[reformedliberal]

Too many dogs and cats in this country any ways. Kittens are great until they grow up, get loose, go feral, have tons of kittens, and wipe out every bird, rabbit, etc in the area. I hate them.

Dogs are the same way. Except that the dogs pack up and then - they.come.after.you.

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Where do you live?

I have lived in the country for nearly 40 years. We have feral cats. We also have tons and tons of all sorts of birds, rabbits and assorted other critters, some of them plain vermin. No matter how many baby bunnies the dogs eat, somehow, my driveway is still full of them every summer evening and my garden is raided, as well. Probably, we feed the dogs too well. Only the beagle would always chase any rabbit he saw.

We have a large Amish population, too. Some breed dogs. The animal control people and the vets think there are more looses, abandoned dogs from the *English* breeders than from the Amish.

I have had more visits from the neighbors’ cows than from a feral dog pack. However, the very few dog packs are really domesticated dogs that run away and then join up in a pack. Some are home at night and running wild during the day. They are far less dangerous and less of a nuisance than the coyotes. Usually, just yelling and telling them to “Go home” works well. The sight of a gun and a shot over their heads will do it, too. Most dogs hate the smell of gunpowder and the shots hurt their ears.

Even though everyone hunts, I have nearly been run down by romping pairs of yearling deer while berry picking. A neighbor no longer goes berry picking, because her last time included a bear encounter. These can be more dangerous to humans than any other animal, including the coyote packs.

As for feral kittens, most don’t survive. The hawks and owls are always looking for a snack and if they don’t get them, coyotes do. Some “feral” cats have homes, but go out bumming when they can. The cats do a good job of keeping mice and vole populations down, as do some breeds of dog.

I wonder if the lead dog in your story sensed your intentions and that is why he challenged you?

[MeOnTheBeach]

We have feral cats. We also have tons and tons of all sorts of birds, rabbits and assorted other critters, some of them plain vermin.

The moles are the worst. They eat the root off everything. Especially when they get in a flower bed.

No matter how many baby bunnies the dogs eat, somehow, my driveway is still full of them every summer evening and my garden is raided,

I enjoy them. The issue I have is that feral cats is they are an introduced animal. Linx and the fox are welcome to sniff around all they want.

When I find song birds dead in the yard I get pissed. But that's a rare occasion anymore.

I have had more visits from the neighbors’ cows than from a feral dog pack.

Yup! hahah!

However, the very few dog packs are really domesticated dogs that run away and then join up in a pack.

Agreed. In the instance that I described, the dogs circled me, one dog at each point on the compass. A lab at north and a rottweiler at south. The other two were just a couple mutts that didn't amount to much. Every time I turned to face the rot, the lab would "gruff, growl, and huff". It was very clear what he was doing, keeping my attention, while the rottie moved in from behind. It was the creepiest thing I've ever felt. Like I was in one of those wild life shows...

I ran at the lab with the hoe raised and yelled... and he stood his ground... I was like, what the...???

Now here's the rest of the story... I had my SUV near by and had left one of the doors open. I turned back to look for the rottweiler and he was gone. That's when the lab lost his nerve and ran away with the other dogs.

That rottweiler had seen my open door and something triggered in her...time for a ride...it jumped in and went to the very back seat of my SUV.

I had to call the sheriff's office to send a deputy to get the dog out of my vehicle. The deputy tried to get the dog out but decided it was hostile and called county animal control. Which took nearly an hour to get out to my place.

A neighbor no longer goes berry picking, because her last time included a bear encounter. These can be more dangerous to humans than any other animal, including the coyote packs.

That's always a concern of course. Coyote's can be dangerous. I'm more concerned for rabid raccoons, though. Raccoons in general are vermin.

Friend of mine has a farm out in Colorado. He has a canal running with in 100 feet of his house. His big concern is beaver. Beaver come up the water way and chew through the trees near his house. He's had to put chicken wire all around the trees. He says they can down a large tree in a single night and drop it right through your house. When one dropped a dropped a tree through his garage one night, he started shooting them.