Had a very scary encounter today. Always be prepared.

Huntsman Knife Co. LLC.

Huntsman Knife Co. LLC.

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I was taking a nap on my back porch today when I was awakened by a wet nose on my elbow. I looked and saw a raccoon staring right at me. I jumped up and backed away and yelled at it but it didn't respond and showed now fear of me. I had a shoe on the back porch and threw it at it but still nothing. It just continued to walk around completely mindless. I ran inside and washed off my arm with soap and water really well and then grabbed one of my swords and went back outside to find it. We have tons of kids in our neighborhood so I went outside and told them to all go indoors while I called animal control. I found the coon in the bushes infront of my house and then it walked into the back yard. I picked up a huge rock and drilled the coon in the spine from about ten feet away. It didn't kill it but it went back into the wooded area behind my house and laid down.

Needless to say it took animal control 2 hours to show up and by the time they did the raccoon was gone.

Thank God that 1.) It didn't bite me and 2.) the area on my elbow where it touched me with its nose had no scratches or cuts. Im still a bit freaked out that Im going to develop rabies in 10 years but as an enveloped virus, much like HIV there needs to be direct fluid to fluid contact and since my skin wasn't broken and I immediately washed and sanitized it I don't think there's any chance I can develop rabies.

Anyways I realized a few things today.

1.) I live in lexington KY in a nice little neighborhood and never expected to run into a rabid animal. You have to be alert and prepared for everything. No more naps outside for me.
2.) I just moved into my house and don't have any of my guns or my bow. I had no way to safely dispatch the coon expect for trying to kill it with rocks which didn't work. ALWAYS have a firearm on hand and know where it is and how to use it. That raccoon could have been a human with bad intentions.
3.) My reactions to scary situations are poor. I had my phone and my ZT 0560 on my lap and dropped both of them when the coon scared me. I don't have a land line and my phone was the only way to call animal control so I had to go back out and get it. If that were a person that attacked me Im 100% sure I would have dropped my knife and phone in the same way.
4.) I got a glimpse of the Zombie Apocalypse today. It wouldn't be fun if you had to kill infected people.
 
From your story, it sounds like the 'coon was foaming at the mouth? :confused: How do you know it was rabid?
 
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Glad you are OK bro. Maybe look into some kind of training, developing a mindset will go a long way to your own personal preparation.
 
Actually it wasn't at all. Thats what's scary about it. I thought for a moment that it might just be a raccoon that people in the area had fed and had lost its fear of humans but it acted very strangely and was not mentally there.

Whats so scary is that my nephew and the other little kids that play in my back yard and surrounding houses could have though "aw a cute little raccoon. Lets feed it and pet it." and become infected by saliva without knowing.
 
Does sound like a possibility, but there is no way to know for sure without having the animal tested. We have a lot around my house that are like that though. They act like they just don't give a crap. I don't think they're rabid, just not at all afraid of people like they should be.

Trust me, once you get them caught in a live trap, that attitude changes dramatically!!! :eek: (snarling, hissing, baring teeth)
 
I hope it wasn't someones tamed pet. Either way, it's not your fault. You were only trying to ensure the protection of your children.
 
I GUESS raccoons can be dangerous, but aren't you overreacting just a bit? We have raccoons around occasionally, but I've never felt the need to evacuate the neighborhood or call for emergency assistance, or disinfect anything. They are naturally curious and aren't really agressive unless you or your dogs hassle them.
 
I have to admit to feeling a bit sorry for the racoon when reading this ... albeit I appreciate your concern over "rabies" ...

Like as not someone ( perhaps the previous owner of your house ) fed the racoon and made him pretty tame ... that has got to be the case if he came so close ...

We don't have racoons over here but do have many "urbanised" foxes ... many of which get trapped in Manchester which is the largest city to where I live on the Moors and get released up on the Moors by the RSPCA or other animal welfare organisations ... and if one came up to me like your racoon I would have had a shock too ...

These urban foxes often get "fed" by animal lovers who like to see them in the garden etc ... but then they don't factor in how the effect of doing this can cause the animal to have a shorter life than normal when they roll up to a farmer's house wanting to raid their "wheely bin" ...

I don't want to be hypocritical either ... as I am often asked by farmer's to cull these foxes when it comes to lambing time ...

I also sympathise with disease worries because I have suffered a couple of bouts of Lyme's disease from tic's ... which is getting to be a common occurance for a lot of guys doing sniper courses where crawling through tic infested areas brings you into direct contact ... we have always had "tic bites" ... just now the tic's have developed this Lyme's disease carrier issue ... and foxes and deer are often "hosts" to the tic's ... and no doubt racoons are too ...

Anyway ... let's hope the racoon recovered OK and learned not to come so close to humans ...:thumbup:
 
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zombie raccoon-be careful..... btw, I grew up in Lexington KY- beautiful place, great hunting, awesome fishing, fast horses, Kentucky women, and massive, monstrous ferocious, man-eating COONS!! Enjoy my friend.
 
DUDE...Never Sleep Alone. Remember to bring the quiet...

QuietDeath.jpg
 
Are you sure it wasn't this guy:

s14e11_480.jpg


;) :p

(just messin with ya! I totally understand you wanting to keep it away from the kids!)
 
I was worried that the raccoon was just tame but after observing it for about 20 minutes it was very clear that it had some kind of neurological disorder or disease. I did a few test throws with stuff like the shoe and it didn't even react to it.

My dog developed a neurological disorder last year and lost all upper cognitive and died. The behavior was very similar. Just walking in circles, not responding to stimulous, empty stares etc...


I hate killing or injuring anything but there was something very wrong with the animal and safety is priority.

Even a dog or other domesticated animal will react when you throw things at it or yell
 
Scary, I dislike racoons more than coyotes.

We have a lot of Leptospirosis around here, enough so that the vets recommend vaccinations for our dogs. It's contagious if they use their water or food bowl.

Similar symptoms as rabies, they act bold and drunk, I've called animal control a few time about drunken racoons wandering around the street aimlessly.

Recently I had a couple hanging around out back, I yell, smack em with a shovel, whatever, they look at me like I'm nuts, I live downtown Boulder, can't use the shotgun.

A friends Boston cornered one once, it sliced her up pretty good with those claws.

I'd been treated for rabies back in the 80's, not as bad as the treatment was when I was younger, no horse serum shots in the abdomen, they use a human vaccine now, had to get tested for aids and hep when I finished the treatments. Animal control personnel are often vaccinated against rabies as a matter or course.
 
Glad you escaped that out of control coon :rolleyes:

Did it break inside your home or did you leave a door or window open?

Next time, kill it and hang its head on a spike in the front yard to remind the other coons.
 
jimmyjones said:
We have a lot of Leptospirosis around here, enough so that the vets recommend vaccinations for our dogs. It's contagious if they use their water or food bowl.

Similar symptoms as rabies, they act bold and drunk, I've called animal control a few time about drunken racoons wandering around the street aimlessly.

Recently I had a couple hanging around out back, I yell, smack em with a shovel, whatever, they look at me like I'm nuts, I live downtown Boulder, can't use the shotgun.
Click to expand...

Good point about Lepto!!! We also vaccinate down here in Littleton for it. Good luck doing anything about the Coons yourself if you are in Boulder (sorry to hear that).
 
I think you handled the situation really well and with good judgement (short of living a paranoid, on edge existence with a weapon strapped on even while taking a nap... who wants to live like that? ... ) . Coons are among the biggest carriers of rabies, and once symptoms appear it is too late to do anything about it, you are going to die. On the other hand, if you get shots early enough after the contact, then you have a good chance, but after symptoms set in, well, like I said....

I think it would be a good idea to check yourself for any scratches you may have received while you were sleeping and unaware, call the local health department and ask the statistics on coon rabies in your county over the last year, and so on, in order to see if you should get the shots. When it comes to a disease that has no cure and kills in such a horrible fashion, there is no such thing as being too safe.

Flamers, let it rip, but you won't change my mind.
 
This is something not be taken lightly. It's all fun and games until a neighborhood kid is bit, then it's "why didn't someone do something to prevent it?!" Good call KalEl. I'm not surprised about the slow animal control response, as there are never enough officers and always too many strays. Keep an eye out.
 
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