Free Range Chickens - and Coyotes...

Hidden Springs sits at the base of the the Boise foothills.  We are surrounded by thousands of acres of private and federal lands that are open and natural.  It's what makes it so beautiful and such a great place to live.  When people come into the Merc and tell me they are looking at homes here, or have just purchased a home, I always seem to say "You'll love it out here.  You'll never hear sirens, but you'll hear the coyotes instead."  I love the fact that we have coyotes, an occasional cougar, and bear that wander through our neighborhood.

When we first moved here, there weren't near as many houses as there are now.  One afternoon I looked out my window and saw two wolves in the open field below.  I loved it.  Adam and his friends would go down to the creek to play.  I knew that there were cougars and bears that had been spotted down there but having the creek so near by was just too awesome and I knew that more than likely, he would come home in one piece.

Today, we have free range chickens down at the barn. 



They're put in the hen house at night, but during the day, they're fair game for the hungry coyotes that lived here long before we took over their space.  Some of the residents are now fearful that these coyotes are dangerous and shouldn't be in the neighborhood.  That makes me sad because I have a feeling that it won't be long until Fish and Game is sent out to kill any brave enough to be around during the day. 

I will never, ever understand why people move outside the city and then have a fit or are fearful when wildlife enters their backyards.  If you have outdoor cats, they won't live long here.  If you let Fifi out of the yard, Fifi might not survive.  Keep your cats inside, your dogs in their fenced yards, and teach your kids what to do if they see wildlife.  If that doesn't do it and you're still afraid, please, move back to town.  There are a lot of us out here that live here because we love the wildlife.  If you are afraid for your children or your pets, please don't move here - we have wild animals nearby.  They live here - they deserve to be here.

I'm glad we'll be up on the property by the end of the summer.  I'm starting to get real cranky with people who don't understand that the wildlife is an important part of this community and if they take the proper precautions, they can live with the wildlife instead of replacing it with a sterile environment. 

Carry on!