Strange things seen...

[sprucebunny]

in your travels.

Have you ever been driving along and seen something so unusual that you had to stop and take a picture or two ???

Show us !! ;D

Here's my most recent.





She came over to the fence when I stopped across the road and looked at me with one eye at a time for a couple of minutes :D

[Riles]

That's the ugliest moose I've ever seen.  ;D

[Texas Ranger]

Several years ago I was driving down a county (spelled dirt) road with a high fence on one side, like to lost control when a giraffe walked out of the trees, then began to see ostrich, antelope, strange looking deer, etc.  Seems a liquor store owner in Houston (must sell a lot of booze) had an exotic game ranch of several thousand acres.

Makes a foresters day to see stuff like that, also makes you look around for the lions and tigers and bears, oh my.

[sprucebunny]

I had a similar experience in Florida, TR. Saw a giraffe, then a zebra along the interstate.

Discovered that this is a 4 year old male named Ollie. He's a Bactrian camel native to the steppes of the Himilayas and used to winter conditions. The single hump variety is a dromedary.

[pasbuild]

I'm waiting for them to find BIGFOOT up here them I'll post pics. ;D

[SwampDonkey]

I'm still looking for the eastern cougar.  ;D ;)

[woodbowl]

Sprucebunny, does this qualify as something unusual? I was getting ready to get in my truck one night and a heard something sneaking around in da dark so I aimed the camera over my shoulder and got this shot.

Does anybody know what it could be? It's got a logrite hat on, but no eyeballs. Here's the blowup also.

[Tom]

I think that's a Great White Horned Gadsden Snuffleoctopus

[Dodgy Loner]

I'm still looking for the eastern cougar.  ;D ;)

Just ask any ol' farmer down around here.  Any one of 'em will swear that they've seen a Florida panther at some point in their lives.  I'd be less surprised to find bigfoot in my backyard than a cougar.

[Tom]

Well, I'm convinced I saw a Panther crossing the road under I-295 one morning back in the middle eighties and had one raise the hair on the back of my neck one night here at the house in the late eighties.  I guess big foot is next. 

[Texas Ranger]

DanG!!! Such a critter, woodbowl, would keep me outta the woods at night. 8)

[Jeff]

My Neighbor up north, Lou, informed me last trip up that we indeed do have what several folks have been seeing up there. He saw it for himself walking across his very remote driveway.  He said it walked slowly across the drive and leaped easily over the 10 foot wide ditch followed by its long tail.   I should have never told Tammy, as now she is fearful of me being out in the woods alone there. I simply told her that its been there all along and she wasn't afraid for me up until then.  I'm hoping eventually one of us will catch the cougar on a trail cam.

[pigman]

Panther ...............raise the hair on the back of my neck one night here at the house in the late eighties. 

Now that is getting  close. How did he raise the hair, lick it or blow on it.? ;D


Bob

[Tom]

OK.  If I must tell the story.  :D

I had just moved onto my property.  There were no neighbors.  I was in a dilapidated single-wide trailer that I had purchased as a repo and moved out here to hold me over until I could build a house.  All alone, it was Pitch black.  There was no wind and, as I recall, the moon and stars must have been covered by clouds. 

I had just laid my head on my pillow and let out a sigh of relief that the day was over when the swamp and the trailer was filled with the loudest scream of a horrified woman that I've ever heard in my life.  It was coming from the swamp behind the house and must have been very close.  Someone was being killed right here on my property.

I jumped out of bed and ran to the front door where I hardly touched the steps, and ran around the right side of the trailer where I had cut a trail into the woods a few weeks earlier.  Down this path I hurried as I tried to get my wits back and peer through the dark.   Then, as if the heavens opened and the light of a thousand angels appeared in my mind, I was struck with the realization that I was standing in the middle of Thomas Swamp in bare feet and my skivvies.   

Quickly I reversed my direction and began a high stepping two step back toward the trailer, or,  as best as I could discern, the general direction.  It was a "whistling in the graveyard" moment.   

I had taken no more than ten steps when the scream was emitted again.  This time my back was to it, but, I could almost feel the heat.  It was a cat...  a big cat...  What in the H.. am I doing out here?   I dug my toes into the dirt and high-tailed it to the trailer, rounding the corner as my feet threw twigs, acorns and dirt across the yard.  One leap to the steps and I was inside, slamming the door and trying not to shake too bad.   I went and sat on the edge of the bed, but sleep was impossible.  Finally, I made a pot of coffee and sat in the kitchen drinking it, wishing that I had some kind of shutters I could put on the windows.   By early morning, I was satisfied that I could sleep and again went to bed where I slept until my alarm went off at 5 am.

I cleaned myself up, shaved and got dressed in my three piece suit, gingerly walking across the front yard (a bushhogged area of maybe 500 square feet) and was relieved to find that I had gotten inside of the car unscathed.

I made the long drive to work, about an hour, and could hardly wait to tell my story at the Directors meeting.   Nobody would believe me.  It had to have been a Panther but, as I was told by these intelligent businessmen, There are no Panthers here.

I've never had this happen since.   But, I'll tell you that I can still hear the scream in my mind.  It was as if someone were using a megaphone about 3 feet behind my head and yelling at the top of their lungs.

Have I been into the swamp in my skivvies since.  Yes.  I guess I'm a slow learner.  I ended up back there one night amongst a herd of deer and had the lead doe blow on me.  I ran that night too.   I would still, out of curiosity do it again.  I wouldn't run anymore though.  Now I can't.  If I can't keep my composure long enough to get back to the house, I guess I'll just die right there. 

[Paschale]

I heard a similar scream with my dad when I was about 12 years old.  We were surveying our land up in Delta County in the U.P.  I'd hold one end of the 100 yard tape while my dad would force his way through the brush on the surveying line.  Late in the afternoon, I heard what sounded just like Tom described:  a woman screaming bloody murder.  I've never been more scared in my life, and I think I ran that 100 yard dash towards my dad so fast that Carl Lewis would have been left in the dust!   ;D

We think it had to have been a lynx, though maybe it was a cougar.  We know there are lynx in the Stonington Peninsula, and just not sure if anyone's claimed yet that the cougar is there.  Regardless, that's the most terrified I've been in my life.   

I did see a cougar cross the highway on I-196, near Benton Harbor.  My then girlfriend was in the car with me, and if she hadn't been there to confirm what I saw, I don't think I would have believed myself. 

[Roxie]

September 16, 2000.....Sitting in my breakfast room, looking out at the field behind the house, as dusk was just about to begin, I saw what I thought at first was a very large dog.  It was walking along the deer trail and as I watched it I couldn't help thinking it couldn't be a dog because I've never seen a dog move the way this critter was moving.  I grabbed my binoculars and raised them up...looked...lowered the binoculars...raised them again...and couldn't believe my eyes.  It was a cougar.  A big cougar.  I remember being surprised at how much silver color it had.  I called a friend that works at the State Police Barracks, and they were very interested that I'd seen the cougar.  They asked me to call the Game Commission and report the finding.  They told me that I might be given a hard time, but to please do it anyway.  So, I called the Game Commission.  The gentleman informed me that I hadn't seen a cougar.  I said, "Yes, I did."  He said, "Lady, you did not see a cougar."  I said, "Ok, then I'd like to report a cat the size of a German Sheperd in my backyard."   :D

[Paschale]

 :D :D :D :D :D

[Jeff]

 :D  Roxie, maybe thats what Lou saw. A pine squirrel the size of a German Shepard.

[pigman]

 

I was checking my cows today when this creature came out of the woods.   I am not sure, but I think it is a baby dinosaur.  ;)

Bob

[Jeff]

 :D :D

[crtreedude]

When we first moved down to Guatuso there were several sightings being reported of a creature that looked a lot like Big Foot. People got pretty excited until they figured out it was the new neighbors...  :D

[Radar67]

Bob, this may be an ancestor to yours....



Don K called him a "Scaley Bark", I know they will get your attention when you have slit eyes on your mind. This one was about 8 inches long with the tail.

Stew

[Dale Hatfield]

Pigman
I think thats called a skink but what kind im not sure. Change the not surea nd add 5 lined skink
Dale

[Radar67]

Bob's picture is a blue tailed skank.

Stew

[Jeff]

Thant would be skink there radar.  :D   

[Furby]

Based on American slang, it could also be a skank.

[Radar67]

That's what I said, skank....we just say it and spell it different down here.  ;D

Stew

[Don K]

Read a interesting article on the skink or skank, depending on what side of the Mason-Dixon line you hail from, while I was in Virginny earlier this summer. According to this article, there are two types of skinks, a Big Head  and the Brown Skink. Both are brown but the adult Big Head has a noticable big diamond shaped head. The heck to beat all is that both species juvenile has a blue tail and a barely discernable between the two. I've seen all brown and also the blue and thought it was two different lizards. We called them blue racers when I was young. Have never seen a Adult Big Head.

Hey Stew, That scaly bark will make you hurt yourself when you are peeping for Mr. Rattler won't he?  :D :D :D

Don 

[Radar67]

I don't have to peeping, I pass my wood pile, he moves, I jump....every time.  :D :D

Stew

[pigman]

Thanks guys. 8) I didn't care if it a skank or a skink. ;D  I was just worried that it may be a gecko here trying to sell me more insurance. ;)

Bob

[sawguy21]

Skank ??? That has a whole different meaning up here that don't belong on a family oriented forum. :D

[Don K]

That is a universal term definitely in certain situations ;)

[sprucebunny]

Moving on from reptiles and ... well ... moving on ...



I figured this was a bad guy but it turns out that some lifestage of this insect eats the larvae of wood boring bugs.

[Jeff]

ITS A CLICK BUG!

[OneWithWood]

Radar, your lizard is known as an Allegator Lizard for obvious reasons.  They are all over Yosemite.

[Radar67]

Thanks OWW, I'll have to do some research on that.

Stew

[Don K]

Stew, I got curious about my scaly barks, so I did a search on Alabama lizards and on the outdoor alabama website they call them Eastern Fence Lizards. I like Scaly Bark better. ;D

Don

OK found a genus name. Sceloporus undulatus. There is some good reading on them and supposedly make good lizard pets.

[Radar67]

I checked out both lizards and Don has the right one. The other had more of a shinny skin rather than scaly, also the range didn't match with the Alligator Lizard. Thanks to both for the help identifying the proper one.

Stew

[rbhunter]

Question??

I would like to know why the fish and game departments have such a hard time believing stories of cougar sightings. They always seem to deny the sightings without even checking into the stories. I have seen this in Kansas and also in Missouri. One was hit in Missouri by a car shortly after we moved here. Kind of hard to deny when you have a dead one to confirm.

[isawlogs]

I think it has to do with  " if it is indid alive and out there " they will need to take action or plan on the preservation of said cat .....  Now if they dont know of its existence .. no budget needed for something that aint there .

[Onthesauk]

And we pay for this nonsense. :(

[SwampDonkey]

Just got this in...



The folks are out in southern BC visiting friends and relatives. This comes from the back yard of where they are at. They like to watch them catch other critters.

[Timburr]

Is this another 'weeds from the back yard' plant identification challenge?  ;D

[limbrat]

Some lady you just got to give some distance.

[olyman]

here in iowa--there have been numerous bobcat sightings--but the game and fish deny it--suppose if someones killed-and maybe partially ate--like in commefornia--theyll pay attention???? too many highly edumacated people in some poistions---

[Onthesauk]

Just ran into a little black bear in the yard.  I sit out in the sun in the mornings and have a cup of coffee with the cats.  They were intent on something around the corner.  Walked over and here is a little bear just up the hill next to the house checking us out.  Have a feeling that he's been down in the apple trees over night.

[Tony]

    I live on a small watershed lake in N.MS. Looked out at the lake the other day and lo and behold there were 3 pelicans    I think they're lost.

                                              Tony   8)

[sprucebunny]

Another weird event but no pictures.

I was driving on a two lane in a rural area but entering the outskirts of a small city. There were hills and fields and trees along the road. Speed limit 40.
Out of the cornor of my eye, at about the roofline of the car, I saw a big bird go from flying to falling and a duck landed on it's back in the road about 20 feet in front of me !!!! I can only think that it flew into the power/phonelines. I believe that it's head landed somewhere else 

No where to pull over out of the road so no pics. Also I was a little shocked  :D

[Roxie]

I had a similar traumatic experience about a year ago watching a flock of snow geese flying overhead.  One member of the flock musta had a heart attack because one minute it was flying and the next it just came down like a rock.  I was very sad.   :'(

[sawdust]

Possibly they ran into invisible UFOs :D

sawdust


The screamin talked about earlier.... ever heard a peacock let loose? I still have nightmares.

[Jeff]

here in iowa--there have been numerous bobcat sightings--but the game and fish deny it--suppose if someones killed-and maybe partially ate--like in commefornia--theyll pay attention???? too many highly edumacated people in some poistions---

Not likely a bobcat will ever kill a person. Doubt if its ever happened anywhere, at least in recorded history. Bobcats are a whole different animal then a cougar.

[sprucebunny]

Lots of people have spoken of predicting the winter's severity by the stripes on a wooley bear caterpillar. This one should cause some head scratching.



And then this one showed up ...

[SwampDonkey]

When confronted with perplexing signs of nature, just give the blanket forecast. Possibility of snow every day with an occasional thaw with 1-3 days rain each in Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, March, April. Temperature ranges from -30 F to + 50 until further notice.  ;D


:D :D :D :D

[badpenny]

   SwampDonkey, you shouldabeen   A weatherguesser, That is by far the most accurate fore cast I have ever heard, honest too.
  When I was a young'n, the forecast at 5 pm was 10% chance of widely scattered snow showers on a December evening. The weather guy at 10 pm said a man from International Falls had called in to say the scattered snow showers were 10" deep, still coming down, and were being driven by a 40 mph wind

[Furby]

If I remember right Joan, the black band at the head is the length of fall weather in your area.
The black band at the tail is the length of spring.
The brown one in between is the length of winter.

[PineNut]

The standard 7-day weather forecast is the next 5 days are the same that you have right now and the following two days are the weather you would like to have.

[Roxie]

September 16, 2000.....Sitting in my breakfast room, looking out at the field behind the house, as dusk was just about to begin, I saw what I thought at first was a very large dog.  It was walking along the deer trail and as I watched it I couldn't help thinking it couldn't be a dog because I've never seen a dog move the way this critter was moving.  I grabbed my binoculars and raised them up...looked...lowered the binoculars...raised them again...and couldn't believe my eyes.  It was a cougar.  A big cougar.  I remember being surprised at how much silver color it had.  I called a friend that works at the State Police Barracks, and they were very interested that I'd seen the cougar.  They asked me to call the Game Commission and report the finding.  They told me that I might be given a hard time, but to please do it anyway.  So, I called the Game Commission.  The gentleman informed me that I hadn't seen a cougar.  I said, "Yes, I did."  He said, "Lady, you did not see a cougar."  I said, "Ok, then I'd like to report a cat the size of a German Sheperd in my backyard."   :D

Check out this newspaper article from Lancaster, Pennsylvania!! 

http://articles.lancasteronline.com/local/4/228537

That cougar that I didn't see, attacked an Amish man.  The game commission still cannot confirm that there are cougar's in our State.  (((insert hideous scream here))

[pigman]

A quote from paper "Although there are many reported sightings each year, the game commission maintains that mountain lions do not live in Pennsylvania."  Mabe the mountain lions are just passing through and have not registered to vote. :

[beenthere]

Roxie  (enough o that scream now  ;D )
Guess they oughta be believen you now.  8)

Is the cougar victim in trouble for shooting the cougar?
If in WI, I think he would be..as there is not a season on them.

We were close to having a season on our wolf population, but some individual Federal judge was able to squash that educated, scientific decision in one quick move of his ball point pen. Now the warning is out to keep the pets on a leash, if you go for a walk in the northern forest. Wolves gotta eat. 

(and pigman, maybe the cougars have registered to vote..I see Ohio had a cat that was found to be registered for the last 10 years or so  )

[OneWithWood]

Nittany Lion?

[Roxie]

Nah, the Nittany Lion is way farther west.   :D

Beenthere, the Amish fellow isn't in any kind of trouble for shooting the cougar, because the Game Commission doesn't believe there are any in the State. 

[sawguy21]

Apparently a cougar was recently spotted in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (yes Virginia, that is English ;)), far east of their normal range. They are obviously following game along the river valley from it's source in the Rocky Mountains.

[Splinter]

20 years ago saw a pair of young mountain lions in stark nh. Never forget that. still had their spots.
saw a hawk take out a pigeon in mid air last year, big ball o feathers.

Took the family to a beach in cape cod early one day, as it filled up, kinda noticed I was the only guy there. I was a hot day, apparently too hot for the women to keep their bathing suits on. Mirrored sunglasses kept me out of trouble with my wife.

sorry no pics ;)

[Radar67]

I once saw an owl pluck a young black squirrel off the side of a tree. It was early one morning and I had my sights on that squirrel when the owl got him. 

[SwampDonkey]

Seen a goshawk take grouse and a second grouse sitting by never even flew until I scared it. The hawk wasn't gonna leave his meal, he flew with his kill into a poplar.

[thedeeredude]

Does anyone here watch monsterquest on discovery channel?  Thats a good show most times.  Roxie, I hear the PA game commission is denying cougars because of something to do with insurance claims on high value livestock.  I don't know how that stuff works, just what I heard.

[thedeeredude]

Also, here's a link on the story of the amish guy attacked by a "cougar".

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2008/10/pennsylvania_game_commission_s.html

[timberfaller390]

I'm still looking for the eastern cougar.  ;D ;)

Just ask any ol' farmer down around here.  Any one of 'em will swear that they've seen a Florida panther at some point in their lives.  I'd be less surprised to find bigfoot in my backyard than a cougar.

Say all you want about us not having panthers in North Georgia, but my cat-killed brood mare will argue the point or the trail cam pics in Dalton, Ga. or the fact that Charlie Smith up in Big Firey Gizzerd Cove, TN. used to raise hogs every year just to feed to his "resident " cat.

[zopi]

Bigfoot doesn't scare me...but I am terrified that my ex-girlfriend will show up...

Messin' with Sasquatch..