Re: [gardeners] the garden and wildlife
George Shirley (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Mon, 15 Oct 2001 08:52:35 -0500
I'm not Rosemary but raccoons and bobcats WILL hurt dogs. Raccoons are often very large, weighing
over 25 lbs, and are good fighters. There have been instances where dogs cornered them in a creek
and the coon drowned the dog. They also have sharp teeth and will bite and kick. Several large dogs
can kill a coon but a single dog might have a hard time of it. Used to hunt them when I was a boy
and have sewed up many a blue tick or redbone coon hound that got cut up by a coon.
Bobcat can definitely kill a dog although they will usually run away and up a tree rather than
fight. I've only ever killed one bobcat and that only because it was killing a litter of pups. The
momma dog was fighting for her life and her puppies lives when I heard the commotion and went out to
see what was up. I still think the cat might have been rabid as I never heard of one attacking dogs
without provocation. No one ever tested for rabies back then and I was only twelve years old and
home alone so I just shot it, drug it away with a rope around a foot and burned the carcass (old
folks way of getting rid of rabid animals). The mother dog had been vaccinated and none of the
surviving pups got bitten so we never found out for sure. Used to see a lot of rabid animals around
east Texas back in the late forties, early fifties, not so much anymore except for skunks and the
odd raccoon.
George
penny x stamm wrote:
>
> Rosemary, racoons and a bobcat wouldn't hurt a dog? I ask
> out of ignorance..
>
> Penny, NY
>
> .
>
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