[Dan from Michigan]

These bandit faces may be 'cute' but they are some of the meanest animals out there and frequently are rabid. My parents have coons living under their deck. I'll be passing this article on to them.

I wouldn't wish rabies shots on anyone.

[Dan from Michigan]

Ottawa County Ping

[Commander8]

Raccoons are not cute and cuddly, they are furry Freddie Kreugers. The only thing they are useful for is headwear.

[Snuffington]

Raccoons may be mean, but not FREAKY mean. This one sounds rabid. I hope the little girl turns out ok. Sounds like she kept her composure really well.

[lsee]

There's a puppet shop in my local mall that has one "puppet" which is a shiny silver trash can. Inside the can is a raccoon that you can make pop in and out...I told my kids "that's about all raccoons are about". I'm sure they serve a purpose in God's wilderness, but not around people. I don't find them cute...they are ravenous, clever garbage raiders! Poor child to have to get all those shots...the critter probably DID have rabies. Too bad they haven't yet developed a simple blood test to check humans for exposure, since the raccoon got away.

[Turtleman]

So someone might say."A racoon once bit my sister."

[Henchster]

Definitely a rabid one.

I've had several encounters with coons, and unless you corner them or try to pet/touch them, they'll simply slink away, looking over their shoulder at you the whole way.

I once ran outside to throw out the trash at night and surprised a HUGE one (30-36 inches long, PLUS tail) in the open-air shed where we keep the cans. He was cornered, and I knew that was bad, but he froze, and I backed out of there slowly, and he climbed the gate on the other side and took off.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Weird. I guess they never really found out whether the racoon was rabid or not. It sounds like they're not taking any chances, I wouldn't either.

[Kryptonite]

A coon walked right up to our patio door on Wednesday at about 9:00 am, and looked into our family room. Then, he ran under our deck. Saturday morning, my boy was on the deck and the little bastard hissed at him from below.

I'm taking that coon out asap!

[Henrietta]

Time to outlaw raccoons!

[eggman]

Raccoons aren't mean the're just pests. The one that attacked the girl was not normal. The're fairly docile unless hungry or sick. They are omnivores and will eat just about anything but won't normally go after anything bigger than themselves.

They do love chicken and if I catch any around my chicken coop, the're buzzard food.

[DoughtyOne]

[UnsinkableMollyBrown]

My sister and her husband walk every night along a trail at the base of the mountain. It is close to town and a frequently used path. One night on their way up, they were surprised by a 'coon that jumped out of the bushes. They hurried on past, but worried because they had to pass that way again to return home.

After reaching the turn-around point, they started back toward home. It was past dusk and they could just make out the trail ahead. As they approached the area where they had seen the racoon, they watched carefully to avoid the animal. All of the sudden they heard some bushes move behind them, then scurrying feet. They were a little concerned about this unseen nemesis, and quickened their pace. To no avail. They could tell that the animal was coming up quickly, though they couldn't see it in the darkness. Both of them broke into a run, with the coon close behind. They came out onto the road, and scurried home, breathless and relieved that they had got away from that terrible, stalking coon.

[Pushi]

They can be very mean. Have you ever seen a dog that tangled with a coon? I have. It looked line someone tried to peel the dog's head. Also, if they get a dog in the water, they very often will drown the dog.

[tortoise]

Many years ago I was assaulted in the late evening by a gang of about a dozen raccoons while up around Bend, Oregon. Let me tell you, it was really freaky when a gang of those things decided to wander up to me chattering. Fortunately for me, I got nervous when they started following me and picked up a large, heavy stick. When about half of them decided to move into my personal space I walloped the crap out of them and they ran off. Fortunately for me, I came out mostly unscathed (it was icy out, so I was wearing heavy clothes).

It was the weirdest thing, and I wouldn't have believed it if it didn't actually happen to me. Ever since, I've kind of held a vendetta against those buggers.

[IncPen]

This morning at 4am I heard a noise in the kitchen, like a glass tipping over on the counter.

So I went downstairs, and what is in the kitchen window but a huge racoon?!

He had ripped the screen off and was lugging a loaf of bread out with him.

I yelled "Get! Get!" as loud as I could as he dropped the bread and ran, but the bread was ruined.

The screen was fine, but you can bet we'll be closing the windows - we haven't here for almost 50 years- from now on...

I halfway believe these little devils are rising up against us...

[RWCon]

Wonder if the word "coon" is legal in Idaho.

[MeekOneGOP]

Racoon bump.

[Destructor]

This animal had to be rabid. Most Raccoons in the wild avoid people.

[rintense]

Rabies is common, but is more rare in coons than skunks in Michigan. The shots are a good precaution, and as silly as it sounds, I do believe the smell of chicken on the girl may have had something to do with it.

Yes, I admit it. I had a raccoon that visited my deck regularly. She started eating the cat food I had out there, so I gave her crackers and grapes. She also started eating out of my hand. Yeah, yeah... I know... you don't have to say what's already been said a thousand times! Sadly, she was hit by a car last summer. Now possums, on the other hand, are the devil's minions. ;)

[MissAmericanPie]

Poor little girl, nice of her friends to run away. So much has been lost as far as knowledge passed down because we live in Suburbia.

When I was little I was told if I even saw an animal in my ramblings that most likely it was rabid or it would never have allowed me to see it at all. I always carried a sling shot, it can have any kind of power you need, from killing something to running off pesky boys.=o)