Maintaining safe relationships with cabin buddies
Cynthia Leslie
One of the joys of cabin living is proximity to amazing animals. Observing the
behavior of raccoons, foxes, deer, bear, moose, and other wildlife can be great
fun! However, you'll want to ensure that your fascination with furry friends
doesn't jeopardize the safety of your family and pets.
Your main concern is food sources: bird feeders, pet foods, garbage cans,
compost heaps, and leftovers from picnics and barbeques. All of these are of
great interest to animals that have no business coming close to your cabin.
For example, black bears are vegetarians, and they love bird seed. If your
cabin is in black-bear country, it's okay to keep your bird feeders out during
winter, when the bears are hibernating -- but for safety's sake, take them
inside during the warmer months.
Store pet foods inside, and feed your pets inside, if possible. If you really
must feed pets outside, don't leave extra food in the bowl.
Keep lids on your garbage cans, and take the garbage to the dump or landfill
on a regular basis.
If you have a compost heap, fence it in.
Don't leave food outside after a picnic or barbeque.
Last but not least: Don't train wild animals to take food from your hand!
Cynthia Leslie is a freelance writer with a background in the IT sector.
After two decades as a technology writer, Cynthia relocated from a suburban
Massachusetts community to the wilds of Maine. Cynthia's move to Maine was the
impetus for her foray into non-technical writing. Of particular interest to
Cynthia are projects related to ecology, the logging industry, land conservation
and country living. Cynthia works from her home office on the outskirts of a
tiny town in far-northern Maine where her creativity is fueled by magnificent
mountain views and cute critters. Learn more about Cynthia by visiting her Web
site, www.YourMaineWriter.com.
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