Rewards of rural living:

[texbaylea]

We have been doing a lot of clearing, primarily for fire safety around the house but also along the road to replace a very old barb wire fence. I know for a fact that the fence is more than 75 years old so not much was left. Any way we have cleared back more than 100' from the house leaving only the large hardwoods.

I was sitting in my recliner reading a science ficton novel a few minutes ago and had to get up for a trip to the necessary and saw a fawn through the patio door. The doe was out of sight but wasn't far. This fawn was about 20" at the withers and very pretty.

Wouldn't you know, the batteries were down in the camera so I could only watch as it walked back to its mother. We have also seen a doe with twin fawns around the place in the last few weeks

Vernon

 

[Bird]

Yep, Vernon, that's a prettier sight than we see in town. However, my wife got excited and called me to come look out a front window a couple of hours ago and there were 4 guinea fowl in our front yard. They gradually wandered on north across the lawns. We hadn't seen them before and have no idea where they came from.

 

[Paddy]

Sounds nice...until their eating your tomatoes! Just kidding. We have a pair of nesting Bald Egals at the lake spot. Each year they have two offspring. They sit in an old oak, 4' in dia, with in 20' of our camper. My wife and I just sit a watch each year as if it's the first time we've seen them.

It is a nice trade off to drive a bit the get a few things at the store to see the wild life.

 

[txdon]

That does sound nice Vernon.

Every time I turn around there is an unique sight. This rural living is great.

Here is a picture of me entertaining the cows by getting stuck in their pond.

 

[jeffinsgf]

We have two adult wild turkeys and a dozen poults sharing our acreage. I stalked them for about a half an hour this afternoon with the video camera. Got a little footage, but they are pretty easy to spook. We had a doe with twin fawns that were around all last summer. No deer this year, but the turkeys make up for it. They eat bugs instead of my wife's flowers. You guys were sharing your insecticide stories earlier today. I just let the turkeys, martins, robins, frogs and salamanders take care of it.

 

[LarryD]

...4 guinea fowl in our front yard.

Bird, I don't think Guinea fowl are native to that are. So there would not be any daily limit on them either...

This is a shot taken from the dining room window last year. Lately I've seen deer every day this summer. I've just about got the dog trained not to chase them. She'll just sit there and watch them as long as I'm around.

 

[EddieWalker]

Larry,

Beautiful picture!!!

You captured my ultimate dream there, and the reason I moved to the country. I grew up in town with a view of other houses. Wildlife was something I had to drive four hours one way to see.

Being able to see dee from the house really is my ultimate goal!!! So far it's very rare, but happening more now than it used to.

Thanks for sharing the picture,
Eddie

 

[texbaylea]

Larry
Our dog, a Boxer, has not offered to chase the deer. In early spring when we first came out the front door, there would be a few does in the front yard within 75' of the door and the dog would just stand there and watch them. If it were rainy or very damp I would take the Suburban down for the newspaper. The deer would stand a few feet off the driveway and watch us. I would let down the side window and the dog and the deer would just lok at one another.

Love It.
Vernon

 

[PBinWA]

To all of you with missing deer: I found them. Would you please come up here and take them back (dead or alive - I don't care).

 

[LarryD]

PBinWA, how about I come down around Oct. and collect the other buck I lost. The wife won't eat anything I shoot in the yard (to redneck she thinks) and it appears the Tripod fire has shut down my regular area for mule deer.

Eddie, I've lived in Dallas, Port Hueneme (Los Angeles), Tokyo, Cairo, and Moscow. I woldn't trade my little piece of heaven here on Whidbey for a luxury home in any of those places. It's more work but very rewarding.