Number 11

Distributed in furtheranceof the acts of Congress ofMay 8 and June 30, 1914.Employment and program

opportunities are offered toall people regardless of

race, color, national origin,sex, age, or disability.

North Carolina StateUniversity, North CarolinaA & T State University, USDepartment of Agriculture,

and local governments

HABITAT REQUIREMENTSRaccoons use a wide variety ofhabitats, but generally preferareas interspersed with differentsuccessional stages of growth.Bottomland hardwoods providehard mast, insects, and aquaticanimal life. Fields and open areasyield fruit, berries, insects, andoccasional small mammals andreptiles. Raccoons depend onwetland and aquatic habitats for alarge portion of their food and areseldom found far from water.

FoodRaccoons are opportunisticomnivores. When food is plentiful,plant matter is consumed twice asmuch as animal matter. However, thisratio varies as food supplies change.Raccoons are voracious eaters andtend to return to the same location aslong as food is available. Raccoonsstore fat throughout the fall inpreparation for overwintering.Raccoons are not true hibernators, butmay sleep for extended periods incolder areas. Favored raccoon foodsinclude:

PlantsGrape PersimmonGreenbrier BlackberryCherry Eastern RedcedarDogwood ServiceberryBlueberry AcornsBeechnuts PecansGrains Corn

AnimalsGrasshoppers EarthwormsBirds CrayfishMussels SnailsCrabs Aquatic InsectsFrogs SnakesFish Eggs Large InsectsSmall Vertebrates

North CarolinaCooperative Extension ServiceNorth Carolina State UniversityCollege of Agriculture & Life SciencesCollege of Forest Resources

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CoverBoth ground dens and cavity trees are usedfor shelter and escape, but den trees arepreferred for raising young. Suitable grounddens include old woodchuck or fox burrows,rock crevices, downed trees, abandonedbuildings, and brush piles. Active den treescan be identified by claw marks or wornbark. Dens are usually located just below orwithin the tree canopy. Preferred cavitieshave 4 to 10 inch openings, are at least 15feet from the ground, and are sheltered fromrain and prevailing winds.

WaterRaccoons must drink water daily.Permanent sources of open water are also acritical part of the habitat.

Home RangeHome ranges average about 200 acres andvary from 1/2 to 1 1/2 miles in diameter.Raccoons may move long distances whenpopulations are low and food is scarce.Home ranges vary throughout the seasonsto take advantage of changing foodsources.

.C. Cooperative Extension Service

IMPROVING RACCOONHABITAT

General:♦ Maintain stand sizes from 10 to 50 acres

♦ Encourage a variety of stand age andcomposition

Rotation:♦ Maintain long rotations for hardwood stands

(50 years or more)

♦ Encourage inclusions of mature hardwoodwithin pine stands

Regeneration:♦ Any regeneration method appropriate to the

site is suitable

♦ Distribute cuts to encourage age, size, andspecies diversity

Intermediate Treatments:♦ Avoid use of broad spectrum herbicides

♦ Select and retain trees with potential forcavities

♦ Thin hardwoods to encourage crown growthand mast production

♦ Favor red oaks over white oaks by 2:1

Working With Wildlife # 11 - Raccoon

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Direct Improvements:♦ Protect identified den trees

♦ Mark and protect large stream-sidemanagement zones

♦ Retain mature trees with large cavities,especially those adjacent to water

♦ Create snags

♦ Leave small unharvested areas ofcroplands adjacent to woodlands

Species That Benefit From Raccoon ManagementMany game and nongame species benefit from raccoon management. Management effortsshould emphasize the communities of which which raccoons are a part. Common raccoonassociates include:

Wild Turkey Gray SquirrelWhite-tailed Deer Black BearFlying Squirrel OpossumPileated Woodpecker Common FlickerWood Duck Screech OwlGreat Horned Owl Red-shouldered HawkGray Fox

Snag

N.C. Cooperative Extension Service Working With Wildlife # 11 - Raccoon

Prepared by:Michael S. Mitchell, Graduate Research Assistant,Dr. Edwin J. Jones, Department Extension Leader Mark A. Megalos, Extension Forestry Specialist

Cost share assistance may be available through the Stewardship Incentive Program for thesepractices. See your Wildlife Biologist, Forester, or Extension Agent for more information about the

Forest Stewardship Program.

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“Raccoon “ illustration page 1 courtesy of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission.

Other Wildlife Notes Available:No. 1 - Endangered Species No. 14 - Snags and Downed LogsNo. 2 - Eastern Gray Squirrel No. 15 - Managing Edges for WildlifeNo. 3 - White-tailed Deer No. 16 - Building Songbird BoxesNo. 4 - Songbirds No. 17 - Woodland Wildlife Nest BoxesNo. 5 - Wild Turkey No. 18 - Low Cost Habitat ImprovementsNo. 6 - Wood Duck No. 19 - Pools for AmphibiansNo. 7 - Cottontail Rabbit No. 20 - Hummingbirds and ButterfliesNo. 8 - Bobwhite Quail No. 21 - BatsNo. 9 - Ruffed Grouse No. 22 - OwlsNo. 10 - Black Bear No. 23 - Managing Beaver PondsNo. 11 - Raccoon No. 24 - Herbaceous Plants for WildlifeNo. 12 - Mourning Dove No. 25 - SIP Wildlife OpportunitiesNo. 13 - Wildlife Terms

. Cooperative Extension Service Working With Wildlife # 11 - Raccoon

FOREST STEWARDSHIPa cooperative program for

improving and maintaining all of theresources on private forestland