Author Topic: The Agony and the Ecstasy of living with wildlife (Read 1127 times)

louis · « **on:** July 16, 2009, 05:08:07 PM »

As most of you know, i lost all my fish, at least 2 hundred of them to minks last summer. I do not have one fish left, not one. I live on a lake and expect to fight the wildlife, but I am waving my white flag. a friend who lives miles away from the lake and its hungry inhabitants, started a big pond about 12 years ago and i supplied him with nice fish and he then had an accumulation of about 100 nice, over 8 inch koi and goldfish. last week a combined effort by heron and mink cleaned him out in two days before he had a chance to realize what was going on.

Now that i have no fish, i have a wonderful accumulation of money bugs and zillions of tadpoles and tons of string algae for the first time. so i decided to treat the pond with potassium permanganate for the algae. i saw a post by joyce on the dosage and went to the pond to pour it in when i saw little tadpoles looking at me. my heart melted, i knew that the PP would kill them all. so i will live with the algae and enjoy the tadpoles.

I guess if you cant fight them, join them.

louis

Kittyzee · « **Reply #1 on:** July 16, 2009, 05:15:01 PM »

Aw louis, that story melted my heart. Creation sings because of people like you.

Vickie · « **Reply #2 on:** July 16, 2009, 05:33:29 PM »

Thank God for people like you.

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #3 on:** July 16, 2009, 05:43:12 PM »

Quote

i lost all my fish, at least 2 hundred of them to minks last summer

Oh, I forgot about this horrible incident somehow. How sad for you and your friend this year. I also like that you can live with the algae to save the frogs. They lucked out.

Julles · « **Reply #4 on:** July 16, 2009, 11:01:39 PM »

My kind of guy!!

Kat · « **Reply #5 on:** July 17, 2009, 01:46:44 AM »

Thank you for being kind to the tadpoles & I feed mine well. It is fun to see their legs grow & to see them hanging around on the lily pads. That is so sad about even more fish being gone by another mink & heron. Herons at least you can try to prevent them from getting fish but I couldn't imagine dealing with a mink.

louis · « **Reply #6 on:** July 17, 2009, 05:58:08 AM »

Quote from: Kat on July 17, 2009, 01:46:44 AM

I couldn't imagine dealing with a mink.

hi kat, its impossible to deal with them. i have relocated many but they breed like, well they breed like mink

louis

SueSTx · « **Reply #7 on:** July 17, 2009, 07:31:26 PM »

I really do love the wildlife and I even feed them, BUT I hate it when they help themselves. I have a humane trap out now for the Raccon that is eying my sweet corn patch. I hope to relocate him in the morning.