My Driveway Tonight

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I have those 2 show up at my house almost every night or day. The thing is I live in a basic neighborhood. I am not on a rural street. The deer in my area live in the park area or in a wooded area that is across a few streets from me. They wander on by looking for food. Saw them last Sat. They set the motion lights off and just with you they walked right past the house down the street as if nothing going on. Scares the living daylights out of me when they are in my backyard and I either have to take trash out or I am just coming home. We are taking away their land every year more and more.
 
Our neighbor Bob.
 

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So far in our backyard we have had fox, a lot of racoons, opossums, and quite a few neighborhood cats. Of course lots of house finches, robins, cardinals, blue jays, read-headed and downy woodpeckers, red winged blackbirds, mourning and Eurasian Collard doves, and a hawk or two. I've never seen one in our back yard but there are a bunch of bald eagle nests within a mile of us on either side so we see them soaring on the thermals near our house all the time -- I've almost driven off the road a few times because I was watching them and not where I was going. Isn't wildlife cool. - Dave
 
We had a snowstorm last night with about 4" or 5" but with the high winds have bare areas and 3' high drifts in others. During it all last night around midnight I turned on the lights by the garage to see how it looked and there were two Jack Rabbits rooting around in the snow under the bird feeder for snacks. There are lots of animals out in the darkness we never see. just know from the tracks and their deposits in the snow. Foxes, coyotes, deer, the jack rabbits and sometimes deer mice.
 
We have coyotes occasionally move thru the back yard and more often down the middle of the street. There is a pretty big arroyo about 1/4 mile away and a golf course across the street. I don't think they live on the golf course, but definitely around the arroyo and in the open desert also nearby. About 3 or 4 times a year there is a terrible din from the golf course when the coyotes are killing a dog or cat. We also have 3 different Cooper's Hawks that come and hang out on the bird baths. Sometimes they will stay a half hour or more. We don't get as many smaller birds since the hawks started hanging around??? Sometimes there are dove feathers in the yard.

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So here's what I had running through my backyard in June 2023. FOUR Grizzlies!!!! A Sow and three, year old cubs. The right side of this picture is my shop. I had just left it when the bear decided to turn around and run the other way...right by me. FWP (Fish Wildlife and Parks) spent a couple of hours in my back yard taking photos and foot impressions. This shot was taken by my backyard neighbor who happened to be sitting on their deck. The bears ran about 30 feet from me and were in no hurry to say hello. Montana is designated as a "Grizzly Bear State" no where can you assume to not run into one. Visitors to my Great State need to be aware of it. We get reports of people every year who have been attacked by Grizzlies, most don't survive.
As for Deer? My freezer has 109lbs of fresh venison in it. My son in law and I are hunting partners and this year I got a Buck and a Doe Mule deer tag. I don't hunt the ones around me but do hunt farm land (at the owners request) when they get over run by deer. This year I drew a tag for a Doe Mule Deer and got my tag filled the last night of the season. So I could get 2 Deer in 2024. I gotta say it was the longest shot I've ever taken (437 yards) and the Doe fell into one of the deepest Coulees I've ever seen (probably 300' deep and very steep). We got her out but it wasn't very easy. Montana has a very large Deer population and driving from Ulm, where I live, to Great Falls (7 or so miles) it's not uncommon to see a lot deer on the side of the road after being hit by a passing car or truck. Most of the road kill meat gets donated to the homeless shelter or Veterans groups, it doesn't go to waste. My son in law hit a Mule Deer a few years back, with a Dodge Ram, and it cost him almost $7,000.00 in damages. So it's a big problem here. So if you ever visit Montana and drive out after dark be aware of the deer and other critters that cross the road. On my property in Ulm I've seen Bear, Deer, Bobcat, Prairie dogs, skunks, Gophers, Rabbits and Snakes (Rattlers) and I hate snakes. I don't much care for the Deer that visit my house as they do a lot of damage to trees and landscaping. I've lost a lot of trees due to deer eating the bark and girdling the tree. So I have process that I use that keeps them away but doesn't hurt them. I've been using it for years and it works, so I'm happy as are the Deer.

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The deer are very nice. Can't say as much for the ice and snow!! I live in town and we have all the smaller critters and occasionally coyotes and bobcats. They move through the neighborhood looking for food. I enjoy all the birds as well. I can tell the owls and hawks are busy when the rabbits disappear. Thanks to all for sharing the pictures.
 
2nd floor deck a few years ago. Climbed the 16ft 6x6 post and over the handrail.

We loved the critters seen roaming the yard. As far as deer prooffing landscaping, our plant gal would let us take plants home for a few weeks. Set them where we wanted to plant and if eaten by deer in that time, just bring them back and try something different. Saved digging on my part.

Boudreaux was not a fan of this 100 pounder.

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