Skunked

TW

My 2 cents
JB2

I called Hydro, then went to bed. When I awoke at 4 am, lights were back on. I suppose the Hydro guys may have wanted the racoon for breakfast, never thought of that. I haven't talked to them since. My good better half is all wrapped up in this world cup soccer, glad there wasn't a game on. She was in bed and I was having my last look of the day at YT when this happened. Computer scolded me this morning for not shutting it down properly. For me,I had probably had said enough on YT for the day anyhow.

I do run a farm and did and do work it (lesser extent now), but it is only a crop farm. Have never owned livestock, so I have no idea what you folks face with wildlife invading your operations. For that I apologize for being ignorant to those concerns. I have noticed that many farmers have no hesitation toward similar actions you take --- seems like there should be a better way, but what do I know.

Like you folks, I have seen many a cat and dog abandoned on my property, and I absolutely wish I could nuke those that leave them. I used to shoot them (not the people), just like you. Recently, as I aged and started getting more of a "bleeding heart", I have either adopted them, find someone that will take them, or take them to the a shelter if I can capture them, where they might have a chance. I refuse to shoot them.

I think one of the reasons you see so many dead animals on the road is increased human population, more cars, driving faster, etc. I guess what brought this on and what is bothering me more and more these days is the increasing onslaught of population growth, the competition and destruction it brings with anything living, and the future of our world. That's why I jumped on this thread. I should have just let it go. If you haven't noticed, this old world is hurting, and it is all due to us. I think we will be feeling that pinch more and more in the future. I'm glad I old.

I do want to thank most of you (you too, Hugh) for the very valuable help you have given concerning tractor repair, plows, etc. Again, sorry to ruffle feathers (but I'm still right -- haha).

From the tractor and combine seat I've seen a good many diseased little animals. I remember one fall in particular foxes in our area had distemper. They were in such bad shape they'd hardly get out range on the combine reel. Over population, will do a species in just about every time. Just 4 years ago, rabbits in this area were everywhere in excessive numbers. This spring you don't see a rabbit anywhere. I suspect disease had more to do with the rabbit's demise than coyotes. Man better be careful, he's already treading on thin ice.

My good wife was a city girl. Near our farm, way back then, lived an older dairy farmer, rough and tumble, chewed tobacco. We also being dairy farmers were quite well acquainted with this guy. At the time the dairy industry was introducing a whole list of new regulations, much of it to do with clean barns. Our friend whitewashed his walls but refused on barn ceiling, he also refused to sweep down the cobwebs from ceiling, and further refused to install screen doors on his milk room. His argument, a good healthy population of spiders, were far more effective in controling flies, than by any other means. My wife saw this very quickly, he had fewer flies in his dairy barn than any other barn in the county. Bear in mind this gal is a professionally trained home economist.

We've now been married 41 years, I am not allowed to kill a spider in the house. There are spots in the house she allows spiders to thrive. If a spider becomes a niusance she will relocate him. By the way, spiders are allowed on our kitchen windows. Periodically she will point out all the dead house flies in her very much protected spider webs. This is just one very small example how preditors can be beneficial. Man must learn do far better at co-habiting this earth with critters large and small. He also better take a look at plant life. If he doesn't look after the plant life, maybe he best learn how to survive without oxygen.

Your opinion got beat up pretty good but it was not a personal attack, in my mind.

Please hang around and let each one prove they are still just as friendly and helpful and need your help as well.

You are a part of this community whether you choose to participate or not, and it will be the loss to all if you choose not to participate.

A lot of us live out in the country and regularly have to kill dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens that good-hearted town folk bring out to starve because they don't have the decency to put them to death themselves. The country dogs won't let them near the feed and they are too slow to catch anything on their own. Most of them get killed right where they are dumped, waiting on the nice family to come back and get them. they wait in the road and get run over. Others wander and starve to death. It hurts me to kill them but it is the kind thing to do and I do it. We've got one corner that is so prone to having animals dumped I want to put up a sign: "Dump your pet here, I'll kill him for your."

Killing coyotes, skunks, armadillos, snakes and people who dump their pets in the country does not bother me one bit.