Awesome pic! Do you know what put those claw marks on the tree? (assuming that is what they are)
The long claw marks are bear and there are finer ones on that tree from raccoon. We had serious bear problems for a few years until I caught someone on a neighboring property after he shot a bear over bait. He had been baiting bears and other wildlife for years causing problems for neighbors all around the area. He killed Yogi, one of the bears I photographed and posted earlier in this thread. I installed 100 yards of electric fence around our house which has mostly been effective except for a breach by Yogi on the morning he was shot by the person baiting wildlife on his grandmother's property.
BTW, I don't put out bird seed, etc., until late fall when the bears are hibernating.
I hope there were consequences for the illegal hunter.
Wow, that's like a Christmas card, Hummer.
And is that the top of your bird feeder I see?
Great picture!
Thanks! It's a solar yard light. Bunny was checking out the wild rose hips. This little one, I'm guessing a male, has been around the yard for about 8 months. It has somehow been lucky enough to survive the nearly nightly coyotes passing through, and the occasional fox and bobcat. This winter it remains in shelter under my wood piles for several days at a time, then comes out to feed for a while when the predators are unlikely to show themselves. It eats cracked corn, milo and sunflower that I put out for the birds.
That's a great capture. I'm thinking, "leaps tall fences in a single bound". There are predators everywhere and they will appear when least expected.
There's a local message board where residents of Jamestown and surrounding areas regularly post sightings and photos of bobcats, lions, coyotes and bears roaming around neighborhoods. And every week, sometimes several times a week people are posting about their lost cats and dogs. Unbelievable how clueless and careless some people are.