The Djkimmel Nature Preserve

[djkimmel]

I keep wondering if it would be easier to declare my yard, in the city of Lansing, to be a nature preserve rather than trying to mow all of it, especially when Lake D and Lake J are still filled near full pool in my back yard. My neighbor has actually been doing the mowing lately because he borrows my big mower to do both yards, when the lakes dry up in the back anyway. They are back at full pool again after almost going away.

I have woodchucks, ducks swimming around this time of year, racoons, opossum, squirrels, voles, mice, a family of noisy and fast shrews, moles, toads, and more rabbits than you can shake a stick at. Neighbor 'found' these little fellers right behind the garage this weekend (one fell victim to the evil mower):


As of tonight, 5 of the 7 are still alive, but the runt had a very rough day during the storms. Don't know if she'll make it. Mommy is still sitting on them at night, but they are in a bad spot so I don't know...

My other neighbor isn't real happy. He says we have too many already for his garden to have a chance this year.

[McCarter]

Pike bait?

McCarter himself

[Durand Dan]

I'm telling PETA you said that!!

[motocross269]

Alot of critters are moving to the city.  I guess they have everything they need in town.  We are having a real Coyote problem in our area. 
I live in the village of Almont on the North branch of the Clinton river.  It is basically a large creek behind my house.  I see more critters looking out my back windows than I ever see when I am hunting.  I had a nice buck 6-8 point bedding down in the swail on the other side of the river all last November.  When I first moved in the neighbor lady told me we had a family of River otters living in the creek.  I was like yeah right , probably muskrats.  Well sure enough they were river otters.  In my 30 plus years of hunting in the UP and all over michigan I have never seen an otter until I moved north of Detroit.  Go figure.  It shows you what happens with Urban Sprawl.

[stackenem]

PETA = pike eating tasty animals

[cameraguy]

Uhhh, what are they?  Looks like poop with ears.

[JCOOPER]

They look like baby  EWOK's to me!

[djkimmel]

Let's just say... one of them may grow up to be the Easter Bunny some day...

Unfortunately, things are pretty tough in the real world. The runt got a little better and made it one more day. Barely. But two other's died. Then the runt did die. It had looked like 4 of them got bigger and stronger, so I don't know what was knocking them off other than the runt probably just didn't get its share.

There were only 2 left and one looked like it was getting bigger faster, and more active. Later that day, the slower one was barely moving and acting real weak. Obviously behind now in development and passed up in size. It was dead the next morning. Just the one baby left, now with open eyes and looking more like a miniature bunny, than a little baby.

It could hop around the nest area pretty good. When I checked last night, only the last dead one was left. No sign of the last survivor or Mom. Mom either carried the last one away, or the last one hopped off into the wilder parts of the yard. I did hear some rustling, but couldn't see what it was.

I work in Flint and we have our building at the end of a long block pseudo-road. There's one stretch of brush and trees behind our building between the next patch of 'city.' We get deer in there all the time, sometimes in herds. I actually had 4 run beside my car as I was leaving one night.

Of course, where I should turn to head towards the main road, they cut me off, running right in front of me.

We also have the biggest red fox I've ever seen - he looks pretty old somehow - hanging out in the same patch of woods and brush. I'm surprised how much lives in this small oasis. One night, the old fox was just sitting in the open about 30 feet in front of my car - just watching me.

There's a family of fox at Harley Ensign - I've seen the young trotting through the parking lot in the morning several times in the past. Another place that seems to have a lot of them is the Raisin River in Monroe.

[McCarter]

Uhhh, what are they?  Looks like poop with ears.

That is the funniest thing i have ever heard.  I feel like i owe you money now!

McCarter himself

[djkimmel]

He would probably take money from you if you send it... you know what. Just pass it along to me and I'll give it to him next time we go fishing in his boat.

[djkimmel]

More of the wildlife that can be enjoyed in my back yard in Lansing (maybe I could charge admission??):



Closer


They're traipsing through (and eating bugs or something) what is left of drying Lake D. Lake J is where they usually spend their time, but both lakes are already drying up again after that last big rain. Turning into wetlands now, I guess. Looks like the ducks have now flown the pothole. The drakes fly over in the evening checking on the status of the 'lakes' I guess, or maybe looking for chicks... I mean, hens. They announce themselves with the quack... quack... quack... or a searching drake.

[SODY]

DJ i could not believe my bloodshot eyes last year at Harley ensign, Jazzy girl and I were fishing a tournament in June and out pops a skunk, then a possum, then I notice a duck Hunter (Still don't have an answer) Special HUNT? Just Practice? Right there on the point next to God, DNR and all!!

Then the Foxes oh my God one, two, three, four, FIVE Red's. All in the lot at the same time.

Then I noticed the real animals.....My fishing partners. 

[djkimmel]

Yeah - the foxes where pretty funny. The one morning standing there talking to Wayne and two foxes trot by kind of looking at us nervously and maybe expectantly at the same time. Then there was the early goose hunt or late goose hunt or whatever it was... I forget. One was right off the edge of the parking lot where I'd parked the car to meet a fishing partner.

When that goose cannon went off only 50 feet away completely unexpectedly, I about had poop with ears in my drawers!! I was not awake before that moment... but after that moment, I was definitely awake albeit with a heart thumping so hard I thought I might become instant coyote carrion after keeling over due to heart fright!

Turned out those 'geese' I saw just off the side of the Harley parking lot were actually fake geese. Sometimes you have to look a little closer even if you didn't know about the way early/late hunt.

I guess the foxes had a den right under that Lands End Marina or one of those last marinas before the ramp. The nice MDNR lady there (she is always very nice to me) said the owner had cemented the den in, but apparently the babies (kits) grew up anyway last year. They run out to the 'wild' brush every day near the tip of the Clinton River.