The Official Critter Thread

How do you know all this heavy puter chit?
Heh... I wouldn't call it "heavy". It's pretty basic for tech crowds, which is where I spent a lot of time hanging out. It's like us talking chainsaws. Even me as a non pro, knows a vast amount more than the average person, and they'd be bewildered listening to the details, even though it isn't all that. I guess the short of it is I was pretty into tech for awhile, but I got bored with it. I still kinda keep up with what's going on on the periphery, but I don't pay close attention like I used to.
 
I have Instagram blocked but can still see them if I want to without unblocking it, same with those Imgur things that don't show or freeze. Pretty simple.

I've had a VPN for years, even got it on my dumb tv that's smarter than most smart tv's. Not much I can't see.
 
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  • #633
Makes ya feel a bit bad about squishing the critters
 
I've heard mice referred to as 'the potato chips of the animal world' cause everything eats them :^D

I don't like killing mice, but they're destructive little assholes. I'd be more than happy to give them a safe place to overwinter, and I'd feed, water, and change their latrine material. They'd have to promise to stay where I put them, and GTFO when spring came, but they aren't that cooperative.
 

Yeah, their coming back baby!

It's been a slow process, but they've been frequenting the Sky Islands for decades. I've a few friends down that way that are convinced that there's about a half dozen permanent jaguar residents. I don't think so, it's taken 8 years to photograph and identify that many individuals, and I don't think they're that long lived, let alone in that environment.

I've photo hunted them, only ever spotted a few tracks. They have a different stride and gait than cougar, so you can tell them apart fairly easily. They've always had a reputation for being elusive, and they both climb and swim incredibly well.

I'm glad to see a lot more interest in the subject as of late, but folks need to stay the hell out of that area. There's some major fire mitigation that needs to be done, and the damn enviroMENTALists won't let it happen. All those projects have been tied up in litigation for so long, there's no contractors to do the bidding anymore.
 
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  • #637
Have you seen any mtn lions?
 
Have you seen any mtn lions?
One has a trail along my north property line. She mated and produced a two cubs, about three years ago. I see fresh tracks weekly at least. Never in the bad weather though, which I don't blame kitty for, it's not smooth going in perfect weather!

I've never actually seen any of the three local cougars that I can identify by tracks. Yes, I can do that, I'm not called Kaveman because I'm particularly "tech-y".

To be fair, ive only ever gotten a good clear view of about 4 cats that I wasn't hunting. A large male frequented my neighborhood in Overgaard for years, used to have a bunch of photos of him
We do have both the tawny and grey color morphs here, and fairly sizable cats. But for the most part you'd never see one without a pack of lion dogs or a trailcam. Very nocturnal, very shy. Some folk might see a blur beside the trail if they walk the right routes at the right times, accidental encounters that dont register completely to the human and is dismissed as a nothing.
 
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  • #639
Yes, seeing 4 cats is extraordinary I'd say.

You might like this book which I liked alot, especially all the parts about Roy McBride who is basically the best mtn lion hunter/guide of all time.


And this book, about a mtn lion born in SD and which traveled to CT and got hit by a car 15 miles from my hood.

 
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  • #646
It can be said that it is not cold at all. 22F = -5°C. Tomorrow in St. Petersburg in the afternoon -17°C. I'm going to work. We need to cut down some dry elms.
Just for the record, them weasels were frolicking at -22F, not 22F. Nevertheless, safe to say our boy Max is a monster.
 
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