Coonskin Cap

I wanted to wear a coonskin cap
To imitate Davey Crockett
I wondered if I should set a trap
Or pay for one out of pocket
If I bought the hat, what's the sport in that?
And what about my wallet?
Shell out the scratch, or make a catch
It's heads or tails - you call it
If I set a trap and caught a coon
Then I'd have to skin it
That'd make me feel like a goon
I thought it over for a minute
What if, I thought, I made the catch
Thus saving me some dinero
But then I chose not to dispatch
Thus making me a hero?
Ah, I thought, now that's the ticket
Have my cake and eat it too
So I set a trap within the thicket
And waited for you-know-who
Sure enough, I had success
I caught a black-masked little chap
I brought him home and prepared to dress
In my fancy new coonskin cap
I brushed it off and put it on
It looked pretty good, I must say
But there's one thing I wasn't counting on
My coonskin cap jumped off and ran away

Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Raccoons page for tips and advice.
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With wildlife animals barging in human properties frequently, raccoons are no exception. They are found in areas with rich agricultural land along with water bodies like lakes and rivers. Some of you may find the small furry critters to be cute but it is never a good idea to be friends with wildlife or attempt to pet them. Raccoons, like other wildlife animals, can prove to be quite a nuisance for humans; endangering other animals and often proving to be a threat to people.

How Can Raccoons Be a Nuisance?
Wildlife animals, upon entering human properties, look for water, shelter, and food which we tend to provide them unintentionally. Hence, they may think we are hosting them and may start to feel at home. When around for some time, they can be quite an inconvenience. Here is what they usually do:

They can damage your garden. They do not target one tree at a time or choose fruit over vegetables. They like to eat both and are likely to attack when the fruit is ready to be harvested.
They can damage your lush and finely mowed lawn when they dig for earthworms and grubs.
They will damage and eat plant leaves while they are looking for food.
If you have a fish pond they will end up eating the fish out of it along with any aquatic animal nearby like frogs.
Trashes are a raccoon’s favorite treat. They love to rummage through it in search of something to eat and will end up scattering it all over creating a mess.
When they can’t find anything to eat, they will end up preying on your innocent pets like chickens, kittens, or rabbits, proving that they are a threatening invader.
Raccoons won’t spare the birdfeeders you have hung for your birds either. They will eat the seeds you have put out for birds.
Raccoons like to enter homes. You won’t think of the places they could enter through. May it be a pet door, chimney cap, or a vent hole, raccoons never hesitate to make their way through.
Raccoons like to make dens around the property they are currently inhabiting. They make not one but multiple dens all-around changing it every couple of nights. Woodpiles, attics, or behind a trash can is their favorite place to hide.
If the same raccoon visits again, chances are it is a mother raccoon and has babies nearby.
Raccoons are a carrier of rabies.

Humane Ways to Get Rid of Raccoons?
As much of a disturbance they can be, it is not advisable at kill them or deal with them in inhumane ways. Here are a few guidelines on how you can get rid of the animals in the most practical yet humane way: