The Thief Comes - Part 2

After almost 2 weeks of having diligently sought to capture the illusive thief that was entering our chicken pen each evening (and losing still more chickens)...we finally have some answers.

(read the first part of the story here)

The live traps that we had set up all week were, frankly, NOT working.  We even positioned one of the traps so that the incoming critter would go through it's existing hole that it had dug and go straight into the trap.

Somehow, the culprit managed to trip the trap, then squeeze itself between the wall of the coop and the trap, kill a chicken, and drag it's victim back through the hole. (Sigh.)

Yesterday evening, our family was a little preoccupied with other obligations and activities, and we forgot to enclose our chickens into the relative safety of their wooden coop, as has become our custom over the last 2 weeks. (This actually turned out to be a blessing...) 

So,  Gregg went out around 10:45pm to check on our 14 remaining hens, and found that the thief had already come again...

And gotten another chicken!!  Down to 13 - urgghhh!

Gregg noticed the dead chicken at the base of a tree just outside the fence and heard something in the trees overhead. 

I think - just maybe - a primeval mood came over my dear husband as he called for a flashlight and his Remington 1100 shotgun. 

Without baring all the not-so-nice details, let's just say that my hubby has a pretty accurate shot, and 2 raccoons fell to the ground last night.  There was a also a third coon, but we were unable to find it, and we aren't sure it was endangered - but we hope so.

We will keep the traps and our guard up just in case.

I must admit, that it has been quite a relief to begin to have some closure to this saga.  I have been amazed at the persistence of these raccoons.

"They have eaten well," Gregg said.  And, then he thinned his lips and quoted Luke 11:21 -

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own homestead, his possessions are undisturbed;"

Disclaimer:  If you read Luke 11, you will find that this scripture, taken within it's context, means something quite different.  So, Gregg and I had a little laugh about it and talked a little about what Christ really meant as He was referring to Satan's demons being cast from those who are possessed.

I was thinking maybe it applied more than we thought...for I was thinking these little thieves were a lot like little demons.