Changing Wildlife Patterns

[Shenandoah MF1760]

- We never saw a turkey in the 60s. They are in every subdivision and farm field today.

I'm originally from Michigan and can agree on the Turkey.

When I was a kid back in the 60's Ring-necked Pheasant was common. Now you almost never see one.

The Deer have exploded up there, my father counted over 40 in a farm field down near Marshall, and it's not uncommon to see them in the suburbs.

Supposedly, the Black Bear are increasing as well.

I'm in Texas now and have been for over 30 years. And, have learned to despise Hogs.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

Do not pay attention to chiggers, the have never bothered me.

I wish I could say that!

Never before in the previous 60 years do I ever remember even knowing for sure what a chigger was.

Having bought several wooded acres in East Texas a few years back I have learned to hate them and love Deet. When I get bit it lasts for at least a week and it itches like crazy. I can't figure out how the natives dealt with them!

 

[Elviscaretaker]

My last place in WA became a wildlife refuge, not sure exactly what we did to cause that but there was an abundance of wildlife. Granted we were city but it was a large property. Where I'm at now in Idaho, when we first moved here, the "neighbors" would complain about all the wildlife being gone. 4 years later and again we have an a abundance of wildlife. I do put up boxes for the fowl(woodduck) that's habitat is falling down. I now need to control the deer population, coyote, fox, skunk and rockchuck. Ticks I can disrupt with burning but it needs to be timed right to not burn out nesting birds. Lots of pheasant and quail again, wild turkey, wood ducks etc. My theory is they move to where it's better suited for them and breed. After that they spread back out when the population has increased too much. My biggest problem is the pheasant are not too smart, while cutting hay I look for babies and I need to go pick them up and toss them out of harms way. Not that easy when they keep running back towards my swather. Then laying eggs in a bad spots where I have to move the nest or destroy it. I've had good luck with the birds not abandoning the moved nests. Way too many frogs! Too many starlings too

 

[ismilelots]

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


View attachment 2982564

I would think the increase in hogs would disrupt much of the habitat for the ground dwellers. Lightning bugs seem to be disappearing all over the place, but most pollinators are also. Quail is another one that is on the decline in many areas. More and more people are raising quail to release into the wild (but that was tried with pheasant many years ago without much luck). Around us (mid MI) the deer population has grown and along with it the coyotes.

 

[Shenandoah MF1760]

Today we have so many turkey and deer; DNR imported and released many pair of bobcat. Guess what? Bobcat discovered a farmers young calf is much easier to catch than deer or turkey.

That's usually the way it works.

Texas A&M figured that bringing in large Asian Dragonflies would decimate the mosquito population. Turns out they preferred to eat the native smaller Dragonflies.

And, remember Kudzu?

 

[Eagle1]

I wish I could say that!

Never before in the previous 60 years do I ever remember even knowing for sure what a chigger was.

Having bought several wooded acres in East Texas a few years back I have learned to hate them and love Deet. When I get bit it lasts for at least a week and it itches like crazy. I can't figure out how the natives dealt with them!

My wife is like that, (knock on wood) I've seen my legs covered, brush off or rinse with hose, nothing else. Same with the poison ivy/oak/sumac but alkaline stuff tears me up, Tide detergent will have me scratching for weeks.

 

[SteveD55]

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


View attachment 2982564

I've lived my 70 year old life in a mostly rural area with small cities in the geographically middle of New York State. I am seeing and hearing less, but still some, turtles, frogs, toads, song birds and monarch butterflies. Fortunately no feral pigs so far. The dozen or so barn swallows that used to show up every spring since I bought this 12 acre property, with buildings from the mid 1800's, in 1981 are now down to about 2 swallows and I won't be surprised if there are none this year. On the other hand I now have a large population of deer/mice ticks that I never saw for the first 60 years of my life and I spent a lot of time in fields and woods since I was very young. The ticks are spreading some diseases that are very debilitating for some people.

 

[gsganzer]

The ticks are spreading some diseases that are very debilitating for some people.

Lyme disease is no joke. I know 2 people that have had their lives totally ruined by it.

 

[HawkinsHollow]

I have not read this entire post but I agree, there are less bugs. It used to be one could not drive around in the summer without having a bug splattered windshield, and have to wash it every time you fill up with gas. Now, I almost never have to wash it due to bugs. To me that is an indication there are less bugs, that is BAD!! I think it is like the frog into boiling water thing. It is a reasonably slow decline, slow enough to not be blatantly obvious to all but the most observant. But by the time the problem is blatantly obvious it is generally too late. We are in trouble, we just don't know it yet. We are in the midst of the 6th mass extinction. If you want to know how bad things are there is a book all about it.

The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural... book by Elizabeth Kolbert

www.thriftbooks.com

 

[Flogger]

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


View attachment 2982564

In NW Kansas I have observed some pretty dramatic changes. Some of the things you mention such as lightening bugs, toads, frog and snakes were scarce to non existent 2 years ago. We have suffered an extended drought to the point where 2 years ago a 4’ deep post hole yielded nothing but dust. Last year for the first time in 40 years I had over 25” of moisture. The funny thing is the declining species seemed to start reappearing about 2 years ahead of the moisture. Another thing I noticed is the Black Locust trees which had remained at about the same number for 50 years started spreading like wildfire through the pastures and draws in the worst drought. What concerns me more than anything is the decline of my native grasses being pushed out by USDA imported varieties.