#309505 - Sun Jun 04 2006 10:35 PM
Re: Wildlife
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Prolific
Registered: Wed Apr 28 2004
Posts: 1961
Loc: Wisconsin USA
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I'm glad you saw the deer! I saw two deer along my road, both dead. I was driving the interstate and it was so sad to see. There has also been warnings of deer attacking people on the campus of Southern Illinois University. People walking through the woods have been attacked. Read the story Quote:
Concerned about last year's cases, SIU officials last week launched a public-awareness campaign to implore anyone on the 20,000-student campus to watch out for deer, to not approach the animals and, if a wild-eyed deer starts bounding their way, run.
We take over their habitat and what else are they to do. (I'm not saying anything new...)
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Don't judge your garden by the flowers that bloom but rather, by the seeds that you plant.
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#309507 - Mon Jun 05 2006 08:30 AM
Re: Wildlife
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Multiloquent
Registered: Wed Nov 12 2003
Posts: 2165
Loc: Nebraska USA
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Well, I live in the city, but it's the type of city where a 20min drive will take you onto country highways with corn and soybean fields or cow pastures to both sides. I live on the edge of the city, with a large "wilderness" park shorter than a 10 minute walk from my house, and prairie and cropland just the other side of that. I've seen deer within the city, and there are racoons and possums in my own backyard, as well as plenty of squirrels and rabbits, and I have a nice cardinal family that is a regular nester. I've also twice seen male pheasants strutting down a main street for all the world as though it was perfectly normal for them to be there.
On the highway it's regular to see deer, possum, racoons, LOTS of skunks, plenty of smaller critters like rabbits and squirrels, birds of all shapes and sizes from pheasant and quail to ducks and geese, hawks and kestrels, and of course our Western Meadowlarks, the state bird.
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Goodbye Ruth & Betty, my beautiful grandmothers. Betty Kuzara 1921 - April 5, 2008 Ruth Kellison 1925 - Dec 27, 2007
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#309509 - Tue Jun 06 2006 06:17 AM
Re: Wildlife
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Administrator
Registered: Sat Mar 29 2003
Posts: 16595
Loc: Western Canada
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Quote:
I'm glad you saw the deer! I saw two deer along my road, both dead. I was driving the interstate and it was so sad to see.
Funny thing about roadkill - I have lived around here most of my life, and have never seen a porcupine in the wild. From the number of them you see by the side of the road, though, you'd think they were as common as sparrows.
Jane, I've always wanted a bird feeder, but our cat is such a good hunter, I've never felt it right to lure the little things to their deaths! Now that age and ill health have confined her to the house, though, maybe I can risk it.
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#309510 - Tue Jun 06 2006 06:25 AM
Re: Wildlife
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Forum Adept
Registered: Wed Mar 09 2005
Posts: 154
Loc: Taunton Somerset UK
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I live in Taunton, England I have seen a kingfisher flying along the river in the town centre. Also on 2 occaions I have seen badgers as I was walking home at night - once 2 in the distance & once quite close. They must be at least 200 yards from the nearest field.
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#309511 - Fri Jun 09 2006 10:57 AM
Re: Wildlife
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Forum Champion
Registered: Sun May 18 2003
Posts: 7842
Loc: Arizona USA
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We see all kinds of wildlife in our daily travel for the job. We see a lot of deer, raccoons, and wild turkey. Once while driving up the Pacific Coast near Santa Barbara, California we saw a bunch of dolphin under the waves swimming with the surfers. That was a neat sight. A few times while in the mountains I've spied bighorn sheep, elk and even a few moose. But the coolest one was yesterday. We were in Southport, North Carolina and were parked at the local Wal-Mart store. In the pond in front of the parking lot ( right next to where we parked), I spied this and had to run for the camera. Apparently this alligator is a local celebrity because people kept showing up all day to look at him. There IS a fence around the pond, but nowhere is it posted what lies within. He (she?) was a good 7-8 feet long and very well fed. We heard that he has eaten a few dogs  that weren't on a leash because there are a few spots where the fence can be gotten under. My husband threw him my lunchmeat and I got a lot of pictures. coming out to get the lunchmeat
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May the tail of the elephant never have to swat the flies from your face.
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#309513 - Mon Jun 12 2006 11:02 PM
Re: Wildlife
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Prolific
Registered: Sat Sep 15 2001
Posts: 1050
Loc: Adelaide SA Australia
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When i was working in the outback we used to have kangaroos up the wazoo. A short walk out behind the railway track was a billabong which always had some Wedge Tailed Eagles nesting nearby. Goannas strolled amongst the staff quarters with regularity as did numerous snakes. We generally let them be unless they got inside. Occasionally we found the really cool looking Moloch lizard. Once a year we were crawling in stink beetles and one year we had a mouse plague, where they very literally got into everything. Used to have to watch your step while working in the bar so you dont step on them. I found that spilled soft drink seemed to work pretty well in attracting scorpions too, if left out overnight. And finally we used to have dingos roaming around the rubbish dump a few hundred metres from the homestead too, if you got up early in the morning you could occasionally startle one snooping around closer to home.
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Never moon a werewolf.
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#309514 - Tue Jun 13 2006 06:30 PM
Re: Wildlife
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Enthusiast
Registered: Sun Aug 11 2002
Posts: 230
Loc: Riverside Chicago Illinois USA
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Actually today was a really good wildlife day for me. I live only ten miles outside of Chicago but in the forest preserve near my home I saw a female northern harrier crash land into a tree (absolutely huge hawk), a great blue heron catching some fish, and a large tortoise laying eggs. This is also a bad (or would you say good?) year for rabbits; I'm fed up with a couple of families of rabbits living under my shed. They've eaten all of my asian lilies and now they're starting on my hostas. But the babies were very cute, though.
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"Patterns are set in one place and time, to be followed to the end of all years to come". (Andre Norton)
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#309516 - Wed Jun 14 2006 01:08 AM
Re: Wildlife
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Multiloquent
Registered: Tue Dec 28 2004
Posts: 2813
Loc: Hertfordshire<br>England UK
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Quote:
I remember a canoe trip, years ago now. We were just floating down the river, not bothering to work very hard, and a blue heron kept pace with us the whole day. it would fly about a hundred feet, wait until we had passed it, and then fly past again. Never have figured out what he got out of it, but he certainly was a lovely addition to our day.
I'm sure it was because your canoe would be likely to disturb fish, which might then swim to the river side for cover, making them easier to catch. The heron would have realised this, either by instinct or more likely having learnt or been taught by its parents. The most common roadside animals I see are muntjac deer. a small species sometimes known as the barking deer. Originally introduced from Asia, they are very common in this area. They're quite roadwise, so roadkills are rare. Foxes and badgers are are also common, though the latter are secretive, and you're more likely to see a roadkill than a live one.
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#309517 - Sun Jun 18 2006 08:25 PM
Re: Wildlife
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Multiloquent
Registered: Tue Jun 13 2006
Posts: 2547
Loc: Tennessee USA
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Since I live in West Tennessee, we see lots of wildlife. Most of this area is rural and we have tons of trees and green areas. I was raised in the country so seeing deer on a weekly basis was nothing. We also have plenty of rabbits, squirrels, moles, coyotes, oppossums, skunks, and bobcats. I remember being a little girl and not being allowed to get off of the porch at night because of the bobcats--they can easily overtake a small child. I also remember that I was out at night once and saw the eyes of one at the end of the porch looking at me. I guess what surprises me most is that now I live in a city, not as big as Memphis but it's not rural, and I still see deer on some roads. I guess that since most Southern cities still have plenty of green woods area this shouldn't be too surprising
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"One language sets you in a corridor for life. Two languages open every door along the way." -Frank Smith
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