Look What I Found in my Garden

[Duck on Wheels]

We had out-of-season permits for deer and multiple other "pests" back on the farm. Had a gun too. But my Dad could never bring himself to shoot anything. Not even the possums, which were an invasive imported species in California. Nor the turkeys which were not only invasive and non-native, but also edible. He maybe killed a gopher or two, and some flies and mosquitoes, but otherwise he only used catch-and-release traps. Catch'em. Drive off into the woods. Let'em go. Once we think the "pest" may have been a mountain lion. Whatever it was left claw marks at shoulder height on one of the redwood trees. It also took the bait out of the back of a possum-sized trap, pulled the chicken thigh out and left the trap snapped but empty. And it growled rather loudly around the house for a couple of nights, the first of which my ds and the neighbors' son were out in the yard in a tent But still, we never shot anything. We were invading their territory, not they ours.

[chickwhorips]

So what do you use to keep moose away from a garden? Haven't started a garden, but the little trees are more like a stick with one leaf.

[Duck on Wheels]

So what do you use to keep moose away from a garden? Haven't started a garden, but the little trees are more like a stick with one leaf.

My guess is the same as we finally did to keep the deer out -- 7ft high, very sturdy fences.

[Python]

Venison and redcurrant sauce...MMMMMM

[Tuckervill]

We went camping in the Ouachita National Forest last night. Me and the boy, and we rode this morning around some fire roads.

We had a bear visit our campsite while we slept, I think--I didn't see it, but I smelled it and heard it get in the trash cans about 50 yards away. I've never smelled a bear before, but it was close and there for a long time. While I was half asleep, it didn't occur to me that it might be a bear--but when I awoke, I remembered the smell! YIKES!

It's kind of a musty, musky, skunky odor, moist smelling. Not a skunk--I know those. It was so strong it must have been right outside the tent. Anyone know what a black bear smells like?

Karen

[uforgot]

Anyone know what a black bear smells like?

Karen

I think if I was ever close enough to sniff a Black Bear, the overwhelming aroma in the air would definitely NOT be from the bear.

[lph]

aaaw, hedgehogs are so cute!

I was out late the other evening in our neighbourhood, which is very quiet and mostly car-free, and saw this small "rock" trundle over the path. Their legs are so tiny you can barely see them... It was a young hedgehog, and when we got close he didn't curl up, just froze where he was and pretended to be a real rock I guess running is out of the question with those tiny legs.

And just a few metres further on there was another, larger "rock" in the grass that hadn't been there the day before. Very very cute!

[Tuckervill]

I think if I was ever close enough to sniff a Black Bear, the overwhelming aroma in the air would definitely NOT be from the bear.

You know, I wasn't scared at all. Just had a slow realization that it was probably a bear. I did, right before falling asleep, remember that story about the 11 year old boy who was dragged out of his tent by a bear recently. I reached out and grabbed my son's hand while he slept and and just held it until I went to sleep, because I know that's an irrational fear. But now I'm not so sure it was irrational! Especially after, on the trail some miles away, we saw bear scat in a couple of different places. And we were parked at Bear Creek Horse Camp for our ride. yikes, now I'm really freaked out! lol.

Karen