I don't think the discussion became heated, but then again that may just be me, as I was not then, nor am I now, upset or angry. If we, as a forum, cannot discuss the "difficult" issues at hand without letting our emotions take control, then we are left with avoiding any subject matter that does not invoke a warm and fuzzy feeling inside.
This is not meant as a criticism, or complaint, but rather an observation. Self-moderation is paramount.
Anyone who followed the recent thread concerning fish escaping from an overflow, and the possible repercussions downstream from this, can tell that I am very concerned with the impact my actions, or lack of actions, may cause. I want my kids to be able to enjoy our property with their own kids one day. To that end I strive to be a good steward of my land and it's resources.
I have 5 ponds on my land, and on occasion I find myself with a muskrat problem. The season for muskrats starts Nov. 15th. If I can see their runs in July, do I wait for the season to open, or do I grab a few conibears' and a .22 and get started now? Is it feasible to apply rip-rap along the perimeter of all 5 ponds? No. To me, muskrats are a nuisance animal. I will deal with it. My neighbor to the north has a creek, complete with muskrats, but no ponds. What he does have is a HUGE stand of sweet corn that he sells to the local markets. I'm talking a couple acres here. he doesn't consider muskrats a nuisance at all, but he despises the raccoons that decimate his corn nearly every night. On the other hand, I don't have any problems with raccoons.
To the west of me lies a river bottom planted in field corn. Earlier this year I was shown a large area that had been trampled down and destroyed. I have since heard that several more areas have been damaged. Deer prints are everywhere. Can he fence this acreage? No. On the other hand, he has no issues with the muskrats or the raccoons, just as I don't mind the deer.
A nuisance animal can mean different things to different people. I think each situation is unique and requires it's own solution.
If this response oversteps the bounds of acceptable behaviour, then by all means please remove it.
