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urban dwellers

W

webfoot

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2008
Messages
1,744
Location
NE Oregon
As much as the urban dwelling people were scared of the idea that there might be a rattle snake in the yard I have to wonder. It has been nearly 7 years since I last killed one that was actually in the yard. But what would they think about a bear in the yard? Especially a sow with cubs. Like the one which lived here for about 6 weeks in late August and September. Or the pack of coyotes which pulled down and ate an entire deer one night in the back yard. Only happened once in the yard but 3 or 4 other times within 100 yards of the house. Or cougars killing deer less than 200 yards of the house. Or the wolf killing a couple calves about 200 yards from our front door. I guess it doesn't scare me because I have lived my entire life in the outdoors. And I learned a long time ago to be aware of my surroundings. Where as they live in their security and safety being surrounded by people in town. Personally I feel safer surrounded by wildlife than I do surrounded by unknown people.

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Don't get me started! Our place is in a very scenic mountain foothill valley. We have new neighbors that bought large ranches, kicked off the cows and renevated hay meadows for food plots for elk. They spend maybe two weeks out of the year on their recreation properties. We are left to contend with the damage to fences and hay meadows from the overflow of game from there. The wolves seem to be contented with just chasing the elk through our fences, so far we are unaware of much livestock losses from them so that's maybe kind of a positive... I guess!
A lot of random 20 to 40 acre parcels have sprouted houses and horse barns in the last few years. Montana allows the use of hounds for hunting bears during the Spring season. Houndsmen have taken an average of 4 or 5 big bears off the place each spring as well as at least 2 or 3 mountain lions during the winter. That definately shrinks our predation loses. Urbanites tend to raise a big fuss anytime they suspect that a hound has been anywhere near thier property making it difficult for houndsmen to run their dogs here now. The newcomers seem to want to transform the neighborhood into a big beautiful wildlife zoo just for their viewing pleasure! They don't spray their weeds or fix their fences and the nice people can't understand why this old codger seems grumpy!
Recently, grizzlies have been documented in the regeon. FWP put on a seminar in town that basically advised us to avoid the bears, lock our cattle up inside electric bear repellent fences and carry bear spray at all times. We have been struggling to make a modest living here for generations. Shouldn't that count for something?
 
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on't get me started! Our place is in a very scenic mountain foothill valley. We have new neighbors that bought large ranches, kicked off the cows and renevated hay meadows for food plots for elk. They spend maybe two weeks out of the year on their recreation properties. We are left to contend with the damage to fences and hay meadows from the overflow of game from there. The wolves seem to be contented with just chasing the elk through our fences, so far we are unaware of much livestock losses from them so that's maybe kind of a positive... I guess!

THAT JUST SUCKS!
After we sold our place in Mt the new owner had a bum calf they kept in the corral. Until...a wolf showed up
and killed the calf...which they saw happen. After a story in the paper, the truth came out. That area was a Wolf Recovery Area and NO ONE was told!!!!!!
 
Just about 3 sides of my place is bordered by BLM. That is good and bad. But at least I don't have to worry about some urban dweller buying it. What ranch land around here sold to outsiders has been purchased for them to hunt on. It still gets leased to ranchers to graze on.
 
Contact your local Appraisal districts and let them assess new tax rates to those people that are using their ranches for recreational purposes.Even if it doesn't change them,the county will have more money to spend on roads and things.

Their Ag exemptions should be taken away.
 
The state legislature changed the property tax laws to greatly raise the tax rate on "second homes" as a way to increase taxes on recreational property. Some were trying to define recreational property for tax purposes but I believe they were unable to come up with anything that wouldn't penalize real producers (such as resting the land due to drought) or be easily circumvented by recreational property owners with a token crop or a few cows. They proposed percentage of income from agriculture litmus tests etc, but never came up with a perfect solution. It's questionable whether more taxes would be much of a deterent since money is not an issue for people that can afford multimillion dollar properties just to go play on.
The FWP has been actively working to try to find ways to restore balance to the Elk numbers but as yet have not found an effective way to deal with private game refuges pumping out excess game animals. They have increased quotas, added longer hunting seasons and offered incentives for land owners to allow public hunting but the elk always have their safe refuge to retreat to when the hunting pressure starts. At least there is a consesses that there is a problem.
 

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