Coexisting with wildlife-possible?

[savingdogs]

But all laughing aside, urine is how animals mark their territory. Does it not seem rational that wild animals would smell dog and human urine and feel that the area is already staked out by enough predators?

I'm all for communicating to them in their language!

 

[greathorse]

I believe there is something to that. I think especially the dog smell and the presence of a dog.

I would think they would eventually become desensitized to the smell of human's but I know it sure does not hurt. I would think it would make them more wary etc., I think especially for that wildlife that is just cruising by, I think they may well decide to visit someone with more conventional bathroom habits.

I think the predator that has grown accustomed to the lot and yard would likely not be very threatened by it.

I am sure it helps a lot if you have a great fence and coop LOL.

 

[Imp]

I tried that to get rid of moles. It worked to chase them out of individual hills, but they just dug more. I finally conceded that the moles won and became 1 with the moles. Never had another mound.

Imp- I used a a jar, thank you very much.

 

[LizFM]

For the peeing around the old homestead...I wonder if it works better truly out in the country than in a more populated area.

The wildlife in the suburbs and urban areas don't seem to be deterred by the smell of humans if the humans are not right there (and sometimes even if they are). We had a family of HUGE coons that lived in the storm drain in front of our house in mid-town Omaha (at least, that's where we kept seeing them come from, when DH would come home from work at 3 a.m.). Those animals are around the sights and smells of human activity all their lives and I question whether urine would deter them if the smell of you mowing the yard or hanging out on the patio doesn't. If you work a schedule where you see urban and suburban neighborhoods in the hours before dawn, or get a game cam, you realize that "your" yard belongs to a whole other group of species at night, your paths just never (or very rarely) cross.

Then again, sometimes urban wildlife is around in the day and not bothered by humans...Last week I was driving home from work in metro Phoenix at 5:30 - the sun was still up - and 3 coyotes ran across the (fairly busy) road in front of me going from one part of a city park to another.

Aside from hawks, which are plentiful back home, I have actually seen more "wild" animals in urban areas than I did when we farmed in rural Kansas. Wildlife (unless they're living under your barn or otherwise used to human presence) in Really Rural areas are less used to humans and will leave or hide long before you see them.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
Don't know, but at least if forces the neighbors to buy binoculars and makes it harder for them to sell tickets to see your show!

 

[LizFM]

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I feel you can co-exist with local wildlife, provided you have Coop Knox, as I finally do. Lost more poultry than I care to admit in past years.
One of the threads I read today scared me into setting my trap for coons however. I haven't had trouble since starting with this particular coop, but someone posted a pic of a nice little hole ripped right through some chicken wire and I went out and slaughtered a rooster and baited my trap with his head.
Perhaps the way I am is not exactly co-existing, but in another way it is. I treat the local wildlife as part of my farm. I have eaten many racoons. My brother or father would kill one and give it to me or my husband would kill one that I had trapped and I would clean it. The way I felt is that it was better to eat it than have it die for nothing but the protection of my chickens. Seems like a waste. I did, however, waste the possums. Haven't been able to bring myself to clean one of those.
Also I traded 3 dozen eggs with my brother for a deer roast 2 days ago. I also trade eggs for seafood with my brother-in-law.
It seems like if I can bring down the preditor population down just a bit, then the squirrles and rabbits will make a come back and the chickens will be safer. There is way too much wildlife here for me to make much of a dent in their cycles, but as long as I don't hunt them down to extinction, I feel they will be here for futher generations.
We have some serious preditors here. The scariest I ever saw was a huge black panther.......I think a lot of people don't believe me. I think co-existing can only occur with a well thought out, perfectly (if there is such a thing) made coop.

 

[DuckieG]

My 14 year-old son is in charge of keeping the outside wall of the horse barn marked because that is where the free range ducks sleep at night (dirt floor, something could dig in if really motivated and we have coyotes and cougers) My Paso Fino gelding who was castrated later in life takes great offense to HIS shed wall being marked and soon after my son is finished, he comes along and lays his scent on top. Ever seen an 850 pound horse try to pee on a wall?!?!

 

[little_grey_bantam]

LOL Ever seen a cow pee??? O.O One bird ran towards it and was almost washed away!!!!

To Rhoda_Bruce; how is it that you cook 'coon??? O.O I like what ya do, if ya kill it, eat it so it has a purpose

Never tried eating 'coon before!! I suppose fry it???

 

[gsim]

Quote:
Seems everybody wants to be in show business!