Yikes! It’s a mere 12 degrees out and I’m wishing I can avoid working outside, but alas I’m on a tight schedule, no rest for the weary . . . or the sick!
Yesterday I began setting buckets out. Well, almost. I had to pry the stacks apart, which often proved fruitless in my attempts. Somehow they manage to suction tightly to each other and you can’t pull them apart.
However, I’ve found that slamming them against trees often breaks suction enough to allow you to pull them apart.
The animals and neighbors all hate me now since I’ve cleared every living thing out of the woods with my racket (only 120 more to go).
But as I stood there whacking buckets, I noticed an array of large footprints. I’m pretty good at tracking animals, and deciphering foot prints, but these had me concerned. Too large to be coyote. Cougar? Wolf? Luckily I still had a game camera out nearby, maybe it had caught whatever was going after the deer!
I brought it home and popped the card into my laptop, and after scrolling through a zillion videos of deer, I happened upon a very curious one. Dogs. Two, large dogs, running about, chasing the deer . . . during hunting season!
I, however, was not surprised. I’d been getting these dogs on cam during hunting season every year since we’ve lived here. These dogs have run all the way to the FRONT of our property, and I suspect they were the ones that killed and ran away with half my chickens last summer. Not cool. The day it happened was the day I got them on cam running by.
These are the same neighbors that we also got on cam last spring, wandering the woods looking for morels. Also not cool.
I understand dogs like to wander, and I understand they can escape. I can vouch for that since ours have done it too. However, you’d better believe I’m out chasing them down. And you also better believe that I’m going to ensure they are better contained! We’ve even gotten to the point of installing major fencing for them.
Its curtesy to ensure your animals stay contained and don’t cause trouble. I don’t think these neighbors would be too happy if my horses continually got out, and ran over to their property and ate all their flowers and pooped on their lawn.
Might be time to put some live traps out. Judging by the amount of footprints they have been out ALOT. Also time to write the neighbor a note! They know we’re here, I’ve got “No Trespassing” signs plastered over that whole fence line along with my phone number.
I honestly don’t know why they’d want to push their luck with us . . . we have a legal driveway that runs right through their property . . . Erik keeps wanting to have it developed, but I keep telling him it wouldn’t be nice for the neighbors. I don’t even know if they realize their property is sitting on our driveway . . . even though it’s been there for well over 30 years.
I’m sure a simple note will resolve things peacefully. And if not, well, I’ve got a whole array of game cameras waiting to be re-loaded with batteries!