Predators come in all shapes, forms, and sizes. Some have fur, feathers, or scales. Some of them walk upright among us. What exactly is a predator? As the name implies, they prey on a victim. Who doesn’t hum the theme to Jaws when stepping into the ocean? As soon as you enter the water, you become part of the food chain. Sharks are predators, we are the prey. When an animal preys upon another animal, it is usually not on a personal level, it’s to eat. Yes, sometimes dominance is involved. When humans prey on other humans, it’s all personal. The predator selected that victim for a particular reason. Your goal, dear reader, is to try not be that victim.
ANIMAL PREDATORS
Living in the woods and at times raising goats, geese, rabbits, and chickens, you are acutely aware of the food chain. Most of the animals we were raising were at the bottom of the food chain. The Nigerian dwarf goats required an electric fence. One day I came home and the goats ran to me as I was getting out of my car. I was stunned! They were fenced in with a heavy livestock fence that was electrified. I dicovered that a black bear had ripped a good section of the fence down, to get to a snack — my goats! Fortunately, none were hurt but the lesson learned was to not put too much faith in the electric fence. We were grateful the bear did not return, although, he would have made a nice rug.
Chickens fall prey to all kinds of animals, from aerial and ground assaults. The chicken coop is constantly being tweaked when a breach of security takes place. Weasels, fishers and skunks can all get in a small opening. They will also dig under and through the hen house flooring. Critter fence buried along the perimeter can deter them but always be on the watch. Knowing the sounds your hens make is useful. If you hear a ruckus that is above the norm, go check it out. The last time I did, I found a skunk inside stealing eggs. He ran out into the fenced-in hen yard and my husband got him. The first shot was right above his tail so he could not lift it and spray and the next shot was the kill shot. Even though he didn’t spray, he still stank!
To this day, I don’t know how he even got in but fortunately his relatives did not show up for his funeral. We built a wood frame around the chicken yard and covered it with chicken wire because of hawks and eagles. Most chickens run for cover quickly when a shadow passes overhead but one will get taken and eaten. A good-sized rooster will defend his flock. I have had roosters die defending the ladies against weasels. My husband shot a particularly destructive weasel. It had killed three hens and my rooster and he was going to die! I understand we all have to eat but please go somewhere else.
We had geese twice and there will be no third time. We let them wander in the front yard area and they were safe except at night. They did not like to go in their goose house and have the door closed. It was a big house, we had previously housed male goats in it so size wasn’t an issue. When the geese heard us coming to shut the door, they all ran outside. Any sound they heard, they ran outside. One goose got snatched up by an owl one evening. Another time they were sleeping outside under out bedroom window and a bobcat injured another. I was able to save her but she was in rough shape for a few weeks. After the bobcat attack, they let me close them in at night. The great geese experiment is over.
The rabbits were never outright attacked but I have seen raccoons hanging on the rabbit hutch and eating out of the rabbit feeders. The hutch was very sturdily (overbuilt) by my husband and the rabbits were always safe.
LIVE TRAPS
Live traps, like Havahart, come in many sizes. They even have humane traps small enough for mice or rats if you really feel bad about killing them. In my book, the only good mouse is a dead mouse. We have spend thousands of dollars fixing damage from mice in vehicle engines. You could make the argument that mice prey on your vehicle! Some wire insulation is now soy-based and really attractive to rodents. We place a bunch of traps under the car and several under the hood in early fall. Just make sure to take the traps out from under the hood before you go anywhere. Mice aren’t really predators but rats are and will eat baby chicks or kill a small chicken. They are also beyond disgusting. Don’t even get me started on the diseases rodents can carry!
Live traps are great for raccoons, groundhogs, fishers, skunks, and porcupines. We have an empty tuna fish can wired in and fill it with a bit of dry dog food. Works every time! I run out in the morning and check the live trap. It’s like opening a present on Christmas day, you never know what you will get! When you do get a critter in the trap, just throw an old blanket over it to keep it calm, place trap in back of your truck and drive 5 miles away to release it. We know of people who just kill the animal instead but unless it’s acting very aggressive, we just release it. Like I said, we all have to eat but do it elsewhere please.
We have a small fenced-in area right out of the back door for the dogs to use. They are safe from foxes and coyotes in the fence. I stand by when the Jack Russell is out there because a hawk, owl, or eagle could get her. She thinks she can kill anything but in reality, she is a perfect-size snack for a predator.
PREDATORS WHO TARGET CHILDREN
The worst type of predator is the human predator, especially the sickos that target kids. I hope there is a special place in hell for these predators. In this wonderful information age, the computer is the perfect tool for these sickos to meet their victims. Unfortunately, school is the second perfect place for predators. These pervs go on line in chat rooms, social media and gaming sites posing as kids/teenagers. The may start with some compliments to a child’s posts/blogs, photos or gaming abilities. Gradually they gain your children’s trust and start testing your child’s boundaries. I was raised before cell phones or computers were even a option yet I am amazed at the young age some children have cell phones. Parents, you know what you need to do to monitor your child’s online activity.
Sadly, I know of one young lady who made phony social media accounts to show her parents that she was not looking at anything harmful. She was really making soft porn films on a popular social media site using another account her parents knew nothing about. She was only caught by her parents when her mom noticed one of her “special” nighties was missing. The twelve-year-old daughter was wearing it and dancing and recording and uploading her videos! This is beyond sad. Young girls are especially flattered by comments about their looks and these pervs know how to push them further into doing stuff like photos and videos. Don’t ever think that your child is too smart to fall for this.
I hate to think that schools are now not a very safe place for children from sexual ideas and abuse. In my day we never had a male teacher that wore fake breasts and makeup, a women teacher with hair the color of a crayon, or a teacher who thought they were a unicorn or cat. Parents would not have allowed that. Your teachers were supposed to remind you of mom (or dad) and you could trust them as a child. I know there are still some wonderful teachers out there but when the main goal of the teacher is to teach your child how to have any form of sex or how to transgender, that is a predator. If they are pushing your child in transgendering behind your back, that makes them a predator also. Basic sex ed and biology (real biology, not the leftist biology that teaches men can have babies) should be taught in a respectful and factual manner. Your child should be taught how the human body really works. I know not everyone can home-school their children but be involved and monitor your children’s curricula and assignments. If allowed, you and other parents should sit in and see what exactly is being taught. If the teacher objects to parents observing, that tells you all you need to know about the agenda.
The drag queen storytellers are predators also. If they really were just reading stories to children just to be kind to children, they would not be in heels, makeup and look like a bad nightmare. They turned story hour into something sexual. If they truly had the children’s best interest at heart, they would be dressed like a normal person. When I was a kid, the parents in my neighborhood would not have allowed these drag queen story hours to even exist. Things have changed and we dropped out guard. We let the predators in.
PREDATORS WHO TARGET ADULTS
I am amazed at some of the emails I receive which are sent by predators trying to take my money. Some are so well written it’s easy to see how people are scammed. Older people not as computer savvy make excellent victims to these scam emails, especially the ones that claim to be from Social Security or Medicare. Medicare, Social Security, and the IRS will never e-mail you. Nor do most banks. It pays to have alerts pop-ups on phones or your e-mail account when your bank or credit card account is being used or accessed. Always put travel alerts on your credit card when you are traveling. Beware of credit card skimmers, which look like the real thing. Pay with cash as much as possible but beware of flashing cash as this will attract another type of predator.
I usually don’t carry much cash on me, I prefer to use a debit card for most household items. Once while in a big box store, I had cash to pay for my purchases. Two young men were in line right behind me just buying a pack of gum. Seriously, no one goes into Wally World and just buys one pack of gum. They saw me paying cash and got in line right behind me immediately. They started to follow me out of the store and I turned and told them they were stupid. I had already spent all my money and they were very obvious in what their motives were. They both turned away, down another aisle, in search of a new potential victim.
These types of predators look for victims of a certain type. A woman alone, a women with several kids, or older people. You really do need eyes in the back of your head. If you notice someone seems to be following you in the store, skip the next few aisles and see if they are still following you. If yes, go to customer service but not before snapping a pic with your cell phone. These phones do have some advantage, like instant camera or video features. Always look around the parking lot when heading back to your car. Likewise, look around before getting out also. Have your keys out and unlock your vehicle from 10 feet away. Load up quickly and do not leave your handbag sitting in the cart while you are doing this. All it takes is for you to be distracted for a second before your bag is gone. The same goes for leaving it in your cart while in the store. There are predators everywhere just waiting for you to be distracted for a second or two.
Use caution when talking to strangers. It is not normal for a stranger to start asking personal questions or saying anything other than a greeting or grousing about the weather. Too many people are victims because a predator spots their bumper stickers and uses that as leverage to engage you in a conversation. They make you feel safe by believing they have the same opinions, like the same political opponents, etc. Next thing you know you are telling them details, like where you live, or giving out your cell or email info. People generally aren’t looking to meet new friends in the grocery store parking lot.
So, dear readers, I am not suggesting you become overly paranoid but be aware. Be aware of your surroundings, and the people around you. Guard your privacy. If you see an older or disabled person struggling to load groceries or bags in their car, ask if they need a hand. Ask them from a respectful distance so as not to startle them. You may have to be a set of eyes for others who aren’t paying any attention to their surroundings or have their head in their cell phone. Nothing says: “I am not paying attention” like walking with your head down and face buried in your phone. I would like to believe the amount of good people outnumber the evil people but some days I am just not sure. Be safely aware, and may God bless you.