It's a freaking zoo here!

[Megansmom]

When you leave food out, the critters will come, even the ones you don't want around!! Don't shoot an animal because you left food out, it's just doing what's natural and instinctual.

It's like people who move further and further out into the country or heavily wild animal populated places then get mad when a coyote or turkey goes into their yard!!

Go ahead you all get mad at me, but there's facts in my statement..

 

[Emmasmom]

Susan - you put it so succintly. We move into wild areas or rural areas and then complain about the smell or the animals. I lived in the country for my first 12 years and saw many animals who would come around. I agree - don't leave food out if you don't want animals to come around. Towns I have lived in have had problems with black bears, raccoons, opossums, etc, to name a few wild animals who have come in to town looking for easy pickings, and not to mention the seagulls etc. that break open the garbage bags. This is to say nothing of the cats that roam after dark and disturb sleep, do their business in your gardens, etc. We take care to make sure our garbage is well closed up.

Someone mentioned getting traps. We do have a company in the area that does trap wild animals for a fee, similar to the program on A&E (I think) with Billy. This is also a thought.

 

[granite]

Yep....if you leave food out, a hungry animal will come for it.

Or in my case, if you garden, be prepared to share it with the birds, bees, moles, voles, rabbits, etc. Our yard is now double fenced...the outside perimeter to keep the dogs in our backyard, and another fence of varying height around the veggie garden to keep the dogs and rabbits out. Unfortunately, the moles, voles, chipmunks, squirrels, etc can still raid my garden.

Before we fenced the backyard we would also get visits from 'possums, raccoons, skunks, bobcats, foxes, and turkeys. I'm sure that the possums and raccoons could still get in, but I haven't seen them inside the perimeter. Emma is a pretty good warning system for stuff entering the yard...she even gets bossy about the birds, bees, and butterflies crossing her airspace.

 

[Sheri]

I have one dog terrified of animals and one that says 'bring it on' when they get near the yard. She doesn't seem to mind the coyotes, rattlers or bobcats. This is why I can't let her out of my sight!!! Although I don't mind her barking at bobcats, those spicy guys love to eat my hibiscus

 

[Lovely]

Funny you should say that. I could have sworn I saw a medium sized black bear zoom across the road when I was leaving the gathering (down near where your road joins the main road). At first I thought it must have just been a big dog but after a bit of thought, the area is kind of right for them. I am much more skeptical of a Puma though as they are mostly extinct in the east if not totally (I think FL has confirmed ones)

We have pumas! And Florida panthers. If I saw one of them, I'd be scared. I walked two feet from a 12 foot gator (while my parents from SC watched in horror) without realizing it and then calmly walked away. He was sun-bathing, I was fine - but why startle him by freaking out? A panther would creep me out. Sometimes I hear things like that from the preserve, but I just don't walk the trails after dark. I forgot about the boars we have. At least you can hear them coming.

 

[mbfrench]

Funny you should say that. I could have sworn I saw a medium sized black bear zoom across the road when I was leaving the gathering (down near where your road joins the main road). At first I thought it must have just been a big dog but after a bit of thought, the area is kind of right for them. I am much more skeptical of a Puma though as they are mostly extinct in the east if not totally (I think FL has confirmed ones)

And you are just telling me now!!! lol
The road you traveled out on is all prime state land,and is posted.

So yes it is prime area for bears thru here,and I would suspect they are there.Although I have never seen one here since living here on this road.I have many a time,seen bear in upstate NY.

Especially up in mountains,near Saranac Lake.We used to pick blueberries,right where bears would frequent.Never came face to face with one,but we knew how & what to look for as far as tracks.And did not venture there.

I have seen pictures of big cats,that have made thier way into ones yard.I have to say,it is one wild animal even though in its beauty,are defineatly not one to mess with.

 

[SheepOfBlue]

Nope near where brooks mill meets 52 not down in the park. It could have been a big black dog but the movement seemed like bear.

 

[Smudge]

Go ahead you all get mad at me, but there's facts in my statement..

Point taken about the food. If you will notice it is my mom who left the food out. I don't understand why we are feeding a cat that has a home with food, shelter, and water anyway. I keep telling my mom to stop feeding homeless animals. Somebody is going to hurt, and she won't listen to me.

And you can get mad at me if you want, but if I want to get mad at a possible rabid animal on my front lawn that is my business.

It appears that this same raccoon has been getting into several neighbor's yards as well. The neighbor's beside our house said they saw it while their children where outside playing. Needless to say, the father of the children did not take kindly to that, and my raccoon problem is solved.

The shelties are safe again!

 

[Caro]

Ok, so chronic ticks, bears, coyotes, wild cats, skunks and wildlife with rabies!!! Anything else? I feel so much safer over here now!

 

[Smudge]

Ok, so chronic ticks, bears, coyotes, wild cats, skunks and wildlife with rabies!!! Anything else? I feel so much safer over here now!

This was a major concern for me, because this raccoon in particular everybody on our road knew about. It was not just our house he/she was stopping at. It has been out in the daylight appearantly for the last few days, but this is the first visit to our house. It was a concern among several of our neighbors, especially about their children. Today was the first day that we had seen him though. The neighbors said it was becoming more bold as well. A "bold" raccoon that is out in the summer heat of the afternoon is very worrysome!

If this raccoon was indeed rabid it is for the best that our neighbors took care of him. While it is law that all dogs have a rabies shot it is no guarantee that everybody in our area is obeying this law. It had the potential to get ugly and scary very fast.