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A Split Second From Drawing Down This Evening...

Beretta92FSLady

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
5,264
Location
In My Coffee
On a pack of raccoons.

A little background, first: I enjoy decompressing, in the evenings, with urban photography; the light, IMO, for the mood of my photographs, is better at night.

I was at the local college here in Seattle, taking photos of some roses, that look amazing in the evening light.

So, I am focusing in-on a beautiful rose, and at my left peripheral I see three shadows, about twenty feet from me, crossing my path. I drop my camera to take a look-see, and there are three raccoons running by me. They get about ten feet from the trees, then I begin to hear hissing from two of the raccoons, all three stop, and two of them, the hair standing-up on their back, their head down, facing me, hissing--Immediately my right hand goes to my Beretta, and I take a frontal stance toward the raccoons, with my legs a bit wide in stance. We all stand there what seemed like minutes, but was only seconds, then they continued on into the trees.

I figured that if they charged me I would get a couple shots off, from the hip, and hopefully that would scare them off--I'm no Annie Oakley, so it is likely I wouldn't have hit any of the from the hip, while they're in motion.

I just got home, and my wife had informed me that she was listening on the radio this evening, and there have been raccoon attacks at one of the local colleges--or raccoon scares.

The rest of my evening was uneventful.

Of course, I am going to research raccoon behavior, but I do have a question: Is taking a wide frontal stance toward the raccoon a good idea?--I know that with some animals, the worse thing you can do is run away, and I am curious if, with the raccoon the case is the same with them?

Be safe out there, even you urban types like myself!
 

davidmcbeth

Banned
Joined
Jan 14, 2012
Messages
16,167
Location
earth's crust
I just got home, and my wife had informed me

Odd moniker "Beretta92FSLady", with a wife & all :)

I've always just backed away slowly and had no issues .. a raccoon can mess you up if it had a mind to.

A rabid one would be unpredictable I would imagine. But start shooting at one will bring the po po to your location sometimes. I would suggest not talking ... if the coons ran away, you just lost your argument with the cop, he'll arrest you. Save the coon tail for court, if needed.

I have discharged my gun at an animal .. cops come by asking questions ... I don't answer ... off they went; no evidence, no arrest. If I would have told him I shot at a dog that appeared to be ready to attack, I would have been arrested and convicted ... I never would have found that dog again.
 
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OC for ME

Regular Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2010
Messages
12,452
Location
White Oak Plantation
Uh.....they're raccoons not some wild animal. Read up on their behavior and carry a .22LR pistol (in addition) to control the thug raccoon population.
 

Fallschirjmäger

Active member
Joined
Aug 4, 2007
Messages
3,823
Location
Cumming, Georgia, USA
Hmmmm.... I didn't read where she "had" to go home to her wife, most people kinda look forward to such things, don't they?

I don't agree with her political views, but at least she has someone she wants to go home to.
 
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georg jetson

Regular Member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
2,416
Location
Slidell, Louisiana
Uh.....they're raccoons not some wild animal. Read up on their behavior and carry a .22LR pistol (in addition) to control the thug raccoon population.

Yes... nice quiet colibris loaded in a nine shot revolver... cross draw because the strong side is occupied... Rainbow Obama shirt with man shorts. A truely dreadful sight for the raccoon thug :)
 

Beretta92FSLady

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
5,264
Location
In My Coffee
Yes but she says she doesn't cook.


If they were gang related racoons they could have been armed.

She doesn't cook, I'm actually the one who cooks; she does the dishes.

Nah, they weren't gang related, just a pack of them. I have not had a run-in with raccoons before, but they seem to be rather aggressive. It was a tense situation.
 

Beretta92FSLady

Regular Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2009
Messages
5,264
Location
In My Coffee
[snippers]

I don't agree with her political views, but at least she has someone she wants to go home to.

Fifteen years together, and I still hurry, eagerly, to get home to her, I call it a success. Most people I know can't stand getting home to their spouse, and that, my friend, is unfortunate.
 

skidmark

Campaign Veteran
Joined
Jan 15, 2007
Messages
10,444
Location
Valhalla
Sounds more like the racoons were letting you know you were in their territory and had better not be making any plans to take up residence. The proactive response was good if for no other reason than to demonstrate the level of training you will revert to.

Seeing that you do haunt settings where aimed fire might not be possible you might want to look into training in some sort/version of point shooting. Reserve it for short (as defined by you, not some arbitrary rule someone else has made up) distances and social occassions. Based on the little I know about you I'd recommend reading up on Delf A. "jelly" Brice. You sound like you would do better with his style than with Sykes and Fairbain's "Shooting to Live" http://www.amazon.com/Shooting-To-Live-W-E-Fairbairn/dp/1581606788 . If you are looking for hands-on training you could do a lot worse than D R Middlebrooks' "Fist Fire" http://www.tacticalshooting.com/ which I can personally recommend.

stay safe.
 
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