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Post by Debbie on Oct 7, 2015 13:24:03 GMT -1
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Post by zeldalithgow on Oct 7, 2015 14:25:33 GMT -1
EEK, don't think I'd have been so close filming, I would have run inside
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Post by Debbie on Oct 8, 2015 13:04:09 GMT -1
I know I would have been inside. They were far too close for safety's sake. I admit, I do giggle when I see them pushing one another around over the driveway. They remind me of two 12 year old boys doing pushing fights  I'm sooooo glad that's not my vehicle! Some of the newer ones cost insane amounts of money. I wonder if they'll start parking them in the garage after this video? |
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Post by zeldalithgow on Oct 8, 2015 13:06:33 GMT -1
I would be a good idea to park them out of the way of naughty moose
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Post by harveydales on Oct 9, 2015 5:00:31 GMT -1
Good grief!  I wouldn't want those boys to near but it did make me smile too. |
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Post by nedales on Oct 12, 2015 22:49:43 GMT -1
We had a HUGE moose sauntering down the center of town the other day, ponies knew to hold up and be silent but he was so enormous! It's rutting season apparently and dairy farmers are making sure they lock all their girls up tightly at night! Yesterday Lad and I encountered two wooly black bears on our ride, both bundled back into the woods as we trotted on, he's gotten quite confident about generating who's boss when we encounter them.Would love to be able to know what message they exchange.
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Post by harveydales on Oct 13, 2015 4:48:10 GMT -1
We had a HUGE moose sauntering down the center of town the other day, ponies knew to hold up and be silent but he was so enormous! It's rutting season apparently and dairy farmers are making sure they lock all their girls up tightly at night! Yesterday Lad and I encountered two wooly black bears on our ride, both bundled back into the woods as we trotted on, he's gotten quite confident about generating who's boss when we encounter them.Would love to be able to know what message they exchange. Wow, your rides are exciting! |
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Post by Debbie on Oct 13, 2015 16:08:55 GMT -1
Tis the season! Our elk are rutting as well, but they have shifted their patterns to hide in the hillsides. We had a Fish and Wildlife fellow stop by yesterday. He and a partner will begin wading our creek once a week to count and id the salmon that are spawning. He asked if the horses would be a problem, but I told him that the elk, especially that massive bull could be more of a problem than my horses. They'll be in the creek wading through when the elk herd is normally down there. I know I wouldn't want to be in the middle of a herd, especially with that bull. I think the guy thought I was exaggerating, but I've seen the bull elk here. The one that claims our usual herd of 20 is about twice the size of the normal bulls. That's a good idea for the dairy farmers to lock up their girls. The moose don't seem to care what they mate with during the rut. I've even heard of people's cars being mugged  LOL, good on Lad for puffing up and being the boss around those wooly bears! I haven't seen our own black bear this year, but they shuffle through almost year round here. I don't think ours are as big as yours. They'll be denning before long, though. |
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Post by nedales on Oct 17, 2015 0:12:43 GMT -1
]
Wow, your rides are exciting! [/quote]
It's odd here really as wildlife is quite abundant but the only ones the ponies seem to sensibly fear are ---bobcat, moose and whatever it is that GL stops, alerts, sniffs, and decides if it's okay to go down the trail we are on or suggest (strongly) we take an alternate route. Sasquatch? We have encountered only two really scary situations--one a rather large Mama bear whose cubs were behind us (the one time I wished a had several tin pans to clank attached to my saddle dees) , and the other that moose. I suppose I should also add in the free range bull and his family who we run across too often. I sometimes think that by autumn when the leaves crackle easily, the ponies go into hyper sensitive mode more because of the hunters thinking they are hiding in the woods than the animals they are preying on. My quarter horse Archie who was a true worrier (and scaredy cat) , used to bolt and buck at the sound of a chipmunk rustling in the leaves, so am highly appreciative of a good Dales who sorts out what is and what isn't, worth his attention.
Elk are a whole different discussion as they are fearless and just bruise straight through whatever is in their way, as Debbie has noted in Oregon. I rode out in Colorado in the Rockies late summer and we were very, very cautious of staying well out of the elk way. They know who owns THAT territory!
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Post by dalesnfellfan on Oct 17, 2015 13:05:09 GMT -1
I dread to think what Connie would do if faced with all that wildlife, she is truly scared of sheep (to the point of shaking and heart ponding) up close and personal.  |
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Post by Debbie on Oct 19, 2015 15:34:12 GMT -1
At the moment the main elk herd has been coming through at night to avoid the hunters. It's flattening my fencing ...sigh. It's this year's calves. They just smash right into the fence and then begin shredding the fencing in an attempt to keep up with the rest of the herd. I go through so much barbed wire and fencing this time of year. It doesn't matter how low I make the fence, and I can't make it too low either, because I still need it to keep my ponies in. NE Dales, in your area, you might also be getting the occasional cougar, lynx or even passing wolves? Some of them can roam massive areas, and especially the lynx and cougars can be difficult to see. One of my mares is extremely sensitive when we have one come through. As for Sasquatch RUNNNNNNN!!!!! I've only seen one of them once a long time ago up in Washington state and that was once too many for me! |
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Post by colmworthdales on Oct 19, 2015 18:20:27 GMT -1
Sure my Mollie would prefer a moose, elk or even a bear instead of the ever-increasing traffic we have to encounter on our village so-called side roads. Why does everyone decide to drive past in their rattly trucks, or lorries with high loads and a grab-hoist thingy on the back, or motorbikes, or school buses with a lot of cars interspersed - all of those were encountered within 300 yards at 2.45 this afternoon. Luckily we managed to get into gateways for most of the big things as she is definitely getting more spooky with traffic - and who can blame her when they come hunting in packs. Still, your wildlife sounds amazing and I am very envious.
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Post by valerie n scout on Oct 19, 2015 20:11:04 GMT -1
One of the Moose had blue nylon around his antlers, they are silly boys !
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Post by nedales on Oct 21, 2015 1:01:40 GMT -1
Debbie--def need to hear Sasquatch story!
GL has def had some recent serious conversations with me about what he SAYS is a mountain lion (cougar) which I argued with him about as they are rare and really do I have to get off and walk first when it's NOTHING but then local sitings popped up so...
We have lots of coyote and coy dogs but they are generally not prey on horse, preferring chicken. It's bow season on bear and deer right now but it's open season all the time on coyote poor things, no one loves them.
SOMETHING breached the fence of our night paddock last week though and scared the ponies into one run-in stall, though four were available... Not sure I would know the dif between a Bobcat and a Lynx, so it's all bobcat to me.
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Post by Debbie on Oct 21, 2015 16:54:08 GMT -1
You'll know the difference between a Lynx and Bobcat if you see them. Lynx is MASSIVE, has an amazing leap, and an equally amazingly large territory. Although they can be a nuisance to livestock, they seem more elusive than the cougars, and will typically keep very much to themselves. Saw one once on a logging road outside Eugene, Oregon back in the '90s. Know exactly what it was as it leapt over our car in the snow. They are taller and slightly lighter than a cougar. Both of us were staring at each other like, "What in the world are you doing here?!" Logging companies and ecologists both refuse to acknowledge a Lynx could live there because it would effectively shut down the logging, being an endangered species and all. Gorgeous cats, though.
Bobcats, although they 'could' rile up a horse or pony, probably not. The bobcats I know of wouldn't bother such a large target. They're more the sheep/goat/chicken type level of prey. Most of the bobcats I've encountered didn't give me the time of day, being too intent on their own hunts, normally rabbits, birds and the like.
Cougars can and do go for horses. The teen males especially can go for horses because they are young and stupid, and hungrier. Cougars have massive territories, and males, particularly the teens, can have large, moving territories because they have to overlap the females' turf and avoid older, larger males. They also tend to be the most reckless with their target choices.
Do you have electrical fencing running at the top of the night paddock? Also consider removing any large limbs that can overhang the night paddock.
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I'll take the elk instead. 
I'll take the elk instead. 
I wouldn't want those boys to near but it did make me smile too.
