Recently, Paint Girl and I took her friend out for a trail ride. The friend rode our trails a lot when her daughters were younger so she was very familiar with the area.
When it comes to wildlife on the trails, I've seen.....deer. And hawks. And baby fishes in the stream. Can you see them? Aw, sorry, I think that handsome Appaloosa shadow is blocking your view!
However, Paint Girl's friend has seen more than us. She saw a b-b-b-bear. And a b-b-b-bobcat. She even said at one time many years ago there was such a big problem with a young c-c-c-cougar that they
closed the trails down. HUH?
You mean I've been moseying along on my horse, sipping Gatorade, munching on goldfish crackers, wiping aside the cobwebs, worrying about mosquitoes, all the while there are BEARS, BOBCATS, and COUGARS out there? Oh, and not to forget the COYOTES! Who needs to bring a lunch on a 3-hour ride when you might become lunch?
I've written on my fear and fascination on
the bear topic before. I knew there were bear, and coyote, and deer around the area we ride. Seriously, I did not know there could be cougar and bobcats. I thought those would inhabit more mountainous regions, and we ride in a clear-cut logging area.
A bobcat, in case you wanted to know what they look like. They resemble a very large house cat!
However, on this particular ride, we saw numerous signs that
something was sharing our pathways through the wilderness. Lots of berry-black poo (scat) that looked relatively fresh. I continuously leaned over My Boy's spotted shoulder in search of suspicious prints in the sand, but never saw anything. It was a little unsettling to think that just hours before, something wild had been walking along that same stretch of dirt. Gave me a little wee bit of the shivers.
I know those wild creatures don't want to run into us any more than we want to run into them. It's why Paint Girl and I like to talk a lot, and loudly, on our rides. To warn and detour any possible wildlife that we might encounter as we're passin' through!
Ya hear us, wild hungry animals? We're coming through the trails.....(shout shout, yell yell!)
You'd better run away NOW!
Or else, or else..... or else I'll sic my big spotted Appy on you!
Recently, Paint Girl and I took her friend out for a trail ride. The friend rode our trails a lot when her daughters were younger so she was very familiar with the area.
A bobcat, in case you wanted to know what they look like. They resemble a very large house cat!
The trails look so relaxing, despite there being that minor issue. Brings back memories of when I was little screaming hooting and hollering and oh no a puddle and the pony laid down!
ReplyDeletemmm...I don't think I would worry about the bobcats, they are so very small and I can't imagine them doing any damage to humans or horses. Now, I'm with you on the bear and cougar thing. I did run into a bear on one of my trail rides with my sister. My sister wrote up the story and posted it on my blog here: http://bootsandsaddles4mel.blogspot.com/2009/05/bear-story.html
ReplyDeleteIntersting title ! caught my attention. Your horse will likely tell you long before you are in trouble if there is something out there . They know the smell of predators.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry about whether My Boy is fast enough to outrun a mountain lion... he just needs to be faster than one other horse! LOL! Sorry - I am terrible at deliverying a punch line!
ReplyDeleteLaughing at the loud talking!
Yes, the thought of mt. lions creeps me out, too. They are scarce in our part of the state, but there have been sightings. Once, when my friend & I were riding, both our horses stopped, snorted & refused to continue down the trail. Absolutely would not go. We always thought there may have been a cat in those there woods...
Bears? Supposedly there are none in our area. But this winter we were riding and saw a very strange track in the snow. My friend, who is a wildlife major, said it looked like bear. She took a picture of it & sent it to her professor. He replied back "Bear. Where'd you see this?" Kind of gave us the willies.
The joys of trail riding!
I hope you don't run into the producer of the mystery poo. Good you are in a group. Looks like a beautiful ride despite the lions and tigers and bears.
ReplyDeleteWe could run into one of those critters someday. And yes the horses will know before we do!
ReplyDeleteI am sure that spotted Appy butt will get that bear for you!
No mountain lions to run across here, or cougars... just snakes, foxes dingoes or wild pigs. Can kinda handle the first three... the last..*shudder*
ReplyDeleteI try very hard not to think about those sharing my 'trail' (or in our case, paddock we are mustering).
:-)
BB
Lions and tigers and bears oh my!!! But...please tell me you're kidding about the coyotes - they're harmless!! I've encountered lots of coyotes on the trails and they run away as fast as they can...no worries. Have seen a bear once in my life and he was high-tailing it across the trail at breakneck speed, bobcats are too small to worry about, but cougars and mountain lions...they are the ones to be careful about. They will stalk you and try to get above you, but never fear because your horse will smell them long before you have a clue. Trust your horse!!! If they refuse to go somewhere, or continually stop and then reluctantly go again, or are snorty and very nervous acting? My advice would be to turn around and go a different direction. They always know long before you do. We saw bunches of berry loaded poo on the trails this past weekend. Our horses weren't worried, so we didn't worry. We do talking and singing and such on the trails too - I've always been told it does help. Whistles are a good thing to carry on a trail...sound carries very far. Thanks for your nice message on my blog...it's good to know there are others who feel similar to me about some things. :) Your 4th of July celebration sounded great to me. And those chicken terryaki burgers looked so good - yummy!!
ReplyDeleteLions and Tigers and Bears...OH MY!!!
ReplyDeletelions and tigers and bears o my .. tho we have had recent moose sightings too.. .that got horse and humans' attentions .. quick!!
ReplyDeletegp
{Tammy}~ You crack me up, SO true! :) I'm a goner than because My Boy is NOT the fastest in our group, LOL!
ReplyDelete{C-ingspots}~ No, I'm not really too worried about the coyotes (or bobcats.) But the bear and cougars, for sure! I've heard about those cougars being stalkers, too! I do think you have to trust your horse. Like you said, they'll smell a predator long before we see it, or even know it's nearby!
Making noise is good for getting lots of critters out of your way. I was listening to a comedy skit on the radio where this man was making fun of hikers for wearing bells to scare off bears. He'd say something like, "Here we come, bears, you better run away..." Then he'd tinkle a little bell and the audience would burst out laughing.
ReplyDeleteMy chit-chat with my husband on my last trail ride scared a couple (that I suspect was doing the nasty) out of the bushes.
I guess I would just worry about the mountain lions. I think the others are more likely to flee. But you are still probably okay in a group. KB of http://romp-roll-rockies.blogspot.com/ is more likely to know what kind of scat that is and whether you need to worry.
ReplyDeletewhen we were teenagers riding all day long on all the neighboring trails and back roads, we would sing at the top of our lungs.. we were so noisy.. everyone knew we were coming!
ReplyDeleteI road right up almost onto to a rattlesnake in Ellensburg once..that was a close one!
Bears are a given on the trails I ride, especially when the salmon are spawning. We see signs all the time.
ReplyDeleteYesterday we tracked a momma moose and her baby just ahead of us on the trail. The horses knew she was there but we kept just far enough back that the tracks were fresh but we couldn't see her.
i saw a coyote a couple of times...it just looked at jessie and i and i turned around and briskly walked up the trail. the other time, it silently bounded away in the tall grass. the berry poo for us down here is from a fox. i think cats (bobcats) are total carnivores. be careful!
ReplyDeleteWell, we know your horse will get away, I just hope he takes you with him !!!
ReplyDeleteHehe! What we don't know . . . makes for an enjoyable ride!
ReplyDeleteI spotted a bobcat in our area - sat down in the timber and just looked at me. I told my husband about it and he didn't believe me.
Our crazy neighbor, Vince, who tends to tip the bottle a bit came flying into our drive one evening, jumped out and said, "I swear I aint been drinkin' but I just saw a bobcat the size of yur dog!"
I'll take whatever kind of eye-witness I can get! hehe
When I was in Idaho, large berry poos were a sure sign of a bear snacking on ripe serviceberries. Last spring, I ran into a record number of bear on the trail (I must have seen at least 10). They always run, and some of them run straight up a tree. The horses never react to the bears. The only time I had one really scared by a bear was one the went up a tree, then it decided that was a dumb idea, so it slid back down the tree, scraping it's claws the whole way. That noise freaked my horse out. The bear took off when it hit the ground. My horses are used to seeing dogs along on the trail though, so animals noises in the woods don't usually worry them. Yeah, all my experiences with a bear have been the bear high-tailing it for the hills. Even when I saw a momma and THREE cubs, they took off, cubs up a tree and momma up the hill to watch and make sure I wasn't coming near her babies (I wasn't). I think my worse animals spook was actually caused by a turkey exploding from the brush beneath the horse's feet. Moose are pretty scary too..they are just so big and weird looking, I don't think the horses can figure out what the heck they are.
ReplyDeleteCoyotes do not bother horses. Horses will stomp a coyote flat. They run when they see you coming. I see them all the time.
ReplyDeleteIt's the bears and cougars I would watch out for. Good thing we only have coyotes, deer and the odd lone timber wolf here.
I have a bear and cougar fear too! I started riding with a big Leatheran knife clipped to my half chap. We have had cougar sitings 30 miles to the south and black bear just 10 miles to the east. Everyone laughs at me when I express my fear....but I feel much safer with my new flashy knife.
ReplyDeleteLOL the title to your post made me laugh! LOL another good blog title LOL
ReplyDeleteYa you do wonder whats watching you while you are out, but most of them are more scared of you than you are of them, and you are much bigger on horseback!
In my 20 years of hunting with my Hubby I have seen 2 Bobcats (one crossing the road on my way home)maybe 1 or 2 bear. I always feel lucky when I do see them.
That is the trick--just make noise. Coyote tend to be shy--the little SOBs. But bobcats are terrified of people. We are run over with both right on our farm. The bobcat scream is enough to make the hair on my neck stand up, but they do not even phase the horses. Coyotes dont either, but I do worry about them around newborn foals, which is why I have donks.
ReplyDeleteThere are a handful of mountain lions in this area, and I have never seen more than foot prints--
moral of the story--talk talk talk, and you will be fine!
Oh and I cant remember where?? but they make bear bells you can put on your breast collar to warn the wild animals, the ones I seen were on a pretty leather fob and a really nice brass bell.
ReplyDeletemaybe Weaver leather or Colorado Saddlery
I have always wanted to get some.
Definitely unnerving to think about what might be lurking. Sometimes Kuntry Boy and I go hiking in the woods behind our house. Usually it's really peaceful, but there was this one time that I got a really unsettled feeling. Generally he packs a gun, just in case...if anything just to make me feel better! This time, though he didn't have it and I just couldn't shake the feeling. I made him turn around and we headed back home. He thought I was nuts, but I say better safe than sorry! P.S. Did you happen to see the bobcat pic on my "Where the Wild Things Are" post? Trippy that this guy was hangin' around our pasture! Not so worried about the little cats though...but the big'ns can stay FAR AWAY! Be careful out there! P.S. Have you thought about carrying pepper spray at least? Couldn't hurt, I guess.
ReplyDeleteI'd be concerned too, but then I'm a big chicken! Speaking of animal poo, the Mom's and I were out for a bike ride last night and what should we come upon in our favorite biking spot? A miniature pony pulling a woman in a cart. Your Mom asked her if she showed. She doesn't, it's just a hobby. When we said goodbye and rode on guess what the Moms just HAD to discuss? Whether of not she picks up the poo when the pony goes.
ReplyDeleteI think they're getting desperate for topics of conversation! That was the wildest animal we saw, other than a Pomeranian that took off from it's owner and we had to catch. You know those Poms, ornery little buggers!
Bobcats and coyotes are mostly nocturnal. I mostly spot them scurrying for cover as the sun is coming up. I'm glad we don't have bears, though we do have javelinas.
ReplyDeleteYou sure know how to title a post to make me laugh! Those animals are no laughing matter, though. I am concentrating so hard on riding, I don't know how I could calmly put wild animals in the mix. Fortunately, on my farm we seem to only have deer, foxes, and rabbits. You are one brave Pony Girl!!!
ReplyDeleteI would not want to find the creator of the mystery poo either. Nice picks and looks like you had a great day out on the trail. Hope you never run into one of those critters though.
ReplyDeleteOh, how exciting. I'd almost want to run into a bobcat, just to say I'd seen one. How lucky you are to be able to ride where the wild things are!
ReplyDeleteI have seen much wildlife on the trail--mostly turkeys, ground birds and turkeys. But I have also seen coyotes! They paid no attention to me and my giant paint brumby. They probably see my brumby and think: Bummer dude, that coat can't be great for camouflage!!
ReplyDeleteI would like to see black bear and moose on the trail just for the thrill, but not close up!!!! My horse buddy Bill has seen bobcat on our trails, but again, it ignored him! Thank goodness! I feel my spine tingling just thinking about it!!
LOL you sick that big Appy on them!! I used to with my Arab! Ok, maybe not to bobcats or bears but when we encountered one of those annoying dogs that come rushing down their driveway barking like an idiot I always liked to watch them tuck and run when Rocky turned to chasing THEM! Rocky didnt like dogs like that and was really happy to give them the run-on!
ReplyDeleteEver since I was 15 and started riding the trails in the forest alone I've been in the habit of singing while I ride. As a result I know the lyrics to just about every Dixie Chic song ever written:) Also, for some reason when I hear something I call out really loudly (like and idiot) "HO THE WOODS!" Dont ask, 'cause I dont know.
Oh, btw, Around here we have these things called Bear Bells...they are a large bell with a valcro band attached to them so you can hook them to your saddle, dog's collar (this I find makes the most noise) or even to the loop of your jeans.
ReplyDeleteSorry...btw:).... My bear bells are Silverfoot and have held up really well...but warning, they DO take the quiet out of a trail ride!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.silverfoot.com/store.php?crn=235
(Word Verification: BOBKZ) Weird!
Well we've had this virtual conversation before, so you know my past experiences with bears on the trail...lol!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of stalking, on a recent trail ride, we followed a set of deer tracks followed by a set of large cougar tracks down the trail.
Poor deer. I wonder if he even knew what was following him? :)
4 of us were riding along a creek in the mountains one summer. We had just dismounted to eat lunch when we heard a racket coming down the trail above us. Imagine our surprise to see first a big bear barrelling down the trail, followed by yapping hounds, followed by hunters running on foot. It scared the heck out of us riders. The horses just glanced up, went "ho hum" and continued drinking and stealing bites of grass. Have seen bears several times since, and coyotes and bobcats, and the horses didn't react. The only wild thing they didn't like was ducks flying up out of the water right under their noses. Oh, and our own dogs popping out of the brush.
ReplyDeleteWe had a bear living in our back pasture, but our tough appy mares ran it off! We have coyotes by the dozen, but really wories me are the reports of a cougar nearby.
ReplyDeleteCougar, bobcat and bears...oh my! I ride with a bear bell up here. (You really didn't know they were there? That's a large area for them to hide out in. They've probably been watching you ride by all these years, licking their slobbery chops!)
ReplyDelete{Tracey}~ Wait until you read tomorrow's post! Things got a little more interesting on the trails today!! :)
ReplyDeleteOh wow!! You crack me up!! I totally understand that fear! We have bobcats that live just down the road, coyotes that we hear almost nightly and there are some kind of mountain lions/panther's but I have yet to see them...And I hope I never do!!
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in California, there were wildcats and those kind of scary critters on the trails, but nothing frightened me as much as the rattlesnakes - and they were out frequently. I'll never forget the first time we encountered one. Silk stopped like a statue but I didn't notice it. I kept urging her to move forward and she began to slowly back up. Then, I saw the baby rattlesnake about two feet ahead of us. Whew! Good thing my horse was smarter than I was! Take care out in them thar woods and trust that Appie's instinct!
ReplyDeletelol! I'm going backwards to catch up on your blog. I'm thinking all this talk of wild animals has jinxed you...as the next post is about mutant monkeys! lol!
ReplyDeleteWhen I'd go out on the trails by myself I would always sing...LOUDLY. I bet if anyone heard me they were laughing, but I don't care. I felt a little bit safer, and it probably kept my mare focused on me and not the spooky things. hehe!
~Lisa