Not all is bliss on the Ranch

Raccoons are pretty smart and they're into everything, it seems! One came into our enclosed porch one time after the dog food. We had left the window open to cool the house down that evening, but still... you'd think raccoons would be more afraid of people, but they're not so much.

Can't say I have a solution for you...just wanted to say that the idea of living on a ranch seems heaven to me, even with all the problems. That was always my dream, since I was a teen...living on a ranch.

At Campbell's Honey, we have Black Bears. They often come just after dusk, and before dawn. One came this spring and torn down a birdhouse that was situated on a pole in the back yard. Bears Have a marvelous nose and he was able to smell the young Bank Swallows in the birdhouse. After tearing it down and braking it apart he ate the baby birds. In reply to your Post, we use steel open top drums ( and lids) to store and ship honey. These steel drums are food grade, and can be found (used) at food factories, and food processing plants. Such a drum would be handy to use and a complete foil for most wild animals.

Hey Pat! Wow! I guess it could be worse as you said! They aren't bears! Can't you just leave some food out for the raccoons? I don't what they eat, but if the Llama feed is so expensive isn't there something you could leave out so they eat that instead and maybe leave the Llama food alone! I don't know that much about wild life! I do know that we have plenty of raccoons where I live and they tear the garbage apart here! In other words they will eat just about anything so it seems and leave quite the mess too!

wow. i only get up each day to a pair of wee rats demanding attention and dinner - for your problem though wouldn't well-sealed bins solve it? or bricks on top?

I have always enjoyed the novels I read that were set in ranches. It's the perfect life for me, I would tell myself. To care for the animal friends, have subdued, peaceful surroundings, be right in touch with nature's greens... oh! how I would love dreaming. I didn't think about the raccoons. With your story, now I am wide awake. Hey savypat, I like your post here, even if you are in a dilemma. Hope you'd come up with a solution soon. I know you would.

Your secret is safe with me. I will not tell the bears, the bunnies, the possums, or the squirrels.I bet all of those critters will enjoy your food. We used to have dog food in a container, but they got into the plastic one. So we bought a metal trash can, with a tight fitting lid, to no avail. We set a very heavy tool chest on top of that. And caught two little kid raccoons working together to knock the tool chest down and still remove the lid. Eventually we ran bungee cords from the handle of the trash can, around the handle of the lid, and then hooked to the other handle of the can.