Wildlife while Caching

[Wanderingson]

Just wondering what type of wildlife folks have come across while caching. I ran across this little feller right after i placed my first cache "Wild, Wild Horses". He was looking for a handout and almost had my wife buy into his sypathetic look. He actually sat and was being a true actor in hope of us throwing him something to eat. I'm sure we were not the first folks he tried this one on--let me tell you he was as sly as a......

 

 

"I cache; therefore I am"

[+robert]

The dingo ate my baby!

 

~robert

Notice: Driver carries less than $20 cache.

[+mogolloyd]

one word...rabies

[+Mr. 0]

I've never really seen anything out of the ordinary around here...I guess, since you're in Japan some might be rare for you. I've seen one American Bald Eagle, some Indigo Bunting, Quail, Pheasant, Grouse, Deer, and a multitude of other mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles.

 

Mr. 0

 

"Remember that nature and the elements are neither your friend or your enemy - they are actually disinterested."

 

Department of the Army Field Manual FM 21-76 "Survival" Oct. 1970

[+Doc-Dean]

Found a dead something once... I guess it couldn't wait any longer for handouts.

 

Also seen a few gopher tortoises which are pretty cool.

 

---------------------------------------------------

Free your mind and the rest will follow

 

[This message was edited by Doc-Dean on August 14, 2003 at 05:07 AM.]

[+briansnat]

I've run into a few black bear and a lot of deer. Let me re-phrase that...a real lot of deer.

 

And of course there are the usual hawks, vultures, songbirds, chipmunks, squirrel, snakes.

 

"Give a man a fish, he'll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, he'll sit in a boat and drink beer all day" - Dave Barry

[martmann]

Here in Washington, Eagles are a common sight, there is even a family living above THIS cache. I've seen them flying around the park there a few times.

 

_________________________________________________________

If trees could scream, would we still cut them down?

Well, maybe if they screamed all the time, for no reason.

Click here for my Geocaching pictures and Here (newest)

[+Darkmoon]

I have run into quite a few deer, coveys of Bob white quail, local lizard known as a mountain boomer, road runners, all sorts of snakes, buffalo, longhorn cattle, racoons, armadillos, prarie dogs, etc...the list goes on and on!

 

Darkmoon

 

All you have to do to fly is throw yourself at the ground and miss!

[+flask]

i have seen the standard bear, deer, blah, blah.

 

i have been attacked by grouse and threatened by moose.

 

loons. we got to see a whole flotilla of them. two parents and a flock of chicks. even though i live where fox and moose and bear are plentiful, i had never seen a loon.

 

and we ran into a really big group of turkeys; three adults and more chicks than we could count.

 

-====)) -))))))))))))

presta schrader

[Team VaxCave]

We've run into deer and bunnies alot. One of the animals we actually caught and keep as a pet!

 

 

::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::=::+::

Searching through the cave. Team VaxCave.

[Jomarac5]

Eagles, hawks, deer, rabbits, field mice, salmon fry, rock cod, squirrels, coyotes, a turtle, a beaver, rats, great blue herons, dungeness crabs, jellyfish, a snake or two, and these guys:

 

 

*****

 

[This message was edited by Jomarac5 on August 15, 2003 at 03:45 AM.]

[+mtn-man]

Deer, rabbits, snakes... all that normal stuff, but we saw more unusual stuff out in Colorado. Check out my log photos on this cache for photos of Bighorn Sheep, Marmots and high altitude Chipmunks.

 

Pike Never Made It by Breaktrack

 

[+Bilder]

We had a couple black bear cubs that paid a visit to our event cache last night.

 

They ran across the parking lot about 50 feet in front of my daughter and I. Couple other cachers had to wait till they moved on a bit before they could go look for their gift caches.

 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I have never been lost. Been awful confused for a few days, but never lost!

N61.12.041 W149.43.734

[bnolan]

I've seen snakes, salamanders, marmots, deer, and a variety of birds and insects.

 

____________________________________________________

I may be lost, but at least I am making good time.

[+WildGooseChase]

Not a favorite.

[+carleenp]

quote:

---

but we saw more unusual stuff out in Colorado.

---

 

I love Marmots! I have seen the usual deer, snakes, bugs, birds, etc. while caching. The weirdest was a huge groundhog in the middle of the city between several very busy streets. While not caching, I can add bear, moose, antelope, marmots, a funky little orange weasel and probably more that I am not remembering at the moment.

 

[+mortaine]

I do a LOT of urban caches, so the most wildlife I run into are litterbugs, but man, they are EVERYWHERE!

[+rpecot]

A couple aligators, lots of snakes, a few rabbits, tons of spiders, and gazillions of mosquitoes!

[+Tangles]

We have come across all the normal stuff like roos, wombats, possums, gliders, flying fox’s and snakes. But at one cache we found a Platypus trapped in a deep rock pool and managed to rescue it. It was a bit tricky getting it out, as male Platypus is venomous via a hollow spur on the rear legs. Once we removed it from the hole we found it was a female. We released her upstream away from the rock pools an as soon as she reached the water she dived under and disappeared. Also have seen some albino red roos while caching in the Outback.

 

[This message was edited by Tangles on August 14, 2003 at 05:32 PM.]

[+Blaylockgang]

We saw the sweetest baby fawn a couple of weeks ago at a cache, but mostly the only wildlife we run into is spiders and skeeters!

[+Rubberhead]

I sometimes find caches when I'm hunting wildlife.

 

Does that count?

 

 

Ducks - Flying, great tasting, geocaches of meat

[+Bubba Cache]

How do I post a pic within the post?

 

God bless you and your family,

Team Bubba Cache

[+Bubba Cache]

I think I got it but how can you post a pic withour putting it on geocaching.com first? Anyway...

We found a cache this summer. It was supposed to be in a tree. My wife saw this hole but it was about 8 inches taller than me, so I grabbed the hole and pulled myself up to peek and well.....

These suckers are MEAN and everywhere. And no, we don't eat them here in Alabama. Well, I don't eat them.

 

God bless you and your family,

Team Bubba Cache

[+BigJon]

Deer, turkey, rabbits, lizards, and snakes so far. Not much else out here in West Texas though.

 

[+RJFerret]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Bubba Cache:

How do I post a pic within the post?

---

 

Very carefully! (Sorry, couldn't resist... Not enough sleep last night..)

 

Along w/the normal wildlife, had a neat experience night caching when a 'hidden' fawn watched me search for an hour.

 

Last weekend as a white squirrel (not albino as eyes were brown and had a dark splotch on front).

 

Enjoy,

 

Randy

[+Metaphor]

I saw a BrianSnat once on a cache hunt.

 

"All of us are standing in the mud, but some of us are looking at the stars." Oscar Wilde

[+Mr. 0]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Metaphor:

I saw a BrianSnat once on a cache hunt.

 

---

 

"Crikey, and here we have the rare and elusive BrianSnat. This critter is very dangerous, and has a wild temperment. Looks like e's just waking up from a nap, and by the looks of the GPS in 'is hand I can tell e's on the prowl for something. There 'e goes rooting around under that bush looking for e's prey. E's pulled the prey out and it appears to be.....a cracked and wet old tupperware container. Ohhh look out e's really mad now...see how 'e used 'is powerful arms to toss that tupperware across the woods. Come have a closer look while I poke 'im with a stick."

 

Mr. 0

 

"Remember that nature and the elements are neither your friend or your enemy - they are actually disinterested."

 

Department of the Army Field Manual FM 21-76 "Survival" Oct. 1970

[+SamLowrey]

I saw a pack of wild hogs on the way to this cache.

[+BeachBuddies]

For me, running into interesting wildlife is one of the best things about caching. The coolest animals I have seen were a herd of about 20 coatimundi. They were all scanvenging around looking for grubs I guess. I was in southern Arizona (a canyon south of Sierra Vista). I think they migrate up from Central America. I bet they would make great cache hunters if you could train one

 

Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera, but here's a pic from the web:

 

[+Erwinia of B & E]

We ran into this guy and about 200 of his friends at a cache off the coast of South Carolina. Also, one of us about stepped on a water moccasin on the same trip. It was a real adreneline rush!

[Tahosa and Sons]

Well Fred got the picture of Puma's track. I've seen them on several caches and had to check one Cache out that was supposed to have a kill near the Cache.

 

Tahosa - Dweller of Mountain Tops.

[+Confucius' Cat]

Well, 2nd try...

 

I have come across the usual deer, possum, squirrel, coon, woodpeckers, hawks, eagles, alligators and such. But the most outstanding for me were the Newborn Fawn (5/25/03), and the White-tailed squirrel.

 

While not caching, I had this cute little baby dove in one of my American Chestnut trees in my back yard. He (or she?) just sat there, perched in my tree, long enough for me to go inside and get my camera and he let me get within a couple of feet of him to take the picture. This pix was published in the newsletter of the American Chestnut Foundation.

 

Caint never did nothing.

GDAE, Dave

 

[This message was edited by ChurchCampDave on August 14, 2003 at 08:47 PM.]

[+Lone Duck]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Rubberhead:

I sometimes find caches when I'm hunting wildlife.

 

Does that count?

 

 

Ducks - Flying, great tasting, geocaches of meat

---

 

QUACK!!!

 

Aflack! Aflack!

 

That Quack Cacher:

Lone Duck

 

When you don't know where you're going, every road will take you there.

[The 2 Dogs]

In Australia it would be very unusual to go more than few days caching without sighting some interesting wildlife. Here is a list of animals that I have had close encounters with in the 2.5 years I have been caching just on the outskirts of Sydney.

 

Dingoes. (who, by the way, I still believe to be innocent)

Rock Wallaby

Swamp Wallaby

Poteroo

Wallaroo

Koala

Bush Rat

Native field Mice

Red Kangaroo

Grey Kangaroo

Pigmy Possum

Ring Tail Possum

Brush Tail Possum

Wild Dog

Wild Pigs

Deer

Echidna

Marsupial Mice

Bandicoot

Flying Fox

Feral Cats

 

Of course then there are the countless lizards and snakes and birds and so on. If you love to spot wildlife come down under and cache here for a while, you will be richly rewarded. The picture below shows a paw print of something I am glad I didn't meet.

 

Seeya

[+Rubberhead]

quote:

---

Originally posted by The 2 Dogs:

The picture below shows a paw print of something I am glad I didn't meet.

---

 

The 2 Dogs,

Believe it or not that looks like the tracks of a running rabbit.

 

The two outside "toes" are actually the front feet that land first. After the front feet land, the rabbit pulls its back legs underneath him to prepare for the next jump so the two large inside toes are actually the rabbits two back feet. Of course it could have been a thylacine.

 

Do you have rabbits or hares in Australia?

 

Ducks - Flying, great tasting, geocaches of meat

[+sept1c_tank]

The 2 Dogs:

Would those tracks be an emu?

Can you identify this Tasmanian critter?

 

==============="If it feels good...do it"================

 

**(the other 9 out of 10 voices in my head say: "Don't do it.")**

 

.

[+GeoGryffindor]

We watched a beaver run across the road - right infront of us as we were driving - boy it gave us a dirty look as we drove by.

 

"Nice find! I must go tell Harry, Ron and Hermione."

[TahoeJoe]

I took a photo of this strange looking fellow while caching in the backcountry.

 

Lake Tahoe Geocacher

[+team travel pig]

while in austin doing the don't panic series i stumbled upon a pair of 'dilloes... nice to see these little guys alive - seen so many of them dead on the roads when we were living in east texas...

 

___________________________________

 

who's got the pig?

[+geospotter]

Met this guy while caching in Vermont. He was nice enough, but he had a little trouble using the camera.

 

[FISUR]

Behold the majesty of the Luna Moth which we recently came across while caching in southern RI. We were able to identify it with the help of other geocachers through posts the New England Forum.

 

 

Team FISUR

 

Rhode Island Geocaching

[The 2 Dogs]

quote:

---

Originally posted by sept1c_tank:

_The 2 Dogs:_

Would those tracks be an emu?

Can you identify this Tasmanian critter?

---

 

Actually I believe the print is that of a very large Kangaroo so it's not that bad really. Roos do grow to be very big and if they whack you with their tale they can break bones.

 

The Tassie devil photo is great. These critters are exclusive to Tasmania so not many mainlanders have actually seen them in the wild. Not as fierce as the cartoons will have you believe.

 

The most recent scarey story I have is... my son in law just had a night time close encounter with a very large Saltwater Crocodile. He was wading at a boat ramp on the Mary River near Darwin when he heard a large splash and could see two eyes, very well spaced apart heading quickly toward him. Judging by the spacing of the eyes we estimate the 'salty' to have been 12 feet long and needless to say he jump into his boat very quicky. The eyes then disappeared under. Whats really scary is that an American tourist was seveverly bitten at the same ramp only days before. So.... What else could we do but hide a cache in the area.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=84742&Nocache=0.7055475

 

Now there's a challenge.

[Team Sidewinder]

I did see a wolf on the way out from searching for a cache one evening. It was my first wolf sighting in the wild outside of the ones found in Yellowstone park. The ones in Yellowstone are becoming quite a common attraction in the winter anymore.

 

Team sidewinder

 

LOST AND FOUND DEPT.

[+iBrew]

On a recent adventure trying to find - Squishy's Birthyday Cache - I headed into the Nags Head Woods of NC. After eating and wearing about 100 spiders. I came upon the swamp! That's where I found Squishy (not the cache either)! I'm not sure what kind of snake he was but he was huge! A Python, or maybe an Anaconda!!

Actually he was a VERY LARGE Water Moccasin otherwise known as a Cottonmouth (WARNING! The Water Moccasin is a very venomous snake, one of the most deadly in North America. It is highly dangerous to people and their pets. If you should ever encounter one of these snakes and think that it has bitten someone, seek medical help immediately!)

 

Peace!

 

iBrew

 

Click here to see my Completely Useless Webpage

quote:

---

Oh, Great Spirit, let us greet the dawn of a new day when all men live as brothers and peace reigns everywhere! "Indian Prayer"

---

[+sept1c_tank]

QUOTE: "...The Tassie devil photo is great. These critters are exclusive to Tasmania so not many mainlanders have actually seen them in the wild. Not as fierce as the cartoons will have you believe...."--The 2 Dogs

 

==================================================

 

Actually, the photo is what is locally (Tasmania) known as a "spotted native cat." I know there are no native cats in Australia, and the critter apparently is not related to the cat family. There is a scientific name for it but I can't remember what it is called. The photo was taken on the Franklin river in Tasmania.

 

I have never seen a devil outside of captivity.

 

==============="If it feels good...do it"================

 

**(the other 9 out of 10 voices in my head say: "Don't do it.")**

 

.

[The 2 Dogs]

Fooled me there.

 

I took one look at him and assumed he was a Tassie Devil but now I see that Tassie's don't come in that colour for a start. Show's you how much I know about the little critters.

 

Looking up my bible here I can find your fella listed a "Dasyuroid Marsupial" He is closely related to the Tasmanian Devil but there are various species. Your specimen seems to be a "Spotted Tailed Quoll" which occur to varying degrees up and down the East Coast of Australia and of course more commonly in the Rain Forests of Tasmania. They are usually 2 to 3 feet long and sleep mostly by day in a hollow log or rock crevice. Sometimes they feed by day but mostly at night. Their diet includes small mammals, birds reptiles and insects. Listed as 'Common' in numbers. The Tassie Devil is listed as Common as well.

 

Thanks for prompt to gain some further education, and if I spot one I'll certainly let you know.

 

FOOTNOTE: The (presumed extinct) Tasmanian Tiger is probably the most famous of the Quoll's relatives. See Pic below.

 

 

There is also an interesting article on bringing the animal back to life Here.

 

[This message was edited by The 2 Dogs on August 16, 2003 at 10:45 PM.]

[+sept1c_tank]

It never even occured to me that the quoll might be related to the tiger. This has been a learning experience for us both, mate.

 

Here is a close up of the same quoll:

 

 

==============="If it feels good...do it"================

 

**(the other 9 out of 10 voices in my head say: "Don't do it.")**

 

.

[+geospotter]

My wife and I shared an apple with this guy. After he ate and realized we were not a threat he decided to take a nap. We had to wake him up to let him know we were leaving!

 

[Jomarac5]

I took this picture of a Great Blue Heron on a recent caching trip with Canadazuuk. We were about 6 meters (20 ft) away in the kayak when I snapped the shot.

 

 

BTW: Fisur, that's an awesome shot of the Luna Moth.

 

*****

[+Geofool]

Found this deer guarding the 'Love That Dirty Water' cache by Cachew Nut. Actually saw many deer while hunting this cache. They were not afraid of my presence either.

 

 

GF

 

********************************************

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me.