Irresponsible Neighbor

[huntercf]

I agree with talking to the neighbor and calling DFG. Most city slickers don't realize that by feeding bears they are dooming them to termination. Bears that become accustomed to getting food from people have to be destroyed by DFG or AC. They might try and relocate them once but usually not.

 

[silkiechicken]

So... as a property owner, can you get a bear tag?

 

[drumstick diva]

Good grief, the last thing anyone would want in their vicinity is someone dumb enough to feed bears. I spent the first third of my life in Chicago, where the wildest thing I ever saw was a bluejay and I was escatic that I got to see it. Then we moved to a suburb with a forest proserve at the end of the block. First week found toads in the basement - scared my mom and I half to death. Eventually I got to tolerate them and discovered NO, you didn't get warts from them like my ma said. Got to see a rabbit coming at dusk to feed her litter and then take a huge leap away from them, so as not to leave a trail to them.

One day I walked outside and saw a toad eating a snake -told ya I was a city girl, ran for my father to save him. He grabbed the snake by the tail and it dropped the toad, and tossed the snake in the bushes. Toad came out of his stupor and hopped away. Whew what a close call with nature. Since then we encountered raccoons, fox, woodchucks, bob white, deer, skunks, coyotes, the whole nine yards. No bear - thank goodness.

Saw deer coming to nurse her fawn right across my kitchen window - in a mess of bushes. When she left the baby went back into hiding. I had no idea it had been in there. Wondrous things happened all around. Have a fox (sometimes two) living(?) at the back of the yard. Have photographed him many times from a window but never tried to approach him. Coyotes walk down the street at night.

One neighbor said he saw a group of 'yotes on my front lawn several nights in a row - accused me of throwing things out for the birds and attracting them. Didn't. I stayed up several nights with the lights off trying to spot them - never did. but I guess he thought coyotes don't wander onto your land unless you invite them.

Then of course they put up more homes across the field from us, and instead of wildlife, we have wild kids, riding ATV's ,motorcycles and even golf carts(no joke) up and down the field until they turned wide paths into dust. The noise is horrible and closing windows doesn't help. In winter we get endless processions of snow mobiles day and night. Parents will snap your head off if you complain, and the kids will lob rocks thru the window.

You can't fight with everyone . People move out of the cities and think they own the whole world and can do what they want. They never heard of leashes or fenced yards and their darn dogs runs lose (I am a dog lover).

Our police have cited people but, don't do anything further. The activities go on. I have never complained but, plenty of other neighbors have - to no avail. I guess what I am trying to say in an ackward round about way is that people move in and think they are free to do as they please. Our police want to be buddies instead of serve and protect. Nobody wants to get involved because of fear of retaliation. They don't care what mayhem they release in the neighborhood .

You have to fort knox your property I guess the best you can because the enemy isn't going away. YOU do have to draw the line at Bears, the range of their destructive nature is legendary. They don't belong in anyones back yard getting fed by idiots expecting "gentle Ben." As one poster so wisely put it "God does take care of his creatures." We couldn't do it better.

 

[Sootsie]

Im in the UK so bears and other large predators are not a problem here just badgers and foxes threaten our chucks. I grew up in a city went to zoos saw wildlife programs as a kid, i live in a rural town now and i think its great to see deer, badgers (very rare in the open) and other wildlife in there natural environment but nothing would make me put out food for them its asking for trouble.

I think you did the right thing you have tried every reasonable way to explain to this silly woman the dangers she could be encouraging and potentialy inflicting on others and she took no notice. I'd report her every day untill she gets the message. lets face it you have national parks and other areas like them where you can visit and look at these animals in the wild safely

Pity you cant pack her bags and send her back to the city with a season ticket to 'yellowstone park.

 

[CariLynn]

I feel a bit better about what I did, but I hate thinking I lost a friend. Then again, if she was such a good friend she would of taken what I have been telling her and literature to read to heart and understood where I am coming from too. It is greatly appreciated by me that many of you understood and knew I did not do this out of malice or ill intent, but with her best interest at heart. I can only hope that one day she too will see this.

 

[vatterpa]

I personally don't feel you did anything wrong.
By feeding wildlife she is inviting animals all over to her yard. And that leads to dependant animals that cant fend for themselves. I can understand landscaping for wildlife but when you purposely put out corn or the like, you have crossed the line. Animals in nature have a varied diet of things they LOVE to eat and things that they have to eat. By only feeding them things they love to eat you are upsetting their natural digestive systems. Not only is that an unhealthy diet, that can open those animals that she is feeding to disease themselves, not to mention the ones she brings into yall's yards. I believe in enjoying the wildlife in your yard and planting for them, but not feeding them directly. That is iresponsable.

 

[wpalmisano]

Quote:
This is the best answer. What I would do is smear her house and car with bacon fat.

 

[WhetzelMomma]

I think it's GREAT that you talked to her about this on more than one occasion!! There are a lot of people that wouldn't even be bothered to do THAT, and would skip straight to calling authorities.
I think you did the next right thing when your neighbor didn't listen to your requests.

There is a HUGE difference between allowing and "welcoming" wildlife onto your property, and inviting them to become dependant on humans. Even deer can be dangerous to humans when they lose their natural fears. We recently had a doe with twins visiting our property. The doe quit coming (I assume she died) and her twins, still spotted, know that our property is a safe place to graze. I NEVER feed them, and they seem to be surviving. They did it without human intervention, and they have a healthy fear of us. They run when we start across the fields in their direction. I'm happy to let them stick around and be safe, but I won't encourage them to become used to us. That's just asking for one of my kids to be hurt, or our animals to get sick.

Bottom line, you took the right action, and if your neighbor was breaking the law, she was breaking the law.

 

[DonsNightmare]

Quote:
That's an "Animal Cops" episode waiting to be filmed. She needs to go, or you should turn her in. Depending on your state, some animals are illegal to bait (feed). I would also ask your local ASPCA about the limit of cats one may have and report the neighbor as needed. They will come out and inspect her home, without warning.

 

[Wolfwoman]

Quote:
I wouldn't of said anything if it didn't bring unwanted wild life to my farm. And it is not fun when you have a deer jump out of the woods in front of your horse and he spooks in place...nor is it fun to go close your hay barn and a cat come streaking out and scares the hades out of you, spraying your hay with urine before he got scared off...

My equines and chicken flock mean more to me than someone who cannot follow the law...I asked nicely many times and explained why what she was doing was wrong. But when it puts my animals at risk to get harmed, a potentially fatal disease, or worse, then I think not getting involved went out the door, as she doesn't pay my vet bills, I do.

I still would have minded my own business..
If you dont want deer in your woods..then move to the city...

If my neighbor called on me because i wanted to feed the wildlife in my yard...
Well..... 2 can play dirty...
Again.. this is just MY opinion on the matter...
i'm not going to argue with you... its your choice and its already done anyways...
Good luck!

This might be one of the times we disagree Redhen (and you and I know about one another

) I have no troubles living in the woods WITH the critters that are here, however feeding them is crossing the line when is comes to safety, both of us, our critters AND the wildlife. Very often, the things that people feed wild animals is BAD for them. For an example, oftentimes people will put out hay for the moose during the winter, not realizing that it can and WILL kill them. Moose have a systems that 'changes' with the season to allow them to digest grasses and yummy things in the summer and then tree twigs and bark in the winter. Feeding them hay 'binds' them as they can't digest it and kills them.

This is just one example of why not to feed the wildlife. Another is that they then become accustomed to humans, lose their fear, end up hurting a human, and then the wild critters get killed because of it. Live WITH nature as it is, don't try and make it something it's not as this person does (a pet).