Johnny-on-the-Spot … by John Foster …

When we purchased the palatial Foster estate way back in 1994, wife Geneva said she wanted an in-ground swimming pool in the back yard.

In this family, we say, “What Geneva wants, Geneva gets!” and when she made the request, I challenged her with figuring out a way to pay for a pool.

That started her 20 + year career in student services for then IUPUC.

In the spring of 1995, the pool went in and I spent a lot of that summer installing an 8 foot stockade security fence around the perimeter.

Over the years, I’ve discovered that an in-ground swimming pool can be quite an animal magnet.

I’ve found it to be one of the most effective mole traps since the weak-of-sight critters will stumble into the pool when they’re in search of moisture or flooded out of their tunnels by too much water.

The pool has also been involved in the loss of life for some birds, mice, bunnies, chipmunks, toads and frogs.

One thing I’ve learned since becoming a pool owner is you need to check and clear the pool skimmer frequently.

Things like mice and moles have a tendency to bloat and get “gamey” if they’re left in a pool skimmer too long.

Even with the winter cover attached, earthworms will find their under the cover to turn into a nasty brown, gel-like mass when they settle to the bottom of the pool.

We also found out that dogs will roll and squirm on a pile of them if you drop them in the yard.

Now they go directly to the composter.

But in the past several days, a new critter has gotten involved with our backyard pool and it prompted us to buy a tiny camera so we can discover what this new visitor is.

The reason we want to know is it’s been walking on the pool cover to near the middle of the pool… to take a nightly dump.

Defecate.

Poop.

And it’s a significant amount of of doo-doo.

I initially suspected a groundhog which I’ve seen in our neighborhood duie to the size and amount of pooh.

However, our younger daughter, a two-cat owner said we shouldn’t discount the feline species but I think based on what’s been left behind this would have to be a puma.

After some additional research, my top suspect is a raccoon.

I’ve caught and released raccoons before but we’ve never had a “pool-cover pooper” before.

He might even be slumbering beneath our backyard deck adjacent to the pool.

I decided to bait my catch and release trap with tasty goodies like bread with syrup on it, a little meat from a chicken, an apple slice and two marshmallows.

It’s set near the area of the pool that’s become a critter potty.

The coup de grace for the defender is the tiny camera we positioned by the backyard barn that covers the entire pool area.

We hope to catch this critter with its’ “pants down” so to speak. The camera is programmed to snap a shot every time motion is detected and the literature says it’s equipped with night vision technology.

High tech potty watch.

We’re probably going to be surprised at how much wildlife activity we have in the night in this fenced-in backyard.

And, even if our “catch and release” trap doesn’t work, I’m pretty certain will be able to identify our mystery dumper.

I’m perplexed as to why this animal would walk onto this winter pool cover since it’s far from the surface of the water and far from easy to navigate.

It would be like you or I trying top walk on a less-than-taut trampoline much less attempting to squat in the middle of it.

Not sure why critters are so curious about our fenced-in back yard.

We get a few mama bunnies in the yard and they’ll quickly burrow a “nursery” in a shallow hole they dig and cover it with grass after birthing 3-5 hairless bunnies there.

I’ll gently remove them and find a spot outside the backyuard to relocate them.

I never hear from Mama with how the kids are doing but at least I don’t have to worry about giving them a “high and tight” haircut with the lawnmower.

Stay tuned for the next episode of “Critter Search in the Foster back yard.

It’s already been renewed for next season.