Random Thoughts - Part III The Search for Spark (No Politics)

[humfrz]

Originally Posted by spike021

Fortunately there are a couple residents here who work on catching the ones who aren't neutered/spayed yet and bring them to humane society for that. But they can't always catch them all, and outside cats come in...............

Oh, spike021, just get over it. At least you don't live up in Idaho where @Sapphireho lives -

[spike021]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Oh, spike021, just get over it. At least you don't live up in Idaho where @Sapphireho lives -

Wait I thought that was Ultramaroon? He wouldn't hurt a fly!! Maybe unless it was Sapphireho??

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Oh, spike021, just get over it. At least you don't live up in Idaho where @Sapphireho lives -

Quit stalking me!

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

When I was in my teens, my dad was a weekend dilettante cattle rancher. We had a problem with coyotes. During calving season coyotes would isolate a cow giving birth and harass her until she stepped on the calf and injured or killed it. Once she abandoned the calf, it was theirs. Hard to blame the coyotes. I thought it was pretty ingenious. I carried a 30.06 everywhere I went and killed every coyote I saw.

Decades later, an acquaintance down here whose family have ranched the Rio Grande Valley for generations told me the hot tip.

Donkeys.

Donkeys harbor a genetic hatred for all canines, but have a special place carved out for coyotes. Donkeys will kill any they can. I’m told they are quite good at it. Coyotes are hip to this and give donkeys a wide berth. Put a half dozen donkeys in with the cattle and coyotes will stay away. Another case of too soon old too late smart.

My wife and I saw “A Man Called Otto” Saturday. My recollection of Duffy is of him being similar to Tom Hank’s Otto character without the sweet side.

The GM at the motorcycle shop I used to work at was big into predator calling, primarily coyotes, and would hunt in the mornings before work to help out local farmers. He grew up in ND on a farm and said they used to have to shoot stray dogs or they would pack up and attack livestock.

Farmers also use alpacas and llamas for the same thing. They will guard other livestock.

[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Reminds me of a time last summer when my neighbors went on an extended vacation. Before they left they set two traps in their side yard. They caught a crow in one trap and a racoon in the other trap. The next day, after the crow sent out a distressed call, several hundreds of crows descended on the area, making quite a racket, to try to free the crow. It looked like something out of the Hitchcock movie. I freed the crow and didn't reset the trap.

I then noticed the trapped racoon. I couldn't allow the racoon to starve to death so I freed it. I tried to open the door, when the racoon reminded me of how vicious they can be when trapped. I went and fetched a long stick to open the door. No, I didn't resent the trap.

THE END.

Not sure I understand the logic of setting live traps BEFORE leaving for an extended period of time. Reminds me in a way of the Soviets in “Dr. Strangelove.” Why create a doomsday device and then keep it secret?

And raccoons can be plenty viscous even when not trapped. I remember watching as a really big one attempted to get into our trash cans some years ago. Bastard saw me watching and started walking in my direction snarling at me. “Are YOU LOOKING AT ME?”

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

Not sure I understand the logic of setting live traps BEFORE leaving for an extended period of time. Reminds me in a way of the Soviets in “Dr. Strangelove.” Why create a doomsday device and then keep it secret?

And raccoons can be plenty viscous even when not trapped. I remember watching as a really big one attempted to get into our trash cans some years ago. Bastard saw me watching and started walking in my direction snarling at me. “Are YOU LOOKING AT ME?”

We have a very large raccoon, skunk and possum population where I live. A run in with any one of the three and the occasional combination of two of them is inevitable every single time you go out after dark. Since I leave for work at 5:30 am it is still dark so I am 100% guaranteed to have a racoon or skunk nearby when I leave. I have never had a single case where any of them showed any form of aggression at all. They either sit and stare at me with a distinct "hey I'm just looking for food here" attitude or we nod good morning to each other and each just go our separate ways. We have had a skunk that lives under our side sunroom for years now and we are almost buddies at this point. The only snarl I ever saw was from a possum that somehow got into our garbage bin box one time and when I opened it he gave a his. Think it was more surprise than a threat though as he just carried on what he was up to and totally ignored my presence after that.
Yes, I believe that any one of them would become agitated if trapped or cornered but so would I!

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

We have a very large raccoon, skunk and possum population where I live. A run in with any one of the three and the occasional combination of two of them is inevitable every single time you go out after dark. Since I leave for work at 5:30 am it is still dark so I am 100% guaranteed to have a racoon or skunk nearby when I leave. I have never had a single case where any of them showed any form of aggression at all. They either sit and stare at me with a distinct "hey I'm just looking for food here" attitude or we nod good morning to each other and each just go our separate ways. We have had a skunk that lives under our side sunroom for years now and we are almost buddies at this point. The only snarl I ever saw was from a possum that somehow got into our garbage bin box one time and when I opened it he gave a his. Think it was more surprise than a threat though as he just carried on what he was up to and totally ignored my presence after that.
Yes, I believe that any one of them would become agitated if trapped or cornered but so would I!

I used to live at a place that had a ton of skunks and they were pretty mellow, except for this one juvenile. I watched that little bastard chase my brother across the yard when he was mowing. It was pretty funny.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by NoHaveMSG

I used to live at a place that had a ton of skunks and they were pretty mellow, except for this one juvenile. I watched that little bastard chase my brother across the yard when he was mowing. It was pretty funny.

We have a pile of them with at least one living someplace on my property at any given time. When I rebuilt our pool shed I pulled up the old floor and there was a regular skunk condo complex under there. The most fun is when the big great horned owls come hunting at night and scoop one up. I have seen it happen 4 or 5 times now and it is very impressive.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

We have a pile of them with at least one living someplace on my property at any given time. When I rebuilt our pool shed I pulled up the old floor and there was a regular skunk condo complex under there. The most fun is when the big great horned owls come hunting at night and scoop one up. I have seen it happen 4 or 5 times now and it is very impressive.

I had a Great Horned Owl fly down and try to pick up our old Astro van once. Well, actually it was chasing a rabbit and we drove into it's flight path, It hit the driver side window at full speed, scaring the crap out of me. I slowed down to see if it needed help, but as I looked in my side mirror I saw it laying on the ground. Then it popped up, shook it off and then flew back up to its tree.

[Sapphireho]

Originally Posted by humfrz

Oh, spike021, just get over it. At least you don't live up in Idaho where @Sapphireho lives -

Yea, pretty wild up here. However, never seen a bear, skunk or racoon here in my neighborhood. I'm sure we have them in the mountains. Hear coyotes once in a while in the fields nearby.

In San Jose the only time I saw raccoons was when I was delivering papers early in the morning as a kid. They would always run back down into the storm drains. Lots of opossums, and lots of Norway rats. Of course in California you smell skunk all the time.

Must be mating season for Great Horned Owls. They have been waking me up every night lately.

[Capt Spaulding]

[QUOTE=Tcoat;3570337 ... I have never had a single case where any of them showed any form of aggression at all. They either sit and stare at me with a distinct "hey I'm just looking for food here" attitude or we nod good morning to each other and each just go our separate ways. ...

Yes, I believe that any one of them would become agitated if trapped or cornered but so would I![/QUOTE]

That has been my usual experience, but I guess it depends on the individual racoon's definition of "threatened." In our case, my wife and kids beat a hasty retreat into the house. I followed soon after.

I watched out the window. The racoon went back to trash bin. Unfortunately, it was locked and he didn't have a spare key.

On the more comical side I backpacked for several years in the San Gabriel and Sierra Nevada mountains. Always carried my food in a "bear canister." In all of my trips I never saw a bear. Yet, I come home and get menaced by a fuckin racoon on my driveway.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Capt Spaulding

That has been my usual experience, but I guess it depends on the individual racoon's definition of "threatened." In our case, my wife and kids beat a hasty retreat into the house. I followed soon after.

I watched out the window. The racoon went back to trash bin. Unfortunately, it was locked and he didn't have a spare key.

On the more comical side I backpacked for several years in the San Gabriel and Sierra Nevada mountains. Always carried my food in a "bear canister." In all of my trips I never saw a bear. Yet, I come home and get menaced by a fuckin racoon on my driveway.

Actually I lied! I did have an animal chase me around the yard once. It was a very angry and aggressive chipmunk. He wouldn't back off no matter what I did. Thought I was going to die and screamed like a little girl!

[Capt Spaulding]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Actually I lied! I did have an animal chase me around the yard once. It was a very angry and aggressive chipmunk. He wouldn't back off no matter what I did. Thought I was going to die and screamed like a little girl!

I know man, I know. When I was a kid we’d chase armadillos - Grab them by the tail and then let them go. One evening I was chasing one and just as I was reaching to grab it, it turned on me and hissed. My sister said I jumped over it and cleared it by 4 feet. Never jumped like that before or since.

[spcmafia]

Mmmm. Ive seen this story before. @Tcoat