I Caught a Raccoon!

The raccoon was indeed raccoons... A Mother and three youngsters. I figure the babies were probably about three months old.
I had set the trap about 8:30 pm and less than four hours later it was sprung. One of the little raccoons was crying piteously inside the wire contraption while its sibs were crawling all over the trap. They were using their clever hands to free the one, but they just couldn't figure it out. Mama was clearly upset, walking around the trap, making noises to her baby. She finally took one of the other babies by the scruff of its neck and tried to haul it away. The other little one followed her, as the trapped raccoon kept up its panicked cries.
Three minutes later, Mama was back alone. Apparently she was keeping the other two out of harm's way. Mama looked up into the house windows, and again examined the trap. The crying was constant. And making me anxious.
Mama disappeared again, and the little one was going crazy attempting to get out. But Mama couldn't leave the one behind and appeared again with the other two babies. It was the same scenario of trying to free the one. Five minutes later the family left, and I could hear them next door crying to the one in our yard. Mama didn't return, so I put the nozzle on the hose that shoots out a really hard stream of water.
I've seen raccoons and they can be nasty, vicious animals. And there was a desperate Mama nearby. I turned on the water full force, and held the hose to the ground with my knee while keeping an eye out for her. Raccoons *hate* water.
The water shot out toward the street while I tried to get the cage opened in the dark. The caged raccoon was really quiet now. The door was opened and the raccoon shot out skedaddling in the direction of Mama. Just for good measure, after it was far enough away, I shot a good stream of water after it.
Hopefully they've all learned their lesson and will stay out of my yard and away from my grass.
I certainly showed them whose boss, didn't I?