They're backkkkkkkk

[mrwoodboat]

Earlier this fall, I kept seeing all the feed disappear from my feeders in one run each morning. I put up a trail camera and discovered that I had a family of raccoons coming in to gorge themselves. Dispatched 6 raccoons over the next 6 nights and things have been quiet for the past 4 months, but, I keep the traps set just in case. Yesterday morning, had a young male in the trap so I guess a new family has moved in to claim ripe feeding grounds......ugh, the struggles of finding balance....

 

[Bunnylady]

Sadly, I don't think there is a "balance" . . . . More like, "if you build it, they will come."

As long as a food source is there, some specimen of the local wildlife will attempt to exploit it. You can kill the current nuisances, of course, but every season there will be a new crop of youngsters needing their own territories to fill in the gap . . . .

 

[RonP]

Lock up the food at night!

 

[19disbre]

There are so many coons and fox and coyote that if you kill all the ones in an area almost 100% of the time a new group will move in within 6 months, the previous animals had a reason to live there so now the new ones do to, thats why we need to trap

 

[mrwoodboat]

I trap and try to release but unfortunately, I was reminded by a DNR officer, that in our state, it is illegal to trap nuisance animals and release elsewhere.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

Unfortunately when your dealing with the balance of nature, which all of us must fiddle around with whether we raise chickens or chick peas, you'll never succeed unless you keep your thumb on Maw Nature's scales to help make things balance in your favor, not in mother natures'.

 

[RonP]

Posted from another query:

I was at war with mother nature for quite some time.

Win a battle, lose a battle.

Way too many loses on both sides.

I found my energies better spent on building a strong defence as others have suggested.

I don't even think about predators anymore.

My avitar is a reminder of my very last capacitor, he was just a baby.

Held him captive till I finished my reinforcements, then released him knowing he was now no longer my enemy nor threat.

He left with a full belly of my dogs food, lamb and rice, not chicken

.

He returned often, but left unsatisfied.

 

[19disbre]

you should feed him and keep him around as a pet, he will keep the mice in check, and keep some other animals away, if nothing else it would be cool to have him

 

[RonP]

I held him captive for a bit over two weeks.

He was no longer afraid of me, and made friends with my dog... as he was very young.

Upon his release, I often saw him running and playing with my dog...but did not want him to lose his natural instinct to hunt, so no food.

The following year, my run showed signs of unsuccessful attacks.

I set a trap out of curiosity.

I immediately caught a full grown fox, which is very unusually.

A stunning animal.

Sure enough, he showed no fear, and went muzzle to muzzle with my dog, who was wagging his tail... instead of his usual idiot barking.

He must have had a den nearby, and was hunting for his family.

Upon his immediate release, he slowly walked away, turning back often, as if looking for an easy free meal.

A chilling experience