Critter on the cache

[+Juicepig]

Recently had to disable the cache after a racoon decided it was also a good place to hide its young (birdhouse about a foot up contains the cache). I disabled the cache for the next 3 months or so to give them a little peace.

 

 

 

Despite not signing the log book, I also let him have the find

[Moun10Bike]

Lucyandrickie, Prying Pandora, Plaidguy and I just spent an extended weekend on a caching tour in CO, KS, NE, and WY. At this cache on near the CO-WY border, we came across this guy. Yep, that's the cache next to him!

 

 

He wasn't too happy after Prying Pandora knocked the container away from him with a long stick:

 

[+Ble68]

There was a squirrel in a tree and jumped out at us and the cache came out with it!!.....of course we almost peed our pants!!

[+Ble68]

 

Cache Occupant

This little bugger kept me from nabbing the cache because he jumped out of it! Future cachers beware of his wrath... :-)

(THis is not the one I was talking about above!! THis was at right on target in stroudsburg)

Edited May 24, 2007 by Ble68

[+gelfling6]

Ok Found one!!

 

Wood Family Cache in South Dakota - This guy was gaurding the cache jst behind him behind the pine needles and rocks.

 

 

gAAAAAHHH!!!!! Killer Rabbit! Run-Away! Run-Away!!!!! Sorry,, had a fit of Python there for a sec.

 

Actually, the rabbit DOES Look quite angry.

[+gelfling6]

Okay, When I snagged my 1st travelbug, (Wandering Wizard Of The Woods), it was near a water reservoir, part of the Connecticut Metropolitan District Co-operative (MDC) water supply. While I was writing into the logbook, I heard a little commotion down on the perimeter road.. A Male & Female goose had flown off an island, in the water, to the bank to feed.. About the time, a family, parents, one small child, walked near.. The male became a little agressive, protecting the female, making slightly threatening moves at the family as they walked by. I climbed down after closing the cache, and got a little closer myself. Again, he made some moves as if to ward me off, but since I stayed put, and snapped the pictures, it made no other agression towards me.

After awhile, the two geese flew off, back to the island. When I got a look at the island from another angle, there was a nest with what looked like 2 eggs. not exactly right next to the cache, but within 100-feet...

 

(Picture I took close to the geese to follow.. On another computer)

 

Stephen (gelfling6)

 

(Personally, If I saw a snake near a cache, I wouldn't bother figuring if it was

poisonous, or not.. I'd be too busy RUNNING!! )

[+TH 1969]

 

Found this little guy under the cache container which was placed in an old tree stump

[+niffir]

 

Found this little guy under the cache container which was placed in an old tree stump

 

What is that? Can't decide between squirrel and rabbit.

[+Rekottop]

Found this little guy coiled up under the cache. It was November and cool out so he was sluggish until i picked him up to move him away from the cache.

 

 

I could hardly see it in the picture!

[+Rose and the thorn]

These folks were not happy to see me.

http://i60.photobucket.com/albums/h13/2dog...to/100_0668.jpg

Edited May 28, 2007 by decdogg

[+TH 1969]

 

Found this little guy under the cache container which was placed in an old tree stump

 

What is that? Can't decide between squirrel and rabbit.

 

It was a mouse

[+B & Lela]

Found this little guy coiled up under the cache. It was November and cool out so he was sluggish until i picked him up to move him away from the cache.

 

 

I could hardly see it in the picture!

 

I had the same problem

[OGBO]

...Yep, copperhead! And no, i'm not crazy, but i've messed with snakes quite a bit and since he was so sluggish, was able to grab him behind the head and move him.

 

 

You can see that he was small too so i figure he wouldn't get me too bad if i made a mistake!!!

 

Ummm, having been bit by a rattler about that size, one thing I learned about pit vipers generally is that the young ones haven't learned to conserve their venom yet (the older ones will strike without envenomating as a defense tactic, saving the venom for their food prey). So you can get a significant amount of venom from the "babies" (or maybe the "adolescent males in full hormonal flow" and in their aggressive mode).

[+geomann1]

 

 

You can see that he was small too so i figure he wouldn't get me too bad if i made a mistake!!!

 

I don't know anything about snakes I haven't seen on TV, but that said, on TV once they mentioned that young snakes can be more dangerous than adult snakes.

 

The reason: young snakes don't know how to control the venom very well and often will pump in the entire available supply; adult snakes sometimes bite without injecting venom and if they do inject it is usually a smaller volume than that dosed out by a young snake.

 

Like I said, I learned this on TV, so YMMV.

~k

I've heard the same of scorpions as well.It's funny...all my time in the woods at home and I've never found a copperhead.Two years in Iraq and I've found two saw scaled vipers.Thankfully not near a cache.

 

Crikey, she's a beaut!!!

 

Sorry, just couldn't resist.

[+scavok]

Found one yesterday with some tiny eggs attached to the lid.

 

Story and photo

[+JohnnyVegas]

I saw this guy on a trail to one of my caches last Sat.

[+alaska-1]

Ok Found one!!

 

Wood Family Cache in South Dakota - This guy was gaurding the cache jst behind him behind the pine needles and rocks.

 

 

gAAAAAHHH!!!!! Killer Rabbit! Run-Away! Run-Away!!!!! Sorry,, had a fit of Python there for a sec.

 

Actually, the rabbit DOES Look quite angry.

 

Thank you!!! I was beginning to think I was the only one who thought that!

 

~see my post on the first page of this thread~

[luckykoi]

I found this little guy/gal on a cache a few weeks ago, he/she was more then a bit sluggish:

[+we kan do it]

I have to say if I ever see a snake on a trail or near a cache. I'm getting out of there. I hope to not find any of the rubber ones either. I hope they have warnings for those.

[+team moxiepup]

We found this guy guarding a cache last summer. The rocks were nice and warm with lots of hiding spots, so we couldn't blame him for taking up residence there. We named him Steve. You can see the handle of the cache where Steve is heading...

 

Here's the log we posted with the pic, after contacting the owner of the cache to make sure he didn't mind us posting a pic of the cache site.

 

Steve's dad Jake told us we could post a picture of Steve, so here is Steve As you can see Steve is very camera shy and wouldn't show his face. Geesh! Kids these days, you can never get a good photo of them! Say hey to Steve when you see him, he is such a nice little snake

[+MissJenn]

The other day, I saw a series of pix posted by BrianSnat: Way too cool

 

A very cute and very friendly fawn!

[+Spoon!]

This past weekend on a visit to the Spokane area we were caching in Riverside State Park. On our way to find GC6B5A we walked out on a small bluff overlooking the river and were surprised to see an osprey sitting in a tree no more than 50 ft away. He watched me snap a few pics, then calmly leapt into the air and glided upriver. There were several nests visible in the area, and we had spotted another bird sitting in one further downriver as well as several soaring over the other side of the valley. Watching one from such a close distance you really get a sense of the power of these birds.

 

[+hydnsek]

Lucyandrickie and I managed to 'find' 4 rattlesnakes in one afternoon last June during a cache hunt in central Washington. I've also found mice on top of a cache, startled fawns and rabbits, and many other experiences sited here.

 

Here's my latest discovery, during a lovely hike with GeekGirl near Tronson Ridge east of the Cascades.

 

Edith's checkerspot butterflies

 

 

Hmmm, what could they be doing....

[+gelfling6]

Found one yesterday with some tiny eggs attached to the lid.

 

Story and photo

 

Pretty sure Spider, from the webbing. Someone's cache obviously became the incubator.

 

I've seen similar to this in a few items I've recycled (Old Computers), but on a smaller scale..

Funniest, the eggs had hatched.. Was like a miniature of the Harry Potter movie, with all these

little tiny spiders scrambling out of a case when I opened it.

 

Stephen (gelfling6)

[+EScout]

It has been a very Snaky year so far. These have been taken in the last two months in a park that holds 3 of my caches.

 

(above) Gopher snake

King Snake (above)

(above) Rattle

Edited June 8, 2007 by EScout

[Pacific NW]

Some great pictures in this thread. Maybe it's me, or maybe it's the camera angles, but it seems like some folks get awfully close to various venomous snakes. To top it off, not many of them look very happy!

[+Rekottop]

Some great pictures in this thread. Maybe it's me, or maybe it's the camera angles, but it seems like some folks get awfully close to various venomous snakes. To top it off, not many of them look very happy!

 

There are these things on cameras these days called zoom. This zoom is better than any zoom that has tried to photograph the elusive Sasquatch which may be why you are unfamiliar with it. lol jk

[+EScout]

Yes, I zoom, crop and resize these photos. They are shy and are trying to get away from you, so quick shots are needed. In this park, I recently discovered that snake hunters put a bunch of pieces of plywood on the ground. They flip them quickly and collect snakes that they sell, especially looking for the rare King snakes. I like seeing these little fellows on my regular hikes. So, I informed park management and they quickly removed all the plywood (collecting and placing plywood is not allowed.)

[+H2OBob]

Here's the log from a cache near Franklin, PA that we did last year. Found a blacksnake that I think was preparing to hibernate behind the cache container.

 

Blacksnake log

[+DrAwKwArD]

Here's one I tried to find a few days after it was archived due to rattlesnake habitation:

 

It's a DNF that I was glad to have!

 

Edited June 9, 2007 by cache-n-dash

[+Dreago]

This past weekend on a visit to the Spokane area we were caching in Riverside State Park. On our way to find GC6B5A we walked out on a small bluff overlooking the river and were surprised to see an osprey sitting in a tree no more than 50 ft away. He watched me snap a few pics, then calmly leapt into the air and glided upriver. There were several nests visible in the area, and we had spotted another bird sitting in one further downriver as well as several soaring over the other side of the valley. Watching one from such a close distance you really get a sense of the power of these birds.

 

 

Are you sure that it's not a Bald Eagle? Kinda looks like one in the pic, but I've been wrong before.

[+mamid]

I don't have any pictures, but going nightcaching last night scared the bejesus out of us. We live in a cougar and bear area. The frogs and toads were singing last night. It was when they stopped suddenly that we got freaked out. So long as the frogs and toads were singing we were safe. My caching partner pulled out his knife and got into defensive mode. I signed the log for the two of us, and then we high tailed it out of there.

 

We don't think they were at all freaked about us, but the sudden quiet gave us a new name for fear.

[+Spoon!]

This past weekend on a visit to the Spokane area we were caching in Riverside State Park. On our way to find GC6B5A we walked out on a small bluff overlooking the river and were surprised to see an osprey sitting in a tree no more than 50 ft away. He watched me snap a few pics, then calmly leapt into the air and glided upriver. There were several nests visible in the area, and we had spotted another bird sitting in one further downriver as well as several soaring over the other side of the valley. Watching one from such a close distance you really get a sense of the power of these birds.

 

 

Are you sure that it's not a Bald Eagle? Kinda looks like one in the pic, but I've been wrong before.

 

Yeah, the pic is confusing because of the angle, but I'm 90% sure.... Could be a juvenile Bald Eagle, I suppose. I based my call on the ID on the dark streak through the eye, and the striped underside when (s)he took off. The size also seemed to be right for an osprey (~24") as opposed to a BE (36"). Of course, I'm no expert! In any case, it was very cool to see

[+Dreago]

This past weekend on a visit to the Spokane area we were caching in Riverside State Park. On our way to find GC6B5A we walked out on a small bluff overlooking the river and were surprised to see an osprey sitting in a tree no more than 50 ft away. He watched me snap a few pics, then calmly leapt into the air and glided upriver. There were several nests visible in the area, and we had spotted another bird sitting in one further downriver as well as several soaring over the other side of the valley. Watching one from such a close distance you really get a sense of the power of these birds.

 

 

Are you sure that it's not a Bald Eagle? Kinda looks like one in the pic, but I've been wrong before.

 

Yeah, the pic is confusing because of the angle, but I'm 90% sure.... Could be a juvenile Bald Eagle, I suppose. I based my call on the ID on the dark streak through the eye, and the striped underside when (s)he took off. The size also seemed to be right for an osprey (~24") as opposed to a BE (36"). Of course, I'm no expert! In any case, it was very cool to see

 

Oh definately cool to see. No matter which it was, it's something you'll remember forever!

[+Aiden's Cachers]

Found this cute little guy a few feet from a cache yesterday.

[+Spoon!]

Also saw this guy:

 

 

While hiking around in the area of GC9165. No idea what kind of reptile he is, but the orange striping was interesting.

[+Happy Humphrey]

Just to add a British example;

 

 

...from An Uplifting Day Out.

[+MissJenn]

Just to add a British example;

 

...from An Uplifting Day Out.

Awwww! I like frogs. I like frogs a lot.

[Bosrek_Barbarian]

I don't have a picture of it, but during our visit to relatives in FL last month we encountered a duck sitting on a nest, at exactly the spot where the cache would have been.

Bull Country II

The cache has since been made unavailable.

[+Mudfrog]

Just to add a British example;

 

...from An Uplifting Day Out.

Awwww! I like frogs. I like frogs a lot.

 

Why thank you Jenn! We're kinda partial to them ourselves.

 

We came across this little fellow near one of our caches in Martin Dies State Park a couple of years back.

 

[+StarBrand]

You gotta read my log to fully appreciate this one....

 

This Cache Log

 

[Adam-Eve]

Many of these pictures made me and .

Adam nor I have ever run across any animals or critters while geocaching, but GC190Y3 led us past many dead animal bones.

[anital76]

ok this one took me a bit to spot.... he blends in real nice LOL

 

anita

[+jackrock]

Found this little guy coiled up under the cache. It was November and cool out so he was sluggish until i picked him up to move him away from the cache.

 

Isn't that a poisonous snake?

 

Nope. No such thing as a poisonous snake. However, it is a venomous snake -- copperhead.

[+jackrock]

This guy was next to a cache I found.

 

 

This guy was near another cache.

 

This one was right next to the cache but it was cool out and he never moved.

Edited March 12, 2008 by jackrock

[+redtech]

I'm really not scared of snakes but I think if I saw a few of these, I might quit caching.

 

I feel sort of fortunate to have gotten the basics of caching in the winter months.

[+hydnsek]

Marmot sentinels - mother and child - were closely guarding BLT...not the sandwich (Blue Lake Trail).

 

 

Once I escaped their clutches and logged the cache, here's the reward:

 

[+Moore9KSUcats]

We temporarily disabled a cache recently because of an occupant... a dead raccoon!

 

The cache is located under a large boulder in a small cave-like area...large enough to move around in. It is about 5 feet away from the dead raccoon. I didn't figure people would enjoy looking in and seeing it stare back at them!

[+2qwerqE]

Juvenile Bald Eagle, yelling at me. Walking in on soft pine needles beneath my feet. I saw 3 eagles, but too many branches defeated my camera. They all took off. Then I heard a splash in the lake and this guy flew up from the water, soaking wet to land in the tree and shake off like a retriever scome to shore. He was too wet to fly off right away, so we regarded one another for a time. whatever he was fishing for got away.

 

[+MissJenn]

Juvenile Bald Eagle, yelling at me. Walking in on soft pine needles beneath my feet. I saw 3 eagles, but too many branches defeated my camera. They all took off. Then I heard a splash in the lake and this guy flew up from the water, soaking wet to land in the tree and shake off like a retriever scome to shore. He was too wet to fly off right away, so we regarded one another for a time. whatever he was fishing for got away.

I saw this and want to add it to the front banner rotation but I need a link to the cache log which contains this photo.