Critter Question

[Jdarg]

A few years ago in Grayton we were driving back to the house from somewhere- and coming down the road in New Grayton that starts in the woods and ends up at the dunes, a gray fox ran in front of our car in the woods part. It was beautiful! Although the kids were hesistant to walk up that way in the dark after we saw Mr. Fox!

 

[TreeFrog]

Sorry to say my recent Grayton wildlife experience was less pleasant...

September of last year I hit and killed a doe on 30A just after dark. She was crossing 30A at the state park, between the lake and 283. The traffic was so heavy I'd have never expected it. Still wondering if she was dodging a coyote or somebody's dog.

 

[beachmouse]

Our Deer Lake wildlife interaction experience involved a pygmy rattler in full angry snakie mode on the trail from the parking lot to the beach.

I really hate the coyotes. They're not native to the area, and have a reputation for killing cats and small dogs in my neighborhood, especially during pup season.

Despite their reputation, the wild boars are more of a threat to your landscaping than to other creatures. Not dangerous for the most part, but very, very messy.

Can't say just how many times I've nearly hit foxes when I've been driving home from work at night on the road between the little airport in Niceville and the Rocky Bayou CC. They'll show up during the day on occasion, including one funny time when I got to see one trotting across the putting green at the Bluewater golf course, body language suggesting that he owned the place.

The day before my biggest triathlon of the year this year, I nearly crashed when I had to slam on my bike brakes to avoid hitting a low-flying blue heron. I so did not want to have to end up recleaning the bike because I had to pick feathers out of my drive train.

And every time we're coming back from a hockey game in Pensacola, we seem to end up seeing a ton of mule deer hanging out near the shoulder on SR 85.


And I don't think the panthers are really around so much, but there's a sizeable black bear population on Eglin reservation. They mostly keep to themselves, but every so often one of them will aquire a taste for Crystal Burgers, start dumpster diving at the fast food places out by Santa Rosa Mall, and get his furry self tranked and relocated to another forest area in the Big Bend far from human foodstuffs. I've also seen road kill bear on FL 20 near Choctaw Beach.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Oh TreeFrog...that is so sad. Other than the poor deer, I hope no one was hurt. This past October, we saw two deer....one ran across our path on 30-A on the way to Cafe Tango one night. Happened so fast and luck was on our side that night. Saw another one of the side of 283 in the late afternoon. That was awesome.

 

[bsmart]

Cil - yes we have coyotes. They have migrated from the west across many parts of the South. Turns out they are very successful scavengers and compete with coons and possums (you'll see many of these or at least evidence of them since they are nocturnal). Coyotes also eat small animals.

You will also encounter gators in your area and many snakes (mostly friendly). I saw a very big Black Bear near Indian Pass crossing Hwy 98 a couple of years ago.

Not too long ago I saw one dead on I-285 (The Perimeter) here in Atlanta.

 

[aquaticbiology]

you forgot the one little furry surprise that I always see then have to 'back away slowly and run' from

skunk!

also known as 'saddam (gas! gas! gas!) hussien'

a friend of mine, after we had safely made it to the house (the pre-Ivan one down there on the lagoon) after one scampered along the shore right where we were working on the boat - he actually locked the door behind us to 'keep him out'! we both howled about that later - but we were breathless at the time!

 

[Cil]

Have not seen (or smelled) our black and white friend here, but have experienced my share in Colorado.
At my cousins' ranch, a mother skunk nested underneath the bathroom.
Every time someone used the facilities, she would, um, raise a stink.

Yesterday at the beach, I saw a dead crab, but it was sort of leopard-spotted instead of the usual blue. Anyone know what kind it was?

 

[Mermaid]

Ah, close encounters with wildlife! We live in the city and believe it or not, I've seen more wild creatures than I ever did living in New Hampshire as a girl. One summer night I was sitting outside reading on the patio waiting for my husband to get home from a business trip. I felt movement around the chair legs and assuming it was the cat, I reached down and absentmindedly petted it.

It was our local racoon! I nearly jumped a mile. So did it.

 

[Santiago]

Our Deer Lake wildlife interaction experience involved a pygmy rattler in full angry snakie mode on the trail from the parking lot to the beach.

I really hate the coyotes. They're not native to the area, and have a reputation for killing cats and small dogs in my neighborhood, especially during pup season.

Despite their reputation, the wild boars are more of a threat to your landscaping than to other creatures. Not dangerous for the most part, but very, very messy.

Can't say just how many times I've nearly hit foxes when I've been driving home from work at night on the road between the little airport in Niceville and the Rocky Bayou CC. They'll show up during the day on occasion, including one funny time when I got to see one trotting across the putting green at the Bluewater golf course, body language suggesting that he owned the place.

The day before my biggest triathlon of the year this year, I nearly crashed when I had to slam on my bike brakes to avoid hitting a low-flying blue heron. I so did not want to have to end up recleaning the bike because I had to pick feathers out of my drive train.

And every time we're coming back from a hockey game in Pensacola, we seem to end up seeing a ton of mule deer hanging out near the shoulder on SR 85.


And I don't think the panthers are really around so much, but there's a sizeable black bear population on Eglin reservation. They mostly keep to themselves, but every so often one of them will aquire a taste for Crystal Burgers, start dumpster diving at the fast food places out by Santa Rosa Mall, and get his furry self tranked and relocated to another forest area in the Big Bend far from human foodstuffs. I've also seen road kill bear on FL 20 near Choctaw Beach.

I'm sure you're talking about whitetail deer, you won't find any mule deer in Florida or the surrounding states.

 

[Rita]

......
At my cousins' ranch, a mother skunk nested underneath the bathroom.
Every time someone used the facilities, she would, um, raise a stink.....

That's so funny --- Unless you're there , I guess!