Woods & Water by Dick Herfindahl

As I sit here writing my column, the weather is sunny and the wind, surprisingly, is not blowing like it has been for the last week. With the onset of winter, we’ve had to make some adjustments in our driving, at least most of us have done so. It’s amazing how some folks seem oblivious to the fact that ice and snow can make for treacherous driving and don’t slow down. These are the same folks that will go flying by you on the highway one minute and end up sitting in the ditch a few miles down the road.

Those steady winds that we have been experiencing have kept the lakes from freezing over, even with the cold temperatures. Don’t worry though, we will have ice soon enough.

That little sprinkling of snow that we have covering the ground has kind of put me into the spirit of the season. That season is winter and when it arrives everything around us takes on new meaning for me. The bird feeders that I have outside my front window are still active with Purple Finches, Black-Capped Chickadees and Nuthatches. I always enjoy watching the birds feeding and with my squirrel-free feeders; I get to be entertained by an occasional bushy-tailed rodent trying to solve the puzzle of the feeder. They have about the same luck that I used to have when trying to master the infamous Rubik’s Cube. It can be pretty hilarious watching them and if you get the feeling that I have become a little sinister when it comes to squirrels, you may be right.

They have over time destroyed more than one of my feeders and have gotten into my garage, which is not squirrel proof by any means. Those mischievous little rodents have knocked things off shelves and hidden walnuts in places I wouldn’t think to look. Don’t get me wrong, they are fascinating creatures and I do enjoy watching them as long as they have no way of entering my home or cabin, emptying my feeders or breaking my stuff.

I spend quite a lot of time at the City Arena, whether it be coaching hockey or working, and over the course of the fall I have seen quite a few deer. I almost hit one the other night as it ran across the highway in front of me. I have, on more than one occasion, left the arena and had a few of them cross in front of me or stand by the side of the road and watch as I drove past. I always find it fascinating to see animals in the wild this close to the city or at times in the city.

With the milder winters that we have been experiencing the last couple of years, there seems to be many more deer around. I love taking a drive in the country and seeing critters in their natural habitat. I am sure that this goes back to my childhood days when I was roaming the slough between Goose Lake and Bridge Avenue and also on the West side. I would look for signs of critter tracks in the snow and try to identify what had made them.

Today, there is still plenty of wildlife around, but one critter that is more prevalent today is the coyote. It seems that the varmint population has skyrocketed, and it also seems likely that it could be one of the main reasons for the decline of the area’s pheasant population. As they become adjusted to being around humans they also become brave enough to venture close to buildings on acreages and farms looking for an easy meal.

Most coyotes avoid people and domestic animals, but occasionally they will kill sheep, turkeys, and calves. They may also raid garbage cans, and kill domestic cats and small dogs. Healthy wild coyotes avoid people, and no attacks have ever occurred in Minnesota. However, attacks by urban coyotes have been reported in other states. Experts believe these attacks occur after a coyote has become accustomed to humans, or after being fed by humans. I don’t know what person with any sense would feed a coyote in the first place.

If depredation occurs or aggressive coyote behavior is observed, removal of the coyotes may be necessary. Coyotes are unprotected in Minnesota, and may be taken at any time by shooting or trapping, without a license or permit.

Until next time: The small game season is still open and bow hunting for deer runs until the end of the month. Be careful when venturing out on new ice and above all be safe.

Please take some time to honor those who have sacrificed so much for the freedoms we enjoy today. Also, take a little extra time to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, those who served and those troops serving today.