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Re: Non-avian Suet Feeders



Thanks to all C'birders who offered their assistance with my non-avian suet
feeder query.  I believe the consensus has it that I've got a 'coon in my
garden!  We've lived outside of Hillsborough for almost 5 years and this is
the first time that we've had a run-in with this creature of the woods.  The
'coon has not touched any of the seed feeders, though they are protected by
baffles.  I have hummingbird feeders off tree hangars and no problem there
as well.  Just the suet feeders.  Just when we had whipped the squirrels,
now we have to outwit this crafty character.  My plan of attack will be to
first use suet coated in pepper and/or suet pre-made with pepper.  If that
doesn't succeed, we'll try baffles, then finally stringing the suet feeders
between trees.  The woodpeckers and other birds really miss the suet as they
keep coming back to the feeders wondering where their tasty treat went.  Oh
well...  Thanks again.

Regards,

Randy Dunson
Hillsborough  NC

----- Original Message -----
From: "BILL HILTON JR. (Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History)"
<hilton@hiltonpond.org>
To: "Randy Dunson" <rdunson@interpath.com>; "CAROLINA BIRDS"
<carolinabirds@duke.edu>
Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2000 11:29 AM
Subject: Re: Non-avian Suet Feeders


> RANDY . . .
>
> Putting out suet and then trying to repel things that come to it
> seems to be a contradiction in terms. :-)
>
> I suspect the nocturnal culprits at your suet feeders are Raccoons
> and/or Opossums, both of which are strong enough to drag feeders some
> distance. Like Gray Squirrels, all Raccoons are born with Ph.D.'s in
> engineering, so they are pretty good at outwitting us hapless humans.
>
> Perhaps the best way to make the feeders less accessible to mammals
> is to hang them from a plastic clothesline strung between poles or
> trees. If squirrels begin to walk the clothesline, you can hang a
> flopping plastic disk above each feeder to help keep these arboreal
> rodents away.
>
>
> Cheers,
>
> BILL
>
>
>
>
> >Over the past two weeks, I've had unknown creatures eating the suet from
my
> >two squirrel-proof suet feeders during the night, all of the suet!  At
first
> >we thought it may be deer, but decided against that as a couple of times
the
> >feeders were pulled down and dragged varying distances.  We tied them to
the
> >tree supports and whatever the animal is, simply devoured the suet
anyway.
> >Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be doing this, raccoons,
> >opossum, etc.?  What can we do to try and repel them?  Thanks.
> >
> >Regards,
> >
> >Randy Dunson
> >Hillsborough  NC
>
> --
> **********
>
> BILL HILTON JR., "The Piedmont Naturalist"
> Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History
> 1432 DeVinney Road
> York, South Carolina 29745
> USA
>
> e-mail: <hilton@hiltonpond.org>
>
> Voice: (803) 684-5852
>
> eFax: (503) 218-0845
>
> Hilton Pond Center for Piedmont Natural History is a 501(c)(3)
> non-profit research and education organization, so all in-kind or
> monetary gifts to Operation RubyThroat and the Center are
> tax-deductible. Please visit our websites:
>
> Hilton Pond:  <http://www.hiltonpond.org>
>
> Operation RubyThroat:  <http://www.rubythroat.org>
>
>
> "Never trust a person too lazy to get up for sunrise or too busy to
> watch the sunset."
>
> BHjr.
>
> **********
>
>