Is this a hard year for wildlife?

It seems like we had a pretty average winter and spring, and a somewhat moody summer. I can't say that I've noticed any extra development in my area, or anything that might push animals out of their natural habitat, but the animals in my area have been hungry.

We've had a sharp increase in predators trying to get into the chicken enclosure. I've lost more chickens to wildlife this year than ever before. (That's not including the dog attack.) Hawks, possums, raccoons, and even rats have all taken a go at my chickens.

Deer had a go at my garden again this year, same as last, but my neighbors mentioned they weren't looking good in terms of weight etc.

I've noticed an uptick in foraging birds, including some rather unusual varieties, hitting up my backyard for food, and this morning there was a rabbit grazing in my backyard that was virtually all bones. I've never seen a skinny rabbit before.

Last week, an Eagle and a flock of crows were in an all out battle over a deceased crow chick, all swooping and careening over my backyard.

This is the largest amount of wildlife I've seen or seen signs of ever in the 8 years I've lived here, and the worst condition I've seen them in. There's no lack of water in the area. I can't imagine what's causing so many animals to press in when they never have before.

i learn something new each year as to what wild life may be up to or interested in.

we have a lot more deer around this year.

i normally have to trap a few moles, one was running under the black plastic/limestone mulched areas all around the house and i can't trap them when they are in there but there is also not much food under there for them so eventually they do come back out. i'm trying to trap one now.

i've buried more birds this year than normal (strikes to the windows). we have a ton of mourning doves around now and i'm glad to have them.

groundhogs are always around the area, but not always in the yard, the fence i put up made it easier to control them this year, it still needs some work.

bunnies, always have them around no matter how many i hunt, they look ok to me, but i do not study them up close to know.

raccoons are also always around as too the chipmunks. the past few weeks the chipmunks have been absent so perhaps the heavy rains changed their routine enough but they will be back eventually.

good things i am seeing this year are more toads around. i'd not seen many around for years. i guess all the rains we had this spring helped them out. so far i've only seen one green tree frog and i made sure to move it to a nearby tree so that when i closed the garage door it wouldn't get smushed or trapped in the garage.

have no seen any semi-feral kitties around for a while. we had two large dogs run through the yard yesterday (likely tracking deer by the looks of them). no idea who's dogs but they did have colars on them so perhaps they got loose and we on the lam but would eventually be ok...

one thing i do know is that the PNW has been pretty dry this season compared to normal, but i don't know how severe that has been or if it is continuing.

Here in Southeast Missouri we are seeing few snakes, few rabbits, few toads. More wild turkeys, more bald eagles, deer about the same, squirrels about the same. A few miles down the road and across the river the flood water has kept low lying areas covered for months. I would think there has been some wildlife loss from that.
I haven't had as many insects in the garden. Bees and other pollinators are very scarce. Not even as many butterflies as in past years.
On the other hand, we had two sets of mocking birds raise babies in our little acreage. So we have had plenty of serenading, if not bees buzzing.

Perhaps it's the fact that it WASN'T a bad winter/spring and now there are more animals competing for the regularly available food?

canesisters said:

Perhaps it's the fact that it WASN'T a bad winter/spring and now there are more animals competing for the regularly available food?

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That makes more sense than the theory I had.

The other theory I had is that last year my neighbors behind me finally took care of the rat problem they had in their stables. There used to be dozens of rats on their property. They got themselves a fine mouser and now there's just a couple of Wiley ones. That would explain why the predators are having such a hard time, and why the rabbits and chickens are, but not necessarily the deer.

Urban and suburban neighborhood deer don't get preyed on and since food isn't a problem, thanks to the wonderful buffet provided by landscapes, they multiply and put more pressure on the food that is available.

Where I work the deer population has boomed, the does are consistently twinning and sometimes having triplets. The doe fawns can reproduce their first year so the growth is exponential.

They are sampling plants they used to never touch and making it harder to keep a decent landscape that isn't browsed to bare sticks.
Mountain lions are attracted by this large population, but are trapped and removed because people like them less than the deer. Deer are "natural" and "they were here first" is what I hear people say when the subject of deer overpopulation comes up.
I guess mountain lions were not here first so they must be excluded.

Mountain lions would keep the deer population in check. But I wonder if they are eliminated because people fear them more and they are more dangerous to humans than deer?

Mary

ninnymary said:

Mountain lions would keep the deer population in check. But I wonder if they are eliminated because people fear them more and they are more dangerous to humans than deer?

Mary

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i can guarantee you that more people are killed by deer than by mountain lions... (car and deer accidents are frequent around here and a lot of fatal accidents are never resolved because the person veers off the road to avoid them and then hits something else and the police have no evidence of anything going wrong they can pin it on).

ninnymary said:

Mountain lions would keep the deer population in check. But I wonder if they are eliminated because people fear them more and they are more dangerous to humans than deer?

Mary

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Of course they are, but if the town deer population isn't held in check by some means they become too numerous for their own health and for the well being of everything. Hunting is not possible in town for very good reasons, but there then must be a means of limiting the deer population.

I was trying to point out the lopsided illogical rationale for doing nothing to export the deer, but trapping and exporting the predators that are drawn to a big population.

And FB is right about deer creating road hazards and accidents. Not to mention their Limey ticks and parasite laden droppings they leave in yards.

When the weather is difficult for plant life, there must be many animal species that also have problems. Plants here, both in the natural environment and in farm fields, yards and gardens, have had some problems in recent years.

Changes puts stress on environments. That would be true from deserts to rainforests, from oceans to alpine meadows. Too much of this or that - too much drought, too much rain, too cold, too hot - happen.

Trees that live under certain conditions for hundreds of years have growth and reproduction difficulties. Plant communities that live in balance with each other are pushed by weather extremes, out-of-balance! Animals cannot find their customary foods. Predator and prey balance changes.

If a new normal is established, new balances result. I see changes in bird populations. Years ago, I may not have noticed. If I found myself living in different environments every few years, I may not have noticed. But, I have had my distant garden for 15 years. I have lived in the same home for over 20. I've made some efforts in trying to recognize the lives that surround me. Changes have occurred. Now ... if I can just be around as long as Dad ...

Steve