Not fish related, but needs some help

[jjohnwm]

I had to spend $900 on a below grade cage around my patio...

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No offense, I understand you are hamstrung by local regulations...but that's nuts. Laws written by people living in downtown condos, crippling the ability of a rural or even suburban homeowner to keep his property intact. Very reminiscent of a story I read recently, regarding a family that had an infestation of some species of protected bat in their attic. Due to the animals' "untouchable" status, those folks were forced to do...nothing. The colony burgeoned...ceilings collapsed from a combination of weakening due to urine saturation and the weight of accumulated feces...ammonia fumes too thick to breathe. The people were unable to do anything until the end of the summer, when the critters migrated south. Only then were the homeowners allowed to "bat-proof" the entrances to their attic, hopefully to keep the little bastidges from returning the following year. In the meantime...the damage was done.

Relocating sounds, on the surface, to be the sort of humane answer that the tofu-munchers desire...but relocating an animal too close results in the critter returning to home base, while relocating it further away usually results in its death. Most habitats that are suitable for a given species...already have a full complement of that species, all competing for the available space, cover, food, etc. A newcomer thrown into that mix can rarely compete, and suffers an unpleasant fate...but of course, this happens out of sight of the tree-huggers, so their hand-wringing is minimized and their consciences remain clear.

Rural life is wonderful. More critters, true, which of course is one of the best things about it...but more options as well. In the case of woodchucks, I have several choices open to me:



All equally effective, and costing as little as 10 cents per 'chuck.

FINWIN , I couldn't help but notice a glaring omission from your backyard wildlife list: the charming skunk! Are you actually lucky enough not to have these smelly little darlings?

 

[FINWIN]

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

No offense, I understand you are hamstrung by local regulations...but that's nuts. Laws written by people living in downtown condos, crippling the ability of a rural or even suburban homeowner to keep his property intact. Very reminiscent of a story I read recently, regarding a family that had an infestation of some species of protected bat in their attic. Due to the animals' "untouchable" status, those folks were forced to do...nothing. The colony burgeoned...ceilings collapsed from a combination of weakening due to urine saturation and the weight of accumulated feces...ammonia fumes too thick to breathe. The people were unable to do anything until the end of the summer, when the critters migrated south. Only then were the homeowners allowed to "bat-proof" the entrances to their attic, hopefully to keep the little bastidges from returning the following year. In the meantime...the damage was done.

Relocating sounds, on the surface, to be the sort of humane answer that the tofu-munchers desire...but relocating an animal too close results in the critter returning to home base, while relocating it further away usually results in its death. Most habitats that are suitable for a given species...already have a full complement of that species, all competing for the available space, cover, food, etc. A newcomer thrown into that mix can rarely compete, and suffers an unpleasant fate...but of course, this happens out of sight of the tree-huggers, so their hand-wringing is minimized and their consciences remain clear.

Rural life is wonderful. More critters, true, which of course is one of the best things about it...but more options as well. In the case of woodchucks, I have several choices open to me:

View attachment 1523175

All equally effective, and costing as little as 10 cents per 'chuck.

FINWIN , I couldn't help but notice a glaring omission from your backyard wildlife list: the charming skunk! Are you actually lucky enough not to have these smelly little darlings?

I don't think there's been any skunks, but a year ago there was a seriously funky odor up on my hill in one spot, but I think something curled up in there and died. It was a rotted smell. It went away and hasn't returned.

The otters are making a return to the Potomac and Anacostia River. Big writeup on it in the Washington Post.

The deer population has gotten out of hand here because there are no real predators (other than hand guns, dogs, and high powered rifles). DC is pro everything except people pretty much. And I love animals more than most, was really close to going to vet school but art won out. Loving animals as a kid is easy with nothing at stake. You grow up and have time/money invested in property and it's a lot less glamorous. There must be some universal law that the cuter something is the more destructive it is.

I left out field mice who were an ongoing problem in the area as well. There was an overgrown lot next to me (a new house is on now) full of them. I have Animal control out monthly. Grass would grow 6ft high there. The new house seems to have curbed that to almost nothing but the wildlife folks still come out as a precaution.

In the summer time salamanders sit on my ac units for the moisture. Snakes skitter across the walkway when the soil gets too hot (DC has summers like New Orleans and Houston). Blue Jays and Cardinals are making a big comeback. There's a really big bird nest in my willow oak and I have no clue what's in it.

Back to the deer...they walk down the streets, cross intersections at the traffic lights and hang out at recreation centers surrounded by trees. My latest deer 'friend' is a big buck who comes by once a week in the back yard. Herds of different sizes will graze on unoccupied lots. There was a truly beautiful red doe that would visit in the spring. Before that another doe would bring her fawn over to eat. 3 years ago the family was over for thanksgiving and my cousin raced in shouting "Hey you got a whole family of deer out back!" and I was like "yeah, I know."

Like you say, the tofu nibblers see the world from safety and isolation just 'love' everything with no real solutions or common sense. It's a bet their property isn't wrecked.

Somebody had a Coon cat that cause a minor stampede of deer down the block. The handgun people are the worst. The deer get maimed. Somebody hit a deer with their car and propped it up at a nearby bus stop. Almost looked like the deer was waiting for the bus! Animal control got it in the am hours.

 

[FINWIN]

Harmless is a matter of perspective.
I trap any that come onto my property.
We have a garden and they can destroy a garden in an evening.
Cantaloupe is the best bait for live trapping these.
I set the trap during daylight hours in a quiet shade area.
I’ve found that if I leave it over night I catch opossum and skunk to often, so I take it down in the evening.

They love cabbages and tomatoes too.

 

[krichardson]

Tofu nibblers....lol!
I have observed quite a few woodland creatures in my backyard over the years... a deer even showed up a few summers ago and I'm still scratching my head as to how it managed to find its way through the streets to our fenced in backyards.....luckily no skunks have come around.....that I've been made aware of lol.

 

[BIG-G]

They love cabbages and tomatoes too.

They are my squash, zucchini and cucumbers. Not the veggies though, the plants themselves.
Rabbit came through and wiped out my green beans before they got a foot tall.
I had to put fence and set live traps. I take them to the other side of a river and turn them out. Probably not good for the folks on that side , lol

 

[jjohnwm]

Mmmmmmm....rabbit.....