It's kind of fun to think of guineas perched around howling at the moon.
I think I'll opt for poison this year and consider guineas some other time.

I don't particularly want to encourage birds. I don't want to poison them, but I'm not worried about killing their bugs or trimming their cover.
I am a little bit hesitant to poison the snakes, toads and lizardy things..but I guess they'll probably go away for a while when we start romping around cleaning up the yard?

There's a new guy in the neighborhood and I think he's been feeding the deer. The herd may have broken up by now. It hasn't been long since I looked out in the field and counted 35. They were moving and there were surely some in the edge of the wood that I couldn't see. My estimate is that there's 40-50 of them..sharing their ticks.
Last season, I didn't see one of those bag things for cows to walk under and get powdered with bug chaser.
I have an abnormal amount of ticks and they seem to have weathered the winter well.

Thanks for your concern, Greg F. I agree completely with the part about it being up to me whether I spray shit around. I am aware that poison is unhealthy.
I obviously think the risk is worth taking. As you can see, I am in the process of gathering information from folks who are likely to have experience with yard/garden poisons..people who are unlikely to gain a damn thing by promoting a product.

Thanks everybody,
M