Large Scale Central

Country Living

General Discussion
#1

Living in the country is nice, but there are a few unforseen occurances in which it makes you shudder…

An example would have been a year ago, when you look out the window and see a herd of beef cows, running across your backyard from the direction in which your garden railroad is…

Today was another example… Got home from breakfast, pulled into the garage, walked in the house, and looked in the backyard, and there’s 4 Holstein cows, grazing in the backyard…

Takes a few hours and some good neighbors to help keep them herded up, while trying to locate the owners…

the first time it was the beef cows from behind us…

this time it was a herd of Holstein bulls from a dairy farm about a mile and a quarter north of us…

Luckily, they didn’t find the railroad, so no damage occurred… on the bright side, they did help the mowing and fertilizing…

It does kinda shoots 3 hours right out the window, tho…

#2

Haha I know what you mean. We had a few of the neighhbors cows roaming through our field last fall. I was worried they would make there way to the layout. The farmer got to them as they were wondering towards the layout.

We also have to worry about the bears and deer. Bears can make a mess.

#3

I know what thats like. Deer like to step on my track Ron.

#4

Deer and Turkeys on my end. The deer eat the plants the Turkeys root around and spread my wood chips everywhere except where I originally put them.

#5

Well we city folk, well the ones that live near the edge of the city, yes even if that city is LA, often have to deal with uppity country visitors like this:

(http://bloximages.chicago2.vip.townnews.com/billingsgazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/d/60/d606a3cc-efb6-50e8-b3a8-ff407f7b9600/501f493f6811f.preview-620.jpg)

and this:

(http://drbillwooten.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/bear_at_the_door.jpg)

and this:

(http://a-z-animals.com/media/animals/images/470x370/coyote6.jpg)

and more than a couple times I’ve opened my front door to find these bums looking for a handout:

(http://i2.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/-1/draft_lens1998703module9806114photo_1212461951raccoons_possum_cp0853.JPG)

The raccoons are particulary jaded and unaffraid of people, and for some reason our cats are absolutely unfazed by the opposums, they just think they are really ugly cats.

#6

Vic - in my old place we had a cat door for the cats to go in and out as they wish. One day I came in and had 3 furry creatures eating side by side at the cat feeder. I thought, that one in the middle sure is looking mangy - closer and saw the two cats on the outside of the 3 were my cats, the middle “cat” was a possum. Guess they decided to invite their new buddy in the house for dinner. Cat door no longer “worked” after that.

#7

Elk are the most destructive for us. They’ve trampled sections of track that had to be completely replaced. Bear are heavy too, but thankfully they seem to avoid damaging the layout.

Actually pack rats (bushy tailed wood rats) might be the most mischievous. Every year I loose some figures or other details that I forget to put away at night. But as pesky as they can be they sure are cute.

#8

Had a scare just last week. I had a mysterious deer kill 100 ft from my house. It looked like a Mt Lion kill and I have instructed my family to never approach a mysterious dead animal. Because if it is a Mt Lion kill, the lion will be close by and will think you are taking his food. Well, luckly the dead deer was from a gun and not a Mt Lion.

#9

Hey Vic, I thought you lived in California. How come the picture with the mountain lion has a Montana license plate? LOL

Deer are the biggest problem around our area, they tear up everything and crap all over. They have damaged over 500.00 worth of track in the last several years and make the front yard unuseable for our grandkids because of all the droppings by our fruit trees. About 2 months ago someone shot 8 of them dead so now the little city I live in is finally starting to realize we have a problem. What people don’t realize is where you have deer you have preditors looking for something to eat. It’s only going to be a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Oh ya, last summer they found a 375lb black bear laying next to an Oak tree less then a block from our house. He got sent back to the wood via the forest service.

#10

Yes! Can you believe those animals. You would think that by now all that we need to do is have the neighborhoods post signs.

They already have them out there telling the deer where to cross the streets. Why not just post signs saying NO DEER. Problem solved.

#11

Last year Doug Matheson found a mouse nest in one of his USA Trains streamline passenger cars. There was no mouse, so I guess it knows how to open and close the doors.

This year we opened the car storage shed and found another mouse nest in the car and a lot of headless passengers. Doug hasn’t taken the car apart to find out if the murderous mouse is still in there.

#12

Around here we call deer “giant forest rats” (the geese are flying rats). Sadly hunting is waning in our area. The deer are causing more auto accidents and the bears are becoming bolder.

#13

Chuck Inlow said:

Hey Vic, I thought you lived in California. How come the picture with the mountain lion has a Montana license plate? LOL

Deer are the biggest problem around our area, they tear up everything and crap all over. They have damaged over 500.00 worth of track in the last several years and make the front yard unuseable for our grandkids because of all the droppings by our fruit trees. About 2 months ago someone shot 8 of them dead so now the little city I live in is finally starting to realize we have a problem. What people don’t realize is where you have deer you have preditors looking for something to eat. It’s only going to be a matter of time before someone gets hurt. Oh ya, last summer they found a 375lb black bear laying next to an Oak tree less then a block from our house. He got sent back to the wood via the forest service.

Chuck, true but I needed a pic to illustrate our neighbors, FYI we had another bear siting Monday about a mile north of us, he was just hanging around…

#14

I’ve had possums, raccoons, feral cats(‘kind’ people drop them off in the country), deer, turkeys and coyotes. Still worth it. Saved what little sanity I had left to move out of town.

#15

David Hill said:

Around here we call deer “giant forest rats” (the geese are flying rats). Sadly hunting is waning in our area. The deer are causing more auto accidents and the bears are becoming bolder.

Haha we call deer Jersey Rats. My area also has the largest population of black bear in the country. Although it is going down since hunting for them opened back up a few years ago. We have deer, bear, coyots, coon, fox, fishers, mink, porcupines, big foot and the rare cityit.

#16

yah Shawn, But the Glock can take care of everything but the worst of the list the last two…

#17

Dave Marconi said:

Yes! Can you believe those animals. You would think that by now all that we need to do is have the neighborhoods post signs.

They already have them out there telling the deer where to cross the streets. Why not just post signs saying NO DEER. Problem solved.

You spend too much time on Youtube.

#18

Shawn Viggiano said:

David Hill said:

Around here we call deer “giant forest rats” (the geese are flying rats). Sadly hunting is waning in our area. The deer are causing more auto accidents and the bears are becoming bolder.

Haha we call deer Jersey Rats. My area also has the largest population of black bear in the country. Although it is going down since hunting for them opened back up a few years ago. We have deer, bear, coyots, coon, fox, fishers, mink, porcupines, big foot and the rare cityit.

(http://www.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Jersey-Shore-Florence-Rules-500x333.jpg)

I thought these were Jersey Rats LOL

#19

Dave Taylor said:

yah Shawn, But the Glock can take care of everything but the worst of the list the last two…

I dont know about that. I think a Glock could do some damge to the other two also. And Shawn could be famous or in-famous depending on which one he shoots. :slight_smile:

I’m in agreement with you Jerry. I lived 5 years in town and hated it. I wont ever live in the city again.

#20

Jon Radder said:

Dave Marconi said:

Yes! Can you believe those animals. You would think that by now all that we need to do is have the neighborhoods post signs.

They already have them out there telling the deer where to cross the streets. Why not just post signs saying NO DEER. Problem solved.

You spend too much time on Youtube.

I don’t spend anytime on utube, or facepaper either for that matter.