Things Happen After Dark

[Sourdough]

One of those nights I just could not sleep.  Got up and went outside, sat in the swing on the front porch.  Been out there about 40 minutes when I heard something coming. 

Mama Moose and two babies.  She went out and started browsing the willows in my front yard.  She was about 20 to 30 yards from the porch.  I watched her browse for 15 to 20 minutes.  During this time a Red Fox came by, looked really scroungy, fur falling out all over.  Suddenly Mama snorted and babies moved close.  She came up near the house, then eased over between my truck and the wife's car.  She just stood there facing the road.  Babies hiding behind her.  Then she turned and went around the corner of the house out of sight.

I got up and went to a cabinet under the overhang near the front door.  I keep my earmuffs there for when I am mowing the grass or using a chainsaw.  They also pickup and amplify ambiant noise.  I sat back down on the swing.  Sat back down on the swing.  I could hear noise coming from out on the road.  I kept hearing noises that I could not place at first.  Then I saw a baby Bear out on the road.  It's just dark enough I could bearly make out that it was a bear.  Then through the trees I saw Mama Bear and another baby.  Oops, a Grizzly Sow with two cubs.  I quitly got up and reached inside the door for my 12 ga pump.  Sat back down on the swing.  Mama Bear came up my drive, then cut off going to a spruce stump, that has a colony of Black Ants in it.  She ripped that stump apart getting to those ants.  After spending about 10 minutes eating ants, she moved back out into the yard.  She sat down and leaned back against a Birch tree.  Both babies decided it was chow time.  They nursed for a while, I sort of lost track of time.  I thought of coming inside and getting a camara, but it was just too dark.  I could just make out the Bears.  Those cubs sure made a lot of noise nursing.  Cubs finished and started playing.  Mama just sat there leaning back against the tree.  Suddenly Mama jumped up, made a huffing sound, and headed towards the house.  I got up out of the swing, Mama stopped and put her nose up in the air.  She huffed again and turned running down the driveway and across the street.  As she was disappearing in the woods across the street I heard a vehicle coming.  A truck turned the corner and came down the street.  As it passed I recoginized the neighbors daughter.  She works as a barmaid for one of the big bars in Fairbanks.

By then I decided it was getting a little cold sitting there in my PJs.  Decided to share this with you guys so sat down here at the computer.  I better get back upstairs before the Mama Grizzly that lives here wakes up and gets grumpy.  Feeling a bit sleepy anyway.  Good night.  It's 2:39 AM.     

[GatCat]

Great story, thanks for sharing.
Mark

[no guns here]

I hate your life... just kidding.  That sounds so much better than what happens in San Antonio after dark...  I keep looking for jobs up there but nothing yet. 
 
 
NGH

[kinslayer1965]

Sounds like an awesome way to spend a sleepless night. Just how far back in the woods do you live?    I am definately jealous! Have you ever thought of setting up one of those game cams in your yard? You could get some amazing pictures.
 
Living in Florida I get the occasional Sandhill Crane in my backyard and there are a couple hawks that hang out in my oak tree in the backyard. There is also an alligator living in the creek behind my house that likes to sun itself in my backyard during the afternoon. Scares the jeepers out of my greyhound. Oh well that is the price you pay to be able to wear shorts in January.
 
Thanks for sharing.
 
CR

[us920669]

I live in the DC suburbs but the back yard adjoins a 1000+ acre park.  We had all kinds of turkeys in the yard last summer but have only seen a few this year.  Lots of deer, including a group of 4 that travel together and hit the edge stuff.  There's a young buck, 4 pt in velvet, a huge old doe and 2 younger ones.  Yesterday the big doe went up the side yard all the way out to the street but then someone started a car and they all bolted for the woods.  This was in broad daylight.  I heard a coyote the other night - lots of dogs inside houses must have heard it too.  My sister's friend works for the Park Service and she says their game cams are picking up more and more yotes, some surprisingly large.


I put my game cam out a while back.  Something must have tricked it 'cus almost the whole roll went off around 10 AM one morning.  I did get 2 shots of the same fox going up and back the same route one night.  I've got a little porch where I have to go to abuse tobacco and I've seen a lot of foxes.  I scared the daylights out of one when I went out to the car one night, just walking up the street without a care in the world.  I think they get careless if they feel safe.

[james]

I enjoyed your story and the the wildlife you live in close proximity with.  Its pretty tame around my house but I heard some coyotes howling about 4am so got up and let our beagle-jack russell mix in the house.  He decided being and inside dog was ok for awhile.

[rockbilly]

Definitely sounds like the good life!  You are lucky to be able to enjoy living in such a place.  I tried for 23 years to get an assignment to Alaska; the AF just wouldn’t work with me.  One thing that got my attention, I never talked to anyone who lived there that didn’t enjoy it.

I get a lot of game in my yard here in Texas; I have turkey on occasion, quail, possum, coons,  porcupine, skunks, feral pigs and once in a while a deer.  I live in the city limits, but on the outskirts across the road from a lake and heavy wooded area, that’s where the game comes from.  When I watch it is usually from the living room, it’s too hot to set out to much.

[Sourdough]

us920669:  In 1993 I lived on Bolling AFB.  I rode a bike to work at DIA there on Bolling.  I had to cross base, and the bike path along the Potomac was the easiest route.  One morning I saw a Coyote, there on base.  When I told people they all said there was no Coyotes there, it had to be a Gray Fox.  When they laughed I just dropped it.  Having been stationed in California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico, I know what a Coyote looks like.  Over the years down in the Great Southwest Desert I shot enough to know the difference between a Coyote and a Gray Fox.  Anyway, when i told people there was Coyotes in the District they scoffed.

I forgot to mentioned when I first went outside this morning, I could hear the dogs in a musher's dog lot about a half mile away, going off.  We've had reports of three different Grizzly Sows with cubs in the area for the last couple of weeks.  As for the Moose, they are here all the time.  There are several Cows, that we see a lot.  These Cow Moose are like Milk Cows.  They are almost tame, and are used to people.  There is two Bulls in the area, but they are real shy.  We just catch a glimpse of them on occasion.

Just for everyones information, I live in a subdivision.  2 to 5 acre lots here.  The subdivisions on each side of us have 1/4 acre lots, so houses there are pretty close together.  The Alaska Oil Pipeline runs directly behind my property, and is my eastern boundry.  Wildlife use the pipeline right of way as a corridor from the Tanana River to the Chena River.  My property is about midway, and the fact I have 5 wooded acres makes a good place to stop and get off the barren pipeline right of way for a while.  Moose are common, Foxes and Lynx are there but are hard to see.  But Bears are seldom seen.  We see their sign all the time, but seldom see the Bears themselves.  Years ago we only saw Black Bears, now it's only Grizzlies.  Every once in a while a pack of Wolves moves into the area, we see to it they don't last very long.  Wolves are not welcome here.

[Old Fart]

Appreciate your sharing this. Awesome experience.
Last time I got out late at night it was to break a couple big dogs from dumping in my front yard.       

[us920669]

Sourdough - more and more yote sightings lately, it was even in the paper not long ago.  I'm in Fairfax Co but it's the whole area.

[Spirithawk]

Thanks for sharing Bro. I've always loved sitting on the porch, or up in a tree stand, at night.

[mechanic]

I would try sitting out on my porch.  likely I might see a possum or coon if I wasn't too busy wiping sweat or swatting mosquitos.
 
Luck to ya' Sourdough.  It's a rough life but someone's got to do it!
 
Ben

[Sourdough]

The wife is having bad Hot Flashes right now.  It's been five years and she came off one of the cancer medications.  She has had both breast and overian cancer.  When they removed her female parts she went into menopause.  Since her breast cancer feeds on estrogen she can not take that to reduce the hot flashes.  So she keeps a big fan beside the bed at night.  When a hot flash hits she turns on the fan, then goes back to sleep, leaving the fan on.  I grab a blanket and move to the front porch swing.  I'd rather be outside than on the couch.

We are having a few hours of darkness right now, since we are down to 19 hours of sunlight.  Don't know what is going on, but every once in a while something big moves through the yard and I hear it.  Probably a Moose or two.  Have seen a Red Fox now several times.  It comes out of the Spruce trees beside the drive.  Runs across the driveway then into a strip of willows I have running across the front yard.  Looks like a good location for a trap set come trapping season.  Each morning when I awaken I see Hares and Grouse feeding in the yard. 

[BBF]

That is worth the gas prices you pay up there.