Are ‘nuisance animals’ such a nuisance?
While the City of Minot continues to address the issue of nuisance animals – notably turkeys and deer – in city limits, a few questions remain unaddressed, or at least under-addressed.
Question one is whether or not the issue warrants such a focus from local government in the first place. That is, are “nuisance animals” such a nuisance? Has there been a massive increase in so-called “nuisance” animals? Has there been a notable uptick in the number of accidents revolving around said animals? Is the situation that much more hazardous than in years past?
We live in relative harmony in North Dakota with animals. The reality is that five minutes out of town, on any given day, we can encounter “nuisance animals.” Are they that much more a nuisance a couple of miles outside of town, where speed limits are higher, than they are in town, when speed is kept more under control?
Is this a safety issue or one in which people can channel their personal opinions on hunting in general?
To date, authorities have not been able to come up with a solution to this “problem.” Perhaps that is because it is less a problem than it is a fact of life when living in our part of the country.
Natural forces drive more typically wild animals into more typically urban spaces. We’ve learned to live with variations in the environment and so too have animals. It makes more sense to simply accept this reality than to tax ourselves on how to mitigate for natural occurences.
Perhaps city leaders will find a way to address what some people see as a challenge in this area. Or perhaps not. Perhaps the issue is us really accepting that we are part of that enviornment too, and accepting the ramfications.
WIldlife deserves a certain degree of respect and care, whether it manifests itself alongside a rural highway or here in town.
Before we decide on drastic action, perhaps we should recognize our own role in the natural environment and govern ourselves accordingly.