Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations man-made intervention; what and when?

CJ:

I think you are spot on. It's amazing what the deer will (and how much) they'll eat. I'm like you, I think my buck to doe take is around 20 or 30:1. DU did a study a while back and found that if the predators (coons especially) were reduced, the number of ducklings surviving were greatly enhanced. Man has to take the place of the apex predators that are no longer in the local ecosystem, and with the low fur prices, he's not doing such a good job due to the lack of incentive. The raccoon population took a dive here a few years ago due to mange. It wiped out about 80% of them, but they're back with a vengence now.

A neighbor that runs a daycare in her house had a whole family of 'coons in her backyard during the day that were eating the mulberries that were on the ground. She had to keep the kids inside because the 'coons wouldn't leave if someone went outside.

I think Brettski will be able to take a more active role in the wildlife management portion of LNP after the garage apartment is done.

Considering that they both like to birdwatch, he might re-think letting the trapper remove some coon, 'possum, etc. Doing so will take some pressure off of the nesting birds. It'll be a constant battle; it's amazing how fast Mothere Nature fills a void. It's always a balancing act between predators, prey and the available space/resources for them.