Spyderco Forums

James Y wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 30, 2022 6:06 pm

No photo, but a story that's a little gross. One day, maybe about a year ago, I was out front trimming the bird of paradise plant, when I kept stepping on and off something that felt like a rubbery pit or berry in the grass. I didn't think much of it, and kept thinking it's probably some plant matter. At one point I looked down, and it was a rat's head. Where was the rest of it? I then looked around. I spotted its headless body and semi-dried blood in the street. I have no idea what got it. A cat? The rat was a big one. Do cats kill rats that big? Had a hawk or an owl gotten it? The body hadn't been there a few hours earlier.

Anyway, I bagged the head and the body, sealed it, then took the bag down the alley and tossed it in someone else's trash receptacle several houses down. I hadn't wanted it sitting in my own trash receptacle. I'm a bit squeamish of rats (and cockroaches).



Jim

I had a Calico cat some years ago . We lived near a stand of timber and she was a killing machine when it came to some furry animals . I came home one day from work and she had put 8 ground squirrel heads in a row on front porch step . She came around the house running and crying to me .I praised her and gave her a good loving and off she went . It was our routine until we moved . Dan

Manixguy@1994 wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 30, 2022 6:21 pm

James Y wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 30, 2022 6:06 pm

No photo, but a story that's a little gross. One day, maybe about a year ago, I was out front trimming the bird of paradise plant, when I kept stepping on and off something that felt like a rubbery pit or berry in the grass. I didn't think much of it, and kept thinking it's probably some plant matter. At one point I looked down, and it was a rat's head. Where was the rest of it? I then looked around. I spotted its headless body and semi-dried blood in the street. I have no idea what got it. A cat? The rat was a big one. Do cats kill rats that big? Had a hawk or an owl gotten it? The body hadn't been there a few hours earlier.

Anyway, I bagged the head and the body, sealed it, then took the bag down the alley and tossed it in someone else's trash receptacle several houses down. I hadn't wanted it sitting in my own trash receptacle. I'm a bit squeamish of rats (and cockroaches).



Jim

I had a Calico cat some years ago . We lived near a stand of timber and she was a killing machine when it came to some furry animals . I came home one day from work and she had put 8 ground squirrel heads in a row on front porch step . She came around the house running and crying to me .I praised her and gave her a good loving and off she went . It was our routine until we moved . Dan

Then it had to have been a cat. A neighbor allows a few cats to roam around during the daytime. I'm glad. One less rat to sire more rats...

Jim

Our cat came running through our dog door straight to her person my 13 year old son last night. Now she normally does this at night, but she walks to him at bed time. She only has 3 legs. I figured something was up. I could see something was in her mouth. She dropped it and this is what I found. Catch and release this time.

James Y wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 30, 2022 6:06 pm

No photo, but a story that's a little gross. …

Jim, I reckon it depends on the particular cat more than anything. We have a gelded black cat. He’s either a Bombay or American Shorthair which is neither here nor there but he’s a rat killing machine and generally eats a good part of them even though he gets at least two meals a day.

His expertise don’t stop at killing rats either. He kills and eats flying rats AKA pigeons, Indian Mynas which are another introduced species and pest and God knows what else too.

A while back I went to bring washing off the line and could smell something dead and figured he’d killed a rat and it was probably in the bushes and thought little of it. I got the clothes and had a better look and it was actually a small possum’s head, some entrails and tail on the lawn. That pissed me.

Our possums are plentiful and far from endangered but I don’t want him killing them. Anyhow, we’ve had him since he was six weeks old and from the first time we fed him I whistled so if I whistle he comes. It’s pretty cool. So I whistled and he came soon enough to the bloody mess at my feet and seemed pretty proud of himself. Like I said I wasn’t happy and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and flogged him around the arse with about ten inches of possum tail.

Two days latter he killed another one and I found it again half eaten, this time at the back door. What do you do? Lucky for him beloved wife was out on both occasions and I’d never tell her cause she’d taken him to the RSPCA or something, no doubt.

If he’s killed any more possums and I sincerely hope he hasn’t, he hasn’t bought them home.

Years ago I bred a female to a Manx my best friends parents owned and had a litter . I kept one and gave one to my buddy . Couple years later he had a New Years party at his house it was 10 above zero and the Manx wanted outside. So I let him out and a while later people were coming in and noticed him running back into the house and something was in his mouth . I told my buddy and tracked him down in the back bedroom under the bed . We managed to drag him out to discover he had climbed a tree and pulled out a Flying Squirrel in hibernation that was by now dead . Dan

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Makunochimaster wrote: ↑

Sun May 01, 2022 11:03 am

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They are new to us my friend and they are beautiful ! Dan

Baltimore Oriole taking off in daughter’s backyard this afternoon. We had two pair this morning eating grape jelly and drinking Hummingbirds juice . Rare to see them in town , Dan

These are from last summer.

On the back window.


At the lake.

JSumm wrote: ↑

Sun May 01, 2022 2:22 pm

These are from last summer.

On the back window.


At the lake.

Great shots ! Dan

Silly goose made her nest directly on a hiking trail!

DSH007 wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 11:01 am

Silly goose made her nest directly on a hiking trail!

Great shot , you should see how they nest a Cat . Chase employees all the time and stop traffic . Thank you for sharing ! Dan

A friend of my daughter Stacy had this picture sent to her from a friend in Missouri yesterday. Dan

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Makunochimaster wrote: ↑

Tue May 03, 2022 2:29 am

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As always beautiful! Dan

Manixguy@1994 wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 12:03 pm

DSH007 wrote: ↑

Mon May 02, 2022 11:01 am

Silly goose made her nest directly on a hiking trail!

Great shot , you should see how they nest a Cat . Chase employees all the time and stop traffic . Thank you for sharing ! Dan

Thanks Dan! Haha yes, they get vicious in groups! Luckily this gal was solo as far as i could tell.. scared her right off her nest and into the water. She was eyeballing me until I went on my way..

sorry poor quality shot . I had to take pictures inside garage Orioles are skittish. Male is dining on Hrape jelly and we have up to 3 pairs come in this afternoon mostly hitting the Hummingbird feeders and ignoring the Oriole juice feeder . Go figure . Dan

Forum member Mike sent this picture to me yesterday. He took picture of this Tanager walking his 60 acre timber for Turkey and Deer sign . Dan

Manixguy@1994 wrote: ↑

Thu May 05, 2022 9:29 am

Forum member Mike sent this picture to me yesterday. He took picture of this Tanager walking his 60 acre timber for Turkey and Deer sign . Dan

Never seen one of those Dan. It's beautiful!

JSumm wrote: ↑

Thu May 05, 2022 10:49 am

Manixguy@1994 wrote: ↑

Thu May 05, 2022 9:29 am

Forum member Mike sent this picture to me yesterday. He took picture of this Tanager walking his 60 acre timber for Turkey and Deer sign . Dan

Never seen one of those Dan. It's beautiful!

Scarlet Tanager is a migratory bird that nests in our are and goes to South America in Winter . They are a woodsy bird not common to see in town . I also have been seeing a Grosbeak in yard but have been unable to get a picture. They rarely are seen in urban areas too . Dan