A Coyote Is On The Loose…Police Warns Public

This was on my Facebook feed this morning and it really made me chuckle.

Now, if you want to read the entire news story you can read it HERE.   Yet, reading the entire story is not necessary.   The point is the police are warning people that a coyote is on the loose and that people are urged to stay away from it.

Really??!!

Yes, I understand that Richfield, Minnesota is a suburb of Minneapolis so there are some not-so-nature-savvy folks who live in the area, but seriously a public warning like this is necessary in our current world?

Moreover, why are three Minnesota Conservation Officers wasting their time trying to catch it?   Do these wildlife professionals not know that removing a coyote from one area only means that in due time another coyote will likely move back in to replace it.   That’s sort of how it works in nature…so, to catch the coyote is really an exercise in futility as most outdoorsmen commonly understand.

Oh, I get it that some pets are missing and that the coyote has been in the proximal area of these dead dogs.   I also get it how these animals are “cute” until they start to do what nature does, which includes the killing of pets.   Welcome to the real world, metro Minneapolis.

Seems to me if I was 30 years younger the business to be in would likely be the animal removal business located in the suburbs.   People will pay ridiculous amounts of money to have wildlife removed from their little paradise.   After all, wild animals are always cute until they start doing property damage.

Ironically, today’s little news bit reminds me of a the Onion piece posted not long ago.   Check out Mom Keeping Tabs On Coyote Situation which posted five weeks earlier about a suburb very near Richfield.   Now, if you’re not familiar with the Onion it’s a news satire organization which attempts to poke fun at various aspects of our world.

Sadly enough, even though the Onion seeks chuckles from its off-the-wall fabricated content, often times the real news–today’s example in particular–even trumps that which is made up.    Do you agree?

6 Trapping Safety Videos Dog Owners Should Watch

Earlier this spring I was impressed with a video the Idaho Fish and Game Department put out to educate dog owners on the possible dangers that exist while taking your dog afield during trapping season.   It was a video I thought was so well done to educate the public, I questioned why other DNR’s, like the one in my home state of Minnesota, didn’t follow suit and produce their own.   Particularly considering the negative publicity of some dog deaths in recent years due to conibear traps sometimes set legally and at other times in illegal situations.

Well, that’s another story for a different day…but yesterday I noticed outdoors writer, Al Cambronne wrote in his blog basically the information I had intended to share in an upcoming post.   I’ll spare you those details as I will direct you over to Al’s expertly written blog, but instead I want to conveniently link some videos I think every houndsman should watch.   Even if you do not trap, the day could come when it pays to understand what they are and how they function at least on a fundamental level.

Moreover, it also pays to understand some rather simple techniques on how you can quickly extract a pet from these wildlife control tools used by trappers.   Honestly, I understand that when the adrenalin is pumping and the excitement is high…nothing is simple regarding these corrective actions.   Nevertheless, I feel it not only behooves trappers to use due diligence in setting their traps to avoid non-targeted animal capture, but for dog owners to realize sometimes this cannot be avoided in all circumstances.

Let’s start off with a video I first seen about six months ago that I think serves as a great overview for the topic.   In other words, if you don’t want to take the time to watch all of the videos I’m suggesting…at least take the next 8 minutes to view this one:

I feel the video you’ve just seen gives a good overview on the topic of removing pets from traps.   Now, here is the series of videos Al Cambronne referenced in his blog post.   Consider this viewing extended learning, if you will.   The point is any responsible dog owner must prepare for these possible dangers that may exist in both the fields and forests where hunting dogs are likely to roam.   Having this knowledge could potentially save your dog’s life, or at the very least minimize any physical damage.

 

Change In The Outdoors Amazes Me

Did some thinking last night.   Thinking that spans nearly 50 years of life spent in the outdoors.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve garnered is how the outdoors is in a constant state of flux.   What I mean by that is nothing stays the same…just give it a decade or two and the outdoors can take on a whole new appearance.   Different sights.   Different sounds.   In general, a different vibe.

Case in point.   Last night I heard from a neighbor how a bear has been marauding bee hives less than a mile from my house.   In fact, bear sightings over the past few years in my area has gone from highly unlikely back 40 years ago to now almost a common occurrence.   New local sightings are being heard weekly in a somewhat diverse area leading one to believe we are not dealing with just one or two wandering bears.   The likelihood of many bears certainly exists.

Now, you might think this should not be odd…after all, I live in Minnesota.   True enough, but I live in the heart of the ag zone where bears have not traditionally hung out.   No more.   In my lifetime I have gone from no bears to bears now in my back yard apparently quite regularly.

And don’t think these changes are limited to just bears.   When I was a mere 6 years old I had my first encounter with a red fox.   Back in the 1960s, 70s and early 80s fox were big in these parts.   Red fox were most predominant with an occasional gray fox thrown in just for good measure.   Not so today.   Oh, sure, you still see an occasional fox dashing along some fenceline…but the sightings are rare.   You know why?

There was a time a sight like this would not have been witnessed on my farm, however, that is no longer true today.

There was a time when a sight like this would not have been witnessed on my farm, however, that is no longer true today.

Because now we have coyotes.   Yup, the dreaded coyotes.   When I was a young trapper starting out the only coyotes I had seen were in magazines showing trappers from out in the Western states.   Then about 30 years ago they started showing up and BOOM!   It’s to the point their population is out of control!   Hardly a night goes by I don’t hear coyotes howling within earshot of my house.   The packs sound large and sometimes real close.   And guess what.   As a teenager I would have never hear those song dogs anywhere close to my property.

Oh, I could go on and on.   Growing up pheasants were so abundant that aside from shooting barn pigeons I honed my wingshooting skills by walking the sloughs each October.   No more.   Pheasants have all but disappeared.   To see a pheasant sighting is rare indeed.   These days even though it is legal to hunt them I wouldn’t even think of shooting one.   In fact, I derive more pleasure out of just watching them try to scratch a life during these difficult times for their species.

Indeed, growing up pheasants were abundant and wild turkeys were…she we say, not even on the radar!   Then a few birds were transplanted about 40 years ago and BOOM!   Today, the wild turkey population is everything the pheasant population used to be.   As a teenager it would have been a dream to think I could ever turkey hunt ON MY OWN LAND.   In fact, today there are so many turkeys around these parts I would not think of hunting anywhere else.

Change happens in the outdoors in other ways, too.   As a trapper, I am amazed how the river that runs through my farm changes so much from year to year.   Sure, if you look at a map its not that the river is moving…but the character of the river.   A location where I might have placed a mink trap last year might be totally unappealing to mink this year.

The river changes.   The woods changes.   The critters that run around…at least in time…tends to change.   Makes me wonder…as an outdoorsmen who also feels like he is part of the outdoors am I changing, too?   I suspect I am.

Change.   One of the many reasons the outdoors stays exciting and challenging to those who enjoy it.