North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ginda Fisher <list@ginda.us>]

On Dec 2, 2013, at 6:10 PM, sherwin wrote:

>> If you can't bear the thought of terminating the bushy-tailed tree rats,  
>> so
>> be it.  Not everyone can do it.
>> Far too many folks are living in a warm-fuzzy Disneyfied world, expecting
>> sweetness and light and 'sharing the bounty' from their wildlife 'friends';
>> but the critters don't understand that concept.
>      Maybe, someone will decide to get rid of your 'poodle-rat'.
>      Sticking a label on these animals does not diminish their worth.
> 
>      I'm not ready to share any of my fruit with any critter, but I try
>      to understand we humans have invaded their turf, a two way
>      street.  I do my best to get rid of them without killing them.
>      Some people kill squirrels for food, but that's another matter.

Put me in the no-kill camp. If I wanted to eat squirrels, or if my fruit was 
my livelihood, I would kill the squirrels. But I don't particularly want to 
eat them, and I grow fruit as a hobby, and I have enjoyed watching squirrels 
frolicking and fighting and otherwise being squirrels for most of my life. 
It's not worth it to me to kill them. And hey, some years they even leave me 
some fruit.

Cheers,
Ginda