Random Thought Thread

[Retired UPS Driver]

Had my experiences with the wildlife here, especially my hunting property.

The black bears are huge there, 600 lbs is not uncommon. I’ve never come face to face with one, but certainly smelled them and saw the wet footprints in front of me.

There is a sow who winterizes ever year below a dug out blow down tree, you can see the frost over her hole. She’s cool, but destroys my apple orchard, (climbs up and breaks the branches).

The wolves you are lucky to see, just a glimpse before they vanish. Very cool!

The coyotes are/were a problem, decimating the spring Turkeys and Grouse nesting on the ground.

Even had then follow me 10 yards away, dragging a deer out, but never had to shoot one. But was a bit nervy that close to me.

I let a local trapper come on my land and he took 51 yotes out over the trapping season.

The Turkeys have come back and the Grouse are prolific.

Nature is what it is, but too much just throws off the balance.

I still love the outdoors and wouldn’t trade it for anything

 

[beeinak]

Had my experiences with the wildlife here, especially my hunting property.

The black bears are huge there, 600 lbs is not uncommon. I’ve never come face to face with one, but certainly smelled them and saw the wet footprints in front of me.

There is a sow who winterizes ever year below a dug out blow down tree, you can see the frost over her hole. She’s cool, but destroys my apple orchard, (climbs up and breaks the branches).

The wolves you are lucky to see, just a glimpse before they vanish. Very cool!

The coyotes are/were a problem, decimating the spring Turkeys and Grouse nesting on the ground.

Even had then follow me 10 yards away, dragging a deer out, but never had to shoot one. But was a bit nervy that close to me.

I let a local trapper come on my land and he took 51 yotes out over the trapping season.

The Turkeys have come back and the Grouse are prolific.

Nature is what it is, but too much just throws off the balance.

I still love the outdoors and wouldn’t trade it for anything

You might appreciate this. A Native Elder I know from way up north keeps tabs on Polar Bears in the area. He has to dispatch problem bears that are threatening the folks in the village (like one that was trying to get into a home from underneath it). He sent me this photo of a big one last week.

 

[Big DJ]

Holy cow!

 

[Nathan the Machinist]

Had my experiences with the wildlife here, especially my hunting property.

The black bears are huge there, 600 lbs is not uncommon. I’ve never come face to face with one, but certainly smelled them and saw the wet footprints in front of me.

There is a sow who winterizes ever year below a dug out blow down tree, you can see the frost over her hole. She’s cool, but destroys my apple orchard, (climbs up and breaks the branches).

The wolves you are lucky to see, just a glimpse before they vanish. Very cool!

The coyotes are/were a problem, decimating the spring Turkeys and Grouse nesting on the ground.

Even had then follow me 10 yards away, dragging a deer out, but never had to shoot one. But was a bit nervy that close to me.

I let a local trapper come on my land and he took 51 yotes out over the trapping season.

The Turkeys have come back and the Grouse are prolific.

Nature is what it is, but too much just throws off the balance.

I still love the outdoors and wouldn’t trade it for anything

That's really cool

 

[Mendoman]

When I was growing up in Georgia, there used to be a bounty on coyotes. You could hunt them and then call the game warden and they would come pay you for them. I think it was 5 or 10$ a piece.

 

[Retired UPS Driver]

You might appreciate this. A Native Elder I know from way up north keeps tabs on Polar Bears in the area. He has to dispatch problem bears that are threatening the folks in the village (like one that was trying to get into a home from underneath it). He sent me this photo of a big one last week. View attachment 2752346

From what I know, they are afraid of nothing, the top of the food chain for sure.

 

[carnifex knifeworks]

Had my experiences with the wildlife here, especially my hunting property.

The black bears are huge there, 600 lbs is not uncommon. I’ve never come face to face with one, but certainly smelled them and saw the wet footprints in front of me.

There is a sow who winterizes ever year below a dug out blow down tree, you can see the frost over her hole. She’s cool, but destroys my apple orchard, (climbs up and breaks the branches).

The wolves you are lucky to see, just a glimpse before they vanish. Very cool!

The coyotes are/were a problem, decimating the spring Turkeys and Grouse nesting on the ground.

Even had then follow me 10 yards away, dragging a deer out, but never had to shoot one. But was a bit nervy that close to me.

I let a local trapper come on my land and he took 51 yotes out over the trapping season.

The Turkeys have come back and the Grouse are prolific.

Nature is what it is, but too much just throws off the balance.

I still love the outdoors and wouldn’t trade it for anything

Yeah. The coyotes in utah are wrecking the herds. It also doesn't help that they're issuing too many tags and we don't have a point restriction yet.

 

[beeinak]

From what I know, they are afraid of nothing, the top of the food chain for sure.

I have had some amazing encounters with black and brown bears. Have been way closer to a few than should have been including a large brown bear we surprised about 10’ away. None of them ever got aggressive. A pair of 2 year old brown bears were following me rather close/quickly until I dropped my pack for them to inspect for a few minutes and then they walked off.

Polar bears are just different creatures! They want to eat you! The Elder who sent me that photo has invited me up to his village to see the Polar bears, and maybe I will before leaving Alaska.

 

[ferider]

Closest I have come to wolves in nature - lousy iPhone photo. We have 2 packs in the Dubois area and we hear them sometimes in the early morning. In the photo, these are 2 of a pack of 4 that are mostly in the Elk refuge in Jackson (good place to be ). There are multiple other packs in Yellowstone, of course.

 

[Retired UPS Driver]

Yeah, the wolves are cool, rare but nice to glimpse them.

They are more destructive to the cattle farms and their young.

The DNR pays you for the loss, it’s especially bad for the rabbit hunters that let their Beagles run freely. Wolves get them every time.

Then the freaking poachers, hang raw meat with treble hooks from branches, what a horrible death that must be

It’s sad we can’t just all get along.

 

[beeinak]

Then the freaking poachers, hang raw meat with treble hooks from branches, what a horrible death that must be

It’s sad we can’t just all get along.

That is disgusting. Crap like that just pisses me off.

The last few winters near my cabin have been very hard on moose. Periods of warming followed by cold causing ice layers on/under the snow that wear the moose down trying to get through it. Wolves don’t sink through that ice, so it makes it easy for them to hunt the moose.

 

[Blues]

I think a couple of the poachers should be suspended that way for their friends to take note of.

 

[Retired UPS Driver]

I think a couple of the poachers should be suspended that way for their friends to take note of.

100% agreed

 

[Hatchet_Jack]

Had my experiences with the wildlife here, especially my hunting property.

The black bears are huge there, 600 lbs is not uncommon. I’ve never come face to face with one, but certainly smelled them and saw the wet footprints in front of me.

There is a sow who winterizes ever year below a dug out blow down tree, you can see the frost over her hole. She’s cool, but destroys my apple orchard, (climbs up and breaks the branches).

The wolves you are lucky to see, just a glimpse before they vanish. Very cool!

The coyotes are/were a problem, decimating the spring Turkeys and Grouse nesting on the ground.

Even had then follow me 10 yards away, dragging a deer out, but never had to shoot one. But was a bit nervy that close to me.

I let a local trapper come on my land and he took 51 yotes out over the trapping season.

The Turkeys have come back and the Grouse are prolific.

Nature is what it is, but too much just throws off the balance.

I still love the outdoors and wouldn’t trade it for anything

That all sounds pretty neat to me!

Before I die I’d love to hunt mountain lion and black bear. And I’d like to cook up both, I’ve heard they can be really good, especially the cat.

 

[Murphjd25]

Thought I’d come say Hi!

Got fired the day after Christmas for cheating 20 minutes. I’ve got three grievances filed against the company with my union. Will be getting a new job when I am ready. Until then I’ve just been enjoying some time off for my mental health.

Got everything packed up and ready this morning. Going on a riding trip starting tomorrow. I’ll check in when I can!

 

[Retired UPS Driver]

That all sounds pretty neat to me!

Before I die I’d love to hunt mountain lion and black bear. And I’d like to cook up both, I’ve heard they can be really good, especially the cat.

No Cougars here, just the very rare one caught on a cam at some point.

However…. The Bobcats here are huge, here is a nice springtime shot of a nice big one plus a few others to wet your whistle

If you ever want to hunt my property, you are more than welcome

 

[91bravo]

No Cougars here, just the very rare one caught on a cam at some point.

However…. The Bobcats here are huge, here is a nice springtime shot of a nice big one plus a few others to wet your whistle

If you ever want to hunt my property, you are more than welcome

View attachment 2752508View attachment 2752506View attachment 2752517View attachment 2752521View attachment 2752522View attachment 2752523View attachment 2752524
View attachment 2752526View attachment 2752527

Those are HUGE bobcats!

 

[JJ_Colt45]

You might appreciate this. A Native Elder I know from way up north keeps tabs on Polar Bears in the area. He has to dispatch problem bears that are threatening the folks in the village (like one that was trying to get into a home from underneath it). He sent me this photo of a big one last week. View attachment 2752346

I have to say being close to big browns didn't make me half as anxious as getting anywhere near a polar bear.

 

[JJ_Colt45]

No Cougars here, just the very rare one caught on a cam at some point.

However…. The Bobcats here are huge, here is a nice springtime shot of a nice big one plus a few others to wet your whistle

If you ever want to hunt my property, you are more than welcome

View attachment 2752508View attachment 2752506View attachment 2752517View attachment 2752521View attachment 2752522View attachment 2752523View attachment 2752524
View attachment 2752526View attachment 2752527

Looks like you have a little slice of heaven there! I love having wildlife around home.

 

[Blues]

Typical early evening view outside...(not taken this evening)
We typically have lots of deer, the occasional fox, bobcat, bear, coyote and all the usual smaller critters common to the mountains of the Blue Ridge.