[QUOTE=ToTheNines;7272142]
Yesterday I had some workers here and their dog chased a young deer that was in one of my pastures. It is about 3 acres and is fenced with pipe and 2x4 wire mesh fencing. I have cut some wildlife openings for wildlife to pass through, but the dog apparently chased the deer into a corner and the deer smashed its jaw. My own dogs in their pen were barking, so all I saw when I got outside to see what the commotion was, was a paniced bloody deer with a hanging jaw, desparately trying to get out of the fence. It was too young to jump it. I walked inside for the .22 and handed it to the worker who claimed to be the best shot. He put it down fairly well. RIP poor little deer. That deer suffered and died because humans have brought their dogs and their fences into its territory.
On my piece of land, I try to do the best I can to preserve nature. I have had possum before that wanted into my garbage. I did two things. I made my garbage more secure, and I trapped and located the possum to a local creek where there a no horse farms nearby. Problem solved, no more possum. I bet just securing the garbage would have been sufficient because no more have showed up.
People bring their cats, their chickens, their garbage, their loose horse feed to the countryside, and then want to exercise their dominion over nature. It does not take that much to respect wildlife. Possum eat mice and rats, did you know that? I do not have barn cats, and because of that, my place abounds in birds, rabbits, other small mammals, and everything else that cats kill. I do not have mice or rats because I let my snakes thrive.
I wish people would try to come up with a better solution than killing things. Cover your feed and hay. Cover your trash. Do you really need cats? Their catfood is like sending out an invitation to possum and coons. So are your chickens and their eggs. Keep your pastures mowed so possum don’t go in there. If you have killed coyote, you have killed the possum’s predators.
I would hope that people are not killing wildlife simply because it is a convenient solution for them. Perhaps with a little effort, there is a better way? I am not religious in the dogmatic sense, but I think killing creatures because of who they are is bad for the soul/spirit. Go ahead, make fun if you want, but everything you do becomes part of you.
ETA, yes I have horses, and here in Texas, the last time I tested, I was told all horses will tend to test positive for EPM. I make sure they have the best immune systems they can. They are constantly monitored for any and all ills and injuries. Also, if there were some kind of possum explosion or some kind of EPM epidemic, I would change my tune, but that is neither of those scenarios is the case.[/QUOTE]
Well, I am guessing that you (being the nasty person that brought the fence into the deer’s territory), will gladly take it down now…
