Wildlife encounters

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Derkderkall, Aug 15, 2018.


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  1. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Throw a saddle on that sucker and ride it! YEEEE HAAAAA!
     
    Mikie, Sasquatch9billion and Faust29 like this.
  2. Voodoo Tom

    Voodoo Tom MTB Addict

    Location:
    Castaic
    Name:
    Tom Kokkinakis
    Current Bike:
    Mango one, black one, Ti one
    Happy Gilmore :D
     
  3. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Torfi setting up camp for the night…
    CBE07BBD-B83D-414E-A21B-75B67EB1DD3B.jpeg
     
    mike, bvader, mtnbikej and 3 others like this.
  4. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    My house is surrounded by B-Widows and tiny baby Lizards right now...
     
    mike, Faust29, mtnbikej and 1 other person like this.
  5. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Torfi decided she’s moving’ on up to where the big bugs fly…
    3120E2E8-6051-4BE9-A907-BF33D5B05BE7.jpeg
    I must keep track of this monster now because I don’t wanna open my window or step outside one day and find it in my face.
     
  6. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    I walked into this one when I was cutting the grass... She had rebuilt by the next day. :cautious:

    Spider_lunch (3).jpeg
     
    mike, ~JB~, mtnbikej and 5 others like this.
  7. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    There's barely any insects in SoCal! If I had a bug zapper here in NC, it would use more electricity than a 2 HP pool pump! :)

    Coolest local critter: the cyanide millipede, aka Apheloria tigana, which exudes hydrogen cyanide when "annoyed". Just like @DangerDirtyD !

    cyanide.jpg
     
    Walleye, Danimal, Oaken and 11 others like this.
  8. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Sounds like you and @SnakeCharmer had a slumber party and stayed up all night.
     
  9. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Wow, you’re jealous! :laugh:
     
  10. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    Only if you went for a ride.
     
    Sasquatch9billion likes this.
  11. BonsaiNut

    BonsaiNut iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    Troutman, NC
    Name:
    Greg P
    Current Bike:
    Santa Cruz Hightower CC XX1
    The thing is... those millipedes are EVERYWHERE in the woods. I took my daughter hunting for salamanders (for her herparium) and they were truly under every log we turned over. When I remarked about how pretty they were, my daughter instructed me "in nature, bright colors are often associated with venom or poison, so take the hint and leave it alone :)"
     
  12. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    Schooled! :)
     
  13. bvader

    bvader iMTB Rockstah

    Location:
    HB
    Name:
    Mr. Brown
    Had a close encounter with this guy today on a LCWP Single Track.

    Lots of rattling etc

    We scared each other.. when I stopped about 10 ft away and turned back to take a picture...he rose up and stared me down, pissed!

    Then he made a Low Tone hiss / noise... Twice...

    I thought I was hearing things / not sure... Then he did it again.

    It was a "Darth Vader" sound, not sure exactly what it was not too loud but it was real.. and I understood the message.

    PXL_20210718_001120390~2.jpg

    Thinking about it.. maybe it low frequency rattle I don't know never heard the sound before.
     
    mike, Walleye, konakc and 13 others like this.
  14. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    Yesterday I came upon a bunch of sooty grouse, a chicken-sized game bird like these:




    Also seen: The smallest and cutest mule deer fawns ever, two of them bounding across the road just for fun while mom casually walked ahead.
     
    herzalot, Mikie, bvader and 6 others like this.
  15. Faust29

    Faust29 Moderator

    Location:
    irgendwo
    Name:
    B. Bunny
    Current Bike:
    I gots some bikes.
    We had ruffled (sp?) grouse in NY where I grew up... Smaller than that variety, I believe.

    I had several encounters with them... :whistling:
     
    herzalot, Mikie, mike and 2 others like this.
  16. Danimal

    Danimal iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    Epic Evo
    I think the same thing can be said for many females of our species.....
     
    Oaken, Lost Kiwi, herzalot and 4 others like this.
  17. Y-not

    Y-not Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Coarsegold
    Name:
    Steve
    Current Bike:
    Pivot Mach 6, Litespeed SS
    Haven't seen the bird yet, but I did see some Bald Eagle feathers on the ground during my ride this morning. They have been there for a couple of months.
    I will take pictures of them next weekend, then call the Rangers and let them know where they are.
    I was hoping to see the bird this time.
     
    mike, Mikie and Faust29 like this.
  18. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
  19. mike

    mike iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Western US
    Name:
    Mike O
    Current Bike:
    HT, FS
    They are game birds, after all. :geek:

    @Mikie, sometimes just seeing is good enough. I'll take a well-told encounter over a weak photo of the ass end of whatever was running away...
     
    Mikie and DangerDirtyD like this.
  20. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Dude! It was AWESOME! :geek:
     
    mtnbikej, mike and DangerDirtyD like this.
  21. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Member

    Location:
    Antelope Valley, CA
    Name:
    Yokel Legend
    Current Bike:
    '98 Specialized FSR Comp
    I've been looking for this picture and finally found it. It's is from a ride several years ago, but is a regular occurrence any time it's warm out.
    IMG_09511.jpg

    I usually find a very lengthy stick and try to herd them off of the road. Some aren't very receptive and have to be hooked with the stick and moved to the shoulder. Others just aren't having it and I have leave them. Probably the meanest snake I've encountered so far was actually a 5ft+ gopher likely fresh out of hibernation. There's been a striped racer hanging around the house recently. I could post enough wildlife photos to make you sick of 'em.
     
  22. Mikie

    Mikie Admin/iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    NW Arkansas
    Name:
    Mikie Watson
    Current Bike:
    Ibis DV9 / SC Hightower
    Just killed one on the front porch of my Mom's place last week. :eek:Rattles were 10 deep and a button. Very thick and healthy (and beautiful) snake, but unfortunately we have a property rule that poisonous thingy's get eradicated due to pets and livestock. Everywhere else they are safe and sound.
    We "used" to have a policy that we would relocate them. We would tag them with a little paint, then escort them in a closed bucket to a new location. Blown away when one maybe two returned, we altered our policy. :oops:
     
  23. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Member

    Location:
    Antelope Valley, CA
    Name:
    Yokel Legend
    Current Bike:
    '98 Specialized FSR Comp
    The ones that are in the yard or by the house unfortunately succumb to shovel poisoning in the process of me relocating them to the afterlife.

    One nice thing the western diamondbacks is that they don't usually want a fight and make their presence known so you avoid them. Problem is that it's not going to be the snake you know about; it's the one you unknowingly kick or step on or even step near. Or it will be a little one with just buttons that can't rattle.
     
    mike and Sasquatch9billion like this.
  24. DangerDirtyD

    DangerDirtyD iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    CA
    Name:
    Chicken Nugget
    Current Bike:
    2018 Guerrilla Gravity SMASH
    I would do the same at my mom's house. However, when I used to do actual fieldwork, I would warn construction crews of buzzworms nearby until I realized they would just kill the snake, citing health and safety. After the second instance, I made sure to bring up the topic at the tailboard safety meetings to understand what each crew's procedures were regarding rattlers. For the "extra precautious crews" I made it a point not to notify them of nearby buzzworms. Ya wanna work in the field and kill things, do so at your own risk. Bunch of snowflakes....
     
    mike and Obsidian like this.
  25. SnakeCharmer

    SnakeCharmer iMTB Hooligan

    Location:
    Front Range, San Gabes
    Name:
    Mike, aka "Ssnake"
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    Stop killing rattlesnakes! :mad::cry:
     
    DangerDirtyD and Obsidian like this.
  26. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Member

    Location:
    Antelope Valley, CA
    Name:
    Yokel Legend
    Current Bike:
    '98 Specialized FSR Comp
    This is another genuine cycling encounter with a size L for reference:
    DSC018944.jpg

    By the way, don't expect gloves like that to protect your hands much in a crash. Better than nothing, but worse than a lot and I notice that some mtb gloves have similar construction.
     
  27. Agent Orange

    Agent Orange Member

    Location:
    Antelope Valley, CA
    Name:
    Yokel Legend
    Current Bike:
    '98 Specialized FSR Comp
    Funny that on the same day I post an old rattlesnake photo, I nearly ride over the top of this a few hours later.
    20210730_160829dsc.jpg

    That'll do it for snake pics unless I happen upon something unusual.
     
    Old&InTheWay, mike, Oaken and 2 others like this.
  28. Sasquatch9billion

    Sasquatch9billion iMTB Rockstah

    Name:
    trinidad j. mendez
    Same thing happened to me at JPL on the paved road this morning.
     
    mike likes this.
  29. Lost Kiwi

    Lost Kiwi Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Portola Hills
    Name:
    Simon
    Current Bike:
    YT Izzo
    What is that? They look kind of like some of the Wetas we get in NZ.
    Male_tree_weta-orig.jpg
     
    SnakeCharmer and DangerDirtyD like this.
  30. Danimal

    Danimal iMTB Addict

    Location:
    Mission Viejo
    Name:
    Dan
    Current Bike:
    Epic Evo
    Jerusalem cricket, aka potato bug.
    Ugly as F' , But harmless if you leave them alone.
    When I was a kid I'd have them bite a pencil and could pick them up that way. Jaws of death! For other bugs....
     
    SnakeCharmer and DangerDirtyD like this.


As a former Amazon Associate I continue to get screwed trying to stay qualified as an Amazon Affiliate. So I quit!


Want to donate to imtbtrails?