The criminally annoying Russian Woodpecker

[Josh]

Was going to say. The problem with Chernobyl, other than the design, was experimenting with it like it was something safe to play with. Something happened in the experiment they couldn't correct and it took off on them.

[Pigmeat]

Somewhat Fred. My biggest pet peeve with our DNR is their management of the deer herd for one day hunters. God forbid everyone doesn't get their buck. The roads are glorified deer slaloms after dark. Those guys have a lot of influence in the legislature and they get what they want, managing to cut cull numbers for farmers to the nub and yet wanting more reductions. They want to kill Bambi and they want it to be easy.

My one nice thing to say about coydogs is they're the one predator that might keep those walnut brained spawns of Satan in check. That and a firm culling policy to get numbers under control, but the latter isn't going to happen anytime soon.

About 20 years ago, public service districts got trash pick up after several years of massive forest fires. No more mass burning of garbage cuts way down on fires. I knew bears were getting thick beforehand, but I didn't know how thick until the burn ban went into effect? Overnight you started seeing rebar caged trash boxes to keep the bears out. When you see those boxes you're in bear country and they are everywhere.

The funniest thing re; bears here was the DNR's attempt to reintroduce wild hogs to the region thirty plus years ago. I wasn't for it as they're damned destructive. No need to worry. In the areas they were introduced in they were out competed by the bears. Both are large omnivores and compete for the same food. The bears ate them out of house and home.

Al, you wouldn't happen to be part Bluejay would you? I have problems with penguinicide, but blasting Bluejays into the hereafter isn't a problem. Pull!

[ff]

Yeah Pigmeat, advocacy groups and state conservation departments (DEC in NY) definitely muck things up.  I come from a multi-generational hunting family so I'm keenly aware of the ever-changing wildlife landscape here, being treated to many heated dinner table rants on the subject.  The "management" of New York's deer population has been a tug of war for decades between the car insurance companies who want less deer so that they have less deer-related claims to pay out, and the "I Love New York-ers" who see hunting as a tourism draw.  The THIRD group, the actual resident hunters of which you speak, are never listened to.  They are WAYYYYYYYYYY too busy trying to protect their Second Amendment rights here in our Northeast People's Paradise to bother with the deer population.  They just take what they can get.  As for coyotes keeping the deer in check, here they're too busy dining on lamb and goats and house pets.  Why waste calories chasing a supersonic deer when you can munch on fat, soft Fluffy?  All the farmers around here have had to modify their operations over the last 10-15 years in order to keep their young livestock safe.  And all of them I know have cultivated a habit of having coffee on the back porch during sunrise/sunset times... with a high-powered rifle.

The rebar garbage cages never caught on here - the garbage crews squawked about how difficult it was to empty them.  Here everyone puts their garbage out only on garbage night or just before pickup.  And the bears DO know when to come around.  Thanks to the rocket scientists at the DEC, we now have a huge bear problem because they are comfortable around people, which makes them very dangerous.  The only (semi) lawful way I've found to deal with bears is to load 12 gauge shells with rock salt.  Launch one of those payloads into a big fat haunch and they take off quick - mainly because of the loud BOOM of the shotgun.  Over the next few days the bear then learns a valuable lesson.  Humans = burning and itchy ass = stay the hell away.  But if I or others were caught doing that, there would be hell for us to pay.  But I figure that's better than dropping bear carcasses into the creek beds.  That would REALLY get some unwanted attention.  Have you folks down that-a-way figured some good ways of dealing with these 500 pound vermin?

[Pigmeat]

Believe it or not farmers are have been using mules as bear deterrents to protect young livestock and beehives for the past 20 years here. Mules hate bears. A mule will kick the living crap out of a bear. The black bear is the state animal here, they're extended extra protection under the law. Shoot one of them and get caught rolling it over the hill and you're going to jail. Mule's have become an alternative to shooting them.

Garbage bears should be destroyed, period. They lock on to that food source and will always return. The DNR has had trapped and transported garbage bears over two hundred miles to have them make it back to their original food source in under three weeks. They've got a nose like a dog, they apparently follow the scent back? Dangerous animals. They should be destroyed when they're trapped. It's going to take kids getting mauled at McDonald's dumpsters in the suburbs to get some attention on it. The way the bears are moving into those areas it won't be long.

I had some interesting bear encounters when I was pirating. The things I went through to do shows for these guys. Bears, armed weed growers, and just straight up psycho's living in the woods eyeballing you for being in their territory. Not to mention regular people getting up to stuff they shouldn't be. Nothin' like hitting the horn and the high beams on couple of parked kids after a show when "Kashmir" starts playing and the car starts swaying as you go tearing past them from the trail head.

[ff]

I love the mule idea Pigmeat.  I've heard that one floated around here but no one I'm aware of is using them yet.  There's probably some stupid state law forbidding it.  I'm in complete agreement with you about destroying garbage bears.  They're damn dangerous when they lose their fear of people.  I've had many incidents with them here in the driveway and running through the back yard.  Over the last few years I've introduced over half a dozen of them to rock salt - all of them right on my property, close to the house.  The DEC has been doing that same catch and release thing here - to no avail.  I guess it gives the staff some fresh air and sunshine.  Stocking trout and selling tree seedlings gets boring, ya know.  Most flatlanders just don't seem to get it.  And since they represent a voting block TWICE as large as we upstaters, then I guess the DEC will just keep on keepin' on.

[Pigmeat]

The main problem here is no coordination between the Dept. of Ag. or the DNR. The head of DNR works his way up through the ranks, the The Ag Commissioner is elected every four years and is looking to move up, usually to Governor or Congress, he's everything to everyone. The DNR is largely self funded from fees, the DoA gets tax money out the wazoo in a rural state.

The DNR has come up with good plans in the past for control of the deer herd, but if they control it too tightly they're cutting they're own throat due to reduced fees, plus the organized hunting interests get their owned pols out to sabotage it. Meanwhile the Ag commissioner is elected by everyone, and those pro-deer groups throw a lot of money behind the guy who is going to do the least to check the population of their favorite animal in regards to the two weeks they actually care about the beasts. The result is the same runaway deer herd we've had for 30 plus years and counting creating havoc.

The DNR is starting talk of reintroducing Elk, as they've started to wander in anyway. I drove up on a wreck where an Elk took out a full sized, tricked out Jeep, about 12 years ago. Killed the elk, killed the driver, and totaled the Jeep. Patchy fog that morning with some small dense spots, the guy and the elk met on the front end of a patch of fog. It looked like the guy in the Jeep didn't even have a chance to swerve to avoid it? Passing lane of I-81 S. in SW Virginia about 30-35 miles N.E. of Bristol. A little before 7 a.m. in the middle of the week. You've got to think the guy was probably minding his own business on the way to work? The ambulance passed me a couple miles before the wreck. It's going to be a lot of fun driving when those big boys get established and start grazing on the sides of the roads.

[ff]

It's going to be a lot of fun driving when those big boys get established and start grazing on the sides of the roads.

Count your blessings Pigmeat.  You and I will both be dirt-napping by the time the guv'mint is able to re-establish BISON in our area of the country... or elephants... or wooly mammoths...