Phloxing Deer, UGH!

Although, I have not actually seen deer in our yard for a long time now, there are clear signs they're there, UGH!

Received a text the other evening from a neighbor telling me to look outside, along our driveway.  Apparently, there was a mother deer and her baby making their way to cross the street.  I didn't see the text in time, so again I've not actually seen a deer in our yard for a long time now.

There are hoof prints in the mud of the flower bed, clear evidence they're there.

Here are some additional example they're around.

My Phlox plants, all but eaten, UGH what the phlox -

A hosta plant with most of it's flower buds eaten off.  The second picture is a similar hosta but safely in the pool area but it shows what that darn deer are doing in terms of damage - 

And of course deer droppings!

So, again and although, I have not actually seen deer in our yard for a long time now, you all now clearly see they're out there too, UGH!!

Fake WannaBe Beaver

I spotted this varmint on my walk yesterday afternoon.  Didn't seem to care that I was there watching, or that the water is super cold, brrrr!

My first thought was beaver - I love beaver.  There are signs that there's beaver in that area.  For example, several good sized trees gnawed to the ground!  However, this rodent is NOT a beaver.

First sign, too much of it's body is above water as it's swimming -

Second sign, it's face it too elongated and pointy -

The third and final sign, circled in red, it's tail!  As you all know, a beaver has a flat tail.  This critter had a long thin tail, see?!

That would then make this water rodent a Muskrat!

 

Meet "Rocky"!

Unlike Elmer Fudd, I am successful at hunting the wabbit!

Finally, got my hands on this young'n.

Admittedly, I am out of practice at sexing baby rabbits.  Even when we were raising rabbits it was difficult to sex them.  From what I can tell, and honestly I'm guessing, this is a boy.

Wild rabbits just don't understand how caged life works.  For example, I put a nice dish of pellets in one corner of the cage and a dish of fresh water in the opposite corner.  Went out the next morning and there's rabbit smart pills (poop) in the water dish and he's pee'd in the pellet dish.

I've named him "Rocky".  For days leading up to his arrest and capture I was constantly chasing him out of my gardens and yard by hurling rocks at him. 100% misses each time and I'm fairly certain one of the last time, before he scurried off , he flipped me off...

We'll see who gets the last laugh!

Oh Deer!

The resident deer seems to now be around more frequently.  I suspect foraging and preparing for the long winter ahead.  They're welcome now that the gardens and plants have passed with a hard frost but still a nuisance for sure.

This lady here thought she could fool me by standing statuesque like but no chance.  

Same with her partners in crime standing still behind her, see red arrows -

Mr Marsupial on a Walkabout

Say hello to my little friend.

No Peanut Allergy Here!

Teddie peanut butter was too tempting for this grey squirrel.

Shooooooo! Scram!

My nemesis made a final appearance about a month ago.  Perhaps to let me know they're still out there and that they'll be back come Spring, UGH! 

Raccoon Infestation?!

I suspect this little fella was looking for his mommy...

I'm sure there are others out there too.  Considering ourselves lucky that they've not fussed with any of our chickens and rabbits.

This Is NOT Ranger Rick!!

Well surprise surprise!

Here is our bread thief.

I consider myself, but even more so, the rabbits and chickens lucky that this dude was only pilfering bread.

He was climbing up the chicken coop, to the rabbit cage level, and pulling loafs of bread, wrappers and all, through the spare cage used to hold extra goodies for our animals.

Our chickens were in the coop below and a rabbit on either side of the storage cage.

I guess I jinxed us as I was recently saying how lucky we've been that in the 15+ years we'velived here we've never had an encounter with a raccoon.

Boy has that changed!!

Maniacal Laughter Is One Description - UPDATE

Admittedly these are not the best pictures.  However, under the circumstances it's the best I could do.  If you click on them they'll open larger making them a little easier to see.

This is a follow up to the "Maniacal Laughter Is One Description" posting from earlier in the week and it confirms my suspicion 100% percent!

As I do every morning when I first get out of bed I look out the back window.  In part to do a cursory inspection of the chicken coop but also to see what Mother Nature has in store for the coming day.

So, just before 6:00 this morning, while performing said routine, I was shocked to see a new visitor.  A new visitor in terms of the first time I'd seen this particular critter in our yard in the 15+ years that we've lived here!

A coyote!  A very BIG and inquisitive coyote!

He was next to the chicken coop, and as you can see if the first picture his attention was focused intently on the coop.  I suspect the girls were beginning to stir and their rustling caught his ear.

However, from what I saw that was the extent of his fascination with the girls.  He poked around a bit longer then slowly moved on through the next door neighbors back yard.

I'll inspect all around the coop, when I make my way out there shortly to feed and water everyone, to ensure he or anyone else for that matter didn't attempt to dig in. 

 Perhaps, since the coop is wrapped in plastic visiting predators like coyotes and foxes are unable to see the chickens and therefore tend to leave them alone.  Thinking back to an incident with a fox, one morning, over the summer when there was no plastic.  The girls could clearly see the fox, with only chicken wire separating them, so when he'd lunge the girls would panic and fly this way and that way.  All that did was encourage more of the same from the fox and turn him on more to the possibility of a chicken breakfast.

We also now need to be very careful when bring Trixie-dog out with us when feeding the animals.  She's the perfect size for a coyote, as big as the one pictured above, to grab and run off with.

Dumb and Dumber Perhaps

I was randomly taking outside pictures yesterday afternoon as the storm moved in, which in the end dropped a good 8" - 10" of heavy wet snow.  Certainly can not complain compared to the walloping we took last year.

A couple somethings caught my attention high atop a Boxelder tree out back.  I was very surprised to see two Grey Squirrels holed up out in the open, covered in snow as the storm raged.  For lack of a better term I'll say they seemed content but of course that couldn't be true.  Why were they sitting out there in the open like that is puzzling for sure.  I would have thought they'd be in their nest, wherever that might be, hunkered down with an acorn or two to ride out the storm.

I checked back a couple times and they were still there but eventually got busy and forgot about them, so not sure how long that braved the chilly, wet conditions.

Of course I wouldn't be too disappointed if they turned into "squirrel popcicles"...

Johnny Acorn-seed Squirrels

I spent many weekends and endless hours this fall raking and raking and raking all in an effort to remove the gazillion acorns that fell and covered the lawn.

Only to have these critters bring them back one at a time.

And to boot they're randomly planting them throughout the yard.

Let The Games Begin 2015

My nemesis has returned.  Let the games begin!

Dinner For One, To Go...

This Grey Squirrel did a little pre-blizzard shopping.

He's been pilfering our compost pile of pumpkin and butternut squash.  As you can see he brought a squash end piece up to a safe place in the crux of this Boxelder tree. 

Hunt The Wabbit Hunt The Wabbit...

I planted the (4) broccoli plants last weekend, all the while salivating just thinking of how tasty the tender florets were going to be, yummy!

 

As you can see from the before picture they look good; happy too!  However, if you look close enough you will notice paw prints throughout the freshly dug soil.  Clearly, we have a visiting cat issue.  Now, so long as they are catching the unwanted critters and NOT using our gardens as a litter box, they're welcome to stay.  I can deal with paw prints...

 

However, the after picture shows something entirely different - WHERE ARE MY BROCCOLI PLANTS?!?!  Thanks to Mrs. Wild Rabbit all that's left are broccoli stems poking out of the ground.

 

As Elmer Fudd used to sing - Hunt The Wabbit Hunt The Wabbit...

 

Before -

After -

 

UGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!

Nope, NOT Alvin & The Chipmunks...

Well, the chipmunks have joined forces with the other pesky varmints around these parts (Grey Squirrels, Wild Rabbits & Woodchucks) that are trying to have their way with our vittles.  These SOBs are hitting our strawberries now.  It's so bad that they're not even waiting for them to ripen, nope.  They're taking them green and even before they've grown and gotten big.

Of course, you all know, this means war!  A little (no pun intended) more challenging but still fair game these chipmunks are.  I will and have already begun to exploit their weakness and am using it against them!

Stephan = 5 and Chipmunk = 0