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Racoons — Brooklynian

Racoons

steve austin
steve austin
edited November -1 in Prospect Heights
I was just hanging out on my deck and out of nowhere a huge racoon crawled up and strolled right in front of me onto the adjoining roof. It scared the shit out of me. I had no idea there were racoons in Prospect Heights.

Comments

  • jamesondean
    jamesondean
    Me neither. They like trash though, so be sure you don't have any uncovered.
  • mc
    mc
    I have a deck in PH too.

    Two years ago in the middle of the night my cats ran over my sleeping self, both waking and scaring the crap out of me.

    They were plastered against the window mesmorized by, you guessed it, a raccoon.

    I don't think anyone in or out of the city beleived me.

    But I grew up in a very rural area and my mother fed the birds& flying squirrels (and incidentally opossums, squirrels & raccoons).

    So I know a raccoon when I see one. They're here, alright.
  • sje
    sje
    A few months ago, I saw a dead {hit by a car} one on Vanderbilt at St. Marks. It was *at least* 20-25 lbs, judging by the size of my dog. Where they live is a mystery, but we definitely have them here. Plenty of garbge to eat, so I'm not surprised they're thriving, but: where do they live? :o
  • t-fal
    t-fal
    OMG! if you see a raccoon in the city, run like hell. vicious rabid little beasties.
  • jamesondean
    jamesondean
    sje wrote: A few months ago, I saw a dead {hit by a car} one on Vanderbilt at St. Marks. It was *at least* 20-25 lbs, judging by the size of my dog. Where they live is a mystery, but we definitely have them here. Plenty of garbge to eat, so I'm not surprised they're thriving, but: where do they live? :o
    Probably under decks, for one. Raccoons aren't *all* rabid, but they're not pet material, either. Running isn't the worst idea, but if you encounter one, treat it like you would a rat, not as a potential friend--regardless of how many cute animated raccoons you've seen on TV. And Ranger Rick was a big lie too. He would snarl at your dog, given the chance. Smarmy ringtailed bastard.
  • jack
    jack
    There was a racoon in Coney Island that lived in the area underneath the now demolished Thunderbolt who then moved into the top of the Astroland tower.

    They definitely exist.
  • pitu
    pitu
    not that I'm recommending it, but I've know a few people with pet raccoons, including one on the lower east side. crazy fun farmers do it all the time!
  • steve austin
    steve austin
    It looked like it may have come from the space between the deck and the roof below it, but I don't plan to go looking for him. Or should, I?
  • t-fal
    t-fal
    pitu wrote: not that I'm recommending it, but I've know a few people with pet raccoons, including one on the lower east side. crazy fun farmers do it all the time!

    ew no! didn't they ever see that episode of little house on the prairie? raccoons should be shunned and feared.
  • mc
    mc
    I wouldn't worry about him. Unless he found something to eat he probably won't come back. Mine never did.
  • jack
    jack
    t-fal wrote: ew no! didn't they ever see that episode of little house on the prairie? raccoons should be shunned and feared.
    One day, Laura Ingalls Wilder will have to answer for her Racoonadice.
  • medusa
    medusa
    I saw a dead racoon on the Major Deegan yesterday. Apparently they go to the Bronx too.
  • captain m
    captain m
    Whenever I see a raccon I cant but help think of that John Candy movie "The Great Outdoors", and the raccoons talking about hot dogs. Then I start laughing.
  • isa
    isa
    I sometimes see a racoon scurrying across the cables behind my building when I'm sitting on my deck (and by deck I mean fire escape).
  • queen_of_pies
    queen_of_pies
    I was biking in central park last weekend before dawn and saw three enormous racoons waddling across the road. I got so excited that I couldn't speak right and kept calling them 'crackcoons' which my biking companion thought was hilarious and appropos.
  • jarvis
    jarvis
    I've seen a number of racoons in the neighborhood over the years, but I think they're increasing in number. I always assumed that they live in the park, but then the other night I spotted one running down Atlantic Avenue near 5th, so who knows ...

    Also, coming home late once, I saw an opossum on the corner of St. Marks and Vanderbilt. Scared the crap out of me.
  • carnivore
    carnivore
    jarvis wrote: I've seen a number of racoons in the neighborhood over the years, but I think they're increasing in number. I always assumed that they live in the park, but then the other night I spotted one running down Atlantic Avenue near 5th, so who knows ...

    Also, coming home late once, I saw an opossum on the corner of St. Marks and Vanderbilt. Scared the crap out of me.
    At least that one was alive. Check this out (from the DH archives):

    http://dailyheights.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=226
  • metulj
    metulj
    jarvis wrote:
    Also, coming home late once, I saw an opossum on the corner of St. Marks and Vanderbilt. Scared the crap out of me.
    Opossum? Did you spy it with your spectacles while driving your autovator?

    Possum. Just plain possum. Take it from a Virginia country boy.

    Anyhow, don't fear a possum. They don't carry rabies. They are not the sharpest knives in the drawer either. Also, they don't 'play possum' unless they have no way of escaping and will turn on you and hiss. They don't generally bite either. A possum's happiest days are digging through a dumpster, having little possums and getting hit by cars.
  • medusa
    medusa
    metulj wrote: [quote=jarvis]
    Also, coming home late once, I saw an opossum on the corner of St. Marks and Vanderbilt. Scared the crap out of me.
    Opossum? Did you spy it with your spectacles while driving your autovator?

    Possum. Just plain possum. Take it from a Virginia country boy.



    Just to make this clear:

    Opossums are commonly called 'possum. Technically, one should employ the apostrophe when writing about 'possum. Opossum is not wrong, just quite formal.

    for more about Opossum: http://www.kiva.net/~kiwi/opossum/opossum.htm

    And it's true, opossums do not pose much a a rabies risk, but raccoons are a big problem.
  • jarvis
    jarvis
    Possum. Just plain possum. Take it from a Virginia country boy.
    Ok, it's all good -- possum.

    Truth is, I've never had an occasion to write type that word before. I didn't even know what it was when I saw it - one of my neighbors had to school me. Growing up in nyc left me decidedly ignorant about these kinds of things.
  • vanilla
    vanilla
    i have seen racoons on running from the bedford strip towards the water on n.6th in the willy'b. good times.
  • jimmylegs
    jimmylegs
    maybe it's the racoon that showed up in my backyard a couple years ago. i think a creature of this size could make it from clinton hill to PH in that time. i'm still waiting to see one of them sewer alligators.

    image
    image
  • mc
    mc
    Who knew that post about raccoons would cause so much hub-bub.

    By the by, when I said "deck", I meant roof.

    The big b*strard must've got up there the same way those pesky squirrels do.

    Those damn squirrels.... They've been eating my lettuce & tomatoes this year.

    And my useless cats refuse to run them off.

    I finally understand why my Mother used to let one of her friends come and shoot them in our yard.

    (The squirrels, not the cats.)
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