Wildlife & Related

[Hummer]

Found both these guys on Wed after mowing the grass (which had grown quite tall because of the rain).

First is an Eastern Yellow Bellied Racer. He was aptly named and lightning fast. Harmless and non-venomous. This one was actually quite long...about 3 feet...and very thin.

Second is an Eastern Hognose (aka Spreading Adder). Venomous, but it's very mild causing only local irritation and maybe mild inflammation around the bite site, and they (the snake experts at OSU) say they almost never bite humans. They go thru an elaborate process of pretending to be hurt or even dead when they feel threatened. This little guy opened his mouth really wide and rolled over on his back trying hard to play possum on me. He's trying to do his best cobra impression, I think, to convince me he's dangerous.

Hognose snakes are neat critters, usually gentle. The nose is upturned to a point which helps them burrow into the ground. Back when I ran the concrete plant for the Brush power plant, I found one under some sheet metal in a field. It raised up, exposed it's fangs and shook it's tail to mimic a rattlesnake. When I realized it didn't have tail rattles and that it's skin was slightly injured by the metal, I captured it and gave it to my cousin who kept a few snakes. HN as it was called, for Heterodon nasicus, the Western Hognose, lived another nine years in captivity.

I handled HN often and he would hang out in my shirt pocket with it's head looking out. My cousin raised mice and fed the pinkies to the snakes. One time I watched as he dangled a pinkie when HN struck his finger and cousin fainted and fell to the floor. Shock. He soon woke with zero after effects, no venom.

[Bailey Guns]

It's also the season for turtles. Unfortunately, the best place to find them is on the road. Many of them get run over because they like to hang out on the road in the morning and evening. This guy/gal (not sure of his pronouns...) lives by my shop, somewhere. The Corgis always find him when he's out and about.

Three-Toed Box Turtle...

[Hummer]

It was nearly dark when this young cinnamon sauntered through the meadow and walked toward me. When I moved to snap a photo he stopped at ten feet away.
I had not seen this bear before and it acted like it had never been bitten by the electric fence. My guess is that he will sometime soon. Anyway, once he spotted me, he skedaddled.

[arbol]

Too cool, Hummer.

But one has to wonder if there is such a thing as too many bears.

-John

[Hummer]

Too cool, Hummer.

But one has to wonder if there is such a thing as too many bears.

-John

There certainly can be, like when some numbskull neighbor was illegally baiting wildlife in order to kill them. For a time we had six different bears moving through the yard day and night. It led to problems with neighbors all around the area, including one young man that was dragged by the skull from his tent. I had to put up electric fencing, then finally caught him when shot one of the bears.

One more of the cinnamon. Would like to get better images but I don't often see them in daylight and you have to be camera ready.

[brutal]

There certainly can be, like when some numbskull neighbor was illegally baiting wildlife in order to kill them. For a time we had six different bears moving through the yard day and night. It led to problems with neighbors all around the area, including one young man that was dragged by the skull from his tent. I had to put up electric fencing, then finally caught him when shot one of the bears.

One more of the cinnamon. Would like to get better images but I don't often see them in daylight and you have to be camera ready.

I'd be interested to hear more about the disposition of said neighbor if you are able to share.

[Hummer]

I'd be interested to hear more about the disposition of said neighbor if you are able to share.

The property was owned by an elderly lady who probably hadn't been there for 40 years. I had known of a cam there and assumed that family were hunters and wanted to see what wildlife went through, just as I do. A couple days after getting back from an elk hunt I found a bait pile near the cam. I should have called officers at the time, but wanted to contact the neighbors first. I wasn't acquainted with the mostly absentee neighbors and couldn't find an owner address. But when I heard the shot at 6:15 am one morning, I knew exactly where it came from and why. When I went to talk with the person, he showed me the bear. There was bait all over and I snapped a photo of the dead bear. I was acquainted with the local game warden and called him. The poacher had departed and officers questioned him two hours later at a CPW office when he went to have the hide sealed. The local officer investigated on site and I provided a statement with photos. Other officers confiscated the meat which had just been left with a processor. The person was cited and the case later went to trial.

The person was legally licensed and it was the last day of season. The person was illegally baiting many animals, bear, moose, deer, coyote, fox, raccoons and more. There was evidence that deer had been killed over the bait pile and this, admittedly, had gone on for years. When I encountered the person he was not wearing orange as a legal hunter, and it was apparent that the bear was shot from inside the cabin. Over the years all the small aspen and cottonwood had been cut to 2 1/2 ft. high so to clear shooting paths from the cabin door to any game. All this was brought to trial.

The ADA initially did good work and I spent 5 hours on the witness stand. The defense atty was a lying sleezebag and it appeared the jury was ready to convict. Not sure what happened but the judge stopped the trial due to some perceived issue with the investigation. It went to negotiation with a junior ADA and the judge accepted a plea of hunting without wearing orange. Justice. The leftist Boulder judge was known for letting well founded criminal cases go unpunished.

I don't think this person is a real bad guy but clearly he didn't think that wildlife laws applied to him. Apparently, he'd had previous hunt related incidents with CWP officers. I think it's true that judges are typically urban dwellers who do not hunt, who know little about wildlife issues and the seriousness of violations. From what I've observed, the vast majority of wildlife crimes brought to trial are not adjudicated as most ethical hunters would expect them to be.

[buffalobo]

" I think it's true that judges are typically urban dwellers who do not hunt, who know little about wildlife issues and the seriousness of violations. From what I've observed, the vast majority of wildlife crimes brought to trial are not adjudicated as most ethical hunters would expect them to be."

^^^This all day long. From personal experience I believe most judges do not understand implications of poaching/wildlife violations.

If you're unarmed, you are a victim.

[brutal]

Thanks for sharing the details, and thanks for all your efforts. It stinks that he didn't get his just rewards.

[Eric P]

And 1 more showing that younglings can swim the mighty Colorado River.