Idle thoughts of a JackPineSavage

[kbstenberg]

It has been an interesting summer. I built the log cabin we (wife an myself) live in 6 years ago. Being outdoor enthusiasts. We have kept track of all the wildlife we see. This summer we saw our first Black Bear that came into our Deer feeder. Which is 30yards from the house.
Three weeks ago i was coming home in the truck. Turned into the driveway, What is sitting in the middle of the drive. A Mountain Lion. I went into the house an explained to the wife what i had just seen. I told her i was going to take the camera, try to find some tracks to prove what i had seen. The last thing she said as i left the house was. Arn't you going to take a gun. i said why its probably half a mile away by now. O YEAH!!!!
Walking down the driveway very slow an quiet. I got past the spot i thought i had seen the cat at. Decided to go another 10yards. All of a sudden about 75yards ahead an animal started to cross the drive. My first thoughts were. That isn't the same animal i saw earlier. It was a Bobcat. It crossed the drive an just before entering the brush on the opposite side it stopped. Looked all around and directly at me. It then sat down an started watching ME.
After i got finally figured out how to use my wifes camera i got about 5 pictures of the Bobcat sitting there. It finally got tired of watching me. It stood up turned around an started to run back across the drive. I just swung the camera trying to keep up with the Bobcat. Just by luck i cought the cat in mid running stride. It was completely stretched out in midair.
That nite when the wife an i were talking. She realized that she had been walking on the driveway 20minutes before i had seen the Mountain Lion. Walking to get the mail. To this day she hasn't walked to get the mail. I wonder why?
Skip to tonight. I worked late. The first thing the wife said when i came home. GUESS what i saw today. Another Bobcat walked through our yard in braud day lite. Not in any kind of a hurry, just exploring. Our well shed is 30yards from the house. It walked between the two and down the driveway. I shure hope she doesn't decide to make me take her dog out to do its job from now on. Its going to blowup16187

16188
I am a hunter an fisherman, But i only Lie a little an not to my brothers of the silver stream.

[Char-Gar]

Any wild critter will defend itself when it feel threatened even a mouse. I have never known a Bobcat to be agressive toward a human if left alone. But if pushed and threatened they can do allot of damage.

You are a lucky man to live so close to so many wonderful critters.

[StarMetal]

Sounds like my wife. She will go out on the patio for a smoke and first it was the bats when it's night. They swoop through the patio and she doesn't like them. Then this summer she's out there in the afternoon and bear lumbers into the yard. Now she won't go out unless I got or takes our German Shepherd. She smokes in the garage at night now. We have it all here in the mountain of TN and I literally live in them. No real close neighbors. Bear, deer, mountain lion, coyotes, wild boar, and all the other little critters. I have a bear working my farm over pretty good right now. First it was after my apples. Now he's resorted to digging yellow jacket nests out of my field. We have some doggone big bears here too. I'm talking in the 400-600 pound range. Not all of them, but quite a few.

Joe

[Junior1942]

Joe, you're a lucky man to have a wife who will live in such a place.

[StarMetal]

Joe, you're a lucky man to have a wife who will live in such a place.


Thanks Junior....I know it too!!!! We lived around the country and so far she said she felt at home in TN and said that it reminded her most of where she grew up...PA. She was a city girl too Junior!!!!

Joe

[mold maker]

A long time ago, I married a country gal. I soon took her pots for melting lead, cause she got too good at bouncing em, off my head.
Her country cooking is done in a microwave, on paper plates, but all my lumps are in the grits, or gravy, and the only stars I see, are like my teeth. They only come out at night.
I didn't get what I expected, but after 45 years, I spect, I'll just keep her.

[leadeye]

We move from the burbs to the woods in a few months when the house is done. Things should work out OK. That bear can have all the yellow jackets he wants, those things are a real pests when you step in their nexts this time of year.[smilie=s:

[GabbyM]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/picture.php?albumid=32&pictureid=1394

This is about as dangerous as it gets here in Illinois.
Baby Fox just old enough to venture out of the den. Has two siblings out of view.
Fox seam to be making a bit of a comeback here. Perhaps the mild winters? When the coyotes moved into central Illinois back in the seventies they thinned the Foxes out to where I'd go years and never see one.