Mountain Lions In New Jersey (Wayne, Washington: house, live, dangerous)

[pixieshmoo]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

I could see "Ancient Indian Burying Ground Acres" springing up adjacent to it.

Or they could just name it Poltergeist

I don't know if I'm on track here or not but I'd just like to say this:

My dad was an outdoorsman, which included hunting. I've gone with him and I loved it (although even when I wasn't there, I don't think my dad actually ever caught/killed an animal...one pheasant maybe). He went more or less to be outdoors and he'd even go alone for the peace of the outdoors. Anyway, whether I disagree with it or not, it's irrelevant because it was time spent with him and it was a fun day in the fresh air. HOWEVER, what I do disagree with is that now-a-days, we have people who go off on an animal killing spree (such as that bear recently in the news). Hunting for pleasure or a simple day out is one thing(and it's your own d*mned business--especially when you come home empty handed) but to keep putting up homes and townhomes and condos and taking away the space that these animals need to thrive...and then complaining about them ending up in your yard, or in some tree in Hawthorne or Lyndhurst, and wanting to, or actually killing them makes me sick. How can you blame these animals???? They have NOWHERE ELSE TO GO?! We're taking away their homes because we NEEEED more townhomes...Bullsh*t. Take out all the illegal immigrants and I'm quite sure NJ would be spacious enough once again. Instead we take away natural space for wildlife, then we blame wildlife. We end up causing these animals death or domestication which only ruins them. I don't want deer or a bear in my yard eating food from the garbage. One, because it's not safe for my children and two, it's not safe for that animal to become dependent on my garbage can as a way for survival. Lastly, these idiots who complain that a bear mauled their child....first of all if a bear walked out of the woods and grabbed my child, you're d a m n skippy I'm gonna shoot the bear. But 9 out of 10 stories we hear about are a result of some stupid parent making the child try to feed the bear or stand there to take a picture with the bear in the background...well, ***** you because you just put your kid in danger...the bear was reacting on instinct. We're the a*ssholes, not the animals.

Thanks for letting me vent

[Phish Head]

right on Pixieshmoo, couldn't have said it better. Illegal immigration is killing this state, and destroying our open spaces as more of them keep coming here. Mountain lions have more right to be here than 3/4 of the people I see walking around downtown Freehold where I live.

[pixieshmoo]

Thanks! But you're right, these animals do have more of a right to be here (they didn't float over here on some boat or take a tunnel through Mexico to get here). Worse than that, the people who do come here sometimes act more like animals than anything....anyway, not to rant...I just don't agree with us causing extinction or harm to animals because of our obsession to keep building homes and strip malls. We really could do with a lot less than what we have.

[ProudCapMarine]

"We really could do with a lot less than what we have."

Who is going to start first? Few people want to stop the rat race. It's a GIMME Society.

[pixieshmoo]

I'm definitely not a "gimme" person. My husband and I don't own yet and when we do, it won't be some new townhome complex or anything of the sort. I'd actually like to live in Sussex County with a nice size property and a front porch and deck to watch nothing but wildlife and trees. That's pretty much all we want out of life along with watching our children grow up and old safely and happily. The end. I've gone to meetings in my old town to fight against townhome building (of course, they weren't taking away any land from animals, it was old hospital/doctors' grounds) but there was no need for another Target, Walmart or townhome complex. If people have land to build on, then maybe they should use it for schools or recreation, something that's going to keep kids off the street and let them still be kids....and I'm talking about open empty land, not taking away from and killing off nature to attain this. My husband and I were thinking of starting a petition around town when they had an empty building from an old A&P. We thought it would be nice for a recreation center or skating rink or something along those lines. However, by the time we found out and looked into it, they had already begun turning it into a pharmacy.

[ProudCapMarine]

"I'd actually like to live in Sussex County with a nice size property and a front porch and deck to watch nothing but wildlife and trees."

It's my wife and my dream too! Until we do get it, we drive on the secondary roads of the county. It's like a natural zoo...

[saralee]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

It's nice to see that there is still wildlife left in NJ.

We see LOTS of deer here in Somerset County. I also have (work) territories in Hunterdon and Warren counties where I come across lots of wildlife. Driving through Hunterdon and Warren, I usually feel like I missed the "Welcome to Pennsylvania" sign. I doubt many natives even know there are parts of New Jersey that look like that ...

I am also guessing that there are large parts of Cumberland County, and areas in Burlington that also offer rural scenery. So there is wildlife left for sure, maybe not as much as there should be but we have lots of deer going through our yard AND (unfortunately) trying to make it across 22 on a daily basis.

SL

[winnie]

I always tell people in Orange county (your neighbors to the north) that there were bear and mountain lions in Pike and Sussex counties.

Noone wants to believe me!

Mountain Lions are much more agressive than black bear. If you come into their general terrirory they very well might harass you. Especially if they have just taken a deer or are in their dens.

These woods up here NorthWest NJ, NEPA and through South Central NY were not made to go through unarmed and unaware. There are many dangers there. Cliffs, bogs, bear, cougars, coydogs, rattlers, and the like.. Even deer can be dangerous if caught in the wrong mood. I personally do not go into the woods here without an experienced woodsman familiar with the area we are going to visit. Even then I am on high alert!

Don't forget that we are going into hunting season and some people will shoot at anything that moves. That includes pigs, horses, dogs and even humans have been shot and killed.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by winnie

Don't forget that we are going into hunting season and some people will shoot at anything that moves. That includes pigs, horses, dogs and even humans have been shot and killed.

Cough...**** CHENEY....Cough!

[winnie]

Originally Posted by ScrantonWilkesBarre

Cough...**** CHENEY....Cough!

Somehow I knew that was coming..

If I see him in the woods round here I am going to a hotel for the winter!

Once saw a great dane tied to the top of a car with a deer tag on him. Car was headed down 17 back towards NYC/Jersey.