Wildlife in the suburbs

[BrianB]

There is a bear in our neighborhood! We live in a first-tier suburb of Mpls near a rail line / bicycle trail that has trees & brush lining both sides. We see deer often, and occasionally a coyote or fox, but this is a first for us! The eastern most sighting is just a couple of blocks from our home.

We’ll have to be careful when walking our daughter’s dog. The little pooch thinks she's able to take on anything, and would probably go after the bear.

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/05/10/expert-bear-seen-in-st-louis-park-likely-heading-to-minneapolis-chain-of-lakes

BrianB

 

[Winemaker]

We get occasional bear sightings here in SW PA, as this seems to be a good mix of suburbia and country. Many young bears leaving the den, searching for their own little Jellystone and pic-a-nic baskets.

 

[street]

Not an uncommon thing but small pets on leash's if walking them is important. The domestic pet will become aggressive towards the bear and then you have a problem. The bear is there because of food. In general, black bear and humans can live in harmony. All people in the area need to keep all food including bird feed and animal food in confinement.

 

[skyking1]

We had coyote singing in the neighborhood this morning.

 

[MRG]

We've encroached on wilderness for centuries and now restore habitat. They're just trying to have a decent life in the burbs. You know a 3/2 home with a decent comute.

We live on the edge of a national forest, bears are common, deer a nuisance, coyotes and bobcats always around, the occasional mountain lion makes sure you understand who is boss.

Seriously bear attacks on people are rare but bears love to find food in places. They're capable of opening unlocked car doors and destroying anything they find.

 

[Bamaman]

We have a place in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Everyone keeps a dog to watch for bears. They're scared of any little yappy dog with an aggressive personality.

One got my electric cooler one night. They sure like butter and bacon. Swatted with it's big paw and left holes in the cooler.

 

[JoeWras]

Deer just came and ate my pansies. They stand on the asphalt road, doesn't bother them. We have coyote too. They are keeping the chipmunk population down which had exploded.

Our big newbie are the bald eagles at the city lake a few hundred yards over. Yesterday, one of the eagles was soaring overhead.

Bears come through but never stay. In central NC, they haven't set up shop too much yet. The populations are east and west.

The wildlife mix has gotten much more diverse and plentiful in the 30 years I've lived here. Back then it was just deer and geese.

 

[Car-Guy]

Well we certainly don't live in any tier of the suburbs by anyone's definition (even in Texas) but no bears in this area of the country. We often see 15+ deer feeding within a 100 yards of our door. No dangerous critters, except some poisonous snakes, which aren't around long if I see them. Lot's of rabbits, armadillos, etc and even an occasional fox. I've heard folks say that there are gators down by the river but I've never seen one in the ~15 years I've lived here.

 

[Winemaker]

When we in Glacier NP, a few years back, the rangers and VRBO hosts warned us not to leave empty or partially empty coffee cups in car or around outside chairs /tables as bears can smell it for miles and seek it out.

 

[W2R]

We're in an urban inner suburb. I haven't heard of any bears spotted around here! Eek, that would scare me! Alligators and coyotes are seen now and then, and they are scary enough. Some people think the coyotes are chupacabras, but who knows. And then the usual nutria, squirrels, raccoons, possums, and so on, all of which are frequently seen in my back yard. Plus we have fish and shrimp in the Gulf or other waterways, and big birds like egrets, pelicans, ravens, and seagulls in our yards. Supposedly there are deer here but I've never seen one.

I get a big laugh out of prepper videos where they are telling people to move to rural areas so they can survive if grocery stores stop getting food. Those who hunt or fish probably would not starve here.

Louisiana black bears are on the endangered species list AFAIK, and not seen locally. Here's one of the white egrets I mentioned, photographed in the next door neighbor's front yard:

 

[brett]

We have deer on our street and in our yards quite often. Bobcats sometimes are in our yards-especially with new borns. No bears though there are some nearby.

Have not seen a coyote however our population of rabbits has declined greatly so I assume that they are here. We also see more and more of those 'lost cat'
notices placed on posts and mailboxes in our area!

 

[OldShooter]

Our back yard is the west bank of the Mississippi, so that's a nice wildlife corridor from the boonies into the city. Deer, fox, occasional possum, coyote, and racoon. Eagles nest on an island across the inner channel and often snack on fish while sitting in our oak trees. The biggest pain is the turkeys. Last year the flock was 19 birds parading through the back yard and driving the dog nuts. No bears that we are aware of, anyway.

 

[2HOTinPHX]

We are in Phoenix near South Mountain ina typical track home neighborhood and we hear and or see the occasional coyote and javalina in the neighborhood. Rabbit and quail visit or yards almost every day. We have heard and spotted great horned owls too.
The worse visitors are the occasional scorpions...ACK..in the house. Just the other day I was getting out of the shower and felt something on top of my big toe. I did have my glasses on yet. Thinking it was a small spider or something I instinctively flicked my foot to get it off. It turned out to be a [emoji889].... scorpion. So lucky I did not get stung. Times like that I so want outta here.

 

[street]

When we in Glacier NP, a few years back, the rangers and VRBO hosts warned us not to leave empty or partially empty coffee cups in car or around outside chairs /tables as bears can smell it for miles and seek it out.

Yep, bears have a nose like no other. Bears are in your neighborhood because of garbage and they can smell food.

 

[Montecfo]

We have a raccoon that regularly sleeps in one of our trees, a massive oak with a hollow branch.

Also we have owls that must nest nearby. They are definitely in my trees. Last night was a barred owl.

This is in suburban Washington DC but my setting is heavily wooded.

Edited to Add: Almost forgot hawks. If seen them harvesting squirrels from my yard.

Also deer including a fawn that thought our flower pots on front were some.type.od.colorful salad. Caught her on the porch gorging herself before she got spooked and went prancing down the street.

 

[Sunset]

Over the years, under our deck we have housed: raccoons, coyote with pups, groundhog, possum.
The gate is locked so keeps out the deer, which I've not seen in the yard, but have seen just down the street.
No bears.

Biggest nuisance is human critters at 2am testing car door locks, etc..

 

[Ronstar]

We have a lot of deer, and some foxes, raccoons and coyotes and some geese, ducks, heron, snakes and turtles because we live on a lake. Our town is considered a far suburb of Chicago but we are 5 miles out of town.

 

[Out-to-Lunch]

There is a county park along the Milwaukee River that is just a few hundred yards from my house. There is a guy that blogs his sightings at the park: https://signsoflifeinestabrookpark.net/2022/05/05/you-will-not-believe-the-afternoon-i-had/ He has reported coyotes, deer, bald eagle, many songbirds, etc.

I note that when *I* go there, I never see anything! (I think that is due to my lack of skilz! )

 

[jollystomper]

The main wildlife we have are squirrels and rabbits. The hawks and owls have figured this out, so they do not get too annoying. A couple of times a year I will see one munching on its kill or flying off with it. I have a bird feeder that squirrels used to try to get into until a hawk picked one off in the process. Word must have traveled on the squirrel grapevine, I haven't seem them try since then.

 

[Jerry1]

We live in suburbia. However, there are creeks near our house. We have too many deer (can’t hunt here). We also have all kinds of critters, coyote, fox, raccoon, opossum, rabbits, squirrels, ground hogs . . . We’ve also seen hawks, eagles and owls. Pretty cool for suburbia but frustrating that the bunnies and the deer eat our landscaping. Just when you think you’re going to see some flowers, like lilies, they come through and eat them all.

 

[ElizabethT]

We back up to a canyon, which ends at the ocean in fairly dense S. OC, CA. Our observed wildlife visitors to date are Coyote, rabbits, roadrunners, red tail and red shoulders hawk, great horned owl, woodpecker, squirrel, and Cooper hawk. And, alas, one baby rattlesnake.

A favorite past time is watching large groups of crows and raven go after a hawk that has ventured to close to a nest.

 

[aja8888]

North of Houston, Texas

We have snakes, coyotes, fox, deer, eagles, scavenger birds, BIG spiders, lizards, possums, tarantulas, squirrels, rats, mice, hawks, etc.

Did I mention BIG snakes?

This is Texas and I know I forgot a few species. We also have BIG rattlesnakes....and lots of them.

Don't move here...it's too dangerous.

 

[travelover]

We have a place in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Everyone keeps a dog to watch for bears. They're scared of any little yappy dog with an aggressive personality............

I recall being in an Alaskan campground and being amazed to see a black bear treed by two little 5 pound yappy dogs.

 

[eytonxav]

We have snakes, coyotes, fox, deer, eagles, scavenger birds, BIG spiders, lizards, possums, tarantulas, squirrels, rats, mice, hawks, etc.

Did I mention BIG snakes?

This is Texas and I know I forgot a few species. We also have BIG rattlesnakes....and lots of them.

Don't move here...it's too dangerous.

What, no bobcats, armadillos, or skunks? In my immediate area we have all of the above, but no deer or eagles. I miss living in the hills of Connecticut where the deer visited our backyard daily. Also lots of pheasants and wild turkeys.

 

[Rianne]

Champaign County, surrounded by corn/bean fields, has urban wildlife. We've seen fox multiple times, and deer tracks on our front lawn after snow (deer scat in our yard). My neighbor takes her dogs out @ midnight and hears coyote howls. We have 5 known eagle nests in our county. The problem is the lack of predators for the deer. There are so many in our forest preserves and parks.

When my DH plays golf, deer are a normal part of the day. They're not afraid of humans and wonder all over the golf course. I fear starvation and disease.