How do I get neighbors to stop feeding wild animals?

[Pirate]

What a contrast. Your stupid cat gets to trample on your neighbors property, but they can't feed deer. If I were your neighbor, I would continue to feed deer and then shoot your cat.

 

[johnk]

What a contrast. Your stupid cat gets to trample on your neighbors property, but they can't feed deer. If I were your neighbor, I would continue to feed deer and then shoot your cat.

Sounds like the new way of life. Call a lawyer. I'm sure the cat is doing a lot less harm than bringing in 150 pound deer that reap havoc on your gardens and shrubs. Good way to get CWD going... 6 pound Cats can really trample stuff. All I can say is the world has really changed. Not for the better in my eyes....

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Im all for individual freedoms, but a neighbor who was feeding deer like that would kind of tick me off. Were over populated with deer right now, the natural cycle (deer starving and dying) gets interrupted by these people's "good intentions" cause they're cute. We need a larger / longer hunting season anyways, as the numbers of hunters are on the decline.

Think about the repercussions. Besides damage to food crops, these deer are a major hazzard to people driving.

Good Evening Scooby,

Your right about a longer hunting season.....But here in Kentucky they brought in coyotes to thin out the deer, and then put an open season on the coyotes....because they are so much of them now.

last year while me & my wife was deer hunting, I shot 8 coyotes in one day....and it's bad trying to drive around here in the evening because of the deer running out in the road.

Just a thought -- in many places, unauthorized feeding of wildlife is illegal for a number of reasons.

Right now in Kentucky you can't feed the deer.....I think you can start around August.

If i was Mike i would call a game warden and find out the laws.....The next thing that will be coming in to eat is the bears.

In KY they will fine you, and put you in jail for feeding bears.

 

[MossRoad]

How do I get neighbors to stop feeding wild animals?

You probably can't. You could see if its illegal in your area, then call the cops, but that's about all you can do unless you can convince them that they are probably doing the deer more harm than good.

Another neighbor had the nerve to complain that my barn cat was eating the cat food she was leaving out for the raccoons

The nerve! How dare she ask you to control your animal.

In this case, I would say you are the problem, not the raccoon lady. You are lucky no one kills your cat. Not that I condone it, of course. However, when I was a kid a neighbor called all the other neighbors and asked them to stop feeding the wildlife because their dog was getting fat. That dog died a horrible death on their lawn after one of the neighbors poisoned it.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

What a contrast. Your stupid cat gets to trample on your neighbors property, but they can't feed deer. If I were your neighbor, I would continue to feed deer and then shoot your cat.

You must not work from early morning to dark in the garden.....Having a big garden & then watch the deer eat it all up isn't no fun...and if you shoot the deer out of season then you can stay in jail a while.

And, if you shoot a cat here in KY on your property....You will go to jail also.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

My dad used to feel sorry for the deer in the winter so he started feeding them. I tried explaining to him that he is not doing them any favor. Even emailed him parts of the Pa DEC website that explains it. He didn't care, kept feeding them even with neighbors complaining. "But they're so pretty." Hmm, 30 years ago on the farm, he shot everyone of them he ever saw. Anyway, some guy hits one with his truck right in front of his house, wrecked the truck. My dad goes outside and the guy threatens my dad with a lawsuit. Turns out my dad was creating a nuisance. One letter from the lawyer and my dad hasn't fed the animals since. My Advice? Aim for a deer and get a lawyer.

BTW, one neighbor shot another neighbor's cat. Cat neighbor called the game warden. Shooter got a fine and lost his hunting priveleges for a year. Anyway, I was always told don't take something out on an innocent animal. Grow a set of stones and go after the owner.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

My neighbors from the city think they moved to the country, here...... Anyway, they put out a salt block and then they started the corn feeding. Hords of deer come in. I love to watch them too and my kids really like watching them. It bugs me that they rubbed the bark off of my nice oak tree, worn a path so deep that my mower deck drags and throws rocks and butchered my hillside with their hooves to the point that I can't cut the grass in that section with my mower........I didn't really like it but just kind of ignored it.

Well, it all started changing when I started picking deer bodies up out of my yard because they'd get hit. We live on a VERY busy road. Often times, late in the night, we hear tires squeeling and then a thud.

I completely changed my opinion late one night. The usual scenerio; tires squealing, thud, etc. This time, however, I looked out the bedroom window and saw the car back up and pull in their driveway. The car wasn't much and I saw some younger people get out and talk to the people that feed the deer. I remember telling my wife, "This isn't right, it's their [deer feeders] fault that this happened. That car doesn't look like much and those people probably are struggling in this economy.They might not be able to afford to put the car back together." I went to bed thinking of turning them in, etc but in a day or so I forgot about it.

Fast forward about 5 months. One of my former students of about 2 years ago stopped by to see me and tell me how he was doing (you know where I'm going with this). He comes from a broken home, dirt poor, etc. Well, he chose to go to VoTech and take the electrical program- at which he did quite well, I might add. Anyway, he was asking if I still lived on the same road, etc. After I confirmed his hunch, he said, "I hit a deer there several months ago. Some crazy people feed the deer. When I hit the deer I pulled in their driveway and they came out screaming at me and telling me I hit killed their deer. The old man said he was (I can't remember what he said, call the law, whip his butt, something crazy, though)." After our conversation, I was right, he couldn't afford to fix the truck. He was driving to a jobsite 2 HOURS!!!! everyday and lost his transportation. He moved in with his dad to be closer to the site.

What a bunch of idiots. I'm going to look up Ohio law regarding this, after I post this, I want to be ready for next winter when they start again, the motion sensor spotlight goes off and the camera flashes from the windows start again!

This is the same neighbor I had it out with when I told him my other neighbor was building a fence. Mind you, the neighbor on the OTHER side of my property. It had nothing to do with them. One day when I was out in my yard, he came storming out and said, "I've been to the courthouse, talked to the engineer, etc, and you have to have a survey." I told him I'm not building a fence, neighbor X is. "NO, you told me YOU were building a fence." "Well, sir, I'm not building a fence, neighbor X is and I'm sorry if I didn't explain it better." Wow, he went on and on I know I told him that nothing between the two of us would change at least 20 times. He just couldn't get it out of his head. I'm usually pretty calm, but I had had enough. I just walked off. I wasn't going to disrespect a man on his own property. But, when I got on to mine, I stopped, turned around and mildly let him have it. He still doesn't speak. I'm always friendly and speak to his wife and daughter. I toot the horn and speak to him. I honestly don't do this out of spite, life is too short. He honestly misunderstood and heard what he wanted to hear. Oh, well, his loss. He's disabled. I helped him fix things around this house. I showed him everything about his house because I took care of it for the widow that lived there before him. He can't even put a corn cob handle on a file!

Well, that's enough, I guess....

 

[two_bit_score]

I've never had a deer problem. But now my neighbor is leaving out corn and grain. Because they like to "see wildlife" -- They are from Mass.

Another neighbor had the nerve to complain that my barn cat was eating the cat food she was leaving out for the raccoons

I've tried explaining that it is not good to feed wild animals but they just nod and keep doing it anyway. They don't seem to care that my gardens and chickens are at risk.

They are all nature lovers so maybe I should thank them for making hunting easier?

This is going to be a "no win" for you. You do realize that, right?
Unless there are some laws in your area preventing feeding wildlife you are pizzing in the wind, my friend.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

There should be a law against feeding deer this early in the season....My friend.


Because if you start feeding them right now, and feed them until deer season comes in....then they will stay in that area & make it easy for a hunter.

So i would check on the laws.

 

[Tig]

Personally I think feeding wild animals is every bit as disrespectful as killing but not eating them. Just my .02 Some of my neighbours feed, some shoot and some have animals killed because they are a nuisance. Last week a family of swans came in my yard looking for a hand out. They hissed and chased my family away.
If the coons are a nuisance you would be allowed to have them trapped and killed around here. Similar rules apply to your cat. Fair is fair.