Yeah as I have mentioned several times, life on the farm is not only what you dig up or pull off a tree but what falls down after the aroma of gun powder... Santa was nice enough to drop off two Bushnell game cameras to make up for the "bastard" who stole my last one on the boundary of our farm a year ago. So to make Santa happy I set them up to take a few pictures while enjoying the long Christmas weekend. In all, I took photos of coyotes, several otters frolicking, racoons, deer, bobcats and hogs, hogs and more hogs... Here are a couple I saved....
Now that's what I would call a premiere App.....I wonder if Apple or Samsung has that App for a smart phone...As far the hogs are concerned a death laser ray that would evaporate the evil swine would work for me... The other wildlife are not too costly but we do lose an average of $5,000 per year from deer damage to our young trees...They either eat the young leaves until the tree is dead or the bucks take their vengeance out upon them by raking them with their antlers... The only critter I have never seen or caught with a camera is a panther and black bear. Several have been seen at times but never caught on film...We are a little too far north too have many panthers (mainly just males roaming outside their range) and bears are south and northeast of us in greater numbers but still pass through... I'm hoping for Sasquatch to be caught on film one day or the next visit by a fellow Skyboxer to visit the area....
Those are cool photos, Ralph. Last night, as I was turning into my neighborhood, a wooded area, I saw 4 deer. They eat the foliage in the yards bordering the heaviest part of the woods. We have a 4-foot fence along back of the yard which keeps them off the property and still allows us a full view of the beauty of the woods, including an occasional deer spotting.
Hey not to change the subject but how is that store doing that you opened a while back? Someday, I plan to visit it (if I can find it.)
Hey! Answer Mike's question so you can answer mine about going down there to help you with your hog problem one of these days. Actually, my question is panther related. Perhaps I can time a hunting run with a shopping trip by Gip... and we might even be able to talk Mike into hunting Back to my question.. Panther? Are you shitting me?! What are the regulations even for taking one down? As we've discussed before, I use a crossbow and two knives (a board knife and an Arkansas toothpick).. if there's a legit Panther chance, I'm going in packing like Scott..then again, I pride myself on being such a great shot with the crossbow, I guess I'll stick with the gal I brought...but seriously, what are the regulations on taking down a panther? As I'm sure you know, Hog hunting can get pretty messy and you can easily wind up holed up in some dank spots in pursuit of a good angle. I know there was a hunter prosecuted for killing one, but he was in a tree stand and intentionally killed the panther. I'm more concerned about stumbling upon one while we're both hunting the same target.
Corey, It is illegal to take a Florida panther as it is a legitimate endangered species. Subject to fines up to $100K and one year as a houseguest in a penal institution. My advice? Stick to hogs.
George is correct, they will "with a passion" do everything they can to put you under the jail. The Florida panther has struggled to survive because of long term inbreeding and auto fatality's.. In the effort to protect the panther there are night time speed zones that are strictly enforced in the panther habitat areas. They have also designed several wildlife corridors along Alligator Alley between Miami and Naples that enables wildlife to cross under the busy road. The cost for "each" corridor is in the millions... Here is a article where a hunter killed a panther and what he had to, I would always remove the tracking collar first if it was me... http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/hunter-pleads-guilty-to-killing-endangered-florida-panther/1230915
It's still kicking but life support is imminent, the slow economy has hurt and somebody else thought we had a great idea and opened up a bigger "farm house" closer to town that has killed our business. I am currently negotiating with my partner to sell out and let him have it 100% for numerous reasons number one is that its directly across from his house. It's a 40 mile drive for me to get there... Live and learn and spend money along the way, its the American way.... :wink: Gipper its located 4 miles north of Arcadia on hwy 17, next to an old two story brick 1922 school house. If you decide to go let me know and I will do my best to meet you there.
A P.S. to my post above. We've seen coyotes not far from our house in the same wooded area, but no hogs or panthers. Any hog sightings up here in Indiana would be because a farmer left the gate open. :lol: I did not know until this topic about the panther situation in Florida.
Coyotes are everywhere. We get up at the house we rent in Cape Cod which is right on the very point of the "elbow".
George/Ralph, yeah my intention wouldn't be to hunt or even kill one. At the same time, if I wind up holed up in a spot and it's me or the panther.. the panther is gonna go. I know the wolf defenders in MN were way out of control for a long time. Literally putting hunters at risk. You had to be getting attacked with the animal on you to defend yourselves otherwise, you'd risk legal and financial pain.
Ralph Gator Bill can tell you that you never know when I'll show up. I'll be down in the Miami area for the game next week but it's a short stay. I'll be back in Fla. in March but Arcadia isn't along my usual path. I will give you a heads-up if I can make it.
Gipper, Not a problem, I'm not the world traveler I wish I was.. I should be here next time your in the area. March maybe difficult because peach season starts and I start working a zillion hours per week compared to just a million.. Kes, you can take that to the bank, I will post them..There is another "cat" that I want to catch on film called the Jaguarandi. They are not officially listed as actually living in Florida but reports continue to come in. I "believe" I ran across one in the 80's or my dog did and could not understand why this cat was double the size of a house cat with a tail twice as long and how it whipped my "meaner than dirt bulldog"... http://t4studios.com/thefloridajaguarundi.html