Changing Wildlife Patterns

[RayIN]

can't imagine what part of the food chain they are, but ticks & chiggers have also declined over the yrs. not sorry to see them go.

Turkey ticks are still going strong. Actually they are baby spiders and are found in clusters when working/logging in a forest. You don't know you've been exposed until you feel and see the red rash all over your body, it's painful.

 

[BackRoad]

It's said hogs are not far off from humans (example is using pig heart valves for replacement surgery - at least in the past).

I wonder why they've not developed a birth control solution for feral pigs...seems like the economic impact would make it justifiable.

 

[RayIN]

It's pretty well documented that the over-harvesting of beavers in North America in the 1800's was a major factor in how everything is mucked up today in regards to wetlands, waterfowl, etc...

In my lifetime I've seen 3 pair of beavers around here. One pair made home in an old lake; a few weeks later they both were in the road dead. A second pair met the same fate.
One pair dammed up a creek and I could stop along the highway and watch them. A month later the dam was gone and the beavers.

 

[Eagle1]

It's said hogs are not far off from humans (such as using pig valve replacements at least in the past)

I wonder why they've not developed a birth control solution for feral pigs...seems like the economic impact would make it justifiable.

Having people shot them is much much cheaper. In some case fancy hunts add a lot to the economy. Besides how much do you think hunter spend every year on better tech, ammo or weapons.
In MO the feds and state pay trappers and helicopter shooters to hunt them. NOT cheap.

Here is the only product I know about....
HogStop Bait – Feral Hog Birth Control

 

[RayIN]

A new word that's been introduced to my vocabulary by my biology student kid in recent years..

extirpation

extinction and extirpation
Extinction is the complete disappearance of a species from the earth. Extirpation is the complete disappearance (elimination) of a species from a given region, island, or area.

For example, turkeys were extirpated from Indiana in the early 1900s due to habitat loss and unregulated hunting.

Today we have so many turkey and deer; DNR imported and released many pair of bobcat. Guess what? Bobcat discovered a farmers young calf is much easier to catch than deer or turkey.

 

[RayIN]

Having people shot them is much much cheaper. In some case fancy hunts add a lot to the economy. Besides how much do you think hunter spend every year on better tech, ammo or weapons.
In MO the feds and state pay trappers and helicopter shooters to hunt them. NOT cheap.

Here is the only product I know about....
HogStop Bait – Feral Hog Birth Control

In S. Indiana some row-crop farmers pay shooters to eliminate all they can on their farm. Bounty is collected by turning in ears.
If anyone tries to cook and eat wild hog_do not shoot a boar-they're nasty tasting.

I was told wild hogs can ruin 2 acres of new beans/corn overnight.

 

[Eagle1]

probably flawed thinking....but all the Covid vaccines were amazingly effective & developed rapidly. with that kind of technology, why can't a feral swine flu be developed for that specific genome & inoculated into herds?

but as mentioned, being so close to humans, probably not feasible at this point.
even shooting or trapping a few makes no difference on their population on my mountain.

I would not call them effective or safe (my opinion), but either case could you guarantee it would not jump species or get into the domestics herd.
Second if shooting and trapping is missing so many how would we inoculate them?
Blanket poisons would work but what wold be the rate of unintended kills?

Studies show you have to kill 80% of them to keep the population stable, any less and they out breed the killing rate.

So far my pack of LGDs make it too hot for them hang around for any length of time. After a chase or 2 they move to quieter digs.

 

[MossRoad]

Today we have so many turkey and deer; DNR imported and released many pair of bobcat. Guess what? Bobcat discovered a farmers young calf is much easier to catch than deer or turkey.

If you're talking about Indiana, they never released bobcats. They were on the endangered species list from 1969-2005. They've since done so well that Indiana is considering opening a bobcat trapping season in 40 counties with a quota of 250.

Natural Resources Commission seeks input on proposed bobcat trapping rules

The Indiana Natural Resources Commission (NRC) has opened public comment for proposed changes to allow the limited, regulated trapping of bobcats. In March, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation (SEA 241-2024) that directs the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to have...

events.in.gov

 

[RayIN]

If you're talking about Indiana, they never released bobcats. They were on the endangered species list from 1969-2005. They've since done so well that Indiana is considering opening a bobcat trapping season in 40 counties with a quota of 250.

Natural Resources Commission seeks input on proposed bobcat trapping rules

The Indiana Natural Resources Commission (NRC) has opened public comment for proposed changes to allow the limited, regulated trapping of bobcats. In March, the Indiana General Assembly passed legislation (SEA 241-2024) that directs the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to have...

events.in.gov

I remember in the 1980's DNR released breeding pairs of bobcat and rattlesnakes on Crane Naval Weapons Support Center.
BTW, we have black bear on Crane too.
Sadly no Bison. A friends great grandfather told him when he arrived in Indiana, the wagons had to stop and wait 3 days for a herd to pass before they could continue.

 

[MossRoad]

I remember in the 1980's DNR released breeding pairs of bobcat and rattlesnakes on Crane Naval Weapons Support Center.
BTW, we have black bear on Crane too.
Sadly no Bison. A friends great grandfather told him when he arrived in Indiana, the wagons had to stop and wait 3 days for a herd to pass before they could continue.

The Indiana DNR has NEVER released rattlesnakes into the wild. They have trapped and tagged them, then released them, but the whole thing about snakes and bobcats being released at Crane are a myth.

Rattlesnakes dropped by DNR from helicopters; nope, it didn't happen

Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) recently posted on its website, a list of several myths related to the department and the...

outdoorscribe.blogspot.com

As for bears...

As of 2021, there had only been four (4) confirmed bear sightings in Indiana since the one in 1871!

Black bears (Ursus americanus) were historically abundant across Indiana, excluding the northwest portions of the state dominated by prairie. Unregulated hunting and habitat loss caused black bears to be extirpated from Indiana and much of the Midwest by 1850. Today, black bear populations are expanding and they may pass through Indiana from established populations in adjacent states. In recent years, four black bears have been confirmed (2015, 2016, 2018, 2021) in Indiana.

There are no confirmed bears at Crane.

For anyone that's not familiar with Crane...

Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division​

The base is the third largest naval installation in the world, comprising approximately 280 square kilometers (110 sq mi) of territory. Lake Greenwood, a 320-hectare (790-acre) lake, is entirely encompassed by the base. White oak wood for reconstruction of USS Constitution is harvested at this base from a grove of trees known as "Constitution Grove".

 

[MossRoad]

BTW, the first confirmed sighting of a bear in Indiana since 1871 was ten yeas ago in 2015 around Michigan City, IN. It migrated south out of Michigan, east towards South Bend to a golf course about 3 miles from my house, made it's way back to Michigan, and was euthanized after the Michigan DNR trapped it at Grand Mere State Park because it was too used to humans and trying to get into houses for food.

 

[Bearsixty7]

can't imagine what part of the food chain they are, but ticks & chiggers have also declined over the yrs. not sorry to see them go.

They must have migrated north into MO.!
The few times we were on our property we had way too many even with using tick spray. Not many made it to skin though thank goodness.

 

[big bubba]

well wildlife & domestic stock carry the critters, i've certainly paid my dues thankfully w/o any of the recent related diseases they carry so far. guess topical repellent is the way to reduce contact. tho i do notice a population reduction of the critters around here.
but like the cockroach, they're an evolutionary survivor, regards

 

[ruffdog]

We should have had some Robins migrate up to us by now, especially being that it has been so warm. ???

 

[Mtsoxfan]

It's amazing things that change differently in places so close to each other.
In northeastern VT, black flies are living up to the reputation, and no shortage of them. Cluster flies are only around for a week or two in spring, same in fall.
Deer are still here, just not walking my property as much. Didn't see any bear last year. there was a lot of logging within 1/2 of me last winter, so that may have relocated them, hopefully temporarily. Coyotes are still plentiful, grouse left last year, hope they come back, my wife doesn't. They spook her when she spooks them...
Knats, they are survivors. My wife and i think we saw a Catamount 2 summers ago, at night. Had to look it up, as rare as they are in VT, we are close enough to Canada to make it possible. Never had frogs, just a stream though some wet areas. Lots of turkeys, but that number has gone down the last few years. Ravens on the decline, bald faced hornets are plentiful and they have been moving around my property the last few years. Humming birds are increasing, but very slowly. Ground hog population is kept in check. Mice know there place, which feeds the hawks and owls. Glad skunks and racoons are very scarce around our property.

 

[mikester]

Definite drop in frogs here. Birds too. Our brook trout have disappeared.

Lots more squirrels. Rabbits, coyotes, skunks, raccoons seem cyclical.

We had fewer deer fly, black fly and mosquitoes last year but that seems cyclical based on weather. Lot's of snow this winter I'm predicting more flies and mosquitoes for us this year.

 

[RayIN]

BTW, the first confirmed sighting of a bear in Indiana since 1871 was ten yeas ago in 2015 around Michigan City, IN. It migrated south out of Michigan, east towards South Bend to a golf course about 3 miles from my house, made it's way back to Michigan, and was euthanized after the Michigan DNR trapped it at Grand Mere State Park because it was too used to humans and trying to get into houses for food.

Myself and 3 other firemen saw one cross the highway about 100' in front of us one evening about dusk. We were enroute to Crane for a training session on trucks hauling munitions/explosives off-base. That was about 1975-80.

 

[etpm]

interesting. never had to deal with a beaver until now. they're nocturnal, glad my neighbor took it out @ 5:30 AM. i tried steel traps, only got his fore paw, but he continued to destruct till till he was shot. beavers are hard to catch with steel traps unless you have an accordion type trap.

they have a voracious appetite for my aspen & Japanese maple. Nature is always about change, this is what i'm dealing with now.
& feral hogs? they plow the turf for grubs then i blade the surface smooth when it's dry, regards

Near my house some folks brought in a few small pigs to clear the land, about 1 acre. Those small pigs cleared it to just mud. I dunno what kind of pigs they were, they were dark, almost black, and weighed probably no more than 50 pounds. The pigs are gone now and the totally denuded land now has recovered somewhat. I was amazed at just how destructive pigs can be. I wonder how much of an impact the feral ones are having on your wildlife.
Eric

 

[big bubba]

=

Near my house some folks brought in a few small pigs to clear the land, about 1 acre. Those small pigs cleared it to just mud. I dunno what kind of pigs they were, they were dark, almost black, and weighed probably no more than 50 pounds. The pigs are gone now and the totally denuded land now has recovered somewhat. I was amazed at just how destructive pigs can be. I wonder how much of an impact the feral ones are having on your wildlife.
Eric

good point. they're very destructive to ground nesting birds such as quail, turkey, & whip 'or wills as eggs are top of their menu. & of course to the turf. along with a host of diseases communicable to humans.
some say hunters brought them in & released for game years ago, now out of control, but i have no data on that. best regards

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

Rumors say that folks have seen Black Bear over near the Rez, and one fellow claimed to have seen a Mountain Lion.

Personally I haven't seen a Bobcat in 3 years so I question the Mountain Lion, but Bear have been reported as moving into the state east of us.

Hogs however have exploded in the last few years and I'm seeing Red Fox a bit more. Both are non-native. Don't mind the Fox, but I need to do something about the Hogs.

Plenty of Raccoon and Opossum, and the Deer population has been steady.

Crows, Woodpeckers and Buzzards seem to be doing well. I'm no kind of a bird watcher so I have no idea about the rest.

As far as bugs go I had an issue with Asian Lady Beetles and Chiggers. Others not so much. We get a lot of Lightning Bugs seasonally and it always surprises me how high up in the trees they go. Being from up north the ones I was familiar with stayed closer to the ground.