Every year we buy large quantities of black oil sunflower seeds for the birds. We do the same for the deer with sweet feed and corn. Then, there is the matter of water for all of them. We are in the middle of a 5 month drought and with two bird baths and a large stock water trough, up to 20 gallons of water each day are hosed into these vessels. The bird baths need an extra step of attention, as the raccoons visit the water, and as coons normally do, they must get into the water and mess it up badly. The bird baths require cleaning often. So, because of the drought, primarily, this has turned into a daily work and resource ritual.
In years past, we have had serious droughts in the summer and have done the same thing. Then, there is the time in the winter where it seems as if the food for wildlife is scarce, so we feed then as well.
But, we are always reminding ourselves that these are wild creatures and they have existed for a long time and without our help. In fact, they got to be as strong and resistant to drought effects because they didn't have our help.
When we observe the activity at the bird feeder, the birds compete actively with one another for a place at the feeder. We find that they also choose to live and raise families of birds by nesting close to the feeder.
As to the deer, they seem to have more smarts than the birds. Our observation is that if we normally fill the water tub and spread the feed at 5PM, then at 5:05 PM they show up to chow down and drink their fill of water. I am convinced that the deer lurk in the brush 50 feet away from the feed spot and as soon as they know the food and water are there and I have left the scene, they show up. They, too, drop their new fawns close to the house as they have judged that to be a safe place--just as the birds do with building their nests and raising their young near the house.
Another observation of both the birds, but especially of the deer is that they get rather nasty with each other in competition for the food. Some birds will chase others away from the feeder by flying at them only to find some other bird has taken their place at the feeder. Deer get more nasty than that, the dominant deer begin to fight other deer by raising up on their hind legs and doing battle with their front leg hoofs. Fighting over the rice bowl as has been said.
First Principle is that wild animals should not have any domesticating interface with us human beings. They are best developed naturally as wild creatures.
So, with all the work that feeding and watering requires and recognition of the First Principle, why are we doing this? There are two reasons. One is that we have a wildlife status to our agricultural tax status on the land we have here. Texas Parks and Wildlife (TP&W) has deemed that providing feed and water for wildlife during stressful times is one of the several ways to maintain a wildlife status on ones property. TP&W have their own paradox because they also urge people not to domesticate wildlife. The second reason is that we think, but we don't know, that we are doing some good for the species involved in the program. Everyone likes to "do good" and we judge this to be doing good. In light of the First Principle, it is not all that clear that we are doing good by feeding and watering, but the feel good aspect usually wins out over the First Principle. In other words, we are standing on the moral high ground by helping these poor animals during times of stress. Standing on the high ground, who would dare to question our ethics?
And then, there is the question of how all of this applies to people. But we won't get into that.
In years past, we have had serious droughts in the summer and have done the same thing. Then, there is the time in the winter where it seems as if the food for wildlife is scarce, so we feed then as well.
But, we are always reminding ourselves that these are wild creatures and they have existed for a long time and without our help. In fact, they got to be as strong and resistant to drought effects because they didn't have our help.
When we observe the activity at the bird feeder, the birds compete actively with one another for a place at the feeder. We find that they also choose to live and raise families of birds by nesting close to the feeder.
As to the deer, they seem to have more smarts than the birds. Our observation is that if we normally fill the water tub and spread the feed at 5PM, then at 5:05 PM they show up to chow down and drink their fill of water. I am convinced that the deer lurk in the brush 50 feet away from the feed spot and as soon as they know the food and water are there and I have left the scene, they show up. They, too, drop their new fawns close to the house as they have judged that to be a safe place--just as the birds do with building their nests and raising their young near the house.
Another observation of both the birds, but especially of the deer is that they get rather nasty with each other in competition for the food. Some birds will chase others away from the feeder by flying at them only to find some other bird has taken their place at the feeder. Deer get more nasty than that, the dominant deer begin to fight other deer by raising up on their hind legs and doing battle with their front leg hoofs. Fighting over the rice bowl as has been said.
First Principle is that wild animals should not have any domesticating interface with us human beings. They are best developed naturally as wild creatures.
So, with all the work that feeding and watering requires and recognition of the First Principle, why are we doing this? There are two reasons. One is that we have a wildlife status to our agricultural tax status on the land we have here. Texas Parks and Wildlife (TP&W) has deemed that providing feed and water for wildlife during stressful times is one of the several ways to maintain a wildlife status on ones property. TP&W have their own paradox because they also urge people not to domesticate wildlife. The second reason is that we think, but we don't know, that we are doing some good for the species involved in the program. Everyone likes to "do good" and we judge this to be doing good. In light of the First Principle, it is not all that clear that we are doing good by feeding and watering, but the feel good aspect usually wins out over the First Principle. In other words, we are standing on the moral high ground by helping these poor animals during times of stress. Standing on the high ground, who would dare to question our ethics?
And then, there is the question of how all of this applies to people. But we won't get into that.
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