Critters everywhere

[tubeast]

Hmm... it literally depends on Your point of view:

Many people put bird seed to places that are in plain view, offering their guests little chance to pick up that food safely.
The "benefit": Nosy humans as well as hungry predators get easier access to cute little animals. As a bonus, You might get to see predators go after their food, which may be more entertaining to watch.

Bird seed might help little birds (and other animals) overcome tough times.
More little animals will in turn help bigger animals overcome tough times.
Looks like a win-win- Situation to me.

Quit feeding little birds at places where they´ll be forced to expose themselves in the open, if cleaning up after a hawk´s meal on Your porch is what bothers You.

[Three Valves]

I stopped putting out food when the field rats showed up.

[MaryAnn]

I am astonished that a four foot fence keeps out coyotes; maybe because it is chain link and they have nowhere to rest on top....but they easily and often go over six foot walls here and eat people's pets, including very large dogs. Gang up on them.

[MaryAnn]

Hmm... it literally depends on Your point of view:

Many people put bird seed to places that are in plain view, offering their guests little chance to pick up that food safely.
The "benefit": Nosy humans as well as hungry predators get easier access to cute little animals. As a bonus, You might get to see predators go after their food, which may be more entertaining to watch.

Bird seed might help little birds (and other animals) overcome tough times.
More little animals will in turn help bigger animals overcome tough times.
Looks like a win-win- Situation to me.

Quit feeding little birds at places where they´ll be forced to expose themselves in the open, if cleaning up after a hawk´s meal on Your porch is what bothers You.

The people down the street from my previous residence had a bird feeder in a tree. One day I walked by and saw a peregrine falcon sitting patiently in the tree just waiting for them to show. That neighborhood with its tall trees had a pretty substantial peregrine falcon population.

[tofu]

I am astonished that a four foot fence keeps out coyotes; maybe because it is chain link and they have nowhere to rest on top....but they easily and often go over six foot walls here and eat people's pets, including very large dogs. Gang up on them.

Yeah they clear the six foot fences here all the time. My back yard is 18,000 sq. feet and two of them cleared the fence and surrounded my 17.5 year old 35 pound dog. What they hadn't counted on was his pal Bobo sitting 8 feet off the ground on the second level of the brick/stone deck off my Florida room in the opposite corner. Bobo is 95 pounds of big fast flying muscle that sprung off that deck and hit the ground at lightning speed. Nobody but nobody messes with Bobo and all that is in his purview - except small children who can climb all over him for hours on end with no complaints on his part.

We're starting to see some of the bigger coyote/wolf mixes creep in the area. They are smart and very adaptable. I don't mind as they keep the rabbit/raccoon/opossum/rodent populations in check as it brings a natural top predator back in the mix. Before they showed up we were being overrun by these unchecked populations. People just have to stop being lazy and leaving pets out unattended.

[tubeast]

What You´re describing resembles a recent development all over Europe.
Wild animals increasingly learn to make use of civilization´s benefits in every way possible.
For over 100 Years, there have been neither wolves nor bears in what was left of Germany´s semi-wilderness.

Not so anymore:
Wolves have trickled back into well-populated areas and form considerable packs in decreasingly remote regions.

Wild pigs flock into our cities. Not just suburbs, parks and large cemetaries, but actually all-concrete downtown neighborhoods. These make clever and systematic use of our infrastructure: some hords of them have learned to cross busy autobahns at highway junctions and safely raise their offspring in those green areas surrounded by circular entrance ramps. No-one is going to disturb ´em there.

Reaction among humans ranges from fascination and pride all the way to downright fear (and, being German/European, a call out to officials to take "action" and "regulate" human-beast relations).