@Newyorkrita
Now that it is over, both BJ and I think it's kind of a hoot. Can you imagine a big cat running around with Christmas lights around is neck ?
Yes, it's too much excitement for me, too.
I have deer, foxes, racoons ... now and then ... skunks, feral house cats, pocket gophers in the front yard, hawks, eagles, but no snakes. BJ taught me how to keep them off of my property. The coyotes and big cats seem to like the other side of town and I haven't seen one on my side of town.
The bears from the park are constantly in my neighbors' garbage, but walk right past mine because I "clean" my garbage with ammonia so it doesn't smell like garbage.
BJ has lived here all of her life and has a lot of acreage further out of town. Her property is a prime habitat for deer which is what draws the predators to her place. She no longer keeps bees, chickens or rabbits because, they, too are a draw. She has a dog that she has trained as an "alarm" dog that keeps the deer away from the house and outbuildings, but there is a country ordinance that prohibits having a dog that chases deer.
The bear was considered a "problem bear" simply because he was not afraid of people and was somewhat aggressive. He liked fishing in BJ's pond and loved her berry patches and vegetable gardens. She's not going to give up any of those ...
. Fish and Game used to hire hunters to take out the problem bears, but with budget cuts, it's now the property owner's problem.
People always say the wild critters were here first and that we are invading their territory, but this town was established over a hundred and fifty years ago. It's actually smaller, now, because back then it was a gold rush town. The wildlife come to town simply because it's easier to raid our gardens and the town deer don't have enough sense to be wary of predators.
Of course, there are lots of folks and tourists that feed the deer, so we have an over population of the prey that the predators prefer. That makes it prime hunting ground for them right here in town.
Smiles,
Lyn
