Critters and wildlife in your area - post your pics

[MyBuddy]

Yesterday, being a gorgeous day, we were outside all day. I even rode one of my horses! Kali was out with us, of course and at one point I saw her looking at something in the ground and then jumping every time it moved. I knew it wasn't a snake because she is terrified of snakes. As soon as she hears that hissing sound she's gone!

So I wanted to see what it was and I went over and carefully peeled back what looks like old grass and finally some fur and I realized I was probably going to see some bunnies! I have never in my life found a bunny nest! I've heard horror stories of people who mowed over them! And I always worry about it. I think one time when I was mowing I saw some babies on the ground not buried. I quickly avoided them. Just like I do when I see toads on the grass. I always stop and move them out of the way.

Anyway this was a nest buried deep into the grass with what looked like three baby bunnies. There may have been more buried deeper but I wasn't going to disturb it that far.

At first looking at them they reminded me of a little chipmunk and I wasn't sure what they were. But I'm assuming it's rabbits because that's where they make their nests. I'm not sure about Chipmunks but I've never seen a Chipmunk here. We had them at our old house, everywhere. They were a nuisance. But we have other nuisances here LOL

Anyway here's a couple of photos I took. If you zoom in you can see what they are.


I put a couple of flags to Mark the Spot so we wouldn't mow over them, step on them, or ride a horse over them!

 

[MyBuddy]

I'm just thinking, isn't it funny that I found bunnies on Easter sunday?

 

[LifeofRubie]

Definitely a bunny nest. I've started scanning the yard for signs of nests every time we're out there

Our rain garden is a very popular spot! I spotted a male and female duck in it yesterday morning! You can see only the male in the picture (and a big ole blue jay, too!). Luckily it does drain pretty quickly so it's not enticing enough for the water fowl to stick around but can't say I've seen ducks in it, before! (The red basket is protecting a new black eyed Susan from bunnies... )

 

[MyBuddy]

spotted a male and female duck in it yesterday morning!

Wow that's really cool! I don't know how messy ducks are or if they would cause a problem but I think I would be excited to see that too! I know nobody wants to see geese. I guess they're pretty darn messy. And I'm sure your dogs would Chase anything that was out there. But it sure completes your little garden spot, doesn't it?

 

[MyBuddy]

I was showing my husband the bunny nest and he said, just what we need, more rabbits! LOL I said that's for sure! They ate a lot of our flowers last year. We're going to try coffee grounds this year. He said he read somewhere that it keeps the rabbits off the flowers. I don't know if I believe it but anything is worth a try that's natural. I always heard coffee grounds were good for your plants anyway. I used to put them out in my garden and then kind of forgot about it.

 

[JanS]

I don't know how messy ducks are

From people who keep them, I've heard that they're the messiest of all.

 

[MyBuddy]

From people who keep them, I've heard that they're the messiest of all.

I was thinking about wild ones but you're right. As soon as I read that I thought about the girl who owns a local feed shop. She had a bunch of chickens in one time and we were talking about them and she says only five were available for sale. She was taking the rest! I laughed and said, do you have any at home? She said, oh yeah. But I can use more and they're very easy to care for. She said, I would never have a duck. Chickens can be messy too but ducks are really bad LOL

But I still like ducks!

 

[MyBuddy]

Tonight we mowed for the first time and we did the pasture. My husband and I mowed in tandem so we get a wide swath with each pass. I was ahead of him and he's behind and to one side of me when I spot this!

Holy crap, another one?? I flag him down and point to it so that he doesn't mow over it. We finish the pasture and I went over to it to look and thankfully the hole was empty! 20 years we've been here and I've never seen one and now I see two. Unless I have mowed over it and never even noticed. But I'm usually very alert of what's ahead of me. We always have something on the ground even if it's twigs. So I'm always looking. This is the first time I've ever seen bunny nests!

I also was wondering if that fur was the same stuff I saw in the back that I posted earlier.

 

[JanS]

The turkeys are back in the yard but I wasn't able to get any decent photos since the snow is too high.

 

[MyBuddy]

The turkeys are back in the yard but I wasn't able to get any decent photos since the snow is too high.
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The other day my husband and I were driving into town when at the last minute I caught something on the side of the road and it was a couple of turkeys! I was like, Oh man! If you were going a little bit slower I could have got a picture of that! LOL

 

[MyBuddy]

Bunnies are still in the hole. I was hoping they were gone already.

 

[MyBuddy]

 

[MyBuddy]

A beautiful day today and I was out mowing just now when this guy scurried out ahead of me! My first snake of the year! I'm glad he was faster than me. I sure wouldn't have wanted to hit him. He's scurried up that spruce tree real fast!

 

[MyBuddy]

Oh, and my bunnies are gone! The hole is empty. They're probably feasting on my flowers now.

 

[Ddski5]

@JanS
Y’all can shoot those turkeys?

 

[JanS]

Y’all can shoot those turkeys?

I guess we can since they just opened a spring and fall season in this area a couple years ago. They're definitely good eating and you get a lot more meat than a grouse or something.

Hubby just told me that they expect to see wild boars in this area too in the next few years since they're heading this way from the north and south. I've heard that's decent meat too, even though I've never tried it. Now if we could just get bison. LOL

 

[Ravenbird]

Y’all can shoot those turkeys?

I'm nowhere near @JanS but I have turkeys everywhere here, but you have to buy a hunting tag and then you have to get your turkey from the assigned area - which may or may not be where you live.

 

[Gpcoguy]

They're over the counter tags here for the most part. Been trying to get out, hopefully this weekend

 

[Ddski5]

Turkey meat is good but wild hog is fantastic! We are over run with wild hogs so much that it is pretty much open season on them here. They tear up everything from protected wetlands/woods, farmers crops to deer food plots. Folks really do not like the invasive wild hog down here at all.

And yes, they are spreading out state to state every year.

 

[MyBuddy]

And yes, they are spreading out state to state every year.

Please don't come here.