Yep, most city dwellers just don’t get it. Being conservative and living in the country doesn’t mean I’m here to slaughter all the wildlife I find. I’m here because I love the wildlife and won’t kill any of it unless it threatens me. I don’t even hunt these days but I still love to get out in the woods.
Even here in my tiny town I like being able to look out and see wild turkeys in the neighbor’s yard or out front and find great blue or green herons perched in the willow over the water.
Most of the birds I watch and photograph wouldn't be here without gators, everything is linked.
There’s a spot that I pass while running that has tall swamp grass and I’ve heard a rattle a couple of times as I ran by. I know a rattle sound because I’ve stumbled upon rattelers when hunting out east years ago. Never seen a massasauga, seen lots of garter snakes though.