City people

[jeepnik]

So we have quite a few raptors in this area. Nesting quite close are a pair of Great Horned Owls.

A few minutes ago there were the cries of an animal in distress. It brought out my neighbors and I. On the top is a telephone pole the male was eating a small raccoon.

My neighbor screamed we needed to save the baby raccoon. I asked her what the owl was supposed to eat if chased the owl away. She looked at me in absolute horror and ran inside to call animal control.

Sometimes I fear there is no hope for the human race.

[gamekeeper]

Yeah I see this all the time, people are so far removed from reality nowadays.

[Bill in Oregon]

Don't let your neighbor meet any badgers.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Wow! My part of Texas isn’t anything like this.

But times change.

My first thoughts when I SA the title of this post went somewhere else entirely….

“City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile…”

[piller]

About 30 years ago, a coyote was in our backyard eating the neighbor's cat. Scared my wife to hysterics. I ran out with a baseball bat. I threw the bat and it spun in the air and tripped the coyote. The coyote left with afterburners lit. We never saw it again. I just went after that yote because my kids were little. I didn't want it thinking that there were easy meals in my yard. The coyote was not injured, but it was scared. We haven't seen one in the backyard since.

[piller]

By the way, I had a P85 in the other hand. That coyote had a choice. He made the right one.

[Steve in MO]

Yeah, we haven't had folks like that around here in a while. Most of us have been here for many years and know we're rural, know there's lots of critters out here and nature goes on. Part of being out in the country.

[JimT]

I came up the hill to our house one afternoon and a coyote jumped over my back fence and came running down the hill heading to go across in front of me. I was armed to the teeth with a 2-shot over and under .38 Special derringer .. copy of the old .41 Remington. I jumped out of the car and fired twice as the coyote ran past 30 or 40 feet away, and hit it in the back leg with one of the shots. I found out it could run even faster on 3 legs!

[Lastmohecken]

I grew up in the country, on a fair-sized farm and I still live on that farm, now. It always amused me how some people get upset about animals, and life cycles, etc. Not much dies of old age, everything gets killed one way or another, doesn't matter if it's your favorite pet, horse, cow, earthworm or coyote, snake, you name it.

[GunnyMack]

Most of the time it is easy to spot the city folks, just drive around at night and they have every exterior light on all night - I guess all city people are afraid of the dark!

[black river smith]

Geez, just Geez.

[jeepnik]

Most of the time it is easy to spot the city folks, just drive around at night and they have every exterior light on all night - I guess all city people are afraid of the dark!

Like cavemen of old, they need their "fire" to ward off danger and evil spirits. I learned a long time ago that the darkness is your friend and ally.

[piller]

Even in town, some folks like it dark at night, and some folks need to be lit up like runway landing lights.

[Old No7]

I like the story about the city folk who moved out to the country -- and called the Fish & Game Department to have the "DEER CROSSING" sign by their yard moved a couple of miles further down the road so the deer wouldn't cross so close to their house & gardens...

Old No7

[JB]

A fellow on my street was the head of animal control for our county. He told me they spent an exorbitant amount of time on investigating racoons with rabies. It seems every coon spotted by the big city transplants were reported as having rabies.

[gamekeeper]

I have just read that a farmer over here was reported to animal welfare because his sheep dog was chasing the sheep..

[Scott Tschirhart]

I have just read that a farmer over here was reported to animal welfare because his sheep dog was chasing the sheep..

Doesn’t surprise me. I think we are just a few years behind you on the road to hell.

[GunnyMack]

I know a guy that raises beef critters, both ASPCA and PETA showed up one day with the police department because his cows were laying down in mud.

[samsi]

Mankind seems to be in a full-on race to the bottom.

[JB]

I just thought of another one. A few years ago someone reported my uncle to the Humane Society because he didn't have a barn big enough for all his cows to get in out of the weather. Poor things had to stand out in the rain! Can you imagine the cruelty?

[Malamute]

Most of the cattle around here live in the open year round. They get trailed up in the mountains all summer, then trailed down to lower country for winter.

I once happened to see an eagle dive on and kill a rabbit in my yard, was very cool to see. I seem to be the new favorite hangout for several antelope, they leave poop and scrapes all around. Some deer around most of the time, havent been any bears recently, though they recently brought a couple traps in and I think they are set up just a couple few miles away.

Some move here with the express intent to let their dog roam at will, and will say so when someone tells them they dogs were out. what they dont seem to understand is if they chase livestock or game, they can be shot. Unfortunately, its often a people problem, but the dogs take the heat because of how people train or not train them and take care of them.

Some folks around here have taken to putting deed restrictions on land they sell to keep people from putting up insecurity lights. One lady i did some work for, I was hookiong up some of the wiring that was roughed in previously. There was no switch for an outside light she wanted put up, I asked where the switch was, she said it was on an electric eye and was on all the time. I suggested we could put a switch on it so it only came on as needed, she said something about she had a right to put a light up. I mentioned didnt the neighbors have a right to darkness? You may have a right to put a light up if you can keep the light on your own property. Soon after that she said she ordered some other lights, small ones that mounted about 4 ft high on the outside walls with motion detectors, they shined downwards and only came on when someone came close. Good compromise, you could see to come home and bring groceries in or whatever, but not annoy the neighbors.

I built a cabin against a butte in '98, from there I could see exactly 1 light in any direction, it was at a ranch about 4 or 5 miles away. Unfortunately, over time, more humans moved in to enjoy the peace and quiet, and brought more light with them. Still, the neighborhood is pretty dark, seeing the Milky Way on any average night is pretty cool.

old cabin 1.jpg

[gamekeeper]

I put up two small solar powered lights with motion sensors at the back of the house they only stay on for a few seconds. I now live in Northumberland which has the lowest population density in England so the night sky is well worth preserving, something city folk don't appreciate.

[Ysabel Kid]

Even in town, some folks like it dark at night, and some folks need to be lit up like runway landing lights.

LOL. That is me. I live too close to Charlotte, and when I was traveling 75% of the time for work, I wanted my house to be as uninviting to 2-legged pests as humanely possible. The house looked like a compound at night, and being in the flight path of CLT, probably could have been used as a reference point!

Living in suburbia (well, a development), I'm fortunate that farmland is still pretty close to me. Won't be in another 10 years as it is all getting developed. Lots of animals in the back yard, including foxes, coyotes (not at the same time), deer, and the usual collection of racoons, possum, rabbits, squirrels, etc. And snakes. Lots of snakes.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I don’t think you would have any luck getting my cows into a barn. They don’t know what that is.

[.45colt]

2014 we had a cold winter here with 10' of ice on Lake Erie. 30" of snow . Some local Hunters were running four big hounds for coyotes , one asked if He could park here. He was polite but a rough character and told Me they had killed more than 100 yotes here in the past year. made me happy. He carried a mossberg turkey gun that had no finish left on most of the receiver from being carried.
later that week I was getting the mail and the Game Warden stopped and asked me if I saw these Guys.I said sure and their doing a Great Job. He said people from the city built a few houses a mile from here and were having a fit about these guys running the dogs across there property . By law they need to have written permission from every landowner. virtually impossible. I never saw the coyote Hunters again. but we have lots of coyotes.

[piller]

Coyotes can take over if not kept in check. I live in town, and still see a few around. My wife was in the Front Yard recently, and a young coyote was trotting down the street. Our male terrierist was with her, and he barked at the coyote, but had the sense to stay back. Not sure if the coyote would have fought without enough provokation. Probably not. PillHer said our dog was a bit bigger. Coyotes try to avoid unnecessary fights.

[jeepnik]

Coyotes usually won't take a chance on attacking larger canines unless they are really hungry. And even then, they will usually do it in a pack or a family group (there is a distinct difference).

[Paladin]

Coyotes usually won't take a chance on attacking larger canines unless they are really hungry. And even then, they will usually do it in a pack or a family group (there is a distinct difference).

I am lucky I live out in the bush on a mountain in AZ, which is rural, or in Alaska. At the house in Alaska, we had to put clothes lines all over the back yard at 10 feet after a Bald Eagle took one of my friend's wife's small dogs, and we get moose in the unfenced yard often.
The AZ house (I call it my wife's, as she didn't like Alaska and has only been there one time with me, when she thought I had been gone too long and came to get me (only 6 months).
This is a photo to the south at sunrise to show the small community at dawn that makes too much light.

31 Dec.jpg

This is the night sky to the north that is VERY unpopulated.

SKY.jpg

[Paladin]

Coyotes usually won't take a chance on attacking larger canines unless they are really hungry. And even then, they will usually do it in a pack or a family group (there is a distinct difference).

I am lucky I live out in the bush on a mountain in AZ, which is rural, or in Alaska. At the house in Alaska, we had to put clothes lines all over the back yard at 10 feet after a Bald Eagle took one of my friend's wife's small dogs, and we get moose in the unfenced yard often.
The AZ house (I call it my wife's, as she didn't like Alaska and has only been there one time with me, when she thought I had been gone too long and came to get me (only 6 months).
This is a photo to the south at sunrise to show the small community at dawn that makes too much light.

31 Dec.jpg

This is the night sky to the north that is VERY unpopulated.

SKY 1.jpg

This is the Rossi suppressed. I walk the dogs with and have shot coyotes, javelina when they came after me, and other critters.

Rossi 357 painted.jpg

[Griff]

I was one of those "city people" until I moved to TX and the small farm I try to keep up. The previous owner had a sodium vapor light on a telephone pole across the driveway from the garage. When I first moved in I just left it on, (set up on a photocell switch). One of the neighbors came over a few weeks later and talked to me about the light... seems he thought it might be a magnet for ne-er-do-wells looking for easy pickin's. It ain't been lite since. I have since installed on over the barn entrance, that comes on at dusk, and shuts off about 10pm. Eases my way across the barn-yard when working out there. I had a new neighbor complain to the Sheriff's Office about one of my horses... seemed she thought I was neglecting her (the mare, not the neighbor), but, being 29 years old, she struggled to maintain weight even on a diet of sorghum & corn, with corn oil added in. She'd been my posse horse, had won me a few buckles and I'd found it hard to make the decision.

[Crazy Horse]

City is another spelling for Hell to me.

[gamekeeper]

2lxbcz.jpg

[sghart3578]

The motion sensor light stories reminded me of something I had nearly forgotten. 30 years ago or more I worked with a guy that lived way out. He was having a crime problem even as remote as he was. He had me install a motion sensor light above his barn. The light shown into his bedroom with the thought that it would wake him up to investigate. The light didn't last long. On the first night it took his dogs about 10 minutes to learn that they could run by the barn and turn on the light. They would then lay still until the light went out and they would run through the other direction. The dogs had great fun for one night. The next day he asked me to disable it and install a switch. I still chuckle about that.