Raccoons do hibernate in the winter and in the wild they will find an old tree stump or in a hole in a tree, while these places are safe they are often not safe enough for a female and her babies. The reason for this is those raccoon males after mating seeks out other females with babies from other raccoon males. They will kill the babies while the mother is out hunting to increase the survivability of their own babies. This means by killing off other future adult raccoons their children, assuming they are not killed by another male, will have greater access to food, water and a larger domain to hunt for it. This can dramatically increase the likelihood that all the children will survive and is something that is shared by black and brown squirrels. This is not something bad, it is just how raccoons function. There are other animals in Canada like the grey squirrel that are fully familial and who raise babies as a family. Because of this eventuality females take great efforts into finding a safe place to give birth. This must be a hard place to find. In the wild, it’s a burrow, an old log or a hole in a tree. In urban and suburban environments it may end up being your attic, shed or deck. The female is intent on hiding her young from other males and even chases out the males she mates with ferociously. This is the process they go through to protect their children.
If you find raccoons are wandering on your property in the winter it is either a hungry male or a female checking your property for access to food and water. If they find it they will stay and make a den on your property. The most common place is in the attic which can be a very serious issue. The raccoon will drag food and garbage into it and will defecate in it. The babies will often be hidden under insulation so finding them requires an infrared camera to locate their heat signatures. They could be anywhere so trying to find them yourself may not be possible. And if babies are still in the attic after the mother is removed she will do anything to get back in. The safest way to remove a raccoon mother and babies from an attic is to hire a trained and experienced professional that can do it humanely with a one-way door. A raccoon one-way door is made from a frame of steel with a clear plexiglass door that tricks the raccoon into thinking it is a clear opening. They will squeeze through the door and be locked out. The babies must be removed and put into a special box so the mother can take them to a new location.