I have often wondered just how much influence man has had on the growing population of some of the wildlife in our area. With the reduction of habitat and hunting land available to hunters, it seems like some critters have adapted pretty well to co-existing with man. Before I went into the service in the mid-60s, I drove milk truck for Conger Creamery and spent most of my time driving country roads, loading and unloading milk cans and talking to farmers. The talk back then was about the packs of wild dogs running amuck in the countryside. Today there is a growing population of coyotes and with more and more land being owned by fewer folks, the availability of hunting land has lessened. It seems like the coyotes have become brave enough to be seen in folks’ yards and even on the edge of small towns.
Last week we were at my wife Jean’s home place in Twin Lakes and she had promised to take our granddaughter Emma to the park just across the creek from the house. They were at the park with sunset approaching when she heard the howling of coyotes close by, so she grabbed Emma and headed for the house. You can usually hear those critters howling on a regular basis around or shortly after sunset. I don’t really believe that they would be a threat to humans, but when critters start to get comfortable being around man they can be pretty brave and, after all, they are still wild animals. I guess I’d hate to hear the “dingo ate my baby” phrase modified to fit the coyote.
My son Brian lives just east of Lunder Church and there are many nights when he can hear coyotes howling not far from his house. On one occasion, the dogs were in their kennels and barking loudly, causing the boys to look out the window where they observed the silhouette of some coyotes on the crest of the hill in their yard not far from the dog kennel. This could be one reason for the decline in the pheasant population and it could also explain why Brian’s cats have all disappeared. Come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time that I’ve seen a jackrabbit in this area.
In the Bricelyn area a man came out of his house early in the morning to go to work and spotted a cougar sitting in a tree in his yard. He did get a picture of it, which a person would probably need to substantiate a story like that. This is not the first sighting of cougars in that area and it probably won’t be the last. The cat that some of us grew up calling a mountain lion seems to be getting more and more comfortable in our environment.
I have mentioned from time to time the amount of wildlife I have in my backyard. There are the various small birds, the noisy and sometimes annoying crows and of course there are also squirrels, rabbits and an occasional woodchuck has been seen wandering through the yard from time to time. I kind of enjoy watching the squirrels when they are not seen going in or out of my garage and shed or hanging out on the roof of my house.
On my early morning walks I usually end up walking by the access on the channel at Frank Hall Park. Over the years I have spotted a variety of wildlife while on my morning walk. This year alone I have seen the usual pelicans, ducks and geese, but there is also an eagle stopping by from time to time and I have also seen swans and cranes. It doesn’t seem like the turkey vultures have been following me as much as of late so that is a comforting thought in itself. On one of my walks there was a woodchuck with a couple of its young, and that critter just didn’t seem to be all that friendly so I made sure I gave it plenty of space. I know I have quite a few pounds on the critter, but the thought of a crabby rodent gnawing on my ankle didn’t seem too appealing. Last fall as I was walking along Newton Street just a little ways from the old Ramsey School, I spotted something out of the corner of my eye walking in the road parallel to me. At first I thought it was a dog, but I soon realized it was a red fox and it was prancing along as if it were on a mission. It soon crossed the road just ahead of me and disappeared into some heavy brush behind the Front Street apartments. I have to believe this ranks right up there with the time two deer ran in front of me just down the hill from the Community Child Care Center.
For a lover of nature like myself, I find the stories of wildlife inside the city limits and the surrounding area fascinating and almost comforting in a way.
Until next time, with pheasant and duck hunting now open be sure to hunt safe and enjoy the time spent in our great Minnesota outdoors.
Please remember to keep our troops in your thoughts and prayers because they are the reason we are able to enjoy all the freedoms that we have today.