Close to Home by John McPherson for August 18, 2020

That barb wire should stop the raccoons, but a raccoon ain’t heavy enough to set off that bear trap.

Last three years the raccoons ate all the cherries off my cherry tree. Tried netting and fences to no avail. Clever little thieves.

That will stop the coons. But it still won’t keep squirrels out of the bird feeder.

Bear Traps are very painful and cruel!

I have a similar war with groundhogs, only no wounds are inflicted.

Nice…now how will the sanitation workers collect that?

I’m betting on the raccoons, they are smart little devils and determined. Not to mention fearless.

That looks like my backyard around my bird feeders to thwart the squirrels and racoons.

Great preparation. I would love to see the garbage man dump that mess.

Boooooo, hissssss . . . Brian should step into the trap and see how it feels.

“Duhhh, hey Louie …it looks like da Johnson’s don’t want us Raccoons in da garbage, no more!” “Yes, Reggie, I have deduced dat based on da Rhinoceros trap placed precariously underneet dat trash can!” “But Louie… everybody knows dat Rhinoceroseses don’t partake in trash can cuisine!” “Reggie, I tink maybe you’se have had too much o’dat … cuisine!”

What will he do when he traps a bear instead of a raccoon? Calling animal control will only get him in trouble.

I had a magnetically-latched cat door but a raccoon still kept getting in. I set up a motion-triggered video camera and found he was pulling the door, instead of pushing. The designers had not been as smart as a raccoon.

I’ve seen them pretty big here!

They aren’t neat here!