|
Post by mogal on Jul 10, 2022 10:32:49 GMT
Yesterday, DH and I went out in the south field to cut up some trees REA had cut from their easement but still our property. We scared up a deer--nice doe, it looked like. Since mamas hide their babies, we were worried that we might run over a fawn but didn't feel any bumps, thank goodness.
While we were working, I had a thought that it was really late in the season for us not to have seen any snakes. I didn't say anything aloud for fear of "jinxing" ourselves. Well, wouldn't you know it! Minutes later, one piece of half rotten log split lengthwise when I picked it up and there was a reptilian tail. I emitted my usual squeak since I'm not a screamer before I realized it was a lizard. Upon closer inspection, I realized it was a female with eggs all around her. DH got one piece of the section and I got the other. We carried them to the edge of the woods where mowers wouldn't hit them and carefully reassembled the 2 pieces as well as we could so the little family could survive. Still didn't see any snakes and I can live with that.
We've had a couple of small showers though nothing like we could use. I think it's possibly enough to water the small creatures. I can't remember if I told about the little lizard climbing to the top of a small chicken tractor DH had just completed to drink some water that DH had accidentally sprayed onto the metal roof while working on another project. That little guy must have been thirsty to have risked being so close to humans and our cats.
|
|
|
Post by Tim Horton on Jul 10, 2022 21:25:49 GMT
It has been a bit of a tense beginning of the season here for having bears come out of den... A bit less than 2 weeks ago, just as we were getting ready to leave for a busy town day, I spotted a bear in the donkey paddock heading up the lane to the donkey barn and chicken house.. Spring season was still open, but not having time to clean and freeze a bear, I just made 30-06 level loud noises to send it off into the bush..
Now we have had 3-4 sightings of bears around the barns.. I hope I don't have to "intervein" in bad bear behavior any time soon.. This a safety issue for us as well as our livestock..
|
|
|
Post by Tallpines on Jul 11, 2022 0:40:55 GMT
Saw 4 nice does an hour ago when I went out with the ATV to look around the neighborhood following a decent thunderstorm.
Our most recent wildlife problem is the raccoon family that has invaded our garage. I wish DH would be willing to be more pro-active to stay ahead of them. I've read other posts about them getting into the attic 😳.....
Have seen one bear earlier in June..... not since then.
.
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Jul 11, 2022 2:00:39 GMT
I saw this video re: raccoons on You Tube. These folks aren't that far from me. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSiUHvlYXEQ We've had to destroy some that we'd found in the yard but if they were on the outside of the yard fence, it wouldn't have been a problem. Nasty dangerous critters. We went back to the hill to move the last of those logs and saw another deer. Maybe the same one but no lizards. There have been bears sighted in the south and central parts of our county but so far, none out here. I've been accused of having enough of a temper to take on a bear with a switch but I'm not so sure.
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Jul 11, 2022 14:52:54 GMT
DH was talking to a neighbor last evening when the neighbor told DH that raccoons had taken 5 of his turkeys. They were going to try shooting the varmints but in their shoes, I'd lock up my cats, all fowl, and set some traps, either live traps or regular, baited with cat food or chicken livers, whatever might attract them. I guess that's another good reason why I don't free range our chickens. Of course, we also have the Pyrs to guard everything. THIS IS A STATEMENT OF FACT, NOT A BRAG: In the 25 years plus that we've lived here we have lost maybe 2 roosters to and 1 hen to a fox. Our beautiful female Pyr Tasha chased it away, the fox dropped the hen and Tasha took it to her lookout post. I was upset that she might have killed the hen until I saw the fox. Shortly thereafter, fox didn't steal anybody else's chickens.
|
|
|
Post by Tim Horton on Jul 11, 2022 21:21:17 GMT
There have been bears sighted in the south and central parts of our county but so far, none out here. I've been accused of having enough of a temper to take on a bear with a switch but I'm not so sure. ---- --- Rooting around in an area where there are rotten logs can be a bear danger.. They will claw around stuff like that looking for ants, your lizard and such... At the end of our driveway near the main road we have an ant hill that regularly gets dug up as bears are looking for the food stash there and larva... \\\ /// set some traps, either live traps or regular, baited with cat food or chicken livers, whatever might attract them. --- --- In the couple short times I lived where I had to deal with raccoons, I learned a few things... The thing I found works best is to put your wet cat food on a paper plate on a piece of plywood about 6" bigger than the trap on all sides, set you live trap over the paper plate and wire the trap secure to the plywood.. This keeps the animal from turning the trap on it side or upside down.. If they can do this it makes it much easier for the animal to escape somehow...
If you paint a number on the back of the animal, no matter how far away you drive it and release, it will beat you home... Now this is a BIG HINT.... So far.. I have never found an animal that can "float" themselves and the trap in a pond... Otherwise you will have the same problem, but also a trap wary animal..
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Jul 11, 2022 22:16:55 GMT
Tim Horton, we used a strong, commercial all wire live trap. No holes, no turning it over to escape because we staked it to the ground. I think the brand is Hav-A-Heart. And no, they can't float themselves and a trap out of a pond.
We do have some ant hills on the far western edge of the farm. DH always looks to see what the dogs are barking at and I just figure they have scented something on the wind. However, I have learned the difference in their barking when their perceived threat is a distance away or close enough that they need our intervention.
|
|
|
Post by Melissa on Jul 18, 2022 16:36:35 GMT
A coyote ran right into our yard chasing a few of our chickens. Cale was laying on the porch swing and he yelled and scared it off. There has also been a bobcat seen just out the road from our house and everyone is complaining about how many raccoons there are this year.
|
|
|
Post by Woodpecker on Jul 18, 2022 20:16:13 GMT
I’m happy, I know most wouldn’t be on here, but I have a bunny family hanging out in my yard & it’s such fun to see them. We have a lot of rabbits here, I actually see most of them on my walks on the dirt roads I walk on, all along the Creek & the Sound beach. Never had a family in our yard though.
I have my garden plants in pots on the deck, which aren’t doing well at all, but if I was concerned I don’t think the bunnies can hop up the stairs 🐇
Raccoons are abundant here as usual, but the squirrels are multiplying like crazy! ! My Maples are “alive” with squirrels.
|
|
|
Post by countrymom22 on Jul 25, 2022 23:11:32 GMT
I saw a doe and her twin fawns playing in our back field while I was watering the garden. It made the chore more pleasant.
The groundhog who is eating my green beans has made a mess out of the barn floor. Hubby has a trap out but no luck so far.
The last few days I've found a couple of baby praying mantis in both my garden and flower beds. I guess gardening organically has really helped the little buggers to prosper. When we bought this place 28 years ago, it was so devoid of anything healthy that it was almost 7 years before the good insects began to come back. So I really enjoy seeing these little guys! Makes me feel like I'm doing right by my little patch of the world.
|
|
|
Post by Tallpines on Jul 26, 2022 4:06:38 GMT
The DH is gone for an overnight to Milwaukee ….. (Baseball ….. the Brewers tonight. 11 year old grandson PLAYS in early morning).
SO ……. This old Gramma decided to take the problematic resident raccoon family into her own hands! The Pro-active approach!
Bought a new trap today. Fleet Farm special.
Buy the bigger one, get the small one for FREE!
At 9 p.m. tonight, I went outside and set them up.
By 10:30 …… I had TWO RACCOONS.
Under normal conditions that would be a happy occurrence …….!
HOWEVER ….. I WILL BE REMINDING DH for a very long time ….. That the WOMAN of the house “got the job done!” YOU BETCHA !
.
|
|
|
Post by Tallpines on Jul 26, 2022 21:07:12 GMT
Two raccoons ..... dispatched. ....
Wonder if there will be more tonight.
|
|
|
Post by countrymom22 on Jul 26, 2022 21:51:25 GMT
Tallpines, can you come help us catch this overly large groundhog? Hubby isn't having any luck. I told him to just sit outside in a chair and wait for him instead of using the trap. He's a brazen thing, but he's too smart for a trap. He hasn't lived long enough to get that big by being stupid!
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Jul 26, 2022 23:30:26 GMT
The DH is gone for an overnight to Milwaukee ….. (Baseball ….. the Brewers tonight. 11 year old grandson PLAYS in early morning). SO ……. This old Gramma decided to take the problematic resident raccoon family into her own hands! The Pro-active approach! Bought a new trap today. Fleet Farm special. Buy the bigger one, get the small one for FREE! At 9 p.m. tonight, I went outside and set them up. By 10:30 …… I had TWO RACCOONS.Under normal conditions that would be a happy occurrence ……. !HOWEVER ….. I WILL BE REMINDING DH for a very long time ….. That the WOMAN of the house “got the job done!” YOU BETCHA !
. You GO, girl! My hat's off to you. Yep, you'll catch more until they either are all gone OR they wise up to the trap.
|
|
|
Post by Tallpines on Jul 27, 2022 1:45:25 GMT
The Secret ingredient, may have been ………. the ……… Gooey, Sticky, Marshmallows!
|
|
|
Post by Tim Horton on Jul 27, 2022 2:41:45 GMT
The live traps like this are good equipment... When I lived where there were rac c o o n s (note A) it was best to wire the trap to a sheet of plywood large enough they could not reach outside the trap to tip it on its side or top.. If they do, they have a better chance of getting out...
Wire the trap door shut, attach to a rope and "float test" the trap and animal in the lake or barrel of water... If you catch and release, they will beat you home.. And are now trap weary....
(note A) I have run into some sites that will block out the last half of the animal name with there automatic "political correct" soft ware....
|
|
|
Post by countrymom22 on Aug 19, 2022 0:06:13 GMT
We still haven't been able to catch that wiley old groundhog, but hubby was in the barn the other night working on some raised garden beds with the welder going when not one but 2 raccoons wandered in and started to eat the cat food! He was standing about 4 feet away and making lots of noise with the sparks flying and those things weren't afraid at all. So he came in and told me he was going to dispatch them. After he shot the first one you would think that the second one would run off right? But not that night, he just continued eating.
I hope they enjoyed their last meal. Now if only that ground hog would show up during the day!
|
|
|
Post by Woodpecker on Aug 19, 2022 13:58:06 GMT
Raccoons here are abundant and more recently we have more deer! Driving by Beaver Dam a while back, last year I was going to visit my sister when a doe ran out from the reeds at the dam...firstly I never thought they'd be living so close to the water...the other side of the dam is the Creek which goes around and into our Village. That time about 3 weeks after I saw the doe, son said it washed up on one of our beaches here. I'm happy to see them, but fear for their safety..they've been sited on a busy road going out of our Village. That road has Mansions on one side, lots of property and the other side is the Sound.
The Ospreys are abundant here now and just had their babies a couple of weeks ago. I see them everyday on my way out of the Village and on my walk almost every morning. We now have Eagles too!!! Three were sighted recently here. My son saw one while working. With all the building that goes on here and less woods, it sure is great that God has His way of keeping them safe. Geez the animals are way more safe than us humans now a days.
After we finally trapped the squirrel in the garage that destroyed a lot of things in the loft...he's gone!!! Thank God that was a real pain...things falling from the loft and the garage floor would be a mess of things he ripped up, making a nest, I guess. They are smart little critters. Never liked them, never will.
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Aug 19, 2022 23:31:09 GMT
Woodpecker, IMHO, a squirrel is no more than a rat with a good PR man. I don't like them much either.
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Aug 24, 2022 12:20:26 GMT
Early yesterday morning, I saw 4 deer walk across the front field just outside the yard fence--2 does, one buck with 6 points and another with at least 8. The second buck's antlers had that graceful sweep to the center.
Last evening about 5:30 we went into town to attend a program at the library and saw 2 more does. On the way home, we saw an antlered buck just outside of town. I've heard a lot of folks in town complain about the deer who damage their landscaping. As we approached the turn from the paved road onto our gravel road, there were 2 more antlered buck. There is a good sized soybean field along our road about 1/2 mile from the road and in it were a whole HERD. If there were one deer out there, there had to be 25-30. I've seen large herds of deer before in more open areas than our broken woods/crops/homes but that is the most I've seen in our community.
Yesterday, we went out to pick pears. DH noticed a beautiful hornets' nest in the top so we tried to be careful not to jostle the branches. He gingerly pulled a pear with the pole picker but the branch was near the nest. We both froze. I had on my bug repellent and they didn't come near me. DH got zapped on the face, poor guy, but at least it was only the one. We went on the other side of the tree and contented ourselves with the fruit we could pick from the ground, always listening to the activity around the nest. I hope to get it after we've had a few freezes. Even then, I'll put it in the freezer to be sure the remaining hornets are dead before I hang it on the mantle.
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Nov 9, 2022 0:46:29 GMT
I've learned how our female Pyr Abby's bark is different for various threats. Early Monday morning, actually shortly after midnight, she was going nuts. I slipped out to check what was going on to find an opossum up in an apple tree near the barn, not too far from the chickens' housing. I called DH who came out to dispatch the thing. If you don't think God has a sense of humor, take a good look at a 'possum. He must have been laughing the day he created those.
We had to go to town this afternoon and as we came home at dusk, there was a beautiful 6 point buck in the middle of the road. Modern weapons hunting season starts this next Saturday morning. I don't know if DH will hunt but I know I won't--don't trust my legs to climb the ladder to my stand nor could I walk across the rough field.
|
|
|
Post by bowdonkey on Nov 10, 2022 3:41:12 GMT
My son had a black bear under his deer stand and couldn't get down Sunday night. He finally climbed down and he could hear the bear move off, as it was now dark. As usual he didn't have a headlamp and couldn't see the bear but it followed him out of the woods till he got to a field.
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Nov 10, 2022 12:43:34 GMT
My son had a black bear under his deer stand and couldn't get down Sunday night. He finally climbed down and he could hear the bear move off, as it was now dark. As usual he didn't have a headlamp and couldn't see the bear but it followed him out of the woods till he got to a field. Oh, my. That would just leave me quaking in my boots. We have enough bear in most of southern and central MO, particularly our county that this is a possibility around us as well. Thank you ever so much for your reintroduction of that species, Arkansas! Or not. I was out before daylight this morning moving chickens before this cold wintry system comes in and noticed a largish dark brown critter about half way across our front field. I could tell by the way it jumped the fence that it was a deer. The dogs were with me so no worries about a bear coming that close.
|
|
|
Post by Maura on Nov 10, 2022 15:42:58 GMT
I see deer most days. My computer station is in front of my front window so I can observe the neighbors field (soybeans this year). Dear love that field. They also drink from my pond.
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Nov 13, 2022 23:15:00 GMT
Today is the second day of the modern firearms deer season. Yesterday was cold, blustery and we had some flurries nearly all day. I didn't hear too many gun shots. Today was much nicer but being Sunday, I guess not a lot of folk went out. Still cold but not cloudy or windy enough to keep a diehard hunter indoors (unless you are hunting from a vehicle as our neighbor has done--very illegal method).
So, this morning, DH and I were portioning out hay into big cattle supplement tubs when the dogs started barking at something out to the west. I looked in that direction and there were 2 big fat does moseying across that field, totally unconcerned with our proximity--maybe 150 yds. DH commented that he wondered how they knew they were safe from us and from our neighbor in his truck on his property. They had crossed from his place to ours. Very pretty to watch them for sure.
|
|
|
Post by Maura on Nov 14, 2022 15:26:11 GMT
I have been loosing chickens all year. I don't trap them and move them, I poison them. I thought all was well until I started loosing chicks. They are inside but I put them out to run around. Every day I lost one so they have to stay inside now. Met the neighbors a few days ago out walking. They also have lost chicks. He built a sturdy coop, which must be why I haven't seen their chickens free ranging lately. Weasels got in the coop and took out the chicks. They have game cameras so they know what hit. Said they saw two weasels cross the road and go onto my property. Mystery solved. I put out poison. It took four days before the poison was taken, had to move the bait to the right location. I'm still not letting the chicks out. I'm down to two out of an original 15 due to weasels and illness.
Last night I thought I heard an owl. Very unusual. So, 4:00 in the morning I go out with a flashlight. One of the roosters was crowing (sort of). Then, I heard another a ways off. It seems my rooster and the neighbor's (different neighbor) rooster were having a conversation.
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Nov 14, 2022 16:24:20 GMT
I get a big kick out of listening to our roosters talking to the 2 neighbors' roos, especially on a night with a bright moon. Of course, both the roos and I should be sleeping...
Sorry about the weasels taking so many of your chicks! We dealt with a possum week ago last night but our approach was more direct. The dogs alerted us to it. Had it not climbed a tree, they would have killed it. we find an odd assortment of entire or partial carcasses in the yard on occasion.
|
|
|
Post by countrymom22 on Nov 14, 2022 23:46:09 GMT
Sorry for your loss's Maura . Weasels are quick, quiet killers and can be hard to get rid of. Our rooster doesn't start crowing in the morning until I turn the porch light on for the dogs. Then he stops when I turn the light off. Lazy bird!
|
|
|
Post by Tallpines on Nov 18, 2022 23:23:53 GMT
A friend set a trail camera up in our woods this year…… Theses are just a few of many snapshots he captured!
(Cabin Fever will be posting a couple of photos for me ……).
|
|
|
Post by mogal on Nov 19, 2022 18:18:52 GMT
We came home around dusk last Wednesday and saw a beautiful 8 point buck just standing in the middle of the road. DH slowed to give him time to cross the road. He was in no hurry, limping from some injury. My guess is that someone wasn't careful with their aim and injured him. One of the things I really hate about hunting, that and just killing the animal for a trophy then tossing the carcass (MEAT!!! when so many are hungry) out in the woods. When I hunt and take aim, I pray that I either miss entirely or make a quick clean kill.
|
|