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Post by Tim Horton on Sept 9, 2019 16:37:27 GMT
Here in the far, far north animals are pretty clearly divided into very basic groups. Predator, prey, livestock.
We are a fair ways out in the bush from Pot Hole City. And not far (or far enough) off the usual path to a couple busy recreation lakes. PHC is just big enough people will bring unwanted pets to discard in the bush. There is an animal shelter available, but they have bizarre rules about if you surrender an animal, you can't adopt ever again type thing. The rules only makes things worse it seems. Knock on wood, I haven't had to live trap a stray, feral cat in a while. No lost, abandon dogs in a couple summers now.
Spring and fall seems the most active times for wild predators. I currently have a long tail weasel in the big garage. Glad it is there and hasn't seemed to find its way to the chicken house or rabbit barn...
The biggest (literally) problem we have is black bears. God save me from bears.. Our place had a nice size pond and marsh along a natural flow through the area. Mostly they move through. Occasionally one will stop to be a problem for us.
Like most livestock producers in the area, lets just say I'm not at all tolerant of things causing trouble or damage for us.
So..... All areas will have different animals and related issues.
What is your biggest concerns ??
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Post by feather on Sept 9, 2019 22:49:22 GMT
SE Wisconsin: Human predators trying to up sell just about everything without regard budget concerns, people that don't belong on your land, people showing up at your door to sell you everything under the sun and talking and talking about putting it on credit cards or taking out loans. Jackalopes, snipes,  skunks, raccoon, moles, chipmunks, deer, mice, squirrels. Financially and safety wise, we have more problems with weather than with animals. So far.  |
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Post by susannah on Sept 9, 2019 22:54:56 GMT
We have black bears. They leave their calling cards in the yard and woods, but I've never actually seen one in our yard or woods. And that's fine with me, I'd just as soon coexist without our getting up close and personal. I only have bird feeders out in winter when (most of) the bears are denning/hibernating. I really don't want them to see my yard as a food source. Strangely, the only time I've actually seen bears here was when they were crossing a US highway - on more than one occasion. Same highway, different locations. All of which were several - or more - miles from my home.
A few different neighbors, though, have told us about the prior owner of our home calling the local police because there was a bear on the deck. I took down the gazillion or so feeders he'd left up when we moved here, and I've never had a bear climb the deck - or show himself/herself to me - in the eight years we've owned the place.
Edited to say that as far as predators, we also have a number of gray/timber wolves. I've only seen one, although I've seen tracks a number of times.
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Post by Tim Horton on Sept 10, 2019 1:48:12 GMT
I'm mostly a live and let live kind of guy... Until like said something messes with my livestock.. Then I take care of business. Most of the starry eyed people who believe "wild places need wild animals, wild animals need wild places" don't live in wild places or have to deal with wild animals. They tend to believe a wild animal taking one of our geese it is just "making a living" Well that goose can be worth as much as $100 to replace. Do they expect me to just say "oh well, that's nature" If you ask them to pony up the $100 for the loss they give you the "go to hell" look.
We have also had a significant increase in wolf issues in the greater area here. River #3 runs into river #2 a ways across the plateau from us. River #2 skirts around the plateau to run into major river #1 at Pot Hole City. We hear wolves often but the above pretty much keeps them away from this area mostly.
The worst thing many northern US states and lower provinces did was re introduce wolves. Again, starry eyed people and politicians kissing there fanny, that when the tofu and triple foam latte crowd are on holiday they want to see something with big horns and something with big teeth. When they don't they think there holiday was a failure.
Don't get me started....
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Post by ketoriverfarm on Sept 10, 2019 3:29:34 GMT
Here in northeast Washington state we are now overrun with wolves and cougars. We also have bear, coyotes, bobcats. The worst is the wolves, they have decimated our deer population. As we have sheep, we are very concerned with the wolves. I agree with Tim Horton, 100% regarding all of these people who want to re introduce the predators. I think we should ship our predators over to their area and let them find out what dealing with them is like. |
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Post by mzgarden on Sept 10, 2019 11:05:54 GMT
SW Ohio - we're rural but not in the sticks. We've been here 7+ years and have had fox, raccoon, opossum and hawk take out a few chickens over the years, but not too bad. We've had a couple coyote sightings on our property but mostly they stay in the cattle farmer's property behind us. The thing I fear the most in truth is somebody's pet dog being allowed to run and taking out our goats, which really means the predators I most fear are those that belong to humans.
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Post by Tim Horton on Sept 10, 2019 19:47:14 GMT
The thing I fear the most in truth is somebody's pet dog being allowed to run and taking out our goats, which really means the predators I most fear are those that belong to humans.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Worst case..... Most any two or more dogs, after getting acquainted and establishing a rank order can start to "hunt"...... Many years ago, in a place where there was a veterans hospital, and a lot of staff housing with that. There was a pack of dogs that caused damage to wildlife and livestock in the area. The residents there would let there dogs out for the day thinking they would just play until they came home in the evening. There was a meeting about keeping there dogs under control, and most everyone was "not my dog" This pack was about a dozen or more, from the size of a Sheppard to beagle. A very real danger to people as well as animals. This went on to a point where most of these dogs just "never came home" There were complaints to local authorities, but if authorities did not personally see something happen, there was nothing they could do......
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Post by Tim Horton on Sept 12, 2019 23:50:34 GMT
Ummmm...... This morning I see a broken branch in our crab apple tree..
Put 2 and 2 together how that happened...
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Post by susannah on Sept 13, 2019 0:25:05 GMT
Jackalopes, snipes, skunks, raccoon, moles, chipmunks, deer, mice, squirrels. Jackalopes and snipes but no hodags? Oh yeah, right - hodags are a northern Wisconsin thing. I can't go through Rhinelander without seeing at least one of those varmints... |
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Post by feather on Sept 13, 2019 0:33:36 GMT
Jackalopes, snipes, skunks, raccoon, moles, chipmunks, deer, mice, squirrels. Jackalopes and snipes but no hodags? Oh yeah, right - hodags are a northern Wisconsin thing. I can't go through Rhinelander without seeing at least one of those varmints...  Hodags and Yeti's. |
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Post by 1shotwade on Sept 13, 2019 12:29:00 GMT
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skunks, raccoon, moles, chipmunks, deer, mice, squirrels.
