Are you bothered by "nature"?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

SF VIP
Location
Northeast PA. 3 miles from the Pocono race track
Ya know those nature shows with all the cute cuddly wildlife? Well, I'm having problems with the wildlife where I live. The other day I went to go the pharmacy, but right between my car and my house was an amorous stag deer and doe.

They were going at it-antlers and hooves all over the place. And they could care less if I was there. And the night before, a racoon dug 3 inch deep holes all through my lawn. He got me and my neighbors. And now that it's cold I get the mouse version of spending the winter in Florida, by spending the night in my house.

Are you having any wildlife fun times, too? You got furry friends? You have a wildlife story?
 

I've seen mice and chipmunks outside. This summer my big problem was mosquitos indoors. It was my fault, too, because I propped the front door open in warm weather. After I found the screen to the door and installed it, the problem resolved. I did have a pesky housefly recently. It was in the house for about 3 weeks and I started to think of it as a pet, but I was able to trap it in a plastic container when it was in a window, then I took it outside and released it.
 

fuzzybuddy said:
Ya know those nature shows with all the cute cuddly wildlife? Well, I'm having problems with the wildlife where I live. The other day I went to go the pharmacy, but right between my car and my house was an amorous stag deer and doe. They were going at it-antlers and hooves all over the place. And they could care less if I was there. And the night before, a racoon dug 3 inch deep holes all through my lawn. He got me and my neighbors. And now that it's cold I get the mouse version of spending the winter in Florida, by spending the night in my house. Are you having any wildlife fun times, too? You got furry friends? You have a wildlife story?
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If they both had antlers I don't think one of them was a doe. But maybe the deer are different there.

We have lots of squirrels and birds here, and I've seen a possum and a couple of raccoons in the neighbor's yard. But our fence is new and wooden and tall, so our yard will probably only be visited by animals that can climb or dig really well.
 
I see squirrels and birds at the neighbors feeder, but they don't come over here to my knowledge. I don't feed wildlife, so there's nothing here to tempt them over. I know a lot of people feed wild birds, but I just think it's a bad idea. They become dependent on that, then can't forage for themselves if the supply is suddenly stopped for some reason.
 
Asian beetles, dang em! Even get in my ears. And mice, since my elderly cat died this spring. She wasn't much for catching them, but they knew she was here and didn't stick around. Coyotes can be problem, but they haven't been around as much the last couple years.
 
Nature all around, squirrels, rabbits & chipmunks stealing & eating everything I plant, birds finishing off what they didn't eat. Coyotes lurking, waiting to eat our little dogs. :cautious:
Just last night was looking at the house thermostat and saw a salamander peaking out from behind. :unsure:
 
I have had many visitors. They don't bother me. I have 3 dogs but they are fed in the house. I sometimes put grapes, bananas, nuts out into the bark and dents of my trees. Then I go check and take down anything left at the end of the day.

Recently the big dog was throwing a fit at the barbecue grill. I did not know why. Had not been used in years. So, I opened the damn thing and there sat 2 little gray things, not mice but rats. EEEEEEk!!! they just looked at me, WTF, this was their house, how dare I open the lid. I had to resort to getting the fireplace shovel and making them leave.

I am not one that puts out poison, I think my most loved dog got into poison that neighbors put out. That is what the vet said, we did everything to save him but it did not help. The critters can pick it up and take it somewhere else. So, even if you don't have pets you should think about others, neighbors. If there is no choice but put out poison you should inform everyone in the area that might be affected.
 
I like most wildlife, select insects excluded.

I do have a wildlife problem story.

When I lived in Ohio a groundhog dug its den right under my foundation, kicking out gravel. I got worried it could undermine part of the house. So I decided the groundhog had to go.

First I tried a have a heart trap. Thought I'd live trap him and release somewhere he'd be happy. Caught several of the neighbor's cats, a couple of possums, one racoon, but no groundhog.

Then I decided to try flooding him out, put a hose down his hole ran the water for a while. No groundhog emerged, but I did succeed in flooding the basement.

Next I found some smoke bombs designed to drive groundhogs out of their den. Probably put too many down the hole. Didn't seem to bother the groundhog, but the smoke got into our basement and house. Even with major ventilation it was unlivable for a few days...

At that point I decided to up things, I sat quietly by the hole with a 22 pistol, for hours. He finally emerged, but I missed... This was in town, I did not want to do much shooting so I gave up on the idea.

Then one day I saw him in the back yard. I studied his location and could see it was a safe place to shoot into. So I turned the lights off in the house, got out my 30-06 deer rifle and shot from inside the house through an open door. Illegal of course, but safe. It worked, no more groundhog. And no one noticed the sound of the shot.

Kind of felt like something out of Caddyshack.
 
I just last eve saw a deer walk past my front window...neat...and I have coons, and possums, and groundhogs living under the house, and of course tons of squirrels every day....we are all
getting along for now.....love those deer....
 
Alligatorob said:
When I lived in Ohio a groundhog dug its den right under my foundation, kicking out gravel. I got worried it could undermine part of the house. So I decided the groundhog had to go.
Click to expand...

Yep, they are known for that... If you can't get them out in the open the trick is to setup a shot on their hole & wait. They like to stick their head out then you got them.
 
squirrels are abundant here in NJ... and full of notorious AT-TEE-TOOD! i call them tree rats. once saw a red-tailed hawk swoop down into my backyard and grab a squirrel right off the grass! the bird took the very unhappy rodent up into a tree and looked like it was trying to at least knock it out by smacking it on the limb it was sitting on.

had a chipmunk run inside when i opened back door... right past me and my "killer" doberman. dog chased it round & round the dining room table... knocking over a few chairs. then dog chased the critter right back out the door that i hadn't shut yet.
 
Many, many squirrels! Moles, sometimes deer and rabbits but they don't seem to get in the garden too often. However the deer will chomp down pansies and nastursiums!
We have to watch for copperhead this time of year.
Lots of birds. I was watching a cardinal this morning. It reminded me of my mother.
She loved the color red and she loved cardinals.

Oh, the answer is I'm only bothered when the deer eat my flowers or the moles dig up my yard.
 
Yes. I got my very first gopher in my garden this year and it had its fill of the roots of most of the bulbs in my largest raised bed. It seems to have left now that I’ve dug up and potted everything until I can gopher proof the whole thing. First one I’ve seen here in over thirty years. I would strangle it to death if I could find and catch it but no sign of it any more.
 

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