gun guru...wild animals

[Gary in da UP]

I read your earlier postand I have some ideas for you to consider . First of all the only predators you really need to be worried about in your part of Mi. are the two legged ones that prey on the weak and defensless .If you take the time to show your child how to use a compass and a map he will always be able to find his way home and give you directions to Manchester. Try turning off animal planet and instead of watching animals thru the window and on the boob tube,get outsde and enjoy what God has created instead of being fearful.When I visit your neck of the woods , I am more worried about the gun totin' dopers that want my wallet, or truck, or are havin' an episode of road rage. Give the wild animals a break, Your own dog is more likely to hurt your child than they are.gh

 

[JDemaris]

I was up in "da UP" this past summer and fall - eastern side near Paradise in Chippewa County. There are some yoopers that fear wildlife too. I was checking out a large piece of property I was thinking of buying and was finding traps all over the place. Got me a little nervous since my dog was with me - and some were killer-Connibears. I later spoke with the woman selling the property, and she told me she had hired a "professoinal pest control" guy to just about kill anything that walks on the ground. This lady started telling me about all the "dangers" of having raccoons around, possums, skunks, porcupines, coyotes, etc. I found it all kind of depressing. My wife and I have always gotten along better with wildlife in the woods than many two-legged creatures walking around upright in more civilized areas.

I suspect you and I are in agreement.

 

[Old Ford Mechanic]

Ditto,all animals whether predatory or game are on this planet for a reason.And all have a place and a purpose in nature.It irks me that people are always wanting to destroy something simply for their own pleasure.I have been enjoying the great outdoors since i was able to pull on my first pair of knickers fifty some odd years ago.Hiking,hunting,fishing,working the land or swinging on a grapevine i have never felt threatend by a wild animal in all these years.We have bobcats,bear,coyote,snakes and all kinds of animals here.We watch our young children and educate them about outdoor danger and we don't have problems.Its true we sometimes hear of a rabid skunk or something but,we don't run out and kill everyone we see because of it.The land is getting overrun by humans and thats what the real problem is.People get tired of living in the crowded cities.They buy a few acres in the country and then want to change everything and the nieghbors too.Leave the animals alone they were here first.Remember what happend to the Indians.Jeez whats this world coming to.

 

[Spook]

I have been camping and hikeing in the UP all my life, never had more than a knife with me, never needed that, really. I don't think a wolf even is much of a threat to a person. Your neighbor's dogs are more of a threat. They do not fear humans. A local woman and a elderly man here were killed by 4 pit bull type dogs. They belonged to a woman who kept 10 on her property, although she didn't live there. She is going to trial, and probably jail soon. Another local idiot let his 2 bullies kill a neighbor's horse. He might go to jail too. Ya can't fix stupid.

 

[Gun guru]

I remember the pit bull case, where was that at?
It is nice that now a days the insurance companies want to know if you own a dog and how many. I have a guy that lives across the road and down a little and he used to have a doberman that ran loose, I sent him a nasty gram saying "I dont like your dog running loose on my land, If the dog bites my kid I sue you big time" I sent that letter 3 years ago and I havent seen the dog in about 2 years now.

 

[Brian Jasper co. Ia]

Sounds like you practice the "3S's" of stray dog control. Shoot, Shovel, Shut up about it. Any more, you pretty much got to. Recently a place about 1/4 mile down the road sold. When the new owners took posession they put up no trespassing signs all around and beware of dog signs. They had a rotweiller. Big one too. It came up here one day and I fired a couple close shots so it would take off. I tried to tell them about it but the dog saw my pickup before I ever turned into their drive. It came back the next day and managed to kill a couple farm cats before I could get the 12ga. This time I didn't miss.

 

[rrlund]

Still makes ya kind of cautious though when you walk in the woods around here. The bears don't bother me,but the badgers and the possibility of those big cats makes ya thing. If I was to look up and see one of those buggers in a tree above me,I think I'd need clean underwear at least. It happend to a friend of ours down in Arkansas. She was hanging clothes on the line,looked up and there was one sitting up in a tree watching her.

 

[Spook]

(quoted from post at 04:36:04 03/30/08) I remember the pit bull case, where was that at?
It is nice that now a days the insurance companies want to know if you own a dog and how many. I have a guy that lives across the road and down a little and he used to have a doberman that ran loose, I sent him a nasty gram saying "I dont like your dog running loose on my land, If the dog bites my kid I sue you big time" I sent that letter 3 years ago and I havent seen the dog in about 2 years now.

Just south of Fowlerville, in Livingston county. The victims were a 56 year old woman and a 91 year old man. They think the woman, who lived nearby and was walking on a public road, was attacked first. She died right on the road. The man was a little bit off the road, he was still alive when found, but didn't make it to the hospital.

 

[buickanddeere]

We are developing black bear problems here. Spring hunt has been banned by the city bunny huggers/anti-gun types.
Fall hunting, who wants a fat greasy stinking bear with a hide that's not prime?
All the rules, regulations, expense, checks, licenses ,registration has all but eliminated new hunters under the age of 35.
There are 1-2 fatal black bear attacks in Ontario annually. Two notable deaths were a Canadian Olympic Biathlon champion out training. And a young women Dr. just finished her internship. Bleed to death in her husbands arms on their campsite.
The blackbear population is increasing without control except for bears killing each other over territory. Displaced juvenile bears are moving into city dumps, the suburbs & agricultural areas.
Best idea I've heard of is to take the live trapped bears. And let them go among the condo's and the parliament buildings in Toronto where wildlife policy is decided.

 

[Bruce Hopf]

buickanddeere.
I remember when they cancelled the spring bear hunt. Somebody from up North, argued on tv, that the moose, and deer herds would be hurt by this, if the spring hunt was cancelled.
I agree with you, turn some bears loose in Toronto, and Ottawa, Mady thse bunny huggers would change your minds.
I'm from the Stratford, Ontario area. What part of Ontario are you from?

 

[HeyPigFarmer]

Ok I may have a little different interaction with nature than you do. I still love nature but some of the things I did, aahhhhh. I remember when I lived in the Keweenaw Peninsula going to school we were out coyote hunting when we stumbled across a really small black bear.... So I chased it until it ran up a tree, then climbed up after it. It couldn't do anything as long as it was holding on. I'm amazed I didn't get dirty by scaring the poop out of it. Around home my favorite was opossums. You could chase them things across a field and they would get tired, stop, hiss, make noise, flail around. Never do anything to ya though.

Ah, to be young and stupid again.