstairs. No robbers. But, in the darkness, something doesn't seem right, and shadow is off, just something. I grab her and pull her back slowly out of the room, flick on the lights, and there it was.

I spent at least two hours trying to get rid of that thing. About an hour into it, Momma Coon looks in the window. I beat the shit out of her with a broom, I wasn't letting TWO coon in the house.

Posted: 2/10/2006 6:53:14 AM EDT

[#13]

If she hadn't tried to close the door and simply WAITED till the raccoon had gotten out none of this would have happened.

RELAX PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:09:13 AM EDT

[#14]

why do people have to quote the ENTIRE thread and then type 7 words. thats just rather annoying

i think we know what thread your talking about

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:15:00 AM EDT

[#15]

Three words, PEOPLE!....

TAN NER ITE!

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:19:52 AM EDT

[#16]

oh noes!!!1 a racoon held me hostage!!!

are sheeple really that helpless?

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:20:52 AM EDT

[#17]

A .22 pistol will kill the raccoon, cause a minimum of bleeding, and not do a lot of damage to your house.

But I would whip out my 9" Trailmaster bowie before I let some stinking raccoon hold me or my family "hostage".

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:29:54 AM EDT

[#18]

It's a fucking coon. Sure, they can be vicious, nasty little bastards, but come on. Just stomp its ass into the linoleum and get rid of it. Or just shoot the stupid thing. Geez.

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:34:39 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Three words, PEOPLE!....

TAN NER ITE!

OMFG!!!!

Another phrase that will be used to spam the board......

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:37:35 AM EDT

[#20]

Quoted:
It's a fucking coon. Sure, they can be vicious, nasty little bastards, but come on. Just stomp its ass into the linoleum and get rid of it. Or just shoot the stupid thing. Geez.

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:37:40 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
A .22 pistol will kill the raccoon, cause a minimum of bleeding, and not do a lot of damage to your house.

But I would whip out my 9" Trailmaster bowie before I let some stinking raccoon hold me or my family "hostage".

I see that you've never shot a raccoon with a .22. My post above is the lesson from a late night raccoon garage shooting. Those things bleed.

Posted: 2/10/2006 7:39:31 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
I see that you've never shot a raccoon with a .22. My post above is the lesson from a late night raccoon garage shooting. Those things bleed.

I capped one in the head with a Ruger MKII and a flashlight.

It didn't bleed all that bad. There wasn't much blood to clean up...

Posted: 2/12/2006 3:48:48 PM EDT

[#23]

Tequila Lime Coon

Posted: 2/12/2006 3:58:41 PM EDT

[#24]

you got to be some kind of pussy to fear a raccoon. people are helpless.

Posted: 2/12/2006 4:07:59 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:
you got to be some kind of pussy to fear a raccoon. people are helpless.

Yeah, and lame.

We have coons around all the time. Every fricking evening. And not infrequently bear and other critters. Pack of wolves in the area, coyotes, fishers, bobcats and I've seen cougar tracks. Had a Black Bear walk almost right up to me in my back yard last year and one charge me in the forest as well.

"I jumped on the washer and dryer and started screaming."

"It terrorized us for two hours," Holly said. "It was running around screaming and growling. It was like we were being held hostage."

LMFAO. What a bunch of losers. Her husband must be a total nutless wonder.

10,000 years ago they'd have all ben eaten by a large predator.

I will say though my wife gets plenty wound up though when mice or bats get in the house.

Posted: 2/12/2006 4:15:37 PM EDT

[#26]

WHAT A BUNCH OF PUSSIES!

Posted: 2/12/2006 4:18:34 PM EDT

[#27]

either two things would of happened in my house, either I would have caught it and let it go or I would of ate the sob and I would have a new hat

Posted: 2/12/2006 4:27:19 PM EDT

[#28]

Got to be Yankees.

Posted: 2/12/2006 4:43:54 PM EDT

[#29]

Just brain the little fucker with a .22. Plan B would be to put on the steel toes!

Posted: 2/12/2006 4:54:10 PM EDT

[#30]

I'm pretty good at beating them with a broom stick and hosing down with a water hose but they'll resist giving up the shed till they figure out the pain and wetness ain't gonna stop. It's a regular thing every 2-3 months between them and possums.

Posted: 2/12/2006 4:58:45 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
Quoted:
I see that you've never shot a raccoon with a .22. My post above is the lesson from a late night raccoon garage shooting. Those things bleed.

I capped one in the head with a Ruger MKII and a flashlight.

It didn't bleed all that bad. There wasn't much blood to clean up...

depends i guess, i shot a few, not much blood at all.

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:00:34 PM EDT

[#32]

It is really amazing how detatched people are these days from dealing with animals.

Or anything wild for that matter

GM

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:03:25 PM EDT

[#33]

Alright men,this is the moment we have been training for. The raccons are attacking,man your battle stations. I knew this was coming for years,but no one would listen,now they will die by the hands of the raccons.

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:05:25 PM EDT

[#34]

a .22 doesn't do much to a large coon unless it is a direct head shot...

I've pumped several rounds of 22 mag into them and they will still put up one hell of a fight with my dogs...

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:07:37 PM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:
Alright men,this is the moment we have been training for. The raccons are attacking,man your battle stations. I knew this was coming for years,but no one would listen,now they will die by the hands of the raccons.

Raccons have hands? Erm, raccoons.

G

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:08:13 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Alright men,this is the moment we have been training for. The raccons are attacking,man your battle stations. I knew this was coming for years,but no one would listen,now they will die by the hands of the raccons.

Raccons have hands? Erm, racoons.

G

Yes,little devil hands.

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:19:55 PM EDT

[#37]

Left the garage door up a little once. Had a upright freezer in there. Raised the garage door to put a bike in and the biggest frickin' racoon I'd ever seen came after me growling and charging. Good thing the bike was between me and it. That little bastard had pulled opened the freezer door and was chowing on a frozen chicken when I'd rudely interrupted him. That little bastard thought he owned the place.He stood up on his back legs and his head was as high as your balls would be while your standing (average size guy). Bastard climbed up the outside of house onto the roof and had grabbed the gutter to help pull itself up in a corner and did some damage to it by almost pulling it down. Must have weighed at least 40 pounds. Definitely had a really serious attitude problem.

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:36:53 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
you got to be some kind of pussy to fear a raccoon. people are helpless.

I dunno- we had some rabid ones here in the area a while back- that might give me something to worry about if I got in a tight space with one.

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:36:56 PM EDT

[#39]

Once when we were camping we left our cooler out. Not sure why, I guess we just didn't realize.

Anyhow racoon came by in the night and ate two pieces of leftover BBQ chicken, a pound of centercut bacon, ham sandwich meat. Left the eggs.

The next night she came back and was visibly upset when the cooler was gone. We were all siting around the campfire, me, wife, kids and it put up quite a fuss at us that it wasn't going to get another scumptuous racoon feast. It was so distraught I actually felt bad for it. I ran it off but it came back every 20-30 minutes looking for that cooler, hoping we put it back out. I ran it off every time and it finally gave up. Probably hadn't eaten much that day thinking it was going to get a gourmet feast. LMAO. Funny as Hell.
Plenty of times camping they came around, usually in pairs or threes, but this one came alone. Too good to share with friends I guess!

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:37:08 PM EDT

[#40]

Why not just beanbag the little shit with a .12 guage and then toss his stunned ass out the door? No mess, no fuss...

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:42:13 PM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:
Why not just beanbag the little shit with a .12 guage and then toss his stunned ass out the door? No mess, no fuss...

Now I finally have a reason to buy some beanbag rounds....

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:42:57 PM EDT

[#42]

I had a fight with a raccoon once.

My wife and kid and I were walking in the woods with our two dogs. My German Shepherd was off the leash because he listens so well. He doesn't stray either. Damn good dog. Anyway, we were walking along a stream bed on a trail above and to the side of the stream, and with a sheer mountain rock wall on the other side of the trail. Our Shepherd spotted the raccoon ahead of us and started barking at it. The coon kept advancing despite our shep's warning to stay away. Broad daylight, and an aggressive coon screams rabies to me.

I called the Shepherd back, but it took us a minute to scoop up our toddler, and the shep decided he had had enough. He attacked the coon and the fight was on. When I saw that it was fight time, and we no longer could run away without endangering my favorite dog, I let my little pitbull bitch loose, and I started jogging over in their direction. My pit named Mojo, started lighting that coon up, and was doing a good job taking over for the shep, and they were taking turns striking at it, and keeping it off balance. Since they were so close together I didn't want to risk shooting the coon, so I slid down the creek bank to them, and walked up quietly behind while picking up a big rock. My dogs had its full attention while I walked up and dropped a 35 pound rock on its head as hard as I could.

The coon twitched a little bit and died. It was a painless death compared to what my dogs were doing to it. I have to give that crazy coon credit, it was as mean as anything I have ever seen. I'm just glad that noone got hurt. I would have rather left it alone, but that just didn't work out.

Rocks have great stopping power.

Posted: 2/12/2006 5:55:16 PM EDT

[#43]

Quoted:
....shooting pepper spray at a raccoon ....

BTDT. Wasn't where I could just use the .22 on it.

'Coons are evil little bastards.

Posted: 2/12/2006 6:01:10 PM EDT

[#44]

My favorite Coon medicine.

Posted: 2/12/2006 6:02:27 PM EDT

[#45]

We had bust a vent on our attic, and was running around in there. We could hear him through the walls - so we set a trap the next day and got him. Mean little bastard - but not as mean as my LMT!

Posted: 2/12/2006 6:03:25 PM EDT

[#46]

This story reminds me of the squirrel chasing the Griswolds around the house in Christmas Vacation.

Posted: 2/12/2006 6:03:53 PM EDT

[#47]

Would .22 shorts overpenetrate it?

Posted: 2/12/2006 6:13:57 PM EDT

[#48]

This is why I am always proactive with raccoons. If I can hit it with a rifle or shotgun, it's dead meat. I shot 4 of them out of a big maple next to my house one night with a single shot 20ga. and a flashlight. Just aim for the runnin' lights....boom........'thud' on the ground. One shot stops, all of em. They were in the process of getting onto my roof, which would have really been problematic, especially once they got in the attic. And with two dogs at the time, if they had gotten into it, could have been looking at some big vet bills. Don't see a reason to chance it.

A .22 in the melon will stop one dead. So will a hard strike across the melon with a ball bat.

Posted: 2/13/2006 7:00:20 AM EDT

[#49]

So this one time at band camp . . . oops, wrong story.

So this one time about 10 years ago, my phone rings at 6:00am.

Female voice on the other end: "Wdsman, you've got guns right?"

Me, recognizing the voice but not really placing it: "uhm, yeah, why?"

Her: "I need you to come over right NOW, I'm trapped in my house."

Me: "What?"

Her: "A rabid coon won't let me out of the house."

About that time I realized it was the next-door neighbor. I grab a rifle. Hop in the car (next door in the country sometimes involves driving). I pull into the driveway and the coon comes running at the car. I step out. BANG! Problem solved.

I've used that story to teach anti-gunners that guns are tools that often come in handy in situations that aren't near as dramatic as what we see on TV.

Posted: 2/13/2006 9:07:59 AM EDT

[#50]

Had four of them bastards ripping up the trash every night. I was going to get a trap but while upstairs in my house I spotted them emerging from the neighbors chimney one by one. So the next evening ( 4th of July-lucky break) I set up my sniper post equipped with my sako .22 loaded with subsonics. Dusk arrived and like clockwork they came out one by one. The first got a head shot and fell off the roof dead. Second one followed the same as the first but kind of let out a yelp before rolling off the roof. 3rd one popped up looking around like WTF? and took one to the chest.
He took another to the head to finish the job. The 4th one got smart and jumped out quick, got a side chest shot as he was exiting the AO.
Looked all around for the fourth but could not find him. Later I heard the neighbors dog ripping it to shreds, it looked like a murder scene.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Raccoon holds family hostage for two hours (Page 1 of 2)

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