help racoons

[jmckinle1]

We took our new2us PUP on a weeklong camping trip starting yesterday.  We set up at Summit Lake SP in Indiana.  As soon as we went to bed the racoons starting coming in under the bunkends.  We had to sleep in the van.  Any ideas how to deal with this?  We didn't have food in the camper and hadn't done any cooking.  Thanks.

[PJay]

We took our new2us PUP on a weeklong camping trip starting yesterday.  We set up at Summit Lake SP in Indiana.  As soon as we went to bed the racoons starting coming in under the bunkends.

First off, what does that mean?  I have had animals come around and under my camper pleanty of times while camping.  In fact, we enjoyed a middle of the night serenade by a mother coyote and her pups while camping in Antelope Island, Utah. I am not trying to make light of your situation but were the raccoons actually trying to enter the camper or just being noisy?  Other than that, go to your local hunting store and get some coyote urine pellets to put under the camper.  I have never tried it but that is a natural enemy.
 
 

We had to sleep in the van.  Any ideas how to deal with this?  We didn't have food in the camper and hadn't done any cooking.  Thanks.

Raccoons are creatures of habit and very intelligent.  They learn what campers mean and even without food they recognize you as a food source.

Good luck

[Starcraft Dad]

Were we camp locally there is a ton of raccoons.  They come around and get under the bunk ends all the time.  They have never tried to get in and really don't bother anything.  Just make sure your trash is put up and any outside coolers either locked or something heavy put on top.  Raccoons are very resourseful and can get into coolers with little problem.  With all that said and done just sit back and enjoy thier antics.  They really can be quite amusing.

[AustinBoston]

Feeding them a modest amount of 5-alarm chili has been known to teach them to "avoid these campers...they're a little too spicy."

Of course, this only works on Northern coons; Texas coons will want to know why the chili is so plain.

Austin

[jmckinle1]

The racoons actually came in the PUP under the bunk ends past the shock cord.  I think the 5-alarm chili may be a good idea as our dog died a few months ago.

[AustinBoston]

The racoons actually came in the PUP under the bunk ends past the shock cord.

That changes everything; that is a coon I would kill (or have killed).  Coons are carriers of rabies, and if they agressively approach humans that is a very bad sign.

I think the 5-alarm chili may be a good idea as our dog died a few months ago.

I'm sorry for your loss.  Maybe it's time for another dog?

Note: Classless joke follows...

BTW, was it the chili that killed him?

Austin

[EvanDoss]

This post reminded me of a trip we took to Knob Noster State Park in Missouri last year.  It was just my wife and I and the park was fairly empty.  We were sitting by the fire and I looked down between our chairs to find a raccoon just looking up at me from between our chairs. Of course this scared my wife to death and her shriek scared the raccoon to death.  But within a few minutes he was back with friends.  I was just surprised at how close they were getting to us.  It just shows that they see campers as a source of food and they aren

[Used 2B PopUPTimes]

Unwelcomed Visitors in Campsite sound like great articles for the magazine.

I can't pay much more than a "I got published in PUT" t-shirt and a free 1 year subscription if we use them.

D.

[AustinBoston]

Unwelcomed Visitors in Campsite sound like great articles for the magazine.

I can't pay much more than a "I got published in PUT" t-shirt and a free 1 year subscription if we use them.

D.

Would that include unwelcome human visitors?  :eyecrazy:

Austin

[Dray]

My next trip is in an area known to have bears.  I was wondering what kind of advice you all have for camping in these types of places.  Should I have food in the fridge?  Thanks.

[SpeakEasy]

Does Indiana have particularly aggressive raccoons? We've camped a couple of times at Indiana Dunes State Park. The first time, raccoons got into our cooler, which was parked outside the camper and is very difficult to open. We found very interesting raccoon paw marks in the butter.  The second time, a couple of years later, we were on our way out of the park. We stopped at the trailer sewage clean-out area to dump our graywater. While I was tending to that task, my DW took a bag of trash to the dumpster right next to where I was working. As soon as she opened the dumpster lid, she let out a screetch. Inside the dumpster was a raccoon staring up at her! We had quite a laugh as we reflected on what a happy raccoon that must have been!

-Speak

[AustinBoston]

Does Indiana have particularly aggressive raccoons? We've camped a couple of times at Indiana Dunes State Park.

I don't know if they are agressive, but they are very good safecrackers.  When we stayed at Indiana Dunes SP, they had a sign saying to lock your vehicles, that the coons had figured out how to open most hatchbacks!

Austin

[Used 2B PopUPTimes]

Does Indiana have particularly aggressive raccoons?

I go to Michianna (Northern IN/Southern MI) to see the pop up makers several times a year and I'm usually shocked at the number of dead raccoons on the side of the road, especially in Michigan. Lots of farms and lakes/ponds in that area.

[mountainrev]

My next trip is in an area known to have bears.  I was wondering what kind of advice you all have for camping in these types of places.  Should I have food in the fridge?  Thanks.

Maybe, maybe not.  We almost always camp in bear country, and haven't had a problem with food in our fridge.  But for peace of mind, if nothing else, it might be a good idea to keep perishables in a cooler, and lock them in your TV at night.  Save the fridge for beer.  Lots of it.

And back to the coons actually entering the pup, I agree with AB.  That's way too agressive.  Rabies is a definite danger.  Did you notify the SP rangers?  Sounds like they ought to set some traps out.

[flyfisherman]

In all my years of bivouacing, i.e., camping in the woods, in a lot of different places, I've never encountered a racoon finding it's way into my tent or popup camper, nor heard of, short of maybe leaving a door open. Now, I've heard them rooting around ... even felt the popup jiggled a little as they climbed over wheels and axle, checking things out, but never have they found or forced a way in. Normally they'll skedaddle when shoo'd off (at least for awhile). One time on a fall fishing trip in northern Michigan, I encountered one that came up at night to the picnic table while I was eating fish and glared at me - I tried to shoo him off but he hissed at me! Ended up having to give hime a few fish scraps in order to eat my supper in peace!  But as everybody knows ... or should know, they are past masters at getting into ice coolers left outside! There was another time where we had fried some fish for a late evening dinner, washed all the dishes but had forgot to clean-up the cast iron frying pan (a good sized one), and during the night those critters toted that cast iron skillet off a good 50 yards. We found it the next morning and I've got to admit they did an excellent job of cleaning EVERYTHING out of and off that skillet.

As for bears, so far in my experience, they will root about in all your gear, too, only make a lot more noise and be more through and forcefull about it!


Fly