Seasonal Activity
Raccoons mate in mid-winter and kits (sometimes called “cubs”) are born in early spring after a gestation period of 63 days. During the first weeks of their lives the young stay in the den with their mother. At about eight weeks of age young raccoons begin to accompany their mother on her foraging excursions and she teaches them how and where to find food, climb trees and avoid danger.
Summer is a time of great activity for raccoons with the kits playing, getting into mischief and discovering their world. Many sources of forage are at their most abundant in the summer. Dispersal of the kits usually begins in the fall.
Kits in northern areas may stay with their mothers until the next litter is born, while kits in southern areas normally disperse after three to six months.
Raccoons feed heavily in the fall months, putting on the extra insulating weight that enables them to survive the coming cold weather and scarcity of forage. Raccoons do not hibernate in winter though they remain in their dens more, only coming out to forage for an hour or so each day. During spells of bitter cold or extremely harsh conditions, raccoons do not venture out of the den at all, burning calories from the extra weight they put on in the fall until the weather becomes more agreeable.
