Should I worry about wild predators in WI? (Luck: home, to live)

[Capt. Dan]

The predators you need to worry most about show up just after 2:00am. They are usually spotted somewhere near a Pabst Blue Ribbon or Leinenkugle sign. They can be quite aggressive when they havent had their fill or found a "10" to take back to the lair!

[dreamhunter65]

If move near Eau Claire and have problems always get ahold of me will take out what I legally can for you.

[pearlsnspurs]

Originally Posted by dreamhunter65

If move near Eau Claire and have problems always get ahold of me will take out what I legally can for you.

We are actually hoping to move near Eau Claire. We are looking at Cadott, Boyceville, or a few other small surrounding towns. Thank you for the offer!

I really appreciate everyone's input! It has enlightened me a great deal and has made me a whole lot more comfortable moving there. I guess it's like with alligators.. don't go near the water and you won't have a problem.. if I don't go looking for trouble I probably won't have a problem up there either!

[dreamhunter65]

Cadott has many coyotes can hear at night but not see alot.
Just remember this area has many hunters who love to take out coyotes and great winter sport and running of dogs. So most wild critters up here are afraid of dogs because of this.

[ali&ajsmom]

Originally Posted by Hntr

There is nothing to worry about.

We have live and visited Central Wisconsin for forty years. I have seen two bears, two badgers and one coyote. The bears were beating a hasty retreat two seconds after they saw me. The coyote was a young pup that laid down out in the open by our deer feeder for about an hour. And the badgers never knew I was there.

We have a little Pom. I worry more about hawks, skunks, raccoons and possums than about larger predators. We do get the occasional raccoon near the house at night but again you crack that door open and they are gone.

Our Pom WAS attacked by a wild animal last year. He got bowled over and almost trampled, confused the heck out of him.

The culprit? A doe. We have deer in our backyard all the time. If there is a deer nearby we don't let the dog out. Once in awhile there might be a deer that we don't see and the dog chases them out of the immediate backyard. Of course the deer see him and they hightail it as fast as they can. He'll come back strutting like he's king of the hill.

On this occasion we didn't notice but there was a doe with a fawn next to the house. When we let him out he went after them. The doe took off but the little (few weeks old) fawn was confused and didn't run. The Pomeranian and the fawn are only a foot apart, the dog barking like crazy and the fawn just looking at him. The doe rushed in, and like Drover's car and the bear, t-bone the dog and sent him rolling. My wife is screaming at me to come call the dog because he isn't listening to her. The dog doesn't know whether to stand and fight or run. The doe charged him a couple of more times trying to get him with her front legs. He dodged and barked, looked at us, like "What do I do now? They ARE SUPPOSED TO RUN from me". Well the fawn took off after the doe's first charge. The dog and the doe dance around each a few more times. I finally called the dog in, and believe me, he was glad I called him back. Saved his pride, cause he was getting his butt kicked by a deer. The doe did a couple of circles around the yard looking for the fawn, couldn't find him. She almost came right up to the deck where we were, maybe within ten feet of us. She finally did a wide circle and must have picked up the fawn's scent so she ran off looking for him. The dog? He didn't have to go to the bathroom anymore.



You see? You have nothing to worry about.

I love your story it sounds like something my beagle would do my german shepard would have put up a good fight (she's around horsed all of the time so she is used to bigger hooves flying at her). I love the little dogs and their napolian syndrom (sp.)

[ekg56]

We also have a beagle. She once thought she could take on a skunk. She lost. And it took quite a bit of work to take the smell out.
I love the sound of coyotes. In a week or so we should hear the frogs peeping too. I love how that sounds.
Last week we took our dog out in the woods and she had a tick. Snow isn't all melted and the ticks are out.

[JoshB]

Last summer our Rat Terrier "Milo" thought he could take on Mr. Skunk as well, he lost. Milo came back to us stinking so bad. So I gave him a tomato bath and after that I told everyone he was sprayed by an Italian skunk. lol because he smelled like skunk still and tomato juice.

[Drover]

So how long does it take to get the smell of skunk juice off a dog anyway? What do you do in the meantime if (s)he's an indoor dog? Make him/her stay in the garage or something?

[mimberly]

From what I have read about the bugs in Florida it sounds like you need a gun to hunt those Palmetto bugs that from what I understand are like a 3 inch cockroach-- I'll take the wolf

[JoshB]

Originally Posted by Drover

So how long does it take to get the smell of skunk juice off a dog anyway? What do you do in the meantime if (s)he's an indoor dog? Make him/her stay in the garage or something?

Drover, I love my dog to much to do that. We just let him stay in the house.