Spooky

[mikesbigroo]

while sitting here reading the message board all of a sudden i here a pack of coyotes raising cane, thinking about all my birds went outside to only to here them in the woods,, was wondering how the coyotes have been in other areas as well as bear, seems like the bear population here in Tenn is growing as well

 

[ksct]

we have both. just before hibernation time, we had a 650+ pound black bear at our pond (close to where the chickens are... only we didn't have them yet) and that was the FIRST time we'd had one. We hear stories but never seen..... we have fox and coyotes as well as coy dogs. We also have some weasels (i havent seen them and coons, hawks, vultures and eagles....A couple years ago, @ my mothers house she had a pack or 2 of them she would hear every night. And this past fall through spring, they were in her yard. She took pictures before she got her gun. She got a gun specifically for the packs of dogs. They were coming way too close to the house and she has 2 dogs they weren't scared of.
I think as developing continues sadly the animals are pushed elsewhere and that means our yards. As long as we do what we can to protect our pets etc, that is all we can do.
Hope you don't have any nasty encounters.

 

[RestlessCrow]

I agree it is spooky, but I'd like to point out that it's not development that is causing this. Just recently (three weeks ago.) up at an airport my father manages in North East Pennsylvania, (Tiny grass strip, two planes fly in and out) the owner pulled in the driveway after dark. There, right in front of him just STANDING there was a full grown Mountain lion. It took of right up the mountain and was gone. (Made for a VERY spooky camping trip there last week lemme tell ya....)

Here on the East coast, almost all the predators were hunted to extinction. In My part of NJ we had Coyotes, Bobcats, Mountain Lions, Bears and Wolves. We humans have royally screwed up the ecosystem, and Mother Nature isn't gonna take it anymore. We have herds of 20+ deer roaming through developments. I had a woman tell me a story once that she heard a knocking on the door around 8pm one night. She went and opened the door and there was a buck standing on the porch eating her Christmas wreath RIGHT OFF THE DOOR and it was his antlers knocking on the door. It's no wonder the bears have moved across the border from PA back into NJ, and we haven't had Coyotes here in 80+ years. I've personally seen about five Coyotes here in Northern NJ. There's strong rumors that the State brought the coyotes in to help control the deer herds because they are getting SO out of hand. (Two years ago I hit or GOT hit by three deer while driving, and the third one actually got up and hit my truck a second time!!!)

Everyone says it's because we're "Moving into their territory" but because there are no natural predators, the deer are breeding like rabbits. (Few people hunt much in my part of Jersey...) Studies have shown that when a reef is over fished and all the sharks are caught, the health of the reef plummets. Disease goes rampant in the fish. When the wolves were restored to Yellowstone, the health of the herds skyrocketed, and the overgrazing was reduced allowing the quaking aspen to bounce back off the Protected list.

It's reality... We need to be prepared to deal with it.

 

[skeeter9]

The coyotes are flourishing here in the hills of central California, and I know our resident mountain lioness has been around quite a bit. Our deer population seems to be bigger this year, so that probably has something to do with it. All I know is, I want to get another very large dog because I'm sick of the coyotes coming into our personal space!!!! We have one medium-sized cattle dog and 2 small older mutts and they aren't enough of a deterrent.

 

[mikesbigroo]

well i guess i am lucky, my house sits in the middle of 106 acres, closest neighbor 1 mile away, and i live in the mountains, but it has been a good drop off place for unwanted dogs though, people like em as pups then drop em off when they get bigger,, then they look for food,,
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[Maryallison]

I have 5 acres & I admit that I am easily spooked. I know there are all sorts of things I don't wanta see out at night!

 

[mikesbigroo]

don't you all have some big deer in your parts, had a friend who i believe said he was from a town called Johnstown,, is that a city there, or maybe i got it wrong, heck i feed deer here and they kinda know it is a safe house for em, they even bring there young in to visit, a buddy had a deer actually living in his house, and it was potty trained believe it or not,, we get alot of people from up north, ill. and mich area coming down here buying property to hunt,
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[mikesbigroo]

if your looking for a good dog, i have an american bulldog, best dog and most loyal dog i ever owned, it will take on a bear to protect my family or myself, big , powerfull dogs,, give one of them a try, no regrets
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[skeeter9]

You know, I was looking at several of American Bulldogs on Petfinder. I was also looking at some Mastiffs. There are some nice young adult dogs of both breeds that need homes. Maybe I can talk my husband into another dog.

 

[orbirdman]

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I see our local population of coyotes 1-2x's a week. One almost earned himself a hole the size of .45 when he started coming up the driveway. We have a large cemetary on one end of the neighborhood and a national cemetary on another side. So we see all sorts of wildlife.