Can raccoons get into these types of hatches:
Raccoon High Jinx
(40 posts) (24 voices)-
Just put everything that smells edible or drinkable into your boat storage and close the hatches. Especially your water.
Besides racoons, friendly rats : ) will eat into your tent to socialize and share any food you have with you.
Posted 7 years ago # -
CleanSlate
MemberI plan to store all my food, water, smellables as well as pretty much everything behind hard-to-open (for raccoon) hatches. They might even crawl off with other necessary items that are not edible. The little devils...
Also, since I'm bringing an anchor along, I'm tempted to leave my boat floating in the water a few feet from shore to provide that additional deterrent to land dwelling vermin. I'm on the fence about that though. I wouldn't want to wake up in the morning to discover that my boat is gone...
Posted 7 years ago # -
Coastie
MemberIf you are camping at Ft DeSoto for the first time, the raccoons are everywhere at night....and they are very used to the trusting campers. While you are sleeping, they will be enjoying anything left on the campsite table.....and they do know how to open an ice chest left outside the tent or car. We enjoyed their company on two weekends in January and several times last year (each time we got better at securing our gear:) They swiped my bacon.......however, they were kind enough to let me keep my beer.....apparently they were on the wagon:)
Posted 7 years ago # -
I'm not saying anyone should do this, but for 15-20 yrs, I have kayaked (now Hobie AI) coastal everglades. I carry water in Dromedary bags, and in all those years, the Dromedary bags were frequently left unprotected on the beach, on the back of a Hobie AI, hanging in a tree. Never once has a raccoon or rat bothered them. Plastic containers and dry bags are at high risk if left unprotected.
Some smells in a hatch will invite persistent efforts by raccoons to get at the source of the odor. There was a raccoon at Graveyard in ENP, which easily opened the Valley-style round hatch several times. Chances are good, however, that you will not be bothered by raccoons if you store you food in your hatches. Rats (we called them field mice when I was a kid) do bizarre things. If they get the idea that something edible is in your tent, you are in for a long night. I hate rats—they chew on anything in a mindless fashion. A few years ago, someone poisoned the raccoons on Pavilion and there was a rat blossom. The raccoons have made a comeback and rats are much less of a problem on PAV. I have only had rat problems on PAV during that period a few years ago.
Keith
Posted 7 years ago # -
EC Raccoon Insights:
Raccoons are the cunningest of critters out, and deserve every scrap they filch.
Raccoons and mosquitoes work in tandem at 0200hrs.
And a story from the EC2008:
Following the coastline south, and searching the shores of the small offshore mangrove islands, we [me and NatureCalls] searched for a suitable campsite, finding none. Finding a wee bit more energy, we again headed south, and a few miles later found the beautiful white beaches of Mormon Key, albeit in the pitch black. Putting my religious proclivities aside, we dragged the boats up and made camp around 2140hrs.
The mosquitoes had followed us to the beach, and were having a field day. Quickly throwing off PFD, shorts and Icebreaker top to “dry” hanging from a bush, I dived into my tent. Only two things normally keep me awake at night – snoring and the buzz of mozzies – this year’s race was snore-free, but those mosquitoes kept up a constant fighter jet roar circling around my tent all night.
At 0200, and still wide awake, I heard the scrabble of tiny feet on fiberglass, and remembered that I’d left my bumbag, loaded with snacks, in my cockpit and had forgotten to put on the cockpit cover. Peeking under the tent fly, there was a raccoon happily munching away, sitting comfortably in the cockpit as though ready to paddle. Give these critters credit, she’d managed to unzip an industrial YKK zipper, and open the ziplock baggie loaded with beef jerky. And not only that, but as soon as I ran buck naked from my tent to scare her off, she called in the mozzies. Slapping myself and waving at the critter, she slowly ambled away. I threw the beef jerky left lying around into the sea, quickly put on the cockpit cover and tore back to my tent, bites galore. For the next wee while, all I could hear was the splashing of raccoons, rescuing drowning beef jerky. At 0330 I finally fell asleep; and the alarms rang aloud at 0400.
Posted 7 years ago # -
i normally hang my food on a top of my mast.
Posted 7 years ago # -
DolphinGal
MemberI've been at Graveyard when Cyclops, the resident one-eyed 'coon, came mozying around to inspect my boat for any readily available munchies. AlexO and I were sitting at the picnic table only 5 feet away! Then he had the audacity to look up at us as if to say, "Well, where's your tribute to my coffers?" Brass ones.
One year on Pavilion I brought 2 snack bars into the tent to munch on. Ate one as I read a bit, but left the wrapper, with some tell-tale teeny tiny bits of bar stuck on the wrapper that I didn't notice, inside the tent. In the morning there were two quarter-sized holes chewed in the tent and the wrapper ended up about 3 feet outside the tent. Rats for sure. That was when rats really ran rampant there. Only food I bring in the tent now when I zonk out is a bottle of Ensure Plus (breakfast while dressing) and maybe a bottle of Gatorade in case I get the thirsties in the wee hours.
I've seen the DeSoto 'coons grab a bag of bagels right off the table while the people were within 10 feet.
Like Chekika, I've often left my Dromedary bags exposed either on top of the boat or in an open cockpit and never had a problem. When I carry plastic juice containers of water, they do get put in a hatch and the cover secured. Never a problem there - yet.
Posted 7 years ago # -
ZeroTheHero
Memberdid a science workshop with our kids classes a few years back. A raccoon skull is most similar to a bear skull, just smaller. As someone who owns chickens I dislike them immensely. Great idea from crazzyrussian, food up the mast. Although I envision a determined raccoon making it past the spreader and then slipping somewhere near the top and falling onto out tent! I suppose bringing a .22 would not go over well with the rangers!
Posted 7 years ago # -
JoeWildlife
MemberWell hell,
Using a Kruger with no hatches, I just thought I would bring the food into the tent with me. I never have had to deal with rats. I'd hate to see my $250 tent destroyed by such vermin. I guess I need to find plan B.
On the Current River in Missouri, the raccoons were eating leftover fried crappie and waffle fries right behind our backs as we sat around the campfire... later that night they entered camp and chewed open dry bags and got into coolers. One guy's wallet was stolen, but later found about 50 yards from camp with all contents intact.
I'm thinking maybe this is the time to go ahead and buy a bear proof food barrel. I have a couple 30L blue barrels but don't want to haul one of those around the race, those are BWCA gear.
Joe
Posted 7 years ago # -
Actually, RR brings up an interesting point... Camping at Ft DeSoto on Friday night, my dad and I will be without a car. Any suggestions on what we do with our food? I suppose my dad could keep his in his kayak hatches on the beach, but my Sea Wind will be an open buffet...
Posted 7 years ago # -
Macatawa--what do you plan to do w/ your food for the rest of the EC?
I suppose you could hang it from a tree. If the food you hang does not have strong odors, it is usually safe in trees and it does not have to be hung as if you were trying to keep it away from bears. However, if your food bags have strong odors, raccoons will climb the tree in an effort to get it. Raccoons are good climbers and good swimmers.
For people with open cockpits and no hatches, bear cannisters might be a way to go. What do people using Kruger Seawind boats do?
Raccoons and rats have never bothered my GPS, which is in an Aquapac-type bag and tethered to my boat. They don't even bother my paddling gloves which have been used to handle fish during the day.
Keith
Posted 7 years ago # -
Scareman
MemberKeep your zippers on your tent at the highest possible spot.
If not, the raccoons will get into your tent.
I thought it was funny this past Memorial Day at Ft DeSoto when we saw raccoons eating cinnamon rolls in the palm ttress. It was funny until I realized they were from inside our family tent. My wife left the zippers down, and the raccoons took all of the baked goods.
Keep your zippers at the top.
Posted 7 years ago # -
Zero, firearms are legal in National parks, both carried openly, and concealed with a CCW/CWP. However, most Federal buildings within the parks (not standalone restrooms!) are off limits, just like anywhere else. Oddly, BB and/or pellet guns are NOT allowed. Even better, here's how it came to be: "The new law allowing guns in national parks was created as part of the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009, which was approved by Congress and President Barack Obama. It took effect Feb. 22, 2010"
Yep, Credit Card Act.
http://www.nps.gov/grca/parkmgmt/upload/Firearms-in-IMRparks2-2010.pdf
Posted 7 years ago # -
Chekika wrote:
Macatawa--what do you plan to do w/ your food for the rest of the EC?
Good point... currently my food is stored in "sealed" plastic tubs (kind of like tupperware) inside of roll-top drybags.
During the past few years when I've been coming down with my big open XCR canoe, I kept food in drybags only (no plastic tubs inside) and I never had an issue with critters anywhere along the coast. Maybe I just got lucky?
Posted 7 years ago # -
JoeWildlife
Member"For people with open cockpits and no hatches, bear cannisters might be a way to go. What do people using Kruger Seawind boats do? """
Well, this one just bought a couple BearVaults.
Not a bad idea for future BWCA trips, and required if I ever do a Yukon 1000 race or Yukon River trip.
I think a sealed (i.e. O-ring and latch equipped) container will keep odors inside and that is 90% of the issue with vermin. Had I not sprung for the BearVault, I was going to use something along those lines...
Joe
Posted 7 years ago # -
Ridgerunner
MemberI use 5 gallon bucket with screw on top (US Plastics) for raccoon proofing food. Whitecaps and I just got back from a week in the 'Glades and had no raccoon problems this time. The raccoons at the start beach, however, will steal your food from the picnic table while you are eating.
Posted 7 years ago #
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