Changing Wildlife Patterns

[big bubba]

Guess this is my "wildlife" project. I've had the good fortune to be involved with my mt top farm in the Boston Ozark mountains since purchase in '77 within the national forest. Over the decades, esp in past 25-40 yrs i've noticed big changes in the following wildlife patterns...
This is NOT intended for a "climate change debate", only my wildlife observations through the years. Am interested in your own thoughts re: the subject. So the following is what i've seen disappear almost completely, and the changes i now see. My place has abundant water, 4 spring fed ponds.

Almost gone:
1) amphibians, frogs, bull frogs, toads, salamanders they're still around but scarce
2) snakes are scarce. not so many snapping turtles compared to the past as well.
3) Whip 'or Whills are gone. Bats & Martins around the ponds are gone.
4) lighting bugs are very scarce, they used to put on a show.
5) Quail are gone (partially due to the fescue takeover) road runners are almost gone.
am sure there are more, what are your examples? i miss the above very much
the deer & turkey populations remain stable.

Newcomers: Feral Hog population explosions! all the ponds are brimming, but sometimes they seem like a desert.
in addition, the Polar Vortex, flooding, droughts, & excessive heat have decimated many of my landscape trees (mostly native species) rated Zone 5 in our Zone 6-7 rated area. given these extremes, i feel the entire Zone system needs to be rewritten.

again, let's not get ensnared in the climate change discussion. only your observation of wildlife & fauna changes over the decades & what's in their place. Since i'm not commercial, no herbicides, etc have been used on the place.

thanks in advance for your own wildlife pattern observations over the decades... the following image sets the stage for what used to be a jungle of wildlife, regards

 

[deserteagle71]

The biggest change I've seen in northern Nevada is the dramatic decrease in the number of mule deer and the corresponding huge increase in the antelope population in the 50+ years I've lived here. Used to see huge herds of mule deer, now I see huge flocks of antelope.

And your Arkansas quail must have all migrated to Nevada...I bet I have 100+ wandering around my house every day:

Snakes...of all types...are as plentiful as ever:

As far as fauna, the sagebrush is rapidly being replaced with cheatgrass, a highly invasive species that takes over as soon as a fire takes out the sage. In this pic the green color on the valley floor is sage, the rest is cheatgrass that is highly flammable so most of us mow it down to the ground after it dries to alleviate fire danger.

 

[big bubba]

please send the snakes & quail back east to Arkansas. nice place in Nevada

 

[Eagle1]

Only thing dropped here is Bull Frogs, I blame the 3-4 Great Herons that live here year around, but I like watching them. We now have an Osprey that fishes her for the last 2 years, never before.
Plenty of Dragon Flies and Fire Flies, the Whip or Wills still serenade me to sleep and the Spring Peepers are just firing up right now.
Turkeys are back, hogs removed, and the deer are thriving.
Have not done a snake survey but the 2 giant Black Snakes get a lot of eggs and a chicken or 2 every year.
Bats dropped off the white nose disease came through but seem to be recovering. Martins may down some but we have more Swallows.

I do notice that insect population drops of quickly in areas people move in and poison for everything. Nature likes things that people do not quite often.

 

[newbury]

Almost gone:
1) amphibians, frogs, bull frogs, toads, salamanders they're still around but scarce
2) snakes are scarce. not so many snapping turtles compared to the past as well.
3) Whip 'or Whills are gone. Bats & Martins around the ponds are gone.
4) lighting bugs are very scarce, they used to put on a show.

<snip>
I do notice that insect population drops of quickly in areas people move in and poison for everything. Nature likes things that people do not quite often.

Reads like "Silent Spring".
Peepers around my section of Mississippi are just starting up, but that may be due to relatively cool temps.

 

[scootr]

Rainfall drastically effects our wildlife. Snakes can take the drought pretty good until the rodents dry up and disappear. 2 Good years of rain and you can't walk without stepping on a toad or a rabbit.
Quail are finally back in great quantities. Hunting was not limited when their numbers were down resulting the near disappearance of the poor little guys. It has taken 2 decades for them to recover, given the drought and all. I thought that is what fish and game were being paid to do? Manage wildlife.
How has your rainfall been?

 

[big bubba]

in terms of rainfall, it's feast to famine. not much middle ground over the past 5+ yrs. my place is on mt top. lots of water.

last spring after torrential rainfall, a rogue male beaver made residence on the ponds, massive destruction till i had my neighbor shoot it at nightfall. 33lbs
very unusual, never seen one before up that high in my 47 yrs there. these are changing wildlife times. it's good to hear that my missed wildlife is thriving in other regions, regards

 

[ruffdog]

Our rabbits are gone, but I'm sure our resident Red Tailed hawks and Great Horned owls had something to do with that. Ten years ago you would see small bumble bees in the white clover walking to my garden. For a couple years now, no bees. We have the normal deer and now we have these darker smaller deer. Where did those come from? Last year, many birds were lower in numbers...avian flu? A pond area near me would normally be loud with all the frogs etc...now they are quiet.

 

[Eagle1]

in terms of rainfall, it's feast to famine. not much middle ground over the past 5+ yrs. my place is on mt top. lots of water.

last spring after torrential rainfall, a rogue male beaver made residence on the ponds, massive destruction till i had my neighbor shoot it at nightfall. 33lbs
very unusual, never seen one before up that high in my 47 yrs there. these are changing wildlife times. it's good to hear that my missed wildlife is thriving in other regions, regards

I just shot a beaver tonight, he went under so not sure until he shows up or floats up. I get one or more every spring, except last year. Only time in 18 years we did not have one move in.

 

[big bubba]

interesting. never had to deal with a beaver until now. they're nocturnal, glad my neighbor took it out @ 5:30 AM. i tried steel traps, only got his fore paw, but he continued to destruct till till he was shot. beavers are hard to catch with steel traps unless you have an accordion type trap.

they have a voracious appetite for my aspen & Japanese maple. Nature is always about change, this is what i'm dealing with now.
& feral hogs? they plow the turf for grubs then i blade the surface smooth when it's dry, regards