Our Alarming Night

On 10/26/2015 11:26 PM, The New Other Guy wrote:
On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:03:23 -0400, jmcquown
wrote:

Bears are more in the northeast towards Canada.

Bears are common in Los Angeles, at least the suburbs near the mountains.

Cougars/mountain lions are more common in the southwest.

Very common here, usually far from humans, but seen in yards and school
grounds at times. Public and news media goes ballistic then.

There are some wolves in the southern
states but they aren't around like they used to be.

Wolves have been reintroduced in the north central states,
around Yellowstone and central Idaho, as well as New Mexico and Arizona,
AND the Carolinas.

Sorry, but I've never seen a wolf in South Carolina. I've heard about
them, of course. They make the news from time to time. But hey, I live
on an island. They'd have to swim to get here.

Jill

The New Other Guy wrote:

On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:03:23 -0400, jmcquown
wrote:

Bears are more in the northeast towards Canada.

Bears are common in Los Angeles, at least the suburbs near the mountains.

There are plenty of bears in the northwestern states (such as Montana
and Washington) as well as in California (the bear is a state symbol).
I'm sure they're in many places that has a cool or temperate climate.

Cougars/mountain lions are more common in the southwest.

Very common here, usually far from humans, but seen in yards and school
grounds at times. Public and news media goes ballistic then.

Mountain lions live in really diverse climates along the western parts
of the Americas, from western Canada down to Chile. They, or a close
relative of them, used to live in eastern US as well, but went almost
extinct after Europeans settled there. I hear they're coming back, though!

--
Joyce

I will not sniff at my male human's feet after he takes his shoes off,
freeze my mouth open in disgust and then sniff my private parts to compare
odors. -- Cat Resolutions

On 10/26/2015 7:05 PM, Christina Websell wrote:
"MaryL" wrote in message
...
On 10/24/2015 3:00 PM, jmcquown wrote:
3:45AM - I was awakened from a sound sleep (which doesn't happen every
night) to the sound of howling. Buffy?! I turned on the bedside lamp,
grabbed my glasses and my robe and went looking for her.

I have never, ever, heard Buffy howl before. I found her staring out
one of the the glass panels that flank my front door. She was very
upset. Rrrrrrrrrrow!

I flipped the switch for the light above the front door. Nothing doing.
Guess that bulb burned out even though I never use it. So I went and
got my big flashlight. Meanwhile Buffy was growling, low in her throat.

I shined the flashlight out but it is impossible to see much through
those tall narrow glass panes.

I moved to the dining room window where the pet steps are and shined the
light. I still couldn't see right by the front door.

Buffy had sort of reluctantly followed me. For a minute she went back
and forth. Then she got on the steps. She was staring out and
growling, low in her throat. She hissed and puffed up like the
proverbial Halloween cat. I still couldn't see anything.

So, feeling a tad foolish, I called Security. They sent someone over to
look around. He spotted a couple of raccoons. I've had an alligator in
my yard before so I wasn't about to open that door.

Buffy seems to be a great guard cat. Never thought she'd do that.

She also was the first one to go, okay, the guy was here, there's
nothing out there. Let's go back to bed. Let me roll around and get
scritches and praises. Don't I look cute?

Methinks this was a BCT.

Jill

I have had Nikki do that when raccoons are in the back yard--it is
frequent, but it is unusual for Nikki to growl at them. Usually, Nikki
and Selina simply to to the windows and "track" the raccoons. My first
warning that raccoons are on the prowl is usually when my security lights
turn on.

MaryL


I know that you are in Texas and Jill is in South Carolina. I'm trying to
learn about the USA. so where are the cougars and bears? I'm guessing more
northerly.
Texas is bigger than England. allegedly we once had bears and wolves
centuries ago. There are some people that are in favour of reintroducing
wolves to the UK. Oh, please let's not. Everything died out for a reason.
Fortunately no-one has suggested bears should come back. Phew. Next thing
what? Mammoths? A mammoth skeleton was found just a few miles away from my
house.



I live in the "piney woods" region of East Texas. I have never seen a
cougar or bear, but there are numerous reports that they have been
migrating into East Texas. Coyotes are the biggest problem for small
domestic animals in this area. They are numerous and are frequently
seen (and heard) even in urban communities. I was talking to my
neighbor this afternoon. She has 4 cats that are indoor/outdoor cats.
Two of them have disappeared, and she fears that coyotes may have gotten
them. She had 5 cats until recently, but one of them was killed on the
road last week. I hope for the best for her, but this sounds very bad.
Coyotes have been seen around here.

MaryL

"Bastette" wrote in message ...

The New Other Guy wrote:

On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:03:23 -0400, jmcquown
wrote:

Bears are more in the northeast towards Canada.

Bears are common in Los Angeles, at least the suburbs near the mountains.

There are plenty of bears in the northwestern states (such as Montana
and Washington) as well as in California (the bear is a state symbol).
I'm sure they're in many places that has a cool or temperate climate.

We have bears in Pennsylvania and next door in New Jersey. Coyotes too.

On 10/27/2015 9:47 AM, news wrote:


"Bastette" wrote in message ...
The New Other Guy wrote:

On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:03:23 -0400, jmcquown
wrote:

Bears are more in the northeast towards Canada.

Bears are common in Los Angeles, at least the suburbs near the mountains.

There are plenty of bears in the northwestern states (such as Montana
and Washington) as well as in California (the bear is a state symbol).
I'm sure they're in many places that has a cool or temperate climate.

We have bears in Pennsylvania and next door in New Jersey. Coyotes too.

Also next door in Ohio. Years ago, I saw a bear go ambling across my
parents' lawn. At that time, the assumption was that there were no
bears in Ohio, and people kept trying to tell me that I had seen "a big
dog." (No way!!) They became believers a few days later when reports
surfaced that the same bear had been seen crossing a nearby golf course
and then a playground at a school. At that time, authorities started to
track it. They hoped to tranquilize it and move it to a less-populated
area. Unfortunately, it was hit by a car and killed on a highway. It
was a 250 lb. black bear. Frighteningly, we later discovered
unmistakable evidence that the bear had been hibernating in the building
where we had a large woodpile for our fireplace--and we had been
removing logs during the winter right in front of where the bear had
spent the winter.

There supposedly were no bears in Ohio at that time. The theory was
that the bear had crossed the Ohio River (from Pennsylvania). It was an
extremely cold winter, and the river had frozen. Bears have returned to
Ohio since that time. They are not as common as in Pennsylvania, but
they have set up residence.

MaryL

news wrote:

"Bastette" wrote in message ...

The New Other Guy wrote:

On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:03:23 -0400, jmcquown
wrote:

Bears are more in the northeast towards Canada.

Bears are common in Los Angeles, at least the suburbs near the mountains.

There are plenty of bears in the northwestern states (such as Montana
and Washington) as well as in California (the bear is a state symbol).
I'm sure they're in many places that has a cool or temperate climate.

We have bears in Pennsylvania and next door in New Jersey. Coyotes too.

I remember a photo of a black bear up in a tree in someone's backyard in
New Jersey. The reason? The resident housecat had chased it. In the picture
(taken from a distance), you see the bear clinging to the trunk, way up high
in this tall, skinny tree, with a small orange blur sitting on the ground
at the foot of the tree and staring up, as if to make sure the intruder
didn't try to come back down.

--
Joyce

No one should try to hit another's bumper. But bumper bumpage is a part of
life. Yawn and get on with it. -- Gene Weingarten

"MaryL" wrote in message
...
On 10/27/2015 9:47 AM, news wrote:


"Bastette" wrote in message ...
The New Other Guy wrote:

On Mon, 26 Oct 2015 22:03:23 -0400, jmcquown
wrote:

Bears are more in the northeast towards Canada.

Bears are common in Los Angeles, at least the suburbs near the
mountains.

There are plenty of bears in the northwestern states (such as Montana
and Washington) as well as in California (the bear is a state symbol).
I'm sure they're in many places that has a cool or temperate climate.

We have bears in Pennsylvania and next door in New Jersey. Coyotes too.

Also next door in Ohio. Years ago, I saw a bear go ambling across my
parents' lawn. At that time, the assumption was that there were no bears
in Ohio, and people kept trying to tell me that I had seen "a big dog."
(No way!!) They became believers a few days later when reports surfaced
that the same bear had been seen crossing a nearby golf course and then a
playground at a school. At that time, authorities started to track it.
They hoped to tranquilize it and move it to a less-populated area.
Unfortunately, it was hit by a car and killed on a highway. It was a 250
lb. black bear. Frighteningly, we later discovered unmistakable evidence
that the bear had been hibernating in the building where we had a large
woodpile for our fireplace--and we had been removing logs during the
winter right in front of where the bear had spent the winter.

Good job it slept well, eh? ;-)

The worst thing I got from my woodpile was a hibernating queen wasp on a log
I brought in for the fire. She stung me so badly that I didn't know what to
do with myself, the pain was so bad for around 2 hours, but not as bad as
having a bear in there.. g
I didn't kill her. I put her in one of my sheds. This was the second time
I'd been stung by a queen wasp that was trying to overwinter. The previous
one crawled into my jeans overnight..
I'm not sure if queen wasps have more venom than worker wasps but OMG, if a
queen stings you, it hurts like crazy.

But rather a wasp in the woodpile than a bear. I understand that black
bears are not as dangerous as grizzlies (says a Brit, who has never seen
bears except in a zoo)

But, let's not understate the danger here when red deer stags are rutting,
which is now, they get more than annoyed. They have killed people, but I
just don't near go where they are when they are "in the rut"
http://jelendeer.com/blog/fatality-f...d-stag-attack/

Tweed

"MaryL" wrote in message
...


I live in the "piney woods" region of East Texas. I have never seen a
cougar or bear, but there are numerous reports that they have been
migrating into East Texas. Coyotes are the biggest problem for small
domestic animals in this area. They are numerous and are frequently seen
(and heard) even in urban communities. I was talking to my neighbor this
afternoon. She has 4 cats that are indoor/outdoor cats. Two of them have
disappeared, and she fears that coyotes may have gotten them. She had 5
cats until recently, but one of them was killed on the road last week. I
hope for the best for her, but this sounds very bad. Coyotes have been
seen around here.

MaryL

Coyotes seem to be half way between foxes and wolves. I know I have foxes
coming every night to examine my chicken huts to see if I've forgotten to
shut them up (bad luck there you foxes) and when Boyfie was younger, he'd be
out and about chasing them off. But now he is getting older, I don't allow
it. I keep him in overnight. He doesn't like it much but he needs to
accept that his meowmie knows best.

"Some" foxes will kill cats, they are not going to get the chance.
I hope your friend's cats come back, but do you think it's likely that
coyotes have eaten them? It does seem that it's very possible. How sad.
Tweed

Christina Websell wrote:

But, let's not understate the danger here when red deer stags are rutting,
which is now, they get more than annoyed. They have killed people, but I
just don't near go where they are when they are "in the rut"
http://jelendeer.com/blog/fatality-f...d-stag-attack/

Yes, there are areas in California (as well as many other parts of the US,
I'm sure) where elk and other large, male deer-like animals rut. There are
signs all over the place in an area near San Franisco, warning people about
the male elk during this time of year!

--
Joyce

I prefer to live with Feline Sapiens, thank you very much.

On 10/30/2015 1:35 PM, Christina Websell wrote:
"MaryL" wrote in message
...


I live in the "piney woods" region of East Texas. I have never seen a
cougar or bear, but there are numerous reports that they have been
migrating into East Texas. Coyotes are the biggest problem for small
domestic animals in this area. They are numerous and are frequently seen
(and heard) even in urban communities. I was talking to my neighbor this
afternoon. She has 4 cats that are indoor/outdoor cats. Two of them have
disappeared, and she fears that coyotes may have gotten them. She had 5
cats until recently, but one of them was killed on the road last week. I
hope for the best for her, but this sounds very bad. Coyotes have been
seen around here.

MaryL

Coyotes seem to be half way between foxes and wolves. I know I have foxes
coming every night to examine my chicken huts to see if I've forgotten to
shut them up (bad luck there you foxes) and when Boyfie was younger, he'd be
out and about chasing them off. But now he is getting older, I don't allow
it. I keep him in overnight. He doesn't like it much but he needs to
accept that his meowmie knows best.

"Some" foxes will kill cats, they are not going to get the chance.
I hope your friend's cats come back, but do you think it's likely that
coyotes have eaten them? It does seem that it's very possible. How sad.
Tweed



Yes, it is very possible that they have been killed by coyotes. It
often happens to cats and even small dogs.

My grandparents were farmers, and my grandmother raised chickens (laying
hens, several varieties). She really loved her chickens. I can still
picture her "clucking" to them as she scattered feed and grit from a
bucket. She would call them every evening, and they would follow her
into the chicken coop. Just like you, that was to protect them from the
foxes. Of course, this was a great many years ago. My aunt is the only
remaining sibling from my mother's family, and she is now 91 years old.

MaryL