Update on the Belmont coyote.

Good news! I am very happy to report that the Belmont coyote released last month is doing great! John managed to get these pics of her last Sunday. The blue tag in her ear means there is no question it's her....not that we wouldn't recognize that beautiful face anyway! The sighting was within about 50 yards of where she was released and while poking around, John thinks he may have located a den. He'll be keeping an eye on the area to further track her progress.

It's always wonderful to see first hand how well an animal does after it's release!

Turkey trist.

Slowly but surely, the usual gang of critters is returning! My female turkey friend showed up this weekend, and she wasn't alone.

Enter stage left.... young, handsome man!

Enter stage right.....my lovely lady friend.

They greeted each other and snuck off into the woods. I couldn't see much, but the effort he was putting into puffing up and strutting around suggests she was playing a little hard to get! LOL I finally lost sight of them as they wandered deeper into the woods to get away from the peeping tom with the camera! (pun intended!)

Later the next day my girl was back without her suitor, paying a little visit to Dracoon....noble guardian of my walkway! She'll probably hang around for a few weeks like she usually does, then move on to wherever her usual late spring hangout is!

I think my groundhogs are the only regulars that haven't made their annual appearance yet, however I have noticed some recent excavating activity around the entrance to his hole in the mound by the driveway.

Problem wildlife control companies...they CAN be humane!!

With baby season upon us, some of the most common calls are for animals that have gotten into houses and have had babies. I can't tell you how many babies we end up with because mom was trapped and killed! It is very important for people to realize there are humane ways to deal with the problem! Many problems can be handled easily by the resident with things as simple as noise and lights. For issues that require professional help, there are also humane choices...choose wisely! Please don't be afraid to question a wildlife control company to make sure they will fix the problem without killing the animals. It can be done, some just choose not to operate that way. It's cheaper and easier for them to remove the animal and kill it, or they just don't care.

Laws are different in every state. In Massachusetts if an animal is trapped inside your home, it has to be released outside on your property. If the company removes the animal they HAVE to and WILL kill it! (yes....momma raccoon and all of her babies!) If they tell you they are taking it away and going to release it somewhere else THEY ARE LYING!  They would loose their Problem Animal Control (PAC) license for that and would not risk it. They are just trying to appease you and get the job.

A humane company will figure out what your problem is, humanely evict the animals, then fix the problem so it doesn't happen again. They will explain it all to you up front.  Most issues with animals in homes are not wildlife problems, they are construction problems...a hole here, a loose board there, a chimney without a cap, a tree branch too close to the house. Correct the construction issue, problem solved! Those that do not fix the problem are just insuring future jobs...they know if that hole is not fixed, something else will just move in to fill the vacancy, and it's only a matter of time before you're calling them back for another job!

Some issues, well they just take you by surprise! Take, for example, this issue brought to you by Gates' Wildlife Control . Imagine opening your recycle bin and finding this! Ahhhh...how cute is that!!!

I for one would be thrilled, and as far as I'm concerned they could have that recycle bin as a home for as long as they wanted it! LOL But I'm the crazy raccoon lady out in the woods, and most normal people would prefer they move along! Luckily for mom here, the resident contacted Gates', a very humane company that got mom to move out and relocate all her babies on her own accord. Unfortunately for my local followers, they are located in Canada so we cannot take advantage of them. But anyone else up that way...please take advantage of them if you need to...or pass it on to someone who does!

All is not lost though in my area! We have Perry Le Pews Wildlife Management Company, serving MA. I have been a fan of theirs since reading an article about them in the Cape Cod Times a couple years ago about the many innovations they have created to humanely handle wildlife. Though based out of Cape Cod, they cover all of MA for solving humane wildlife issues. After hours emergency calls are only handled on the Cape, however....but as long as you can hold off until Monday, you are in great hands!

Even if you are not in their area, please visit these sites to learn what humane wildlife control really is. This will give you an excellent idea what to look for in a company near you! You can also find both Gates' and Perry's on Facebook as well.

As I was finishing up this post, another excellent source of information became available. It is an article by Katherine McGill, Nuisance wildlife abuse-buyer beware, chock full of links to help you! Definitely a must read if you are looking to solve a wildlife issue in your home!

And so it begins.....

Baby season has officially kicked off! JoAnn has 3 baby buns and I now have these 2 adorable little ones. The little boy came in first on Thursday. He was found in the morning by some construction workers in the middle of a cement floor of the building they are working on. No idea where he came from or how he got there and there are no injuries on him. Definitely no trauma from a very bad fall, indicating he didn't fall from the rafters above either.

A little heat and some fox fur, thanks to the Coats for Cubs program, and he's a happy boy.

After being re hydrated and finally getting a good meal, he falls right to sleep in my hand.

Friday morning I get another call, the exact same situation! Another baby found in the same spot. This time the guys look around and do eventually find a raccoon holed up in the building. However, it's a large complex with many rooms that is not sealed....there could be a lot of raccoons in there in various places. We were not comfortable trying a reunite in this situation for a couple of reasons. First, we had no idea if the adult in question was in fact the mom. Second, if it was, why were her kits ending up on the floor and why was she leaving them there!

After getting a better look at the new girl, she has a laceration on her back and some minor scrapes on her belly. This is definitely a case of something getting at the babies and for whatever reason, leaving them in that particular spot. So we've got the guys keeping an eye out at the site and our little girls wound has been cleaned up, she's on antibiotics, re hydrated and eating her formula well.

Brother and sister have been happily reunited safe and sound!