Raccoons are found throughout the United States, and in most cases they are expanding their range into previously unoccupied habitats. Raccoons are often water-associated, but in the Great Plains they often occur a considerable distance from the water. In the Great Plains states, the expansion of agriculture has apparently allowed raccoons to move westward and northward. It is possible that the availability of old homesteads, buildings, haystacks, dumps, and towns has been instrumental in allowing raccoons to survive the winter
