"Too_Many_Tools" wrote in message
ups.com...
Good discussion Ed and I agree with what you cover...we are saying the
same thing.

Times are good for deer...the pressure from predators (which include
hunters also) has been reduced and their food supply has increased.
Both factors mean increased population. Change either factor and you
will see the populations drop.

We seem to have the perfect balance right now, for the deer -- they go for
'dem new wisteria buds and fancy topiary. They've taken to getting body
piercings and hanging out in the malls, bleaching their hair and using a lot
of hair gel. I saw one the other day and I thought the damned thing was a
long-legged porcupine.

As long as they don't go full-goth, I'll put up with them...

There is enormous pressure on wildlife habitats across the nation. The
next time you drive down the road, take a good look at the construction
going on. Most of it is on land that was not developed before. The
wildlife has to move somewhere and that somewhere is your and my
backyards.

Hitchhiking and jumping freights, with all their belongings tied up in their
pathetic little hobo scarves...


As for garbage, it is just an alternative (and excellent) food source.
Remove the food source and the animal in question will move on or
starve. Of course you would expect the bears to be more
aggressive...you are messing with their three squares a day. Ever
notice how people get cranky when they miss their scheduled feeding
too. Bears or humans, same rules apply. Who will win in the
end...humans since the bears don't have guns...yet;).

The fear here in New Jersey is that they'll ally with the mob.


Coyotes are just one of a number of animals that adapt very well to our
civilized environment. Garbage control by humans is grossly inadequate.
Remove this source of feeding and they will search for other sources.
Animals will only stay if the food supply is plentiful and ongoing. As
there are only so dogs, cats and rats available to them as alternative
food choices, coyotes will move on once that fallback source of food
supply is used up.

Jeez, we have to wait until they eat all the dogs and cats? g

I have an offbeat reaction to all of this intrusion. For a large part of my
life I lived in rural areas, and I've been a hunter most of my life. On one
hand I love seeing the wildlife moving in. On the other hand, it feels a
little like being invaded by immigrants.

New Jersey has some perigrine falcons back here now, and some bald eagles,
and so on. A sharp-shinned hawk hunts in my back yard. It all feels very
strange and unnatural. Wild turkeys that won't move until you practically
kick them are unnatural. Deer running down streets are unnatural. Black
bears that have so taken over some state parks that you can't leave your
campsite are unnatural. At least, they're unnatural for New Jersey. Out west
or in the deep south, I love to see them. Then I like to go home when I've
had enough of coyotes keeping me awake half the night.

Now, there's no going home. I'm going trout fishing in in NJ in a couple of
weeks and I'll have to do the same thing I used to do back when I lived in
Pennsylvania: stay away from the berry bushes and never walk around to the
back side of a bush to take a leak.

It's barbaric.

--
Ed Huntress