OT: Very - deer and squirrel problem - garlic?

[Guest guest]

Another point about the mountain lion

and the hunters. If I am to believe

nature shows (yeah, I know, tv frequently

does not reflect reality) lions get the

slow, the weak, the old and yeah some young

ones too. I have doubts that there are any

hunters on this list but my guess is that

many hunters go for challenges (although I

have issues with shooting a deer as being a

challenge) and I'm guessing that " hunters "

of today would rather shoot a strong healthy

buck with a mighty head of antlers Does

this hypothesis hold any water? Besides

which I'm still perturbed with the police

shooting the lion. I'm sorry for going off

track.

 

Oh wait, what's my point? The hunters

may or may not be keeping the population

down and based on the addition from Cheryl,

the may not seems more likely. But even

if they were keeping the population down

are they actually making the herd healthier?

If they are killing the strong and protective

(okay, my adjectives) members of the herd,

how does that help the herd? Again,

all conjecture on my part.

 

Gary

 

--- Cheryl Baker <starborn59 wrote:

 

> \

>

>

>

>

> --- Sharon Frost <sharonisasillyrabbit

> wrote:> But deer

> > will over populate, even when there is little food

> > sources, and that

> > is why there is a hunting season for deer, to keep

> > the populations

> > in a healthy number of animals. Otherwise, they

> will

> > starve, and get

> > sick from diseases. "

>

>

> First, let me say that there is a hunting season

> because because the state game commissions are big

> business. In their own game manuals, they (the

> hunters) refer to managing populations which

> consists

> of killing a certain amount, (bag limits) so that

> populations either maintain or increase. The motive

> here is to keep herds fully stocked so there are

> guaranteed numbers to kill each season. It is NOT

> the

> mission of any game commission or hunter to reduce

> populations. This is their guise to convince the

> public so that the majority non-hunters, will accept

> and allow it - after it IS for our own good, isn't

> it?

>

> Populations of deer have been documented to increase

> with hunting. As more offspring are born to

> compensate

> for 'holes' in the populations, herds increase.

> Also,

> if you take note, more deer are killed on the roads

> during hunting seasons than any other time - many

> insurance companies can attest to this fact. Hunters

> convince the ignorant non hunter majority that this

> is

> the result of overpopulation when in fact, it is due

> to hunters running them out of the woods during

> hunting season.

>

> There are always two sides to every story. Before

> anyone goes off believing the propaganda the hunting

> community tries to spew on us, get all the facts.

>

> The American Hunting Myth by Ron Baker is a great

> source of information.

> also, a good link:

>

http://www.all-creatures.org/cash/cc2001-fa-deer.html

>

> Cheryl

>

Hello,

> > Deer usually have a breeding season, and one buck

> > will sire all

> > fawns in his herd. Depending on how many does a

> buck

> > has in a herd,

> > determines how many fawns are born. Bucks have

> > territories, and

> > defend those areas from other bucks, and bacholor

> > bucks trying to

> > steal does to make a herd. Available food sources

> do

> > come into play

> > whether or not a doe will come into " season " to

> > mate. If the food is

> > plentiful, then the does will go into estrus, thus

> > being able to

> > concieve. I'm preety sure available land is'nt as

> > much as a factor

> > as territory areas of bucks, and available

> > vegetation is.

> > I have heard from old-timers that to urinate

> around

> > your plants will

> > repel deer.....don't know, I have yet to try

> > that....lol. But deer

> > will over populate, even when there is little food

> > sources, and that

> > is why there is a hunting season for deer, to keep

> > the populations

> > in a healthy number of animals. Otherwise, they

> will

> > starve, and get

> > sick from diseases.

> >

> > Rabbits, will breed all spring thru summer, and

> some

> > will still have

> > litters into fall. A litter can be s many as 8

> > bunnies, and they are

> > independent at 3 weeks, of which, the doe is

> already

> > pregnant with

> > the next litter after one week of giving birth to

> > the previous

> > litter. Rabbits are breeding, eating, pooping

> > creatures. They will

> > continue to mate and have litters even if there is

> > no food or

> > vegetation to support the new bunnies, or to eat

> for

> > themselves and

> > unable to produce milk for the babies to nurse on.

> > The mortality

> > rate is high, as most do not make it to adulthood,

> > but, the ones

> > that do, they become the new baby-making machines.

> A

> > pair of rabbits

> > can destroy 2500 sq. feet of garden in a single

> > night....meaning

> > they are nibblers, and take nibbles out of

> > everything, and mking the

> > produce unsellable to markets.

> > To keep rabbits out of the garden, you will need

> > chicken wire,

> > buried at a depth of one foot or two in the

> ground,

> > and 3 to 4 feet

> > high. Also, you can purchase coyote urine online

> to

> > repel rabbits.

> > Rabbits also, will breed themselves into a

> situation

> > of over-

> > population, especially if there are no predetors

> to

> > keep them in

> > check, which then culling is nessecary to reduce

> the

> > numbers.....or

> > you can be over-run by rabbits, as we are here.

> > Culling is basically

> > killing several of the adult breeding rabbits.

> > As far as garlic, rabbits eat that. They will try

> > anything, and even

> > if it is untasty, they are not at all intellegent,

> > and will continue

> > to taste-test everything all over again.

> > If you have a deer or rabbit problem, you can

> leave

> > offerings of

> > dried alfalfa far from the garden, as I find this

> > doable with the

> > squirrels here, except I feed them chicken scratch

> > corn. They do

> > leave my garden areas alone. Allso, deer LOVE

> corn,

> > and a salt lick

> > will keep them to the areas that are ok for them

> to

> > be.

> > Good luck.

> > Sharon.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > , Cheryl

> > Baker

> > <starborn59 wrote:

> > >

> > > I'm no expert either but I do remember reading

> > about

> > > " density dependent' , where animals, in

> particular

> > > deer, will have a number of offspring according

> to

> > > available land. So I'm not sure if the food

> source

> > > would factor in to more offspring - sounds

> > possible

> > > though.

> > > That considered, I retract my last statement

> about

> > > planting more.

> > > Cheryl

> > >

> > > --- Gary Mattingly <gsmattingly wrote:

> > >

> > > > I would agree with that except I just (Friday)

> > > > watched an episode of Meerkat Manor and it

> > talked

> > > > about an area of land only able to sustain so

> > many

> > > > animals. I wonder if you kept growing enough

> to

>

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