These winter squash from the garden were on my windowsill when we left for a few days to attend a Thanksgiving celebration south of here.
When we returned, the winter squash were gone! I suspect the whitetail took them all. The chickens and rabbits enjoy squash and pumpkins, but they wouldn't jump up to the windowsill to get to it. Besides, they are locked up. They will be locked up in the yard run for at least a week. I saw what I believe to be a Fisher Cat (or possibly a Pine Marten) prowling around.
I have long suspected that one (or more) have been around the riverrim..I see their tracks in the snow. This is the first time I have gotten a photograph of one (not a clear photo, but one that I can use for reference. Any help with identification would be appreciated.
Today is opening day of Deer season.
This eight point buck has been hanging around and he is beautiful. Early this morning I bid him fare-thee-well...and hope I will not be bidding him farewell! I have already been witness to a decapitated whitetail that was in the river just near the bridge. It appeared that someone had just tossed the carcass over the side of the bridge. I will spare you the photo.
Stay safe out there!
16 comments:
While I can understand the need for hunting, I can not abide the wastefulness of the some people. There are plenty of food banks which would love to have it donated if the people just took the time instead of just the antlers...and if you saw it already they probably didn't do it legally.
The carnage is horrifying and shocking to me Cyndy. When I was little I remember my Dad bringing home dead animals that he and his buddies had hunted. Sad...very sad.
Shame on those people that just took the head of the deer. This just makes me sick.
Your feeding the deer from your window box is sort of funny. I imagine not funny to you. :( I do stick the ends of the beauty berry bush and the Hawthorn tree limb ends in my window box. It is fun to see the birds so close to the house chowing down on the berrries.
I don't know what kind of creature is in your picture. Interesting.
I showed the photo of the mustelid to Tom French, our mammalogist here at work, and his thought was Mink, because the body looked to be shorter in length than either Fisher or Marten. So, consider that possibility, depending on the overall size of the critter.
I've lost a few chickens over the years to mink...we don't have either of the others here. This guy looks bigger than our minks but it's hard to tell. Funny about the window box "feeder" but tragic that people waste the deer. I grew up with hunters all around me and hated it when I was younger but I sort of understand it better now.
My bet would be the fisher, based on the ears. Pine martens have those little pointy ears.
If it is a fisher, watch out for the chickens. They are voracious carnivores. Although they are not supposed to be around where we live, there was a fisher and a racoon going at it in front of our house one early morning....and the fisher was clearly the one doing the intimidating.
Talked to the local forestry guy and his bet was that someone found a baby fisher at their cottage up north and brought it home with them, only to find out how vicious it could be. I saw it one other time and the forester said a couple other people spotted "something" that summer and that's the last I've heard of or seen it.
Oh that is terrible!!! I personally am not much for hunting, but I think that hunting responsibly for your food, is more humane than buying it in the shop. Unfortunately though there seem to be too many hunters who do it purely for fun or trophies....
Oh, I am glad my chickens don't have to deal with some of your predators!!! We have introduced foxes and eagles, and occasionally goannas (VERY big lizards) but no bears, panthers or pine martens etc! Can't imagine how secure your pens have to be!! Fort Knox!!
Oh, Cindy - we have 3 chicks hatched so far!!! Still 5 eggs unhatched yet. I will post photos on the blog once I can get some! So cute!
My husband thinks it is a river mink.
Our family has hunted for generations. When I was young and times were hard, deer meat kept us from starving. My husband and sons still hunt, we use the meat, and don't hunt horns. There is a verse in the Bible and I believe the Native American Indians also had a saying/blessing that says we are accountable for what we kill to eat. Some "hunters" give the rest a bad name.
It must be amazing to live around all of that wildlife. Thank you for sharing your pictures with us.
That is funny about the deer making off with your squash!
What a neat "weaselid" - hope you find out what it is and how to protect your chickens from it. But so neat to get a view and a pic!
Sorry about the wasteful hunters. THAT is not hunting; that is trophy shooting. That meat could have gone to good use. Wonder if they did it illegally...
Have a GOOD week!
Yes, that's very sad, if not irritating, about the deer. Very strange about the winter squash!
Terrible, the lack of respect some have for life.
Our mink are quite a bit smaller than the fisher. Also, much lighter with winter coming.
For some reason this year everyone around is dumping their deer or partial deer at the end of an adjoining road. That I have to drive past to go to town. To make it worse, rather than put up a no dumping sign, the county is covering everything with lime so they look like ghost deer...or parts. Wasteful and disrespectful and very sad.
haha~ funny!.thank .you for .your ..share.....
Hunting for food is one thing. Hunting for antlers, and tossing the food to one side, is terrible; and as some of your other friends have said, wasteful and disrespectful ...... giving all hunters a bad name, unfortunately.
Perhaps your 'mystery' animal is a mink? .... Watch your chickens, my friend!
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