Site Discussions

Hi Natalya, I’m so sorry to hear about your birds. Yes, weasels will kill poultry though I don’t know if that was your perpetrator. I know this will come as cold comfort, but there are at least a couple possible reasons for these types of massacres, that have to do with predatory impulses in a setting weasels don’t naturally encounter (chicken yard). I encourage you to check out the comments section of “Weasel Evil Knievels” if you want more information on that.

I heard last week that Joe passed away in late September. I met him for this story—which is to say I was just a writer who showed up at his door. His studio was this wild place, full of whimsy and art. I asked if I could bring my partner’s then 10-year-old son to see the place that weekend, and Joe not only said yes, but insisted that we share a meal together, which we did. Joe was a talented man, but more importantly he was a good man.

Phoebe weight is six tenths of an ounce. Very interesting article though. Thank you.

Wonderful article! For many years I have noticed a tobacco smoke smell in areas near Beaver activity. I always thought that another hiker or hunter was smoking in the vicinity. Finally I understand!

Are weasels known to eat poultry? My heart is broken - all of my 21 quails were massacred overnight. I kept my quail in the cage and this morning I discovered one side of the chicken wire was ripped off and half of the quail are missing and the rest are dead. We live in the city and I never saw one within the city limits.

In general, Sue, it’s just a bad idea to feed wild animals. It makes them dependent, vulnerable, can make them sick. A better way to help the turkeys out is to manage the forest and fields in a way that supports them. There are a lot of resources out there where you can learn more about turkey habitat requirements. You might start with the State of Vermont’s “Wildlife Habitat Management for Lands in Vermont.”

I have morning doves on my patio it’s October should I stop feeding them so that they can fly south?

Debra Kearney, it may be a Luna moth caterpillar. I see light green ones. (?)

Can you feed turkeys in the winter by spreading scratches on the ground where they may be around?  Feel really sorry for them in the winter.

True that sap wood can be distinguished from heart wood by its lighter color, but at what age of the tree does sap wood start converting into heart wood?

Understanding carbon creation and storage is still a science in infancy, as this study helps to show.  The consequences of radical fuel plans are easy to understand (wind turbines and bird mortality for example), but real understanding of the current apparent warming of the earth is yet elusive.  We should be cautious putting limitations on energy use, as at its hear, carbon generation directly correlates with a higher standard of living.  Something people will need a very good and clear reason to forego.

Dave- Your writings speak to the soul of life on the land truly lived. I wish we were neighbors.

Chas Salmon
Raven Ridge Farm
Enosburg, Vt.

You have answered a question I’ve had for some time, “What is that bird I hear in the fall but never can seem to see?”  The second I read this article I had my answer!  Thank you.

I´ve long known the American way of burying and funerals is all about an industry to make money for them and for the church.

I´d like to `shed the body´ out there somewhere with an acorn in my navel. Thus, hoping to start and grow a mighty oak!

I have been seeing an opossum/possum out on lawn under apple tree after dark. I was unaware they came this far north.

Thanks for mentioning the menthol smell of the black spruce, I was perplexed as to what tree I had been looking at.

As a hiking trail maintainer in the New Hampshire mountains, hobblebush is the bane of our work.  On neglected trails in the deep forest woods, it grows unrestriced in and around trails previously cleared.  We spent an entire day clearing 1.5 miles of hobblebush.  The trunks we large, as much as one inch, and the plants were tall, about 8 feet.  We learned a lot about how to quickly rremove hundreds of them, though the reader of this article will want to do the opposite.  They are strong.  Once mature, they resist puliing, cutting, and quickly can right themselves even after being stepped on.  We have so many hobblebush on the trail that hikers complain it is difficult to find the trail.  Rightly so.

Fantastic article. Thank you for publishing.

I did not know any of the combinations and its such a blessing. I am afraid of creepy crawling things. But I saw the small green tiger swallow-tailed caterpillar and took pics of it and was so excited to find it was going to be a butterfly and was no longer afraid. In fact it is quite cute and looks more like a fish with big yellow eye. Thank you so much for sharing your gift. Enjoy your blessings.

Being from Jersey I can put your doubts to rest and confirm the Jersey Devils are in fact named for a real creature that lives in the Pine Barrens.  He may also occasionally be seen at the Great Swamp.  Any real Jerean can attest the Jersey Devil is alive and well and busy haunting our natural areas!