Changing Wildlife Patterns

[1 Old Man]

Thoughts after reading several of these posts:
Never heard of crows referred to as song birds. Grackles are nasty.
E. Tx should have eastern turkeys, but they've been shot out. Several attempts to re-establish but
still no real solid success.
Herons, Egrets and water turkey are eating my fish with regular visits.
Near a flyway so we get geese & ducks.
No jack rabbits but we've got cotton tails, skunks, voles, possum, coons, bob cats, yotes etc

You got big bull frogs? Gig 'em and eat 'em. Sauteed frog legs are good.

Don't think I'll ever miss chiggers or ticks......

Spring has sprung. Enjoy it.

 

[Eagle1]

can't imagine what part of the food chain they are, but ticks & chiggers have also declined over the yrs. not sorry to see them go.

I can send you all the ticks you want... Started pulling them off the dogs and me already. Do not pay attention to chiggers, the have never bothered me.

 

[ericm979]

E. Tx should have eastern turkeys, but they've been shot out. Several attempts to re-establish but
still no real solid success.

California's current wild turkeys were actually introduced from Texas, by Cal Fish and Game no less. Our native ones had been wiped out.

The first time I saw wild turkeys in CA was in the mid '80s. Now they're everywhere. They're becoming a nusiance in some suburban areas close to open space. They dig up lawns and plants.

There's a number of flocks around my place. I think they like my property after I cleared a bunch of brush as they come by much more often.

 

[1 Old Man]

Tx has plenty of Rio Grande turkeys. So probably those sent to Ca were Rio Grande.
But who knows? Maybe Ca can get a decent population of eastern turkeys and send
a few back to Tx. They're like deer, put out some corn and watch 'em come. ( of course
corn also draws in hogs....so get your lil' pew pew loaded up).

 

[Clayak]

Just wondering. Can you use those 'Ferel hogs' for bacon, etc? They are really invading North Dakota and Minnesota. Already all over Texas and Louisiana.

 

[jyoutz]

Just wondering. Can you use those 'Ferel hogs' for bacon, etc? They are really invading North Dakota and Minnesota. Already all over Texas and Louisiana.

Yes but beware that they do harbor some nasty parasites.

 

[big bubba]

hogs carry numerous infectious diseases to humans. even handling. what i've had off the grill or smoker done right is outstanding, fully cooked to 200 "theoretically" will kill all pathogens. but steering clear now.

 

[MossRoad]

A new word that's been introduced to my vocabulary by my biology student kid in recent years..

extirpation

extinction and extirpation
Extinction is the complete disappearance of a species from the earth. Extirpation is the complete disappearance (elimination) of a species from a given region, island, or area.

For example, turkeys were extirpated from Indiana in the early 1900s due to habitat loss and unregulated hunting.

 

[big bubba]

Wildlife's New Norm
grubs & worms for feral beasts, aspen (poplar family) for beaver's top menu. that rogue is shot, but the feral hogs are left to maraud

 

[MossRoad]

It's pretty well documented that the over-harvesting of beavers in North America in the 1800's was a major factor in how everything is mucked up today in regards to wetlands, waterfowl, etc...