300lbs. of corn a week

[markinMn]

Hey, beenthere,Ive heard those same things about feeding also. Have you heard anything about "cronic wasting diease"? My wife says that it has been found in some elk heards in Colorado and they are beginning testing of domestic heards here in Minn. Has anyone else heard of this ? I guess they are afraid it could sprad to the deer population........mark

 

[beenthere]

Here is an article by the MN DNR. Seems to be of no immediate concern.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/hot_topics/022801.html

 

[brewerbob]

They used to hunt cougars here with dogs, but the Western Washington city dwellers thought it was cruel, and banned it by referendum. This after some heavy advertising by animal rights groups on the East Coast. That vastly increased the number of cougars in Eastern Washington, and because they are not hunted, they are not afraid of man. A guy owning a ranch about 20 miles West of our little town claims to have lost something like 12 horses and several dogs over the past 5 years to cougars. We have a lot of wild turkeys here, and last summer I counted 30 in one flock on the hill behind us. The other problem with feeding deer is that they become used to being fed, and are easily taken by hunters, most of whom come here from Western Washington, and respect nobody's property, hunt from the road, shoot deer within the town limits, and are generally a nusiance as far as I'm concerned.
Bob

 

[DarinRay]

Nice place you got there Mark and you built it yourself. WOW!! Excellent. Boy isn't if terrible.. No matter which way you look at it-it can be wrong but might be right. Darn it! I have thought about different pros and cons too about feeding and as for now always keep coming back to ahhhhhh let's feed em'. ha,ha. As for the turkey we had them at our bird feeders right before fall hunting season,,actually 2 days into bird season and then gone and haven't been back. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif They really are a joy to watch combined with other critters all together but keeping their distance. /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif Anyway as soon as I can get some digitals I will and post them.

Darin

 

[Thomas]

You and your wife have a nice cozy setup there,must be nice to retreat from the rat race.
I sure would like to try a night vision camrea and see what really shows up to feed also year round in your field.

 

[rdln]

I am not able to currently access it but www.bovinetb.com illustrates the problem we have been having in Michigan with bovine tuberculoses allegedly being spread by deer that are feeding on large bait or feedpiles. I am convinced thats how it is spread but the baiting ban they have imposed on the infected area contradicts they're eagerness to reduce the population. Hunters are complaining that they cant shoot deer that they cant see, and they dont see them because there is no bait to attract them.

 

[jhburke]

I have a bird feeder about 20' from my room at the back of the house. It has 24' of windows in the 29' wall. The feeder is on a wire from a tree to the house. One night I was up late and I heard a noise outside. When I looked out there was 5 deer at the feeder. Since then I have had them come back many times. This winter an 8 point buck came twice so far and with him was a couple of younger bucks. JIM

 

[Thomas]

Do the bears bother your feeder?
Black bears in these parts do alot of damage to feeders..mostly bird feeders..and the state warns people to stop feeding the birds before the bears awaken.

 

[MarkV]

Jim,
You remind me of an experience I had about 15 years ago. My wife had feeder strung from her house to a tree on wire. I never thought anything of it until the day lightning thought it made a great lightning rod./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I was in the garage when BOOM. After jumping about 2’ I turned to see sparks falling into the yard. I thought the house had been hit but there was the bird feeder wire smoking away on the ground. After that I told her we would find a different way to hang her feeder.

MarkV

 

[Thomas]

Yikes Mark. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif
You must have some iron or copper in the ground to make such a strong stringer for a ground.
Bet you smelt the suffer w/in seconds that close of a hit.