taken at a deer lease in Stephenville, TX within the past few months.
Now maybe I'm more of a city slicker than I thought but this photo just fascinates me. It brings to mind so many questions but the main one is: What is the symbiotic relationship between a raccoon and a wild hog?
Cool photo. I'm thinking they both like corn and are willing to share.
My hubby shot a hog like the one pictured a few weeks ago with bow and arrow. He said it was right under his feeder. Even as it was squeeling, it was munching on that corn as it died.
Janet
Now, Stacy .. tsk, tsk .. (heehee)
What'd one spect to find in the lil state of Texas - 'cept some wild critters giving the ol buckeroo-bareback (razorback!)-bronco bustin' shenanigans .. a good 'show'!
Bet that coon held on longer than any 8 second count too! .. LOL
Ferget the 'cow' boy - now we know the truth: them Texans learned their tricks from the critters!!
The 'hi-tech' age .. is just amazin'! Luv that shot!
- Magpye
Mags, LOL you are such a hoot...such an imagination!
It just seems strange to me that a raccoon and a wild hog are together like this. What? Stand on my back and maybe you can reach the feeder!!
Surely wild hog can't be good eating at this size? Seems they'd be mighty gamey...
Floridian,
Doesn't that photo make you wonder what else they do that we never see? This sounds nuts, but sometimes I sit outdoors and daydream about what might be "the most unusual or interesting event that occurred on our property in the past day/week/month/year and not witnessed by humans". That photo of the raccoon on the hog would surely be a contender! Thanks for sharing.
Debra
Yes Debra, that's it exactly...that's why this photo is so fascinating to me
LOL ~ It looks like they are playin' ~ Ride 'Em Cowboy! :-)) And they are best of "buds"!
That is one in a million shot. :-D
Such a scene .. jes can't be staged either! It's got genuine 'nature' written all over it!
Debra .. Thought I was alone in that kind of imagination! (hee)
Ya know, we were just looking out the upstairs windows .. at a momma deer and her fawn at the salt stump. There's a squirrel sitting and eating acorns at the base of a tree, less than 10 foot from the deer. The curious young deer casually strolls over to the squirrel and gets within what seems mere inches .. and only when the fawn sticks his nosey head down to the squirrel does the squirrel move around and up the tree truck - but only a foot or two. The young deer simply goes around to the other side and naturally, the squirrel moves the opposite direction also. This continued for about a minute or two. The two were 'playing'! If it were you or I there - the squirrel wouldn't be anywhere near that close, feeding. And any attempt by a human to move in their direction they shoot way up the tree to a comfy distance on the opposite side of the trunk! Yep, tis agreed .. nature never fails to fascinate us!
((huggs))
- Magpye
"lemme get on your back and we can go for the high stuff"
Do you think they sit around telling each other things like "I saw a human doing the most fascinating thing the other day...."?
:-)
I've often wondered that very thing Fluers.
Janet
That's a loaded question, Debra! (hee)
Now, ya know .. (personally), I'm gonna take the 5th on any reply to that one.
I do have a reputation to maintain with my peers! .. LOL
- Magpye
LOL You guys! I always wonder what is going through the mind of a rescued turtle or toad or lizard, etc. Do they go back to their "homes" and tell the spouse..."you aren't gonna believe what happened to me today!!"
When I was young and had lots of energy, I found out that the worse the weather, for humans, the more wildlife you would see. What a look of surprise on their faces when you showed up! Once, up on the Red River forest area during a long considerable rain I could hear a lot of crow noise. I slowly crept up until I spotted a couple of hundred crows in a sort of circle yakking away. One of them noticed me after a few minutes and silence, beaks hanging open, unbelieving. Then suddenly, the party was over and they all left in a hurry. On this same outing I saw a lot of armadillos, a couple of coyotes, a bobcat, and many birds.
So put on a camo rainsuit and go out in bad weather. A blizzard is the very best with wind noise and snow.
trois
Yep, trois .. & the ol Coot & I can certainly confirm it also. The wet ground, grasses, underbrush, etc. .. enables some 'unique' outings. (unique up on 'em easier!) .. lol ..
Have you/anyone else .. found that those same (or similar) crow antics, can oftentimes 'cue' you in .. on some of the whereabouts of other critters also?
- Magpye
Especially owls. Bobcats also.
Yes, owls! Those crows just pester the mess out of any poor owl they spot trying to nap. What a racket! It's got to hurt to be pecked by those big crow beaks.
Can I jump in here & ask a question? I was told that crows will chase eagles! Is there any truth to it? I have a pic with a crow sitting in a tree with 3 of them & the crow does not seem intimidated at all! Just curious!
Joey
About 55 years ago, in California, I witnessed several crows pestering a Condor.
At first, having never seen a condor before or since, I thought it was blackbirds pestering a hawk, due to the scale of sizes. When I got a little closer I was able to hear the crows.
I am sure that if in the mood, they would not worry at all about pestering an Eagle. Mockingbirds do it all the time.
trois
The bird scientists call it 'mobbing' when a group of little birds gang up on a big one. Floridian, your picture is amazing!
When we were down in (South Florida) the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park a friend and I encountered a family of crows. We stepped behind a large tree and for a time they didn't realize we were there. We were able to listen to them "talk" amongst themselves. I was amazed at the sounds they were making....not at all the raucous sounds normally associated with crows. Soft chortling sounds mostly.
Music2Keep, Here's a link to photos I took of a mockingbird and hawk. We see lots of little bird v hawks during nesting season
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/592855/
Wow, Thanx for the link Floridian!
Trois ~ Condors? That is wild, they're so Huge!
Joey
Floridian,
Wow! I would NEVER have expected that shot. I STILL can't believe it. Wonder if the hog may have some yummy "insects" attached to his hide or something. That said, those crazy raccoons do seem to like to play. You might want to consider intering that photo in one of those contests for unusual photos. It's a winner!
Now about whether the animals "talk" to each other, I have to take my bird feeder in at night and put it out in the morning (to save it from my "pet" wild raccoons). I'm not an early riser so the birds are always waiting when I stumble out all blurry eyed around 8AM with their breakfast. Before I open the door, the yard is silent. As soon as the back door opens, a chorus of loud bird calls (not songs) rings out across the adjoining forest. It's like a relay. First a bird at the edge of the yard calls out, then one over in the forest, then a faint one farther away. I honestly think they are signaling each other that breakfast is about to be served. And sure enough, birds of all types start showing up even before I can hang the feeder. By the time I get back inside, all manner of birds are out there.
It was only one, Joey. Ever.
Ok, I'm a little weird and I've had a glass of wine with dinner........do you ever wonder if there are animals that are actually more intelligent than humans? Maybe they don't behave in an intelligent way acording to our standards and their brains don't measure the required proportion according to our standards, but they have far more insight and understanding than we will ever imagine? From what I've seen on documentaries,etc., I wonder sometimes if dolphins fall into this catagory - along with crows, dogs, (ok, maybe cats), etc. Am I the only one out there thinking these thoughts?
Debra (soon to change my name so as not to be recognized)
.. LOL ..
(whispering, now)
Shhhhhh, yes! .. but, I no longer 'wonder' - I honestly think it's true! Am jes mitey glad that you 'said' it!) .. heehee
((huggerooners))
- Magpye
They are definately smarter than most think. Several years ago, my DW rescued an Anole from a cat. It lost it's tail, but was otherwise unharmed. For the rest of the summer this lizard would jump on DW's shoulder everytime she went into the back yard, and ride around until she went back in. Only DW.
Trois - that's one I've n ever heard before! Guess he knows a "friendly" when he sees one. Hmmmmmm.........could it be..............that wild boar saved that raccoon from the jaws of a coyote and now that raccoon jumps on the boar's back every time it comes to the feeder..............??????
Debra
I think the raccoon was going to launch itself up to the feeder and shake some grain out of it, which they would all share. Kind of like the cattle egrets and cows around here. The cows lose their ticks and other biting things, and the egrets get to eat them as well as the grasshoppers they scare up.
animals are definitely smarter than a lot of people give them credit for.
but then, some people aren't all that bright, ya know what I mean?
Seems like I have been in and out of the hosp. all summer. Anyway am back home now, and gaining back my strenghth. I must go out and feed the quail. They are waiting. I get the feed and go out to parking area where I feed them, calling them. they move a little out of the way, but as soon as I am just a few feet away they run in to eat. There are about 100 of them right now.
I really enjoyed all your photos and posts. Maybe I will feel enough energy to read and write a little from now on.
Donna
Here is a poor photo of some of the quail coming in for breakfast. Donna
Great!
Hi Donna, Sorry you've been so ill this summer. I hope you're well on the mend now. Love your Quail...are they the same as Bob-White? They look so similar.
LOL gaiadisciple! Isn't that the truth?! I sure believe that animals are smarter than most folks think they are. Genetic memory aside we all know the birds recognise us in our yards, come back to the same sucessful nesting areas and then there's Trois' DWs anole...amazing. Scutlers critters send out a wildlife telegraph when she steps out the door and Donna's Quail listen for her.
We wondered about bugs on the boar...seems strange to do that when there's feed out. Then again, ticks and such might be raccoon delights! LOL
Great pix! My bro lives in Baytown, TX.. He killed several boar and I have ate some.. YUM! He's bring some more for Thanksgiving Pork Roast!
Yes, they are Calif. Quail. I feed 200 to 300 all winter. As soon as it is daylight I will go out and spread a quart of so of chicken scratch, same as I feed my 3 chickens, it is not too expensive and they like it.
Donna
