Coexisting with wildlife-possible?

[rhoda_bruce]

Quote:
I season it to taste and roast it in a cast iron pot until tender. About 45 minutes or longer, depending on the age of the animal. Served over rice. (Mother-in-law likes to add sweetpotatoes when its getting near done)
Usual side is mustard or turnip greens cooked with onions and either salt meat or bacon pieces.

But I have bad news. I didn't catch one last night. Told son to set it further in the back, near my dad's burn pile.
It is harder to skin than rabbits. You will need a sharp knife and be careful. Once properly cleaned and cooked, I find it taste similar to rabbit.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
I season it to taste and roast it in a cast iron pot until tender. About 45 minutes or longer, depending on the age of the animal. Served over rice. (Mother-in-law likes to add sweetpotatoes when its getting near done)
Usual side is mustard or turnip greens cooked with onions and either salt meat or bacon pieces.

But I have bad news. I didn't catch one last night. Told son to set it further in the back, near my dad's burn pile.
It is harder to skin than rabbits. You will need a sharp knife and be careful. Once properly cleaned and cooked, I find it taste similar to rabbit.

Have heard of it being simmered in a crock pot for hours with onions and various other seasonings.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Humm....I'm not sure about eating racoons being the same thing as "co-existing" with them. If it is no longer alive it is not really "co-existing" with you on the farm. I think that would fall more into the catagory of "supplementing your diet" with game.

I do agree that those people who are killing dozens of raccoons or whatever and not eating it are wasting it.

 

[greathorse]

I would have a lot of personal biases to get past before I would eat one. Not that I think it is bad, just out of the norm for me. I cant think of a more harmonious existence than having a racoon for dinner.

They show up for dinner and are given a place of honor if that isnt coexisting I dont know what is. hehehehe

 

[twentynine]

I don't think human marking does anything to repel animal preditors, not the same as a dog, wolf, fox, coyote marking. I think it may have effect repeling prey species but not preds.

Ain't no way, no how I am gonna eat no coon. Maybe if I were real hungry, like a couple days with out food and the prospect of nothing else, but not on a yum-yum basis.

However I do not think badly of anyone who chooses to eat a coon, just not me!

 

[LynneP]

We live in a pine marten restoration district and the laws in this province make it difficult to legally kill most fur-bearing mammals. So our coop is, as you say, Coop Knox. We don't mind really, because we have a large run attached and the hens were bought as day-olds and are used to our setup. I bring the garden to them...We have a raccoon named Mary who was raised by one of the barn cats, and she spent her first years in our loft, though less and less now that she is four. But I have to allow for Mary's visits and the female cats are always thrilled ot see her and a lot of mutual grooming and trilling occurs. The cats are feral for the most part, except for the six senior females who regulate the barn and keep our property free of rodents. Even a squirrel will not last more than a few hours here.

We love the wild birds and have various feeders areound the house. Sure- we lose an occasional bird, starlings and jays for the most part. Chain of life. But I choose to feed/water the cats, treat those I can handle and keep them litter-trained.

At the base of our sloped property of 5 acres we maintain a tiny 'wildlife refuge'. Deer come through it to access our yard and the downed fruit and leftover vegetables. Ringneck pheasants nest there and we keep all of our land free of pesticides. It's also a serious breeding area for the tiger swallowtail butterfly- they use 400' of honeysuckle for breeding and nectar.

Our philosophy is that we want chickens, but we also want the wild things to thrive. We've made an effort to keep the hens predator free- and so far, so good.


(Great thread)

 

[PunkinPeep]

Quote:
I definitely want to see those pictures!

 

[cassie]

Of course it is possible to coexist with wildlife. Just make your coops and livestock pens so they are unattractive to them. At one time or another we have had chickens, ducks, geese, goats, horses, sheep, pigs, and cattle. We also have owls, hawks, possums, skunks, and coyotes. Our losses to wildlife have been just about zero.

 

[gsim]

Quote:
Maybe not, but it sure does a good job of repelling nosy neighbors!

 

[savingdogs]

LynneP, I very much enjoyed your post and loved your version of the answer to the topic question.

As the first person who posted about human urine, I'm sorry I got this off track. I like how LynneP explained their way of life and I like what she described.