After reading a post between Tal and Henry , and Henry said "What made me pick up that first book, or read that first post? I am so grateful that my neurons figured it out!" I"ll get to the test in a minute. I have often wondered how i made it out of Mormonism and others can"t my theory is based on the level of fear that controls us how our brains are wired. I read a book called NEW by Winifred Gallagher he talks about neophobes and neophytes in a neophyte the area in the brain that says caution
doesn't register fear quick enough to keep us from danger , they claim about 15 % of the population are neophytes so please respond to the test and state male or female

If during a backyard barbecue a raccoon came into the yard would you tell every to get out of the way because it might have rabies, or get a stick and poke it

I would wait and see what the raccoon's demeanor and temperament was. If it was merely curious and looking for a treat, I would ignore it. If it was aggressive, I would direct people to go inside and call animal control.

Why would anyone poke a wild animal with a stick? That sounds like an exercise in foolishness.

I would clear the path between the raccoon and the food, because god help anyone in that path.

As ghawd is my witness, I'm a gonna poke it. (I felt silly saying I was a poker.)

I'd just shoot it.

Why would you do ANYTHING to it???

I would acknowledge it, look around to make sure there weren't any obvious dangers to it (like a big, happy dog who likes to chase, etc.), and then let it alone.

Raccoons and us are BOTH co-creatures on this planet...and respect is very big on my "must have's if you are a mensch" list.

For the record: I have a pet bowl of water outside, near the back door, and I empty and refill it daily...and that water is for anyone passing by who needs or wants it...

...I don't care "who" that might be: cats...dogs...birds...raccoons...skunks...lizards...insects...

Whoever needs water is free to drink from that bowl...

...just like I give bottles of water to homeless people too...it's exactly the same thing.

okay, okay! I'd poke it with an oscar meyer weiner...

elderolddog Wrote:
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> okay, okay! I'd poke it with an oscar meyer
> weiner...

I'll accept that!!!

:D

tevai Wrote:
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> Why would you do ANYTHING to it???
>
> I would acknowledge it, look around to make sure
> there weren't any obvious dangers to it (like a
> big, happy dog who likes to chase, etc.), and then
> let it alone.

Yep, that.
It's likely far more afraid of me than I am of it, so I'll stand by my BBQ, watch, and do nothing unless it attacks me (which is highly unlikely). :)

It isn't normal behavior (I don't think) for a wild animal to voluntarily approach humans in general. And they can carry rabies. Those two things together would make me very wary.

My pets are all indoors, so they would be safe. I would usher all guests indoors and have them take the food with them.

I would let Animal Control deal with the uninvited guest.

catnip Wrote:
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> It isn't normal behavior (I don't think) for a
> wild animal to voluntarily approach humans in
> general. And they can carry rabies. Those two
> things together would make me very wary.

From the early 1990s to almost the end of 2003, I lived in one of the lower ("flat-ter") areas in a range of foothills...in an extended neighborhood where just about every house had a swimming pool (plus pomegranate and citrus trees in the surrounding yards, etc.).

About every other year, a roving band of raccoons---obviously, an extended family...maybe three or four dozen of them, all ages---would come through our backyards and have a wonderful time exploring each backyard and splashing in the pools.

When it would happen (always at night), we would turn on the back yard lights (they didn't seem to mind), and we would stand there, in the sliding glass door area, watching them interacting with each other and having a marvelous time. They looked at us, and they "saw" us, but they didn't seem all that interested in us---and wow, were they ever having FUN!!!

Where I live now, I've seen one family of maybe seven raccoons (it was a few years ago), and occasionally a lone raccoon will pass through.

They are SO intelligent!!

And funny, too! (Kind of like Laurel & Hardy in their films.)

I love raccoons...

:) :) :)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2015 01:50AM by tevai.

I wouldn't be unduly afraid of a raccoon, but I would still respect that it is a wild animal and possibly unpredictable. Now if it was a wolf, or cougar....

If a raccoon came into the yard while people are there, you've probably been feeding it.

I would ask the question, "You're taking out the trash late at night and you surprise a raccoon in the back yard, what would you do?"

I would get out a camera a take a picture.
My wife would first make sure the cats were inside, "out of danger". Something similar to that has happened to us with opossums.

That said, when it comes to people I am more the one who would start asking the questions about motives, ask "is this a scam?", though she's not totally trusting.

Poke it with a stick? Man, raccoons are awesome:

http://youtu.be/jlYKZmTvzi0

(Love the swimming pool image terai paints above, the sheet joy of the animal is infectious.)

Human

That is a marvelous compilation, Human!!!

I love it!!!

Thank you!!!

:D

Are you kidding me? Raccoons are awful. They're not afraid of you and they will attack. Stay away from the raccoon...... Don't even try to tap them with a stick. Are you nuts?

saucie Wrote:
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> Are you kidding me? Raccoons are awful. They're
> not afraid of you and they will attack. Stay away
> from the raccoon...... Don't even try to tap them
> with a stick. Are you nuts?

Why this emphasis on touching a given raccoon physically (with a stick or whatever)?

Why would anyone want to invade their personal space??

You can enjoy raccoons and other wild animals without physically touching them!!!

Just observe, and FEEL...like you would with a deer or a bear or a breathtakingly beautiful sunset---those moments when you experience the wonder of your, and THEIR, singularity...simultaneously with feeling the unity of this planet and ALL of our planet's lifeforms.

Respect THEIR boundaries...just as you want them to respect yours.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/25/2015 11:36AM by tevai.

Especially a wild one, is the reason Yellowstone rangers have to pass out "THESE ARE WILD ANIMALS! DO NOT APPROACH THE BISON!" to every tourist.

I don't feel bad for the idiots attacked by wild animals when provoking them. Practice some common sense and compassion, for fucks sake. Leave 'em alone, if they're acting unusual, call animal control.

I've actually had this happen. Not a BBQ, but the family outside and a Racoon comes into the yard. The first thing I did, was make sure my children saw it. "hey little princess, look it's a raccoon." Then we watched where it was going, followed it to the back yard. Watched it climb over the fence. The kids thought it was great fun to watch a wild animal in our yard. We do the same thing if it is an eagle or hawk, overhead, a possom, a rabbit, and once we were lucky enough to see a fox running around our neighborhood.
Why would you poke it? that just seems mean.
In my neck of the woods we would laughed at for calling animal control. Occasionally a bear or a wild cat will come into town and the person to call in 911 and they get in touch with the department of fish and wildlife to trap it and bring it to the mountains.