People Out, Red Foxes In

[unclefrank]

They are all over the place at Fort Wayne. Never saw a rat around there either.

[cheddar bob]

There are rabbits all over the place. I don't know where they all hide during the day but they sure come out at night.

Rabbits usually come out to eat around dawn and dusk and hide during the day. Even domesticated rabbits are most active at those times.

[digitalvision]

That is curious - there are deer actively living along I-75 in southern Oakland County approaching the 8-mile border, I've seen them, they're starting to wander into neighborhoods up there and friends have sightings. There is plenty of land in the city that could sustain deer, with low-traffic streets that have had their sidewalks disintegrate... frankly, I'm surprised they haven't found their way down yet. Their only real predator would be becoming the target of unfortunate shooting practice for hoodlums.

On the Detroit city proper side, I've seen a plethora of rabbits in different neighborhoods, but especially Lafayette Park. When I lived there, they were all over the place, and I would watch the birds of prey swoop down off the tall buildings to the park and get a to-go lunch, National Geographic style.

[MIRepublic]

Only kind of related since many of the animals being talked about were never quite eradicated from the area, but all kinds of wildlife are moving back toward the urbanized Lower Peninsula. Black bears have wandered into places like Lansing and Battle Creek. In Battle Creek, in fact, one made it well into the north side of the city and was chased down by the police department and killed. In many of these cases these interactions are actually due to us being so successful in preserving these species that they are coming back as opposed to how it used to be where they'd come to the cities because we'd torn down so much of their habitat.

[lilpup]

I had a coyote run in front of my car at I-275 and Warren a couple of years ago and for a while there was a wild turkey hanging out by Ford Road west of Beck - the nearby landscaping/nursery place even hung a turkey crossing sign by the road.

[eriedearie]

When I worked in Southfield and traveled the Lodge, between the Lasher and Telegraph exits I spotted deer on 2 separate occasions.

[Meddle]

Most of the areas mentioned are more rural and suburban. I think it'd be hilarious to see a deer or fox wandering down Washington Blvd. A real statement on the state of the City.

[reddog289]

Hell maybe 10 yrs from now I could set up deer camp in Detroit.

[MIRepublic]

Most of the areas mentioned are more rural and suburban. I think it'd be hilarious to see a deer or fox wandering down Washington Blvd. A real statement on the state of the City.

You're aware that coyote have made their way into cities and downtowns as healthy a Chicago, recently, aren't you? That wildlife makes it to a cities downtown isn't necessarily a sign of economic health. As has been stated, certain freeways allow wildlife to get into the middle of urban areas as well as trails and parkways. And, in the case of Detroit, I'd not at all be surprised to hear that deer made its way to downtown given the proximity of Belle Isle.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

In Southfield near Lawrence Institute of Technology there are lots of woods, and I saw a 6-8 point buck on the softball field at Northwestern and 10 mile. It tripped me out big- time.

[aoife]

The deer from Belle Isle used to escape all the time and wander onto Jefferson. Are there still some over there or did they relocate all of them somewhere else?

I think they are still there, just penned up. I recall seeing a picture of their enclosure last year and thinking how bummed they must be not to be able to roam anymore.

We have foxes over near 7 & Mack- I found a really beautiful one in our backyard. He was sniffing around our bunny's enclosure and looking a little disappointed that she was not in there. The neighbor's bulldog came out and scared him off and he has not been back since.

[HazenPingree]

When did anyone see whitetail deer in Detroit? Maybe tied to a front bumper, but I seriously doubt there are any deer downtown?

Sounds to me the author is one of those poor souls who was told by their editior to find a new angle to the Detroit Mess. The tilt of the article makes it sound that wildlife moved in last fall.

I doubt there are many whitetail deer, but my boss nearly hit one in Indian Village last month!

[Detroitej72]

Anytime the wildlife population increases in the city, as far as I'm concerned, its a good thing.

In Hamtramck, I loved seeing rabbits, raccoons, opossums and skunks while sitting on my porch in the evenings. One of the coolest sights I saw earlier this summer was three turkey vultures circling over the next block, until I started to wonder what was the dead carcass lying below!

[gnome]

Well, I stand corrected. If you all seem convinced that white tail are roaming all over downtown, I will gladly conceed to the collective wisdom.

A bunch of years ago, one cold December night I was walking through Hart Plaza. Windswept and brutally cold, Hart Plaza was forlorn, dark and kind of creepy. As I'm walking, over my shoulder hear, ticka,ticka, ticka. I look nervously over that shoulder, don't see a thing but the noise stopped. Turning forward the same ticka, ticka, ticka returned. I quickened my pace and the ticka, ticka, ticka became tickatickaticka keeping pace with my stride. As that sound got louder and quicker I snapped around to confront my pursuer: a miniture deer from Belle Isle.

Little hoofs sure can sound spooky.

Here is finest example of City Hunting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5i9YU9_Fc0

[Sludgedaddy]

Gnome....Did you give that forlorn Bambi the Detroit Salutation: " What Up, Doe ?"

...or did she hit you up for a "couple of bucks" ?

[gnome]

~groan~...