Very sound advice... we also like to do rabbit and grouse piles around our property when clearing anything. Rather than burn brushy tops we do multiple small to medium piles of brush dotted around the area. Maybe not the most attractive landscaping but it gives little critters a quick place to hide from predators (both aerial and ground) and maybe even a safe place to hatch chicks or raise young. Humans are rearranging a lot of natural habitats so doing simple things to replace safety areas can really help out.

Fisherlady2, I also make brush piles rather than burn. About 6 years ago I cleared much brush and for the next few years I had many rabbits, then cane the year of the red fox. This fox harassed our house for 2years. At about 2 O'clock at night it would start screaming just outside our windows making my dog go nuts. It would keep it up for about 10 minutes. Of course Andy our Lab mix by that time was half insane. I truly believe it just loved to irritate our dog. this year I will be stacking brush again. I hope I do not attract Reynard again. 

I do the brush pike thing too. At one point, during deer season, I saw 10 rabbits come out from one pile and feed around the deer trail.

Of course, a pair of fishers moved into the creek bottom and I gave yet to see a rabbit going on three years now.

DarDys, I have not had any problems with fishers however have friends that have lost Chickens and Ducks. Friend left chicken coop open one night and a fisher killed his whole flock. Another friends daughter had ducks that stayed in barn at night and Fisher killed them.

I wish the fishers would get the Muscovy ducks — lol.

Ha,  Muskovy ducks. They are an invasive species correct, and I am a fisher-man correct, and I really like to eat Duck correct. Now what was I thinking I lost my train of thought. Oh well it was probably something that would get me into trouble. Let me finish tying these flies dubbed with hair from my wife's cats belly before she gets home.

treesparrow..... you joshing 'bout the cat hair dubbing???

Maybe he is, maybe he is not.

One famous fly tying author used to collect carpet fibers from under motel room beds (because they were not smashed from being walked on) to get unique dubbing.

I know folks that have used cat hair as dubbing... for years.

I sensed a funny by tree, but cat hair works.

Not trying to highjack a thread,but I just watched a video about the feral cat problem in Australia. There was a guy that people would call if they needed cats removed.                when he would catch & kill them he would prepare the skins & make items out of them such as beer cozys & t.p. holders or what ever folks wanted. When asked why he didn't neuter or spay them instead of killing them,he replied that even if you did that that they would still kill native birds & other small critters & that he was not worried about thier sex lives. Although I am a cat lover, I don't let her outside & had her spayed when she was a kitten.This is another example of what can happen with some invasive critters. It was surprising how many species that the cat had in it's stomach.  sam