Wisconsin: Officials: No bird feeders in summer - Wildlife Gardeners

Staff · 07-01-2009, 05:19 PM

Wisconsin: Officials: No bird feeders in summer
The Associated Press
Monday, June 29, 2009

TH - Iowa-Illinois-Wisconsin Article
excerpt from above:

Quote:

SPOONER, Wis. -- Do you enjoy watching the birds at your backyard feeder? State wildlife officials would like to nix the feeders during the summer.

Quote:

The DNR says birds and other animals can forage for themselves in the summer. If people insist on feeders, they should be on strong poles at least 8 feet high.

fishlkmich · 07-01-2009, 05:52 PM

Quote:

The Department of Natural Resources says some feeders can kill other wildlife such as raccoons and skunks and even bear cubs.

The agency points to two cases in northwestern Wisconsin where bear cubs got their heads stuck while searching for food. In both cases, the bears were freed.

So, the bears are OK. I don't have any bears in my yard, anyway.

Raccoons are a MAJOR problem everywhere, ever since PETA reduced the price of fur and put trappers out of business. Their population has gone unchecked because they are not only free from trapping, but their natural predators are on the decrease. This has caused a MAJOR problem for our reptiles. Frogs, snakes, turtles . . . are all being eaten alive and populations are decreasing because of the raccoon population explosion. I attended a Michigan Wildlife Action Plan workshop and one of the conclusions reached was to institute a bounty on raccoons. A herpetologist stated that he has little to study because of the huge raccoon population. By Michigan law I am allowed to trap raccoon on my land 365 days a year, without a license. I do.

Skunks? Somebody wants me to stop feeding birds because it could harm a skunk? Eat my black oil sunflower seed husks!

I'll take down my feeders when I'm too old to fill them. On second thought, I'll hire the job out until I die. I watched the cardinals bring their young in to feed for the past two days. The rose breasted grosbeak and orioles look pretty good in my yard. Maybe these jokers have a yard full of house sparrows and starlings. If so, they SHOULD take down their feeders, permanently!

trillium · 07-01-2009, 06:28 PM

I don't think I can comment on this without getting too political. Let's just say I think the DNR has alot more to worry about in this state than a few bears at birdfeeders. Like maybe doing something about a bear population in excess of 30,000??!!! Yet it took me 9 years to get a bear tag in my own state???? hmm yeah, get rid of birdfeedsers, THAT will help the bear situation alot. Not like there isn't about 10 ton of bear bait in the woods, including federal public land, right now. But oh, boy THAT is perfectly legal. Yeah, birdfeeders are definately the problem!

joepyeweed · 07-01-2009, 08:31 PM

I think the point is that bird feeders are feeding more than birds... like raccoons, deer et al.

My mom (who lives in Wi) brings all of her feeders indoors at night, else she has terrible wildlife destruction... deer, coons, ground hogs..

Equilibrium · 07-01-2009, 09:16 PM

"This has caused a MAJOR problem for our reptiles. Frogs, snakes, turtles . . . are all being eaten alive and populations are decreasing because of the raccoon population explosion." It's not JUST the raccoons. It's cats too. At least the raccoons eat what they kill. Not so with fluffies. Wisconsin missed allowing fluffies to be hunted by a slim margin. Maybe next time. I'm going to continue feeding the birds. I bleach my feeders and birdbaths. I offer high quality seeds and suets in winter. My husband likes watching the birds. Check this out, http://www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com/nbf_dynamics.pdf

joepyeweed · 07-02-2009, 09:08 AM

IN the past, I've talked about not feeding birds in the summer with my great ornithologist friend (who passed away last fall), and he said a few things that I always remember.... He said to keep in mind that feeding birds is more about pleasing yourself, than pleasing the bird. You are doing it to bring them in close for easy viewing. And he said that he didn't think it was ecologically harmful to the birds, as it can help compensate for the significant loss of habitat. He noted that we have screwed up the ecology so much, that feeding birds isn't going to make it any worse.

At that time we didn't talk about how bird feeders were feeding other animals, but I can see how that is becoming a problem.

trillium · 07-02-2009, 09:19 AM

I guess I just live with the coons, squirrels, deer et cet. They belong here too. Why should I be mad when they break a feeder? Preferring the birds over the other critters is speciesism. I say live and let live ( or be eaten)Why not just outlaw the flipper style battery operated feeders that can be a hazard? I'm sorry, but this is the dumbest thing I have heard in a state where we have alot more problems in regards to wildlife and natural resources than birdfeeders. Are they gonna make the bear baiters stop? No, of course not.

07-01-2009, 09:16 PM	#5
Equilibrium Official Plant Nerd Join Date: Dec 2008	"This has caused a MAJOR problem for our reptiles. Frogs, snakes, turtles . . . are all being eaten alive and populations are decreasing because of the raccoon population explosion." It's not JUST the raccoons. It's cats too. At least the raccoons eat what they kill. Not so with fluffies. Wisconsin missed allowing fluffies to be hunted by a slim margin. Maybe next time. I'm going to continue feeding the birds. I bleach my feeders and birdbaths. I offer high quality seeds and suets in winter. My husband likes watching the birds. Check this out, http://www.shawcreekbirdsupply.com/nbf_dynamics.pdf __________________ "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind." - Dr. Seuss

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07-01-2009, 06:28 PM	#3
trillium Grub Join Date: May 2009	I don't think I can comment on this without getting too political. Let's just say I think the DNR has alot more to worry about in this state than a few bears at birdfeeders. Like maybe doing something about a bear population in excess of 30,000??!!! Yet it took me 9 years to get a bear tag in my own state???? hmm yeah, get rid of birdfeedsers, THAT will help the bear situation alot. Not like there isn't about 10 ton of bear bait in the woods, including federal public land, right now. But oh, boy THAT is perfectly legal. Yeah, birdfeeders are definately the problem!

07-01-2009, 08:31 PM	#4
joepyeweed Heron Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central Illinois	I think the point is that bird feeders are feeding more than birds... like raccoons, deer et al. My mom (who lives in Wi) brings all of her feeders indoors at night, else she has terrible wildlife destruction... deer, coons, ground hogs..

07-02-2009, 09:08 AM	#6
joepyeweed Heron Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Central Illinois	IN the past, I've talked about not feeding birds in the summer with my great ornithologist friend (who passed away last fall), and he said a few things that I always remember.... He said to keep in mind that feeding birds is more about pleasing yourself, than pleasing the bird. You are doing it to bring them in close for easy viewing. And he said that he didn't think it was ecologically harmful to the birds, as it can help compensate for the significant loss of habitat. He noted that we have screwed up the ecology so much, that feeding birds isn't going to make it any worse. At that time we didn't talk about how bird feeders were feeding other animals, but I can see how that is becoming a problem.

07-02-2009, 09:19 AM	#7
trillium Grub Join Date: May 2009	I guess I just live with the coons, squirrels, deer et cet. They belong here too. Why should I be mad when they break a feeder? Preferring the birds over the other critters is speciesism. I say live and let live ( or be eaten)Why not just outlaw the flipper style battery operated feeders that can be a hazard? I'm sorry, but this is the dumbest thing I have heard in a state where we have alot more problems in regards to wildlife and natural resources than birdfeeders. Are they gonna make the bear baiters stop? No, of course not.