Rural Living or City Living?

turnkey4099 · Oct 16, 2005

Here (Whitman Co, SE Wa) the county commissioners have put together a "right to farm" brochure that is supposed to be given to any buying property in the country. I makes it very clear that farming operations within reason are not subject to complaints. Of course spraying with wind blowing onto residences would be a valid complaint but in general it would have to be an egregious stupidity before a complaint would be given any credence.

Harry K

PBinWA · Oct 16, 2005

( "When it was light out I went outside with my shotgun to find this animal."

I need to move to Texas. Couldn't do that here. Though my shotgun is still warm from 75 shots at clay pigeons on Friday.

When you live on the fringe between city/country nomatter who was there first there will be problems. Time to move. Make a commitment to being deep in the city or deep in the country. The transition areas seem to be larger around the smaller cities. )

You're just living too far west in the state. Doesn't take far to move out to places where walking aorund with a gun isn't any surprise. I live an hour outside of Vancouver and I can walk outside with my shotgun (.44 Mag preferred) any time of the day.

Get out of that city! It's bad for you. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Highbeam · Oct 16, 2005

I have resorted to a pellet gun to take care of the 5AM crows sitting on the treetops cawing to wake us up. Only one neighbor has ever seen me pop one and he has no problem with it. In the country, the rimfire 22 would be a more humane tool but it would have the sherriff out here. I am in a fringe area but it won't be long.

deere755 · Oct 16, 2005

One problem we are running into is we live near a lake and a lot of people from town are starting sub divisions here. They want to live in the country but they don't want to put up with the smell and noise of livestock that was here before they were. So they try to get ordinances against them. So far they have all failed but the day will come when they win because we are getting out numbered more and more all the time.

Highbeam · Oct 16, 2005

Eventually they will get you. The root cause IMHO is high density zoning. Some county or city planner allowed the lots around you to be chopped up into tiny pieces. The tiny pieces are relatively cheap and attract city people if you are even close to a place of urban employment.

The best way to preserve a rural area is to keep the 20 acre or more minimum lot size. Spreads people out and gives you a longer driveway.

sneaky_pete · Oct 16, 2005

I agree. We live on five acres now, and get along great with our neighbors, but... we're looking for 20 to 40 acres to buy next, and farther from town.

wushaw · Oct 16, 2005

Roosters only crow in the am but coyotes can go on and off all night, I like it...my hounds (brittany & Jack Russell) like it also, gives them something to bark about.
I love the country and all the sounds that come with it.

txdon · Oct 16, 2005

"...however if two people, not from the same address, want to complain about "an animal which habitually howls, barks, yelps, or crows" and the owner doesn't do something to stop it, he or she is in trouble." 

 "...she's trying to find out who's on her side and who isn't." 

Looks like it really does not matter who is on who's side. Seems like she would have been better off first reading the local ordinances before sending the teenagers door to door.

Your know your in the city when all noises are annoying to someone.

Farmwithjunk · Oct 17, 2005

This is a topic "near and dear to my heart".

I own a house in "the city" that I rent out. The tennants have called me a few times, complaining of a neighbor with a rooster. City ordinance restricts animals to "common domestic types" only. Animal control dept. needed complaint to be filed by property OWNER. Thankfully, before I had to decide if I was going to call or not, someone else from the neighborhood did. The owner of the offending rooster talked Animal Control out of siezing their bird. They told the "Possum Cops" that they were moving in a few days. They'd take their rooster with them.

Turns out they DID move....... Three doors down the street.......DIRECTLY across from the house I own. The calls started again.

After a few days passed, I stopped in to check on my rental property. All was well. The tennants said the rooster problem was solved. Then they invited me in for some chicken and dumplins'. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I didn't ask any questions.....................

Sometimes you're better off NOT knowing all the details. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

Jagmandave · Oct 17, 2005

I have a home in the city, and the neighbor behind us decided to keep some chickens, he bought 5 each roosters and hens. In our part of town it is not legal to keep livestock of any kind. I asked him about them one day and he said that he thought he's try it but if anyone complained he'd get rid of them - he didn't. Let me be the first to tell you all, roosters do not only crow at dawn. These things would go off any time of the night or day and sometimes for hours. After about 2 more months of lost sleep and irritation I called animal control - the next day they were gone.

Now if I could just quiet some of the 30 or so barking dogs that live near us.......................