Wildlife

[old goat]

No pics unfortunately but I got to watch a young coyote chase and take down a marmot yesterday while riding around Solitude. He was clearly annoyed at me but went on with his hunt, bouncing all over the trail and finally nailing the rodent. He then turn around to give the "come on dude, gimme some space" look.
Had a similar encounter a week ago on the Glenwild golf course. The coyote was so unbothered that I thought it was a dog and I'd see his owners around the bend.

Good for the coyote. Marmots are annoying varmints.

[KQ]

Arrrrrrrrrrggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhh!!

Two fawns that have been hanging around my farm came *this* close to getting hit by a wheat truck headed to the silo this morning as the doe and I looked on. Thank goodness the driver braked. That ain't easy in those big trucks on a 50mph road. I was surprised he did and though it would have broken my heart to have to clean them off the road I would not have faulted him for not braking.

Darn deer!

[Boissal]

Deer scare the piss outta me while hiking. The relatively lush north slopes are where i prefer to go on account of fewer rattlers trying to kill my pup. Anytime he sneaks up on a deer they sound like grizzlies storming through the brush. So there I am strolling down a trail listening to a book or podcast or whatever and BOOM small trees and branches start snapping and it sounds like a godless, marauding killing macheen has me dialed for a meal. Aaaaand it's just a buck, nevermind. Nature, wonderful and terrifying at once.

Another scary deer story:
A friend and I were bouldering late at night just below Snowbird, chugging beers and puffing clouds of smoke (because, bouldering) when we started hearing coyotes. It was just a few distant howls at first but within minutes it turned into a major production from a large pack. We sat there in awe for a bit then realized they were moving in our direction and decided we'd be better off on top of the boulder, just in case. A whole bunch of them came out of the brush not 30 seconds later and ran past us, traveling down canyon and howling as they went. I have no idea how many there were but it felt like at least 30. When they cleared the area we got off our rock and decided to call it a night as we were both a bit spooked. A few minutes later as we were walking along the shoulder getting back to the car I looked up into the brush and saw 4 or 5 pairs of eyes starting at me, reflecting the headlamp. I just about pooped myself thinking the coyotes were back and were silently stalking us. We kept walking and every time we'd look in the brush the eyes would be there, staring silently and not moving. Then we realized the eyes were attached to an animal that was way too tall to be a coyote, probably tall enough to be a huge wolf / a bear / a mutant moose / jeebus-knows what kind of killer beast a drunk stoner can think of... And just as I was about to start running for my life a fucking mule deer poked his long ass face out of the brush and flicked his stupid ears at me. A bunch of them were just grazing in the brush, not caring one bit about us but freezing and starting back every time we pointed the headlamps at them.
I've hated the fuckers ever since.

[Brownski]

Deer and raccoons are both pretty common in suburbia- but getting a buck and a raccoon hanging with each other in the middle of the day seemed worth getting my phone out. If you look close, the antlers are still in velvet which is pretty cool too.

[KQ]

Deer scare the piss outta me while hiking. The relatively lush north slopes are where i prefer to go on account of fewer rattlers trying to kill my pup. Anytime he sneaks up on a deer they sound like grizzlies storming through the brush. So there I am strolling down a trail listening to a book or podcast or whatever and BOOM small trees and branches start snapping and it sounds like a godless, marauding killing macheen has me dialed for a meal. Aaaaand it's just a buck, nevermind. Nature, wonderful and terrifying at once.

Bambi ain't always sweet - a deer, esp. a buck can mess you up:

[old goat]

The only animal that's ever killed someone in Yosemite was a buck that pawed a kid to death some years ago. Of course, in Yosemite the only large animals are deer, black bears. and people. Some of them are very, very large--the people that is.

[2bjenny]

Bison gonna bison.

https://buckrail.com/9-year-old-girl...n-yellowstone/

[teleee]

[jackstraw]

Unusual amount of humpback wales breaching close to shore. Typically you never see a whale from shore in my hometown, but they are super active right now. It's cool, but also questionable as to why and what is changing.

[old goat]

Goddamnit you're not helping

Friend of mine just moved from Everett WA to somewhere up in the hills and is terrified of cougars. He's taken to running with a waist pack with bear spray and a large knife, as if a cougar would give him a chance to use either. He's also freaked about the rattlesnakes on his property. Methinks he'll be moving back to civilization soon.

[plugboots]

Friend of mine just moved from Everett WA to somewhere up in the hills and is terrified of cougars. He's taken to running with a waist pack with bear spray and a large knife, as if a cougar would give him a chance to use either. He's also freaked about the rattlesnakes on his property. Methinks he'll be moving back to civilization soon.

That’s hilarious.

[KQ]

Unusual amount of humpback wales breaching close to shore. Typically you never see a whale from shore in my hometown, but they are super active right now. It's cool, but also questionable as to why and what is changing.

food source and why that is changing... well, pick your poison.

[plugboots]

[Powder Ho]

These boys visit every morning.

[babybear]

oh deer! ^

glad jenny posted the bison video- that was a textbook toss! although I wish it had happened to one of the adults that should have known better vs the kid

Old Goat- yes we have pelicans here. They are mostly up in Yellowstone though- husband sees them everyday he is up there (usually 2 or 3 days a wk)
we can point you in their direction if you ever wander up here

also- the little snake eating the fish video- so gross!
I have seen that once too and it was probably one of the most cool but disturbing things I've witnesses in person

[KQ]

[abraham]

Glademaster and I nearly walked into a cougar on a hike Monday night, came around a corner and saw it maybe 10 feet away heading down the trail. We were talking but I don't think it knew we were there because the creek was loud. The rest of the hike back to the car was interesting, that's definitely the closest I've been to a predator in the wild, and probably the closest to any large animal out there.

Both my ex and one of the women I've been seeing were not at all amused by how cool I thought it was after the fact.

[SirVicSmasher]

Glademaster and I nearly walked into a cougar on a hike Monday night, came around a corner and saw it maybe 10 feet away heading down the trail. We were talking but I don't think it knew we were there because the creek was loud. The rest of the hike back to the car was interesting, that's definitely the closest I've been to a predator in the wild, and probably the closest to any large animal out there.

Both my ex and one of the women I've been seeing were not at all amused by how cool I thought it was after the fact.

Pics or it didnt happen

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[KQ]

Since I keep singing it every time I see this thread title.............

[2bjenny]

Cool elk photo bbear! I was lucky enough to see lots of elk this spring in the early mornings in an area that burned last summer. They were really enjoying the new tender grass. One morning, about 30 feet from me, a group of 8 to 10 bulls stood up from their morning nap, already in velvet. One was huge and looked like he was at least a 6 point. I was too surprised and in awe to see them that close to take a picture.

I saw lots of pikas on my run in the Beaverheads two weeks ago. They are so cute!

[abraham]

Pics or it didnt happen

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There was time to take a picture before it left the trail. I wasn't thinking about that though

[SirVicSmasher]

Cougars we have learned are best left alone

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[east or bust]

finally saw my first desert tarantula(s) tonight! these things are so mellow!

[Norseman]

Just now on my lunch break while sitting on a bench overlooking the bay...

Peeping commotion overhead, look up to see an osprey evading a bald eagle, with a crow heckling them both from a few body lengths behind. They dogfight for maybe a minute, smaller osprey pulling some good maneuvers and holding its own... second eagle comes in fast from the side, forcing a couple desperate maneuvers from the osprey before it finally drops its fish... eagle does a barrel roll and catches the fish mid-air, 40 feet above the water. Both eagles fly together to a big spruce on the shore and are eating the score now.

Impressed by the teamwork, and by the osprey's flying ability with the mass of his catch.

[old goat]

Just now on my lunch break while sitting on a bench overlooking the bay...

Peeping commotion overhead, look up to see an osprey evading a bald eagle, with a crow heckling them both from a few body lengths behind. They dogfight for maybe a minute, smaller osprey pulling some good maneuvers and holding its own... second eagle comes in fast from the side, forcing a couple desperate maneuvers from the osprey before it finally drops its fish... eagle does a barrel roll and catches the fish mid-air, 40 feet above the water. Both eagles fly together to a big spruce on the shore and are eating the score now.

Impressed by the teamwork, and by the osprey's flying ability with the mass of his catch.

I've seen the osprey really struggle to gain altitude with a big fish but never saw one give up and drop it because it was too heavy.