What have you seen lately?

[smokey-seven]

The only animal in the woods around here that I would actually run from.

I'd advise against that unless you are far enough away to not get sprayed. If the skunk is healthy, they will not bother you unless you bother them. Here's a couple tips about skunks.

First indication that they are upset will be a little, "woof" like a puppy learning to bark. Next phase is for them to bounce on their front paws. Phase 3 is too late.

I've was in the woods hunting at dusk and had some noise n my perimeter. I sat down and relaxed to be surprised when a skunk appeared just a few feet away. If I tried to run, it would have startled it to a nasty result. I just sat there. The skunk came towards me and slowly sniffed at my left boot, stepped on it and sniffed my right boot and sauntered away. At that point my sent was stronger than a skunk, but it taught me to relax and not frighten a skunk if you are too close to run.

 

[Fritz the Cat]

I've shoo'd skunks out of the chicken coop in the evening. Spraying is a last line of defense for them. They always just crawl under the fence and bounce away.

 

[pupchow]

Bumped a bedded moose that was about 20 yards away in some laurel. That was a bit startling, so pic of bed only. Spotted a rabbit hiding in plain sight.

 

[chuckster]

Spotted 2 deer crossing the ice at the Sudbury Reservoir in Marlborough yesterday. Turned around to get a pic but they were gone when I got back.

 

[Coyote33]

I'm surprised the ice is thick enough there to support them.

 

[Dennis in MA]

PBM - You’ve never been growled/hissed at by an otter. They go from cute to “oh F” real fast. Lol

 

[DJBrad]

Spotted 2 deer crossing the ice at the Sudbury Reservoir in Marlborough yesterday. Turned around to get a pic but they were gone when I got back.

Those were the 2 that left their sister with me on Friday around 1pm.

 

[pupchow]

Three deer spotted this afternoon but the view through the scope showed no clear path.

 

[KBCraig]

It wasn't lately, exactly, but in September I had some unexpected extra time to explore side roads off Rt. 3 when coming home from Concord (NH). Down one dead-end road that leads to a motel/cottages in Twin Mountain (Carroll), I saw a turkey who should be named Methuselah. Gnarly blue head, 8" beard, and he gave zero f***s that I stopped and spoke to him as he strolled casually along the road three-four feet from my door.

 

[bob king]

Pulled in my driveway yesterday and saw this little buck about 25 ft from me. I opened my door got out and he slowly walked away. he looked at me and

 

[pupchow]

Dragged the muzzleloader out for a walk this afternoon. 1/4" of ice covering the trees, precip changed over to sleet/snow, wind picking up, trees/limbs cracking and dropping, lightning & thunder snow. While walking amongst the older trees, I had to keep an escape route planned. Had one limb crash to the ground behind my after I did a bit of a Muck boot sprint to get away after the crackling. Didn't see any critters during my hike. And just one dummy out there.

 

[Stryker]

One of our resident foxes was taking advantage of one of the sunny days a week or so ago

 

[Dennis in MA]

I dropped my daughter off to get picked up by Mom before I shot off to work this AM. We met at the old Ann's Place, now a Chateau, in Norton on Winnecunnett.

She was getting out and I looked over at the lake. Big-ass bald eagle sitting on the thin ice watching the swimmers fish. I told my wife, "grab teh binoculars - Eagle!" I see them fairly often but it was still cool. He took off a minute or two later. Hope the locals got a peek.

 

[MaverickNH]

Momma deer and two yearlings were out earlier this week. The next day an Otter ran up from the same area, across the street and into the woods.

 

[Stryker]

Forgot about this picture

This lazy guy was in the backyard a few years back

 

[smokey-seven]

Found this on Imagur, thought you would enjoy.


View: https://imgur.com/gallery/R1oA2jd

 

[bob king]

I saw a fisher cat cross the road this morning but he was to fast to get a picture.

 

[Stryker]

Foxes are back in the yard enjoying the warmer weather - their Den is not too far away



Peeking through the basement window

 

[Fritz the Cat]

Foxes are back in the yard enjoying the warmer weather - their Den is not too far away

View attachment 328236

Peeking through the basement window

View attachment 328237

They'd make a nice shawl for the Mrs.

 

[Stryker]

They'd make a nice shawl for the Mrs.

well...the family want to get chickens this year - I think the foxes will have something to say about that

 

[Fritz the Cat]

I had a Grey fox

well...the family want to get chickens this year - I think the foxes will have something to say about that

I had a Grey fox harassing my chickens over the summer. On the up side I no longer have a cotton tail problem.

 

[smokey-seven]

Foxes are back in the yard enjoying the warmer weather

A couple very nice looking animals!

 

[Wickedcoolname]

Rabid raccoon in the backyard the other day. Had to put him down with a .22 in the head. Hated killing him, but no other option. He was just about the last of a family of seven that grew up near my place. Watched them all playing around in my gardens and compost bin since spring.
There's another one that spends most of the day sitting about fifty feet up in a pine tree in my yard. It rarely moves, and when it does it's very slow. Probably has rabies too.

 

[KBCraig]

Bobcat sitting in the middle of my lane on Rt. 3 yesterday. I had to slam on the brakes, and he took his time before jumping over the guard rail.

We've had a real explosion of them lately. Probably because of the huge turkey population.

 

[not new guy]

I wonder how long it will be before we start seeing black bears in the Boston suburbs on a semi-regular basis. 20 years ago I remember stopping and taking a picture because there was a turkey running around in Braintree but now they're everywhere. Same with deer. And coyotes. And foxes.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Oh you mean the animal. I thought you meant large, hairy, dark-skinned men looking to snuggle. I was thinking, "I bet there are more than you think inside of 128."

It is amazing how much more wildlife there is around versus when I was a boy.

 

[not new guy]

I work in the south end-ish. Black bears are everywhere around here.

 

[smokey-seven]

It is amazing how much more wildlife there is around versus when I was a boy.

That's what anti hunting causes. Now try to keep the deer from eating your shrubbery and the turkey stalling traffic and the Coyote eating the neighborhood pets. I can't wait for the black bear in downtown and the wolves in the backyard.

 

[Dennis in MA]

Well to be fair, we came from a brink on the other side. It wasn't 100 years ago when we were almost extincted out of several species in this country. As much as I dislike F&G many times, the efforts of laws and enforcement, as well as reintroduction (see: Turkeys in mASS) has made a huge difference in the game species populations. I'd rather it be like this than it was in 1945.

 

[Choctaw]

A few years ago I was driving home from work in the dark on a two lane road out in the country. My old truck still has the stock radio with a push button on/off volume knob. I pressed the knob to turn it on and my finger slipped off. The knob shot out and fell to the floorboard under my feet. There were no other vehicles on the road so I let off the gas and slowed way down while I tried to locate the knob with my free hand.

I glanced down for a sec and when I looked back up there was a huge deer walking across the road in front of me. I was going slow enough at that point to stop completely without any issues. He just walked majestically across the road like the Hartford buck and vaulted over the guardrail and disappeared into the dark. I have never seen a deer that large. His rack was enormous.

It may have just been coincidence or divine intervention but if I had not slowed down a few seconds earlier it would have ended very differently.