Notable wildlife encounters?

Kestrel

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Willamette Valley, OR
Was snowshoeing in northwest MT ~ a weekend ago and came across a nice-sized moose on the trail.
He (from the size, I'm guessing it was a bull) was about as interested in checking us out as we were in him. :eek:

The funny part is that our German Shorthair (file pics here) had been on maximum alert leading up to the encounter, and when he realized what was in front of us (a few seconds before we did), he barked twice and then ran back down the trail at full speed; he was by no means waiting for us, some guardian. :ironic:

Sorry no pics, lol.
 

ncgrass

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Whistler, BC
That's amazing. Not sure I'd want to get so close to a moose. Would love to see one through my camera lens however.

I was hiking in the Pyrenees last summer and atop one of the passes I ended up seeing a couple of huge birds (not exactly sure what it was) flying. There must have been a family of them but one was flying so close you could hear the wind over its feathers. I'm struggling to post images right now but if there's interest I'll try post a pic of the view.
 

Nitroz

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Monroe
Was snowshoeing in northwest MT ~ a weekend ago and came across a nice-sized moose on the trail.
He (from the size, I'm guessing it was a bull) was about as interested in checking us out as we were in him. :eek:

The funny part is that our German Shorthair (file pics here) had been on maximum alert leading up to the encounter, and when he realized what was in front of us (a few seconds before we did), he barked twice and then ran back down the trail at full speed; he was by no means waiting for us, some guardian. :ironic:

Sorry no pics, lol.

Beautiful dog! That was the one on the right? :poke:
 

MrJino

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I have seen mountain lions twice, near my apartments, in california (30 minutes east of Los angeles).
Seen many deer though.
 

smokinbasser

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My wife and I were driving between USAF bases in the upper peninsula of Michigan in the dead of winter and saw a freakin humongous moose running along us wayyy up on top of the snow bank about 15 feet up and it casually came down the snowbank right in front of our car, we just let him take point and we just hung back till he got where he was going. That same winter we were leaving the base to go to town and the guard at the security shack stopped us and advised us to turn around and use another gate, an equally huge bear was coming down the road towards the security shack. It didn't have a military sticker on its bumper but I don't think the guard was going to step out and ask for its ID card
 

bykfixer

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Dust in the Wind
While spotting turkeys with binoculars a black bear came outta nowhere and came rolling up all "whatcha doin?" like...

They've been absent in my area since at least the 1970's, yet are returning a few at a time.

I may have been the first "human" said Billy the Bear has ever encountered. I know that was the first bear I ever had. The bear was definitely curious about me and kept inch-ing closer.

I froze. But being a warm fall.....mosquitos were wearin' my @$$ out. Billy was inching closer...now about 100' or so away. I'm thinking good thing my colon is clean when a mosquito (or other insect) flew into my eye. Instant reaction was to reach for my eyeball...which startled ole Billy who halted. The bear looked at me while I looked at it. It was just as frozen as me.

Suddenly something in the air caught Billys attention...it raised it's nose in a sniffing motion; (luckily) in the opposite direction, put it's nose to the ground and walked away looking like a hunting dog tracking a deer.

Phew!
I was unarmed other than a pocket knife.
 
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StarHalo

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California Republic
(No horns = cow moose, horns = bull moose. Bull moose are known for charging and killing people, and must be avoided at all cost; do be careful.)

Behind a folding chair leaning up against the house on the back patio:

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orbital

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_____________________________________________^

Camo gear must've been on sale at his local outdoors store.
 

jorn

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Norway
Lots of moose in the area i live. See them almost every day on the way to work. If they put their ears back, you better get away.
This cow (with calf) use to hang around the paking spot at work. So sometimes i have to sit some minutes extra in the car. I dont feel comfy at 30 feet distance to a cow with a calf :)
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Santas helper is more rare.
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Skaaphaas

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My dad and I went on a lone 4x4 trip way back when. We left South Africa and headed into Mozambique through the Limpopo Transnational Park.

We camped inside the park, near the limpopo river. The camp aftendant ensured us that there haven't been any lion for a long time, so we went for a walk after dark, armed with rechargeable incan spotlights. They really weren't any good.

We spotted two pairs of yellow eyes (normally lion's eyes reflect yellow) but as we were sure the lions weren't there we walked closer. We really couldn't figure out what it was, until, when we were about 10 yards out, the creature lifted its head and we realised that we were looking at a leopard cub! The other pair of eyes were suddenly not visible anymore.

We retreated very slowly, walking backwards and keeping the lights in that direction, and eventually turned around and walked back to camp.

One experience that I definitely won't forget, and I think we were lucky to not have been mauled by the mother which must have been the owner of the other pair of eyes that we saw.
 

Tre_Asay

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Caldwell Idaho
A couple of nearly stepped on rattle snakes, a tarantula in it's hole, a mole that burrowed in our scout camp and I caught and released, an alligator lizard that I caught and kept as a pet for several months then released, some huge orb weaver spiders, a few startled coyotes, more startled rabbits, two very large bullfrogs I caught and then released, a fat rabbit that I caught then released, a Peruvian lama that I got very close too, a turkey that hopped into my backyard and over my house, a roadrunner that ran through the parking lot where I work, some centipedes (one stung me), a picturesque beehive in the redwood national forest... hanging on a tiny sapling, a herd of wild horses in the high desert (blocking the road on the way to some campsites), some deer in various places, a herd of trophy bull elks in six rivers national park that we passed within 100 or so feet of.

Oh yeah, some buffalo and more elks in yellowstone we got pretty to close to a water buffalo but it seemed fairly docile around people. I also once picked up a live wild garter snake, it made my hands stink.
 
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scout24

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Penn's Woods
Tame stuff here, nothing like rattlers and coyotes, but wanted to share. First pic is a few miles from my house, we have plenty of wild turkey here but they don't normally strut long enough for you to stop, fumble for your phone, and shoot. Certainly not in the road... Second was a ringneck pheasant. Again, not unheard of around here, but generally not wandering parking lots in town. Lastly is a local beaver pond. Didn't see him this day, but he's a big boy. That tree is about a foot in diameter where he's chewing. Their dam is huge... :)

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Capolini

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^^^^^

I also live In Pennsylvania. In the 1960's and 1970's I used to see those ring necked Pheasants all the time in my back yard. We had 5 acres that bordered the woods. I live 20 miles SW from there now and I am lucky if I see 1 or 2 per year!............someone told me what happened to them and why but I can not remember!
 

bodhran

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California
We were camping in Yosemite and one night I and my daughter where in a meadow where I had set up my telescope. I don't remember what I was looking at, but was annoyed that someone had let their dogs run loose and where running around my daughter and I. When I finally looked away from the scope I found that they were two bear cubs. I immediately picked up my daughter and found the mother was close by. Luckily they ran to her and they left with no problems.
 
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