Mouse explosion

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Hpacres440p

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It was a wet, relatively cool summer, and it seems the mouse population has exploded. We have a garage guest room where friends stayed until their house was finished-over the last month they were here, they had 4-5 mice per week in sticky traps indoors. While they were here, our cat stayed in (they have Great Danes), now that they're gone she is out and catches 1-3 daily, and proudly leaves us a present on the back porch. Been here 5 years, never have had this many. Maybe 1-2 all season during fall/winter.
Haven't seen as many hawks in the area, the local coyote pack has been quiet. Someone take out all of the predators? Our only spot of high grass is the pastures or garden, not near the house. (Our dogs are enjoying the squeaky toys too). Anyone else notice a shift? Oh, I should also mention we live near the SpaceX test facility in McGregor. Maybe more frequent tests are driving them up....
 
Haven't seen as many hawks in the area,

Hawks have been around the last couple days. I only caught 2 in the photo, but there was at least 12 of them. Hawks have not killed anything, but they swoop low over the cows. Cows don't like it and get spooked. Hawks won't do it if they see me around.

Birds have become more of a nuisance the last couple years. A neighboring dairy farm has a persistent carcass pile. I would like it to go away.
 
Space mice? hmmm perhaps area 51 mice migrating for a family reunion? :)
One of the many "gift mice" that have been brought to us. Some make it in the pet door-wish the cat was a little more vicious or they were a little more dead when she brings them inside 🤣
 

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A surplus of mice now means an increase in the coyote population because they will be well fed and have bigger litters or more of the litter will survive. It's part of a natural cycle, be ready for the next phase.
 
You need more cats. Mine will take out rabbits, squirrels, and once I found what was left of a duck. In the garage. Looked like a crime scene.
This cat tends to make other cats disappear somehow. I wonder if our February freeze killed off enough surface-living predators (we had lots of dead songbirds) that we're lopsided right now. I dread the probable snake and coyote overload...
 
Have you ever seen them testing the rocket engines?
Not at the facility-they don't do tours or visitors unless you "know" someone, but this is our back yard view.
 

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Sometimes-they have three test stands. One of them makes our doors and lights rattle, but they are supposed to be doing a mitigation project to be completed by next year. Sounded like a bowling alley when we moved here 5 years ago, now it's more like an F16 with a 2-5 minute flyover at 500 feet when they use the "loud" stand. On the other stands, sometimes we don't hear it at all, my parents 15 miles away ask if we're still standing. Interesting study of sound waves and ground conduction. We averaged 5-6 tests per day this summer, Elon is adding an engine building facility in town-goal of 800-1000 engines per year. Hope they get the rattle solved before then.
 
First of all, cats kill over a billion birds a year. The birds are declining at an alarming rate. If all the birds go extinct, humans and most other animals will too. Hawks should be a rancher's best friends, since they kill and eat rodents that eat grass. Sometimes it appears by what is said on Cattle Today that livestock owners hate all wildlife. When I lived on a ranch in South Dakota, my Dad loved all of the wildlife and that is why I do. Also, we never lost a calf to a coyote or a hawk (LOL) even though the coyotes and hawks hunted right in the middle of the cattle grazing on the range land. Our cattle never paid the slightest attention to hawks or coyotes.
 
Not
First of all, cats kill over a billion birds a year. The birds are declining at an alarming rate. If all the birds go extinct, humans and most other animals will too. Hawks should be a rancher's best friends, since they kill and eat rodents that eat grass. Sometimes it appears by what is said on Cattle Today that livestock owners hate all wildlife. When I lived on a ranch in South Dakota, my Dad loved all of the wildlife and that is why I do. Also, we never lost a calf to a coyote or a hawk (LOL) even though the coyotes and hawks hunted right in the middle of the cattle grazing on the range land. Our cattle never paid the slightest attention to hawks or coyotes
I was asking where the predators have disappeared to-I also want to know. I have lost several cats to owls, that's the cycle of life. Our freeze this past winter killed more birds than our single spayed cat, but I agree, feral cats are a problem. I will let her have all the mice she can eat. I don't have goats any longer because of the coyote risk, we adapt to what our surroundings are. The coyotes handle the rabbits, rats, and neighbor's dead cattle, so we don't mind them.
Kinda jumped to some conclusions there....
 
CCCB4016-8B50-416B-ADE3-447D123E8530.jpegPlenty of birds. This is the only time that I have seen anyone say that birds are in danger. I haven't seen a mouse in a couple of years, and they were thick 5 or 6 years ago. A momma cat (wild) left 2 kittens in the barn. One was female. I fed them enough to keep them sleek and healthy. Now we have quite a few, some wild, some tame, some in-between. A big Tom comes around and runs off all mature males. Chickens also helped the mice disappear. The momma cats also catch mice at the neighbor's barns about a quarter mile away. We give away tame kittens, so the trend is toward wild cats. Lots of them look like Siamese
 
First of all, cats kill over a billion birds a year. The birds are declining at an alarming rate. If all the birds go extinct, humans and most other animals will too. Hawks should be a rancher's best friends, since they kill and eat rodents that eat grass. Sometimes it appears by what is said on Cattle Today that livestock owners hate all wildlife. When I lived on a ranch in South Dakota, my Dad loved all of the wildlife and that is why I do. Also, we never lost a calf to a coyote or a hawk (LOL) even though the coyotes and hawks hunted right in the middle of the cattle grazing on the range land. Our cattle never paid the slightest attention to hawks or coyotes.
It's not that we want to be hating on wildlife. I think it's fairly safe to say that most farmers and ranchers appreciate wildlife as much or more than anybody else does, the problems arise when some species of wildlife become a costly problem to our livelihood. Hawks are not a problem for our cattle. We have to keep our chickens in an enclosed run and coop though or they would be a problem there. Have heard of golden eagles taking young lambs and goats in places where they are. Locally have heard of great horned owls taking lambs.
Coyotes put me out of the sheep and goat business. We have lost some calves over the years to coyotes and they are an ever present concern.Black headed buzzards are the the most problematic animal we have to worry about here right now. They are not merely just scavengers as the red headed turkey vultures are. The black headed ones are also predatory. It's a pretty bad thing to find the results of a coyote or buzzard kill on some of your animals. It's not a pleasant experience, and also a costly one.
 
Theres a place for all creatures round here.

Right next to the mashed potatoes and gravy.....

I dont hate all wildlife. Quite the opposite actually. I DO hate wildlife that kills my critters that I have inside a fence that have no choice but to rely on me to protect them from said predators!
 

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