Checking the release site.

We've been keeping an eye on the release site of course and so far so good. A couple have been back with injuries, but nothing that warranted us bringing them in.

One day Camy, one of Laurie's from Vin's original group was holed up in a den box with a bite wound to a rear leg. But the wound looked good and clean, wasn't bleeding anymore, and he was using the leg without a problem so we left him there.

The next time I went out I opened the box Camy was gone and one of the beach boys popped his head out! He was very happy to see mom....

....and upon realizing I had some tasty marshmallows as a treat he was more than eager to come out so I could check him out for injuries.

He also had a bite wound on a rear leg. Unlike Camy though, he wouldn't use the leg to walk on. However after watching him for a while, he did use the leg to try to scratch his ears....so he can use it, he is just choosing not to, probably because it is very sore. The wound is easily accessible to him to clean and chew at so I have no doubt he'll keep it clean and if it does abscess he will be able to keep it draining and it should heal fine on it's own. He was gone the next day also.

I'm sure if either of them get as bad as Vin did they will be back....they obviously know they have a safe place to stay when they need it. These are wounds they get out in the wild all the time and most times they just hole up until they are healed enough to get back out there. Our gang will have the added advantage of getting help if it does get worse instead of better like Vin's did.

And then there is Vin! I ran into him in one of the den boxes Wednesday. He appeared fine and walked out of the den box but he was not about to let me get a closer look at his ass! LOL He kept it tucked out of sight and out of reach into the back corner of the den box every time I tried to look. Laurie headed over the next day to check on him and while I'm at work I get the call...."I think he needs to come in." She forced him to get out of the den box and walk around and he wasn't walking right. Soooooooooo....I meet her over there after I got out and we take him in.

*Sigh*....Vin, Vin, Vin....what the heck is going on out there with you!

Well he's got new wounds, re-wounding the original ass wound and both hocks are very swollen and sore. It was a late night working on him until about 10pm so sorry, not time to stop and take pics....we just wanted to fix him up and get outta there! We took an x-ray of his hips just to be sure nothing was broken because of the way he was walking, (whew! nothing is!) then Dr. Grange ( who was kind enough to stay that late to help him...thank you so much!) decided to try and just close the wound up. She did an awesome job....now we are just hoping he decides to leave the sutures in! But I'm not holding my breath! It's worth a try though, and worst case if he pulls them out we just continue to treat it like an open wound like last time.

Once again he is being an awesome patient! He will be easy to treat thank god and it's safe to say now he is officially one of the overwinters...so there will be plenty of pics to come.

The rest of the gang are emptying the feeders regularly out there...so this gang is sticking around more so than the first, although Vin and Camy coming in to utilize the safety of the den boxes shows the first gang hasn't totally forgotten!

And they're off.......Michelle's group gets released.

Sunday night Laurie and I released the last of the gang going out this fall. We were a little more attached to this crew so it was a little bit tougher saying goodbye! We brought Vin back over too. He healed well and was ready to go. We figured it would not be difficult bringing him back into the pen since none of them had an issue with each other the day we found him in there.....and we were right! He immediately had friends coming over to say Hi and play! Laurie became a human tree when some treats were brought out to make everyone come over so we could check them before releasing them.....it's blurry but great! They were moving so fast I'm lucky I got it at all!

Two of the beach boys had some issues....one had a scraped nose and one had an abscess right between his eyes! What the heck! While mulling the situation over in my mind, he ended up popping it in the mad rush for treats and was very diligent using his paws to clean it. So issue resolved.....abscesses are very common in them in the wild and most usually resolve themselves unless they are as extensive as Vin's were. This is already draining now and he can easily reach it to keep it clean and draining so he should be fine. We'll keep an eye on him also.

So decision made, a final goodbye to the gang....especially my sweetheart Michelle.....
(sniff, sniff!)

....and out the door they go!

The abscess was already looking better.....and he's still doing a great job keeping it clean! He certainly isn't acting like it bothers him!

A den box was put on top of the pen after we put the gang in there in case another of Vin's gang made their way back injured....this way they would still have a safe place to hole up since they wouldn't be able to get into the pen for a while. This crew wasted no time investigating it.

The rest of the time we were there they spent running around like maniacs and obsessing over acorns! This crew didn't just melt off into the woods like the first crew.....they hung out around the pen like they usually do and Laurie and I finally snuck away to leave them with their fun!

Vin's second release...he stuck around this time.

We didn't see Drake there when we released them, but I'm sure he's around and will catch up with them....I saw him hanging out near the pen just the day before so I know he's doing great and will be very happy his buddies can join him now!

Laurie went by Monday morning and the majority of the gang were sacked out in the den boxes in and on the pen. Vin really likes this gang and he's apparently decided to stick with them instead of head back out to wherever the rest of his brothers disappeared to a couple months back.

We'll keep an eye on the area for a while until eventually, they too will move on and find their own homes in the woods.

Feeding time!

The younger gang are doing great! Very soon now I will have to choose the ones who are ready to go and send them out...I'm a little more attached to these guys so it's going to be tough this time around! Especially my sweet little Michelle! She's such a love.

So this is how it works......I head out toward the pens where all is usually quiet. Then one of the gang hears a noise and comes outside to check it out. (In this case it's Dolci)

Then the call goes out to the rest of the gang.....HEY!!! MOM'S COMING TO FEED USSSSSSSSSS!!

And next thing ya know there's an army of coons anxiously awaiting my arrival with the food bucket! LOL

Of course, I go into the pen on the opposite side of the cage in the larger 10ft section and they all know the routine.....so while I walk over to that entrance, they charge back through the inside and out to the large section to meet me......sounding like a heard of elephants as they go!

Do you have any idea what it is like to have 13 hungry bundles of fur and claws charge toward you like maniacs while you hold the object of their desire in your arms!??

A little like this..... x 13!! LOL!

If anyone happened to wander into my backyard at feeding time they would think I was being mauled by a gang of rabid raccoons as I stand there with 13 clinging bodies hanging on me to get to the bucket of food in my hands faster than I can toss it all out in there! It's like wearing a raccoon fur coat, only they are all still alive. (Luckily I am prepared for this...thus the layers of fleece I wear in the pen, and thick jeans...or I'd come outta there a bloody mess....because yes, they literally leap onto me and climb up!)

Finally the fervor dies down...I am able to spread the food around and one by one they disengage their claws from my body and head to their own separate piles of food.

A couple of the beach boys pick a spot.

My little oh so adorable Pip....along with Michelle she is one of the sweetest little girls! She will most likely be spending the winter so we'll see more of her!

Kinky will also probably be spending the winter. Merry and Dolci will probably stay, and if Dolci does her brother Scrappy will too...they are pretty bonded to each other and I think it would be too stressful to Dolci (who is already skittish to begin with) to be separated.

The 4 beach boys, Drake, Quarry, Pansy and Michelle will all be going soon I think. I'm already bummed thinking about it.....especially Michelle....sigh........this is the time of year I hate!

I've got a few more guests at the inn. JoAnn's 3 possies are going to be ready to go soon so they are here for a couple weeks or so in a release pen getting adjusted to the great outdoors in a large pen with plenty of room for climbing and exploring.

Qbert, Snarf and Snuffles have also joined 5 of JoAnn's squirrels in an outside release pen. They too are weaned and will be ready to go after getting acclimated in one of the large outdoor pens. We put both groups out there in neutral territory at the same time so no conflicts among them and they are all hanging out like one big happy family!

All the pens are filling up fast....hopefully most of them will empty fast too!