I remember my dad would say that racoons would climb the sweet corn stocks to get at the corn. People would argue that racoons don't climb. The other day, I heard that there was a racoon running around on the 14th floor of the Nebraska State Capitol. The experts think he/she climbed the scaffolding that is being used for some restoration and jumped in an open window.
racoons climb!!!
I believe this and it is happening so much more now. There was a story about a couple of years ago about racoons in Chicago raiding the garbage cans in high storey buildings. I find it sad - becoming almost a way of life now. But the saddest thing I have encountered was the sight of a lonely deer stranded in the woods in the middle of a city. The "woods" were perhaps about 20 maple trees!!
Racoons can climb very well! I've been an avid outdoors person all my life and have seen many racoon performances and believe me!~ They can definately climb!!! I had a whole family of them living last year under an a shed about 50ft from my house ~ They were out almost every night ~ The 'little ones" were so darn cute! ~ One night a racoon was up in a tree and another one attaked him, He ended up falling a ways out of the tree! ~ That was quite a site to see ~ What a ruckus they made!! ~ That was only about 25ft from my backporch! Many people wouldn't believe how very well woodchucks climb either ~ I got a huge one thats always climbing tree's here! ... I'm going to try to get a picture of it in the tree ~ They love 'Mullberry trees"~ And they will clean the leaves right off them if you don't try to detere them from it!
Anyone who's ever gone coon hunting knows raccoons climb - the dogs tree them! Stan went up the 50 foot silo this spring to open it and found a very large raccoon up there. He had to shoot it to get it out.
They certainly do. We have a Mama and 3 babies in our back yard, who all scampered up a tree to watch me work in the rock garden. What a bunch of cuties all peeking around the tree to see if I had left their territory yet. Hmmmmm, I wonder, do they have to pay property taxes on these 80 acres too?
Also watched them climb up into the bird feeder and one of the babies did a header onto the ground when he lost his hold. I was LOL at them. What a treat.
They can climb thin little birdfeeder poles like champs. They look funny inching up them, like big furry slugs. And the fat old fella I most enjoyed watching would lower himself down head-first until he was hanging from the platform's edge by his back feet, then drop! :o)
Thankfully, we have not seen any raccoons in our new neighborhood. But we do have red and grey squirrels; also, once in a great while in the winter, we see deer raid the feeder. But they leave our plants along, thank goodness!
:o) Kimberley