A raccoon got hung up in my netting over a HC tree and then managed to crawl over and get the netting twisted around a tree 15' away.It gnawed and broke the limbs in order to get loose.

Lovely varmints ;)

Thats too bad Dennis.
One thing for sure the plant will surely live.

I hate to see that, I'm waiting for te same thing to happen. Last summer I watched a whole family of coons go for the garbage cans at night. I let go a few warning shots next to them and they stayed away for a long time but that doesn't mean they are gone. The first tree they break and it won't be warning shots anymore.

after you catch them in ''humane'' traps, shoot them. don't move them to be someone else's problem.

haveaheart plus .22 bullet works fine.

I'm learning that this forum is unlike any forum I've been on. You guys really do put in sweat and tears in this hobby. Not just a place for information but a place to relate and share. Sorry to see that Dennis.

I was sort of sad that during the move we lost some figs, and those we had went into shock and didn't produce, and I thought this would be one of those "to die for" fig photos, and I didn't even look at the thread till now...  6' tall? 

I feel your pain!  YOU have the equipment!  Go pee on the ground around your trees and mark your territory.  Hang rags soaked in it.  This has worked on our apple tree.  I imagine it will for the figs too. 

Sorry Dennis!  But it will come back.  I know, not exactly comforting.

Me, I'd sit out there with a beer, a flashlight and a 22!!

Suzi

Made me tear up... that is awful.

Have you thought about tieing back together and put some moss around as we do for airlayers? if there is a little communication with the roots, there are chances they will heal or even develop roots for an airlayer.  I wish I could have a fix for you, but I am helpless here. Hope you find a way to save the broken parts.

That is awful. Dang Racoons.  I am going home and build a moat around my trees, I have pesky Ants.

Ok Dennis tell us the truth is the variety realy worth crying over?

or is it a brown turkey? :)

Oh Wow Dennis that's horrible, it was hard to look at.

Heres a funny story that will cheer you up, about 15-16 years ago the neighbours had a raccoon family living under their basement one morning their rotweiller got sprayed by a skunk right in the morning in the back yard and boy did he go nuts I noticed he was digging against the house and was like ok this dog is retarted.

Anyhow I went to school but due to a cold came home at lunch I looked in the neighbours backyard to check on the dog and it looked like a warzone there was a huge pile of dirt where he was digging and the hole was massive and dead raccoons all over the backyard. Those raccoons used to make a huge mess stealing our plums and our neighbours grapes guess they had it coming.

On a good note the dog was fine and we lived happily ever after.

Thanks Nelson for your story. 

Best,
Tam

Guys, this was my largest Tacoma Violet fig tree.  I got 2 others close to the same size but this tree was more prolific.  The coons also did the exact same thing to my rare Cartegena Negra.  I chopped it up and started the cuttings from it.  All but one cutting rooted.  So, I felt better until I saw this.  I'm going to have to chop this guy up and put the cutting on chill till Spring.  Tacoma Violet is another very sweet very rich fig.  My trees still have figs on getting and they are trying to get ripe.  But I stopped picking figs a few days ago because Fall has started quick here in Charlotte.

Tacoma Violet, Zembalis Black, Macool, Salem Dark and White Marseilles are ripening now but its a slow process due to the cool nights and sunny days (70s by day and 50s by night).  So, I need to re stake these trees before the coons get to them.  A forum friend gave me a tip and I'm going to test it out tonight.  More to come....

Dennis, please do share the critter tips with us especially if they work!

Get grafting tape and clamps and mend the wound. You may be able to salvage.

You sound devastated. Sorry to hear

Jenny

Dennis just a suggestion cut the side limbs off and also were it was severed.
Next season train 1 of the new shoots (stake) that will appear upwards and you will have a new six foot or taller tree by seasons end.

When i had my Argentile i snapped one of the large branches moving it saw new shoot at soil level and chopped the original down and that season it grew little over 4/5 foot and produced ripe figs.
Nothing for a man to cry over .lol

Here is example in dated pictures.
1st pic -5.29.12
2nd pic -6.26.12
Last pic -8.9.12


In the end i burned that tree as the figs were the same as the original.

Thanks for all the words of encouragement and tips to salvage my prize Tacoma Violet. I ended up chopping the center tree down into cuttings. I sent out cuttings to those who emailed me and asked for them. The others I trashed because they weren't worth anything.

On a happier note, I found the culprits, it was HUGE raccoons. A forum member sent me an email giving me instructions how to get rid of them. I followed the instructions and today and it worked! Today, I buried 3 HUGE....I mean HUGE raccoons. I have never seen raccoons this big! I talked to a vet friend and she said those raccoon are called Bull raccoons and I must be very careful around them. She said they can weigh over 50lbs and most dogs stay away from them. I told her I sent 3 to raccoonville. She laughed and said GOOD!

50 lbs raccoon, that is something scary especially if it were to have rabies it would be more like cujo. 

Did this "fix" involve a can of coke?  

A can of cheap grape soda. They were huge and one bite from one of them would break my Maltipoo in half!

Dennis, so sorry about the damage. Would you be willing to share the secret method of getting rid of them? Thanks.

That soda "fix" does work well.....just make sure it is dog proof.  

V, I don't want to put that information wide open for everyone to read. However, if you send me an email, not PM, I will tell you.

thanks,

Wow! and I thought that rabbits were bad.
I've used a chicken wire around most of the baby trees this summer and that seemed to help. The mice however still manage to enter between the wire and the pot and do their damage.
One way to control those suckers is to lure them away from the figs with a specially treated gourmet food.

I have trapped  plenty of Coons, believe it or not, the best bait is "Honey Buns" Try it !


Frank from Bama

Raccoons are a terrable menise the whole world over
Any oportunity you have to distroy them you must.
If you don't believe me watch Raccoon nation on
Nature pbs. U tube