Nice try.
We all know the Australian Tourist Board pays you to keep THESE critters off the front page.
At last count they ate half the population of Darwin in a single afternoon.
Big Blond Kitty is Hungry...
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Nice try.
We all know the Australian Tourist Board pays you to keep THESE critters off the front page.
At last count they ate half the population of Darwin in a single afternoon.
In the Fall as the coyotes follow the river that runs in front of my house and crosses our downtown I always see packs making their way from the WMA to the State Park. Twice in five years I was out jogging when they scurry head on past me. The hairs always stand up on my neck as I just watch them, while I just continue my run. I never feel threatened nor danger... just a feeling like pure nature crossed my path. I did have one approach me about eight years ago while I was setting outside smoking. They make a weird noise, not dog-like at all. I think it was just curious.
I know that they can and do sometimes hunt pets. Hell, so do my neighbors damned Blue Healers. But, I don't feel the least threatened by them.
We have had many sightings of black panthers in our area as well. I was out hunting and chatting with a wildlife officer out checking licenses, and I asked him about the black panthers there. He said not to tell him anything about sightings. He said they didn't exist, with a wink wink. And, he told me that if I killed one of the "non-existent" animals, not to tell him :::wink wink::: because if there was proof that they existed, they would have to protect them, and hunting would have to be tapered.
I've seen two, in all of the time I have lived here. I really haven't had the urge to kill one, and so far, not a single person has been injured by one :::knock on wood:::
This all probably doesn't play into the conversation. But...
I know that they can and do sometimes hunt pets. Hell, so do my neighbors damned Blue Healers. But, I don't feel the least threatened by them.
We have had many sightings of black panthers in our area as well. I was out hunting and chatting with a wildlife officer out checking licenses, and I asked him about the black panthers there. He said not to tell him anything about sightings. He said they didn't exist, with a wink wink. And, he told me that if I killed one of the "non-existent" animals, not to tell him :::wink wink::: because if there was proof that they existed, they would have to protect them, and hunting would have to be tapered.
I've seen two, in all of the time I have lived here. I really haven't had the urge to kill one, and so far, not a single person has been injured by one :::knock on wood:::
This all probably doesn't play into the conversation. But...
Every now and then you hear about young wolf cubs being run over by cars, not that far away from here.
At some point in history we "got rid" of all the wild bears and wolves. But the wolves are coming back.
I kinda like the idea, then again it's always nice to be able to stroll through any forest without being stalked by predators. But with wolves I don't really see it happening, still it's a potential danger for farm animals or pets.
I remember a video of some US hiker that stumbled over a mountain lion cub, big mama was not far off and followed the guy for 15 minutes while hissing and clawing at the air and so on,
before finally backing up and leaving. 15 long minutes of "OH SHIT!".
Or that other guy that actually had to fight one with stones, sticks and punches. He survived.
And I don't need that!
That of course is wilderness, if the big cats start hanging out at day care centers the fun is over for me.
Children are especially in danger, they run off and don't pay attention to their surroundings, they make all the noises that big cats find interesting, easy prey. And we all know how stealthy all the cats are.
Bears coming into town doesn't seem to be that much of a deal and more entertaining than dangerous.
Of course they mess things up and I think it was the brown bears that can get quite aggressive but they just seem to want some treats. Tell them to shuffle off and they will, apparently.
At some point in history we "got rid" of all the wild bears and wolves. But the wolves are coming back.
I kinda like the idea, then again it's always nice to be able to stroll through any forest without being stalked by predators. But with wolves I don't really see it happening, still it's a potential danger for farm animals or pets.
I remember a video of some US hiker that stumbled over a mountain lion cub, big mama was not far off and followed the guy for 15 minutes while hissing and clawing at the air and so on,
before finally backing up and leaving. 15 long minutes of "OH SHIT!".
Or that other guy that actually had to fight one with stones, sticks and punches. He survived.
And I don't need that!
That of course is wilderness, if the big cats start hanging out at day care centers the fun is over for me.
Children are especially in danger, they run off and don't pay attention to their surroundings, they make all the noises that big cats find interesting, easy prey. And we all know how stealthy all the cats are.
Bears coming into town doesn't seem to be that much of a deal and more entertaining than dangerous.
Of course they mess things up and I think it was the brown bears that can get quite aggressive but they just seem to want some treats. Tell them to shuffle off and they will, apparently.
I’ll take bears, wolves, moose, etc. over all the poisonous snakes and spiders any day! At least I can see them coming, and they are easily dispatched with a firearm. Not gonna find any of them cozied up inside my sleeping bag.
Cow moose and black bears (and polar bears if you’re north enough) are our biggest townies here. Many a day late to work on account of such critters.
Cougars don't dislike people; they just find them appetizing. We're like big freshly made ham sandwiches with mayonnaise and lettuce and tomato. We're about the right size for prey, and we're not very fast and don't hear, see, or smell especially well. No prejudice here, just quite tasty looking. After five or six days of poor hunting, there we are, in our our delicious splendor.
They really aren't as big a problem as you'd think, and the most aggressive snakes aren't as deadly. I've had my cotton mouth bite... I wouldn't chose to do it again, but it hasn't given me PTSD or anything. All of these things are more dangerous for kids than adults. I'm not crazy about the idea of kids running around the neighborhood with firearms.
Haha, kids don’t run around with firearms. Not in the neighborhoods anyway, as there is plenty of shelter to be taken.
But most children here are responsible with a firearm by age 12 or earlier so they can go hunting and such. It’s a part of everyday life for a lot of folks here, and kids are taught from a very young age the gravity of handling a firearm responsibly.
Certainly there is plenty of responsibility on the adults as well to determine when a child is ready to do so, and to closely monitor their use until fully confident they can do so themselves.
I really wasn't suggesting that kids were aimlessly running around neighborhoods with weapons up there either. Most kids here also have learned to hunt by 12 also. I just meant that all of these fearful beasts are more dangerous for kids than adults. Although, I've seen Revenant... and I really don't want to deal with a Grizzly, whether I have a weapon or not.
Huh???
They are HUGELY misunderstood. Friendly, goofy, fluffy, playful... all that stuff. Real-life cartoon characters. I mean, how do you think teddybears came to be crib toys for children???
Tell you what. Kevin gave me your address, and I'm gonna ship one to you next week. 1200 pounds, lovely bronze color, name is Bub.
You'll like him, guaranteed.
Yep. Avoidance is both ideal, and in most cases easily attainable. I’ve lived here my whole life, and only had to shoot two bears for fear of life/property. And I spend more time in the woods than most.
