This is the first time on CarlsBlogs.com that I’m addressing my move to the country. I’ll talk a lot more as we go but for now it’s important to note that I moved about 50 miles west of Chicago in the summer of 2023 to a small farm house off rte 47 that sits on 2 acres in the middle of the woods. I own a half mile gravel road that connects us to two other houses spread evenly apart, and there’s an award winning Kane County Forest Preserve walking trail that runs parallel to the property line.
On any given day, I can sit in my 1st floor sunroom/office and see deer, fox, owls, hawks, coyotes, chipmunks, 50 squirrels, two dozen species of migratory birds, raccoons and a bunch of other natural stuff worth your attention. And again, I’ll talk more about this as CarlsBlogs.com is built out.
Especially this summer when I build the chicken coup/goat house. That will be a huge step in the homesteading campaign that I can’t wait to share with you guys, along with the Sterk Family Farms journey and everything in-between.
Right now what interests me most is that I frequently catch house mice that look like that little cutie pants above. Diseases notwithstanding, they’re adorable and cute and sweet. And they’re all over the property this time of year, leaving us to set 4 traps every night.
Full transparency: early in the winter you can wake up to 4 mice in the morning. That first really cold day is going to bring out the mice. It’s going to happen. But generally as the winter goes on, you probably catch one every 4.3 days.
Another thing: the house was built in 1929 and as such, it’s gonna have mice. I would need to tear down or pump toxic gas or take other unnecessary extremes to give myself a marginal decrease in mouse occupancy. The reality is there’s very little you can do when you’re one of 3 human structures spread across 12 acres in the middle of the woods. I made that peace a long time ago, which is surprising in reflection because I’ve always kinda been emotionaless towards animals, historically. But nevertheless, this is my reality now as I’m around a lot of animals and it’s impacting my feelings drastically.
And that’s why I refuse to kill mice.
My mouse traps are humane little plastic bubbles filled with treats and proper ventilation. They get crackers and peanut butter for their 1 night stay in my little trap hotels. Then we (me and Mrs. Carl) get up in the morning and drive them 2 miles to the closest responsible place to release them back into the wild. It’s actually a minor inconvenience but I always feel fulfilled when we let them go and they run away into the brush. Most other people would just murder them with a standard mouse trap and move on with their day. Not us. Not Sterk Family Farms.
So now my question to you guys is – does this make me a gigantic pussy? Like is this too far down the list of me being a peaceful nature loving guy? And does it mean I’m just not cut out for the urban-country lifestyle that I’m so desperately trying to build for my family?
I feel like bringing this up around the local watering hole (Open Range Saloon) would get me shit on immensely. My rural friends already think I’m so out of place – I can’t imagine how much they’d frown on this.
Even so, I’m not killing the mice. I just can’t do it. THey’re literally so cute and harmless and just looking for a little snack. Just a little taste. Who can’t relate to that pursuit?
I can and that’s why I refuse to become a midnight butcher. That’s just not my style no matter what kind of shaming the flannel carhart crowd has in store for me.
Just tell me. Honestly. Does it make me a huge pussy or do we agree it’s okay to spare animal lives for the sake of sharing one earth together peacefully?
You guys tell me. I don’t know shit.