Masked Bandit Robs Local Farmer

Ahh, the taste of summer! We all love fresh sweet corn right out of the garden - sweet and juicy, plain or dripping with butter. But some area farmers are experiencing a loss to both their sweet corn and field corn crops. A loss, not from weather, but theft. Alan Heitman of rural New Albin was recently robbed of a portion of his corn crop - and the thefts continue. "Every time I go out to the fields there is more damage, more corn gone. It just makes me sick," Heitman said. He estimates he has already lost over 100 bushels and the losses continues to mount. The culprits? Raccoons. Marauding raccoons come out of the nearby woodlands, which are owned by the DNR, and ravage his corn crop nightly. Knocking down stalks, stripping the fresh ears of their juicy kernels, and leaving behind more and more empty cobs. "I've never had this much damage to my corn before" Heitman reported. "There is some damage every year from deer and 'coons but never like this." He is seeing widespread damage throughout his fields and he is not the only one. There have been numerous reports of raccoon damage. Raccoons are omnivorous feeders, eating both plant and animal foods. All kinds of seeds, nuts, berries, fruit, vegetables, and grain crops serve as food, as well as small mammals, eggs, and birds such as pheasants and even chickens. They also eat freshwater foods including snails, clams, crayfish, frogs, snakes, and turtles, turtle eggs, and many types of fish. Raccoons are adaptable and will eat whatever food sources are available - pet food and garbage, as well as raiding backyard gardens. The raccoons' diet varies according to season. They need highly nutritious, fattening foods such as corn, acorns, and fruit during the fall to prepare for winter. Raccoons do not hibernate or store food for the winter. They may double their body weight in the fall in preparation for that long, cold season when little food is available. Adult male raccoons may weigh 40 pounds or more. Jake Sweeney of Waukon's Village Farm and Home said they have had many inquiries about poisoning and trapping the critters. "We've had a lot of people asking what to do about raccoons," Sweeney said. "They seem to be a real problem this year. We carry a selection of live traps but some people prefer poison." Some people have also tried electric fencing to protect their gardens but raccoons are smart and this does not deter them for long. Sweeney said raccoons even get to be a problem in the Village Farm and Home's warehouse. "They rip up bags of cat food, dog food, and feed. Anything they can get into - they do."


Unlike deer, raccoons peel back the husks on an ear of corn to eat the juicy, high calorie kernels.


Raccoon breed in late winter, producing three to seven offspring. They live up to 10 years and females can start to reproduce as yearlings. In good years raccoon numbers multiply quickly and their only predator is man. In Iowa you need a Fur Harvesting license and a Habitat Stamp to hunt or trap raccoons. A resident license is $21, the habitat fee is $8.50. A hunting license is not needed for fur harvesting. There are no bag limits for raccoons up to 30 days after the close of the hunting/trapping season. The fine for poaching raccoon is $200. Due to the decreased value of raccoon pelts the number of hunting/trapping licenses sold in Iowa has dropped sharply in recent years. With this sharp decrease in hunting and trapping the raccoon numbers have risen dramatically.