February 15th, 2013

There is an animal den in the Sudden Tract, very close to where my classes go to play the Instincts for Survival game.  In the past I have found Coyote tracts going in and out of the den.  However, this winter the Coyotes are gone and something else has moved in.  I used a Bushnell Hunting camera to get a couple pictures of the inhabitants.

Racoons!!!

They awoke from their slumber around 7pm, played around the den for about an hour and then disappeared until 4am.  I imagine they were out looking for food.  Once they returned to the den they wrestled around for another hour or so and then went to bed again at 5am.  I’ve seen lots of Racoons wedged between tree limbs mid-winter, this is the first I’ve seen them in a refurbished Coyote den.  The irony is that Coyote are probably Racoons number one predator.

There is a trail near Wrigley Corners where I see Coyote tracts on a daily basis, I think I will setup my camera there next and see what shows up!