Thursday, April 30, 2015

Wildlife Encounters

Sorry, no pictures to go with this post, but it is amusing!

Tuesday morning - left for our walk at about 5:50 am (Hailey is insistent that 5:45 is get up time, even though she really doesn't have to go at this time) we had several encounters!

Encounter 1: 

Right across the road at the end of the driveway was a deer. While standing and staring at it, we heard another deer to our left give the warning stomp. I turned to see that deer's white tail vanish into the bushes. The deer on the road slowly walked down, hopped the fence and disappeared into the bush. The dogs hardly reacted at all.

Encounter 2:

As we continued down our road, the horses who were near the fence ran back. Just as we were about to pass them one charged at the fence, causing Phod to lunge at it. What happened next was amazing to me. Hailey charged at Phod and pushed him out of the way. To be clear, we were never in danger. The horse stopped at the fence and we were about 6 feet from it. I was impressed that Hailey would try and protect Phod. Overall, given the situation the dogs reacted well.

As we continued on our walk we heard the wild turkeys in the distance but didn't see them. We also heard other birds and a woodpecker.

Encounter 3: 

On the way back, in a field we saw 3 deer. My guess the same deer we saw at the beginning. This was apparently exciting and Hailey barked and they tried to pull me toward the deer. I used on by and leave it and with little pulling we continued.

Encounter 4:

We pass the horses peacefully. We were making it up the small rise on our private road. I spot it first. A creature, it was black and heading toward us. We are probably 20+ feet away. I walked a little closer to figure out what it is and to hope to scare it away. This worked, as it turns and I could then see it was a huge porcupine. Now the dogs have figured out there is something cool ahead, that is now slowly (a porcupine doesn't move very quickly) heading under the fence of the horse pasture and waddling across  the field. As it is far enough away I continue to walk toward our house (which isn't that far, in fact we are technically on our property when we encountered it). Hailey went hog wild crazy. She was screaming and pulling and carrying on. Phod was interested but in a calmer way. I manage to pull the 2 up to the house (that was my upper body workout of the day). I caught myself repeatedly trying to explain that the porcupine could hurt them and chuckled to myself when this wasn't successful.

All in all, it was a very, very eventful walk. A good reminder that at dawn and dusk Mr. Phod needs to be on leash!

26 comments:

  1. that is so cool to be able to see different wildlife while out walking - definitely wouldn't want to tangle with a porcupine though

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  2. Hari OM
    Horse was maybe hoping there were foodables arriving! Certainly not a boring walk... hugs and wags, YAM-aunty xxx

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  3. Oh my dog! Do you live near a zoo. Deers, porcupines, turkeys, horses. Wow!!!

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  4. Wow, what an adventure walkie! I have all of those same critters except the horsies. I can bark from pawsonal experience that the porkie should be admired FROM AFAR! BOL
    Grr and Woof,
    Sarge, Police Commish

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  5. Wow! That is a lot of wildlife to see on one walk! A porcupine?!? I have never seen one of those. I bet I would lose my mind!
    Oz

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  6. that was an obstacle course...of course :o) But apawas apaws and bravo to you... I could not even manage one dog and one fox... and you had nearly a zoo on your way :o)
    easy rider

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  7. BRAVO to you HAILEY... you are a Wonderful Sister... you Saved Zaphod from the charging horse...
    THAT was a WALK on the WILDlife Side fur SURE...

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  8. WOW that was one big adventure, so glad the porcupine left you both alone.....stella rose

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  9. How cool of Hailey to protect Phod! an eventful walk for sure, but you go through it!
    hugs
    Mr Bailey, Hazel & Mabel

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  10. We think the pups know just what WILDLIFE is out there early in the morning and want you to enjoy it, too. Well, as much as you can, trying to control two excited dogs. A porcupine....that's exciting to us.

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  11. Holy wildlife!!!!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  12. That was quite the walk! I love to walk early in the morning in the summer but it can have its complications! We mostly see deer. The dogs don't always want to chase them, but they want to track them and drag me along behind.

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  13. Our walks are totally boring compared to yours

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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  14. Our walks are totally boring compared to yours

    Pat
    Critter Alley

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  15. OMD a real live porcupine super cool. We don't have them in Texas well maybe in a zoo but I've never been allowed to go to a zoo so I can't be for sure.

    Aroo to you,
    Sully

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  16. Wow, dat are a lotta wildlife to see!

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  17. Dear Ojo's Cousin Lee,

    You are a hero! I hope Phod appreciates it and shares his bed. Or his bacon. Me, I protect Ojo. I hope she appreciates it too!

    Licks,
    Cobi

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  18. Wow - that's a lotta wildlife! Not sure Rita would have been so calm with all that! (Thanks for stopping by to answer my quesstion! Been to Ottawa many times - the hubs went to university there and we still have some friends near there. Great city!)

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  19. Oh my! That was quite a walk! I'm glad your pups were leashed with the porcupine. In our past, our dogs have had "encounters" with them. One happened on a backpacking trip. My husband held down the dog while I pulled out quills with pliers. Lesson learned! I'm glad your pups did so well (and Hailey protecting Phod was very interesting).

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  20. Crikey .... Just as well I wasn't with you! Dawn and dusk walks are out of bounds for me. I see something interesting and I'm a regular Houdini. I can slip any collar. Mum thought I was safe in my whippet proof harness until the other day when I spotted a cat across the road. She was flabbergasted when I backed out of it and took off ACROSS the road. Luckily no cars were around. She's now looking for a Houdini proof harness!

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  21. I never did see one of those porkipines befroe and I think I would be afraid of them,
    You saw lots of stuff!
    love
    tweedles

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  22. That's a lot of encounters for one morning! We might have two or three of them in a day, but not all the excitement you had, especially in one walk! I bet the pups were supercharged after that. :)

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  23. What a exciting morning walk!!
    Smileys!
    Dory, Jakey, Arty & Bilbo

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