Where the Wild Things Roam
 

One of my biggest fears is being attacked by a bear. Guess what I saw in my back yard last week? You guessed it--a black bear! I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. There are woods at the side of my house and I looked over and saw a large black fur ball. I had heard dogs barking constantly for 15 or 20 minutes straight before that. It was near dusk, so I didn't get a really good look at it, and I didn't wait to investigate further. It totally freaked me out! Fortunately, I was right by my back door and I quickly made my way inside. My house is actually surrounded by woods and near the base of a mountain in New Hampshire. We moved here about 8 years ago. The neighbors have told me that they have seen a black bear and a moose. The first night we spent in the house, I heard coyotes howling. In all the places I've lived, I have never heard that. And sure enough, that first winter, I saw a pack of coyotes go through my back yard. It is not unusual to see flocks of turkeys when I look out the window. I have seen deer, raccoons, rabbits, and all sorts of birds in the yard. What sort of wildlife have you seen in your yard?

Just saw a red fox a few days ago cross the yard. Not much for woods around here, anymore.

"Progress" has, in my mind, not been an improvement for man or beast.

I was leaving for work while it was still dark out, went out the back door and saw mama possum with 4 babies on her back about 4' in front of me. While I was trying to unlock the door to get back in, she ran off down the driveway. I don't know who was more startled, her or me. I also had two skunks, both of which sprayed my dog and a badger. Of course, there were many squirrels, some who chewed through the soffitt of the back porch roof. I live in a small farm town southwest of Chicago which has since been swallowed up by suburbia.

We have the same as you, but last year there was a fox every night. I was chasing it away (it was eating the bird and chipmunk/squirrel snacks), but realized it was really old and feeble. Then I felt bad for it. My daughter lives in CO in ranch country and there are a lot of icky snakes.

One day I saw a beautiful Blue Herring in my backyard. It was huge! I went to get my camera and when I returned it was gone.

Once I walked out the front door to see a pair of donkeys in my front yard. They belongs to a neighbor. Another time, I drove down the road and had to stop while a couple of baby goats crossed the road. And years ago, when I lived in Maine, I walked out my front door to find several cows wandering around my front yard.

I haven't seen it but a skunk has been spraying near my patio door for the past two weeks. I was mystified when I visited my Dad at his home near Tombstone AZ, jackrabbits 36" in height would come out in the early dawn. I heard a bear trying to get in the trash can near the restrooms at Yosemite one night when camping in the tented campground. Isn't that just the time your body decides it needs to go pee??

OMG, your story made my blood run cold ManiacQuilter. This is the stuff my nightmares are made of! Once, when my daughter lived in Florida, she and her boyfriend and I went canoeing. I saw and alligator no more than 6 feet from the canoe. I became super religious in that moment!

Rattle snakes, king snakes, gopher snakes, skunk, raccoon, opposums, rats, rabbits, bob cat, road runner, mice, bugs, cyotes, weazels, neighbor's dogs, squirels, quail, hawks, owls, egret, humming birds and we now live on an agriculture property in the middle of development. I don't think we have mountain lions any more but did in the past. Rattlers is what troubles me the most. Plenty of cyotes but they are more of a concern with my 7 lbs dog. I only let her out on the leash. The bob cat ate many of my ducks and chickens but so did the neighbors dogs and they, the neighbors dogs also mained and killed my goats and chase people down on our property. Very special.

I am not as big on bears either. We saw them while camping and hiking in the Sierra nevada mountains. I never dared to go to the out house at night as they would roam the campsites during the early morning hours. We'd also run into them when hiking. Beautiful but scarey to me. what really frieghtens me are grizly bears. As a young teen, I spend time in the rocky Mountains (bush country off of a gravel road), British Columbia Canada, and there were plenty there.

We stopped putting out seeds for the birds and squirrels after we found bear paw prints on the back of the house. This was after several incidents of finding the bird feeder on the ground and dis-assembled. We think the bear was investigating the lights near the door, thinking they might be bird feeders too. We have woods behind our house and lots of wildlife, but I really didn't expect a bear!

I'm with you on those bears. I was raised in Modoc County, California. I thought the bears were all gone. But, WOW Sister, what is in the middle of the California State Flag? It's a BEAR!!! And like you I am petrified of them. Dad ended up shooting two bears, not far from the house. It was all legal. It was bear season and he had a license.

Now I live in Indiana and I have cottontails and white fronted squirrels. Much better.

My uncle used to go hunting for bears in Alaska. I always thought he was a little touched in the head. What would compel a person to go searching for bears is something I cannot understand.

You I am watching a black bear dig in my yard now! Been coming for about a week. Not really afraid of anything. My house is elevated in back yard so he can't get in. Interesting to watch but he overstays his welcome. Up to 3 hours at a time. I don't know what he is eating. Last night he was out there with a bat flying around, a deer snorting in the woods and after he left a very fat possum.

Humanoids are invading the other critters' territories. Where are they supposed to go?

OMG!!! You could not pay me enough to go out in my yard again if this were happening at my house. You must live in the woods like me.

So True! I own 7 acres with a cave, a pond, two springs, and lots of woods. I have seen deer, bobcats, coyotes, wild ducks, bats and a multitude of birds. I watch them and they keep an eye on me. So far we cohabitate without any issues. They bring peace and joy into my life.

wild life
 

Local wildlife foxes,coyotes ,skunks possums,ground hogs,Canada geese in my front yard,hawks dining on the birds at the bird feeder,and sadly feral cats and dogs. Diane C.

There used to be this man who loved bears and he decided to live among them and document it with video. They brought him peace and joy until one of the bears ate him... Your property sounds magical, all except for the coyotes and bobcats.

Seriously, human beings are driving wild animals out of their habitats.

We've had skunks, armadillos, and lots of squirrels. (I love watching the squirrels.) But the one most annoying is the cats that wander through the night leaving paw prints on my car.

I live in town, but we have a thoroughfare for deer behind/alongside our house. Have babies born out in the far back area, and at least 1 set of twins each year. Also have had a mama moose, and baby. Stray cats and dogs, raccoons, squirrels, quail, owls, hummers, doves, and lots of other birds.

We live in a downtown area and we have rabbits, chipmunks, tons of squirrels and a groundhog.

I too cannot understand the need of "civilized men" to "hunt".

We live in the "country", one mile from town. A few years ago a mama deer had her baby right next to our front porch. It was still wet when we noticed it. We watched for awhile and when it finally stood up, she took him away and hid him. We never saw them again. My daughter had a coyote in her back yard (she lives down the street from us). My car started to sound like an airplane taking off and one of the filters was chewed up. Cost several hundred dollars and when I got home from the repair shop, there was a squirrel laying on my drive-way with all four feet pointing to the sky. I guess she was not done with her nest when I drove off. We have had skunks, turkeys, and many deer over the years, but I think they have moved on and now all we have is lots of bunnies.
Sue

We have lived in our house for 29 years on 5 acres surrounded by woods. We have never cleared our property and in the years we have lived here we've seen deer (love my roses), possums, squirrels (love to talk to my dogs), porcupines (trip to vet for dog), coyotes, raccoons, bobcat, owls (big owls), and a bear. The dogs treed the bear but weren't barking and my husband went to see what they had been chasing, thinking it was a raccoon and he was going to rescue it. He started talking to it and then the face peered around the trunk and there he was with a rake in his hands. We brought the dogs inside and called our neighbor who is a US Forest Service Ranger who said it was more afraid of us and would leave soon. Husband took the shotgun out and fired a round in the air and there was the sound of branches breaking and then brush and it was gone. It's always an adventure. At our house in Ocean Shores the deer know they are protected and they roam around freely and aren't even scared of you. Some people feed them (against the city laws) so they have become pretty tame and stroll down the streets and through yards without a care.

About twenty years ago something hit my front door. When I went to check what it was, an elk tried to come in! Thank heavens his antlers prevented his entry. I bopped him several times with the door until he backed off, then slammed and locked it.
Last year all the niehborhood dogs were barking, and mine wanted out, so I opened the door just in time to see a cougar on the far side of my deer fence around my yard. When it growled, the dogs and I decided they did not want out after all. That is a sound that will raise the hair on the back of your neck.

madamekelly, Just the idea of seeing a cougar on my property totally freaks me out. Thank goodness your dogs were not outside. You must live in the wilderness if you had an elk at your front door. Are those animals dangerous? I know if a moose charges you, you're in trouble.

Oh my! Thank goodness all I have to deal with are Mourning Doves, big Crows (who scare off the doves) and squirrels. Squirrels make a mess on my walkways and cars from July to September because they are chewing the green hulls off of the walnuts and dropping them and shells all over the place. If you have a white car, you have to deal with brown stains that from the walnut hulls that are dropped on the car. Fortunately, the stains bleach themselves out after awhile.

I am not sure that I can deal with anything bigger than a squirrel, I am to much of a scaredy cat.

Just the other week, DH went out to get the morning paper and a coyote was walking down the street. At the same time a gal was on her morning walk and behind her about 50 feet behind her was another one. He invited her in for a cup of coffee. We took her home after her nerves calmed a bit. She decided she would walk the mall after that. We have coyote, javelin (wild hog), rattle snakes and other non-venomous. One time a couple coral snakes got into the dogs house. squirrel, humming birds and woodpeckers and other birds of prey, hawks, turkey vultures. Opossum, geckos and let'snot forget the lovely tarantulas. My sister is moving to Tennessee at the beginning of the year. Her "sose" is originally from Tennessee and never saw a bear until the day they headed back to Texas. It was about 50 yards from their house. A mama with 3 cubs! His brother has a honey business and multiple hives. Not good. I see non-venomous snakes in our yard and welcome them because we have had a mouse situation. Ugh!!

A lot of people don't take coyotes seriously, but they do attack people. They killed a woman in Nova Scotia in 2009. They also fatally attacked a 3 year old girl in California in 1981, and there have been numerous attacks that haven't resulted in death. The ones we have in New England are coy-wolves, not a true coyote, but a hybrid between a coyote and a wolf. They usually go for smaller game, but if they are hungry, or if they are teaching their young to hunt, they will take down a large animal. They travel in packs. If you see one, there are probably more near-by.

I live in town, but at Dad's Gulf Island house we see the following every day:
Bald Eagles
Seals, with babies right now
King Fishers
Great Blue Herons
Crows
Humming Birds
Turkey Vultures
River otters
Garter Snakes
Deer and fawns
Various Gulls
Various water birds
Geese
crabs
starfish
Oysters, they tend to stick around - Bad pun, I could not help it
Clams

Less frequently:
Stellar and California Sea Lions - Seasonal
Mink
Orcas
Raccoons are around at night
Bats flying at night


Even less often:
Humpback whales
Dolphins
Porpoises
Owls

None of the animals are a threat to people, but people are a threat to most of them.

Near the town I live in there are cougars, elk, and bears, as well as deer, raccoons. We do not have coyotes, skunks or possums on Vancouver Island. There are a few wolves. I have seen bears, but not near home. I do know one was about 3 blocks from my house about 10 years ago and a friend who lives about 2 miles away gets them in her fruit trees every year. Her property is near the river and the bears are there to get salmon.

My son took in a rescue chihauhua and he loves to be out on the farm and off a leash. When he goes outside to do his duties, I send my black lab Bo out with him. Poor little Marley might look to be a tasty lunch for some big varmit such as a coyote. For awhile we had a darn bald eagle flying over from one hog farm down to another. I always would take a walking stick and try to stay close to the Marley. I don't know if I could have stopped a bald eagle from swooping down to snatch Marley. Bo got sprayed by a skunk one Saturday afternoon in the fall. Thank heavens it was still warm and I had a bottle of Skunk Off. I shampooed him and when I took him with me to town later, he didn't smell. Skunk Off is a wonderful product. I buy it at the vet clinic. We don't have any bears or bad snakes.

Oh,sewingsew! Sounds like you are describing where I live. They do startle you when looking up from weeding.

I love NH. Do they still have the Keene Pumpkin Festival? I have climbed Mt. Monadnock (sp), many years ago. Wonderful hiking.

My back yard: This bear is beautiful, Young and when he walked his fur moved and shined so pretty. It made quick work of the bird feeder.:D Personally I am more afraid of snakes. You take care up there in the foot hills.
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peace

We lived on a farm up until a few years ago, and although we saw the usual deer, coyotes, bear and moose, the most beautiful thing I ever had a chance to see from my window was a bobcat. You don't get a chance to see them everyday they are very shy. He was fat and fluffy and moseying through the yard on his way to the river.

we have a bear around here. My son in law (lives next door with 13 acres) put the baby cam up and filmed him raiding the trash can and stealing the pizza box. So he moved the trash indoors to the basement until he and my hubby can build a better can. Then, a week later, I look out the back window, and a bear runs out of the woods to chase my donkey around the field, I yell, hubby fires a shot and scares the bear back to the woods (we own 40 acres). Poor donkey won't come out of his safety pen for 2 weeks. The the Appalachian trail closes down near us due to bear activity and opens after they place bear proof trash cans out for $10,000. We live near Mcaffee's Knob in Catawba Blue Ridge Mountians . We have 5 mile of national forest behind our house. If its alive, it lives there. Welcome to the wilderness. Its no wonder I quilt.....

We see plenty of deer (8 or 9) at a time;wild turkeys galore, the usual skunks, groundhogs, squirrels who eat our birdseed, chipmunks, and other small critters like rabbits and your usual friendly blacksnake. Nothing large but in a neighboring community a black bear. They are hungry for everything has dried up--no significant rain this summer.

Ube, Your photos are always beautiful. I love living in the woods and I love nature. But I do understand the danger of living amongst wild animals and I take that fear seriously. Tothill, I found your posts fascinating. You get to see animals who are not common to many of us.

Ube, They stopped having the Keene Pumpkin Fest a couple of years ago. It was all over the news, including on NPR. A bunch of mostly college students put the word out online inviting everyone to come party at the Pumpkin Fest. It turned into a riot. Look it up online. It is a shame when something like this event is taken from the community. It was a wonderful event, and now it's ruined. If you've ever seen the town at the beginning of the movie Jumanji, that is Keene. The majority of the movie was filmed there.

The elk incident was in a small mountain town, Northport, WA and the cougar was where I live now in the foothills of the cascade mountain range. Elk usually avoid people, I have no idea what brought it to my door, but we had a herd of mule deer that walked right past my little house on thier way to the river at dusk. We just stayed in the house or gone when they were due.

We've lived in this house for 20 of the last 27 years (7 years was job related transfers). Over the years we've seen bull moose, cow moose with calves, brown bear, black bear, fox, ermine, squirrels, wild rabbits, grouse, ptarmigan, birds of all kinds including bald eagles and a travel weary snipe that rested in my garden for 2 days. One year we had a young randy moose strutting his stuff and attack my lilac bush and completely destroy a mountain ash tree. But the moose we didn't see come through the yard this past Thurs night left it's identifying mark. My hanging fuchsia basket was on the ground, the cabbage and cauliflower and Swiss chard were totally gone, the wax and green beans were trampled as were the carrots. But the most disappointing thing were the peas! Our 5 foot tall plants were either pulled out by the roots or nibbled down to about a foot high. And just for good measure, the fencing was stretched and bent over to almost touch the ground and the raspberry patch has a giant empty spot. Hubby has been watching and waiting for the peas to fill out so we could have creamed new peas and red potatoes. Don't think we'll even get a handful of peas. Oh well, moose have to eat, too!

here in rural central missouri we have had several visitors including,assorted snakes,possums,bobcats,deer,foxes,coyotes,quail,fl ocks of turkey walking across our yard walking into the woods around and behind our home,lizards,. have not seen any bear yet but know others have not far from us. oops almost forgot the many squirrels that are at our bird feeder,and the bunnies that seem to have tripled this year.