Shoot to Maim

We have an unwanted visitor to our home; more specifically, a unwanted visitor to our garden. It appears that a rodent (my guess, a raccoon) has torn down my corn stalks, ripped off the half grown cobs, opened the husks, eaten the corn, and then carelessly thrown the remains on my pepper plants. If we had a large garden, I might be willing to share a bit, but this menace has destroyed more than half of the corn we have planted, and has tread on several pepper plants.

We have tried a humane trap. This is one of these traps that closes the animal in but doesn't hurt it. The first night, our thief came into the trap, took the bait (some tuna fish) and was able to push out of the trap once he finished his meal. My husband assumed that the trap did not close correctly and assured me that his tinkering has produced a working trap. No dice - no animal and more corn gone.

I grew up in a family that hunted animals and fished for food. My Dad also trapped animals and sold their skins for a few years. I never really understood the allure. While I certainly enjoy eating the deer, elk, and various fish, I didn't feel the need to pick up the gun or fishing pole and join in the chase. But now my roots have begun to show. A friend offered up her ten year old and his BB gun to take care of my visitor. And if Hubby was more agreeable to this plan, I would have already set the kid up with some cookies and a thermos for a night of "hunting". I guess the apple never does fall far from the tree, does it?