More Winter

Here are a few pictures from around the house.  Last night we had a hard hoar frost over the heavy snowfall from the night before.  The result on a very clear morning was wonderful.

8am, Feb. 3/14

We have been having a problem with raccoons.  I thought there was one in the attic of the shop.  I set the trap and caught it.  There is a dilemma when you catch them in a live trap in the deep cold of winter.  I know if I carry it miles away and let it go it will quickly starve to death as they become very disoriented and have no established shelter.  If I let it go around the barn it will chew its way back in out of desperation.  So I borrowed my neighbour's gun and shot it.  As it turns out I trapped a second one and shot it as well.  Just when I returned the gun I discovered another one in the attic tonight.  So I set the trap again.  Experience has taught me that raccoons are difficult to deal with.  I have not shot them in the past, but I have never had to deal with them in the winter before. Raccoons have a nasty habit of defecating everywhere and the stench is unbearable.  There is no other reasonable solution.

UPDATE:

No coon, but a skunk in the trap.  So what do I do now?  I made up an 8' long pole with a nail in the end and gingerly pulled the trap out of the tight spot it was in.  However there is no easy way to open the door without getting close.  I skunk just smiled at me and dared me to continue. So I slowly rolled the cage over so that the retainer rings on the door would drop to the top of the cage hoping that the door would flop open.  Well it did and off went the skunk plodding through the two foot deep snow.  It didn't even thank me!

Last night about 7pm I caught the coon outside, but by the time I got up the ladder to block the entry hole he was back inside again.  What I need is a one way door?????? but that isn't in cards.  Back to baiting the trap again.   It's February 11 and supposed to be -23C tonight.  Bloody cold.

UPDATE:  Feb 17    I caught the raccoon last night, but didn't have the gun so he sat in the cage all night.  As it happened the temperature set a record last night at -28 C.  I disposed of him this morning.  Hopefully that was the last one.

This is what a cold winter looks like!