Introducing boiled egg while handfeeding

[Babs _Owner]

debbie276

Good point! And copperheads like to hang out in lower tree branches too.

[debbie276]

Here's a picture of one of the copperheads, beautiful snakes

And one of the pileated woodpecker

Here's a shot of a barred owl attacking one of our trail statues of a squirrel that we put on a stump that the game camera captured

[Spreckles]

YAWL are killing me with this snake talk!!!!! I can appreciate a good old garden snake that eats stuff and doesn't bother anyone. RATTLER's are you kidding me?????? Especially timber rattlers which can have a very nasty temperament... I would have a heart attack and then they would bite me. You are right to freeze. You are again right about Copperheads which is why if we go walking in the country we wear BOOTS!!! Um and look inside your boots before you put them on.

[lovezebs]

debbie276

Ha ha haah! Love the Owl and squirrel statue picture. That must have been quite a surprise for that poor Owl. He'll be heading off to see his Ophthalmologist for a check up.

[Babs _Owner]

debbie276

Oh you got the cameras rolling and everything!! I agree with lovezebs Poor owl told his friend "Dude, dont go for that one, you'll break a talon and the sucker weighs a ton!....Not worth it!"

The photo of the copperhead (I notice you were wisely BEHIND it), and suspect your husband was not. hahahaha. That is a fantastic shot!

Your woodpecker will never EVER EVER go away. You fed it now its your noisemaker for keeps.

Okay you need to open up a Debbie's West Virginia scrapbook thread. And I need to plan a camping trip out there after breeding season is over.

Spreckles

Aww its not so bad. They usually feel the vibrations of your footsteps and slither away before you can get a glimpse. Its the ones you stumble on while they are napping that get surprised and will bite.

[lovezebs]

Babs

Gawd almighty but you do have a lot of snakes over there, girl. You're right, some of them are gorgeous. I like the Scarlet King Snake, the Green Snake, and the Northern Scarlet Snake. Also your Garter Snake, is a lot more attractive than our variety over here.

I actually don't mind non poisonous snakes, but the venomous ones, I definitely do not like. I grew up as a kid, with always having to watch where you place your feet when walking in nature. You had to learn to be very cautious, very young, and keep your eyes open for snakes and scorpions.

I do however enjoy little lizards and tortoises, and used to be forever bringing them home as a child. It always shocks me, when I see the price tags on some of these little guys in the Pet Shops here, when back home they used to be everywhere, basking in the Mediterranean sun, and racing up and down the walls. Used to love to sit and watch Chameleons with their funny eyes and talent for changing colours.

[debbie276]

Here's a rattler that was just hanging up in a tree on one of our hikes.

It's nice to get away from all the bears here in NJ. I would have never thought there would be more in Jersey then the woods of WV. They've been shutting down trails and even had to euthanize some in Jersey ever since that boy was mauled. Which happened to have happened where we hiked often. Couldn't go without at least seeing one each time.

Lots of skinks and box turtles to wonder into view.

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

I LOVE LOVE LOVE Chameleons and their wonkey eyes and the way they change colors like an octopus! Would have loved to have grown up seeing them in the wild! Scorpions we dont have anywhere around here or I would carry around a steel flyswatter everywhere with those little demons running around.

debbie276

You caught one up in a tree?? For pete's sake, Ive never seen one in a tree. Usually sunning on a rock. Looks like getting into a tree was that guy's only way to bask in some sunlight. Must have been a dense forest area there. The bear in W. VA, a good size dog will usually scare them off. You already know not to get in near a momma bear. It is actually better to high-tail it from a momma bear, she usually wont run far from her cub (if you can make it past her short sprint) ;)

[lovezebs]

Babs

What kind of bears do you have out there?
We have Grizzly and Black Bear, but mostly west of us, into the mountains. Although there has been the occasional bear that follows some park path and wanders Into the city to see the sights. Same thing with Cougars, and Moose.

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Elana, nothing big and mean like a grizzly. Just black bear. I think grizzly need the cooler climate you have up there. We have very few cougar....more bobcat. Definitely no moose. I'd love to see a big ole moose!

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Oh and west of here and south......lots of hogs. BIG mean angry suckers that are more a danger to humans than anything out in the woods. 200-300lbs. Real nuisance.

We dont call them boar, cause they arent boar (though they have their nasty attitude). They've mated with big ole butcher pigs and are over-sized and MEAN MEAN MEAN!!

Pitbulls are good for hog hunts. They fit the dogs with protective vests.

[lovezebs]

Babs

You wanted a Moose?

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http ... IQMwgqKAww


Now what have you got against hogs anyway ?


http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http ... AzCAYoAzAD

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

Ohh, I love moose! Great photo BTW. I wanna hug the moose (but he'd probably stick a hoof up my rear end)

THIS hog is not a cute piggy-type. And it will gore you to death in the woods and is much faster than a bear, with more stamina.


Here's an article on the news (although the television is mostly absolute garbage, this ONE article I can vouch for from Bubba and his hunting buddies) ;)

http://wtvr.com/2014/03/14/feral-pigs-g ... -virginia/

Can't outrun a ticked-off 300lb hog with tusks. They dont run, instead they backup and charge. Thats why hunters have to use pitbulls as meat shields for their own protection. The destruction they do on the local wildlife is aweful.

[lovezebs]

Babs

That's a lot of ham and bacon and sausages you got there girl. HOLY PIG !!!

Tell Bubba, to order some Argentinean Dogo Puppies. I think he'd be quite pleased.

Is there no way of trapping these potential roast beasts? Tranquilize them, castrate them, and then no more :

http://www.google.ca/imgres?imgurl=http ... MwgnKAwwDA

[Babs _Owner]

lovezebs

OMG that picture !!! hahahahahaha.

There arent enough people in the world to catch all the feral hogs in America and Australia and neuter them! I wish it was that easy.

Sadly the hunters did NOT introduce them, as the newscaster stated. Nor did the farmers. Its not by accident wild hog/boar hybrids invade a country. I suspect it's the pigs (people) behind the hogs that plant them here.

All about greed.........indeed, like you said in other posts. Its a sad world we live in. The animal suffers, while the people who brought them here then go on screaming about animal cruelty. You cant win in an environmental war. Invasive/hybrid species have been used in wars for hundreds of years. This is nothing new. Its devestating for the hog, and for the land owners. Big $$$ for whoever let them loose out here...