Author Topic: Weird stuff you see when travelling!  (Read 18571 times)

Offline Chuck in Indiana

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #60 on: June 06, 2016, 06:18:22 AM »
Quite a tale, Maurie..  :thumb:
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Offline davedel44

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #61 on: June 06, 2016, 09:26:19 AM »


In Texas the most dangerous and widely-feared critter is the feral hog.  Such a nuisance that they are commonly shot on sight.  Especially prevalent in South Texas along SH130, North of San Antonio.  I will not travel SH130 on MC and rarely in my Van.  With a legal speed limit of 85MPH and the huge hog population, it is a recipe for disaster.

Pic is from a Texas hunting web site.  Haven't seen one that big, but plenty big to ruin your day.  Texas ranchers often offer free or low-cost hunts to curb the population. Not working.  They breed like rabbits, stink to high heaven, are incredibly destructive, but muy dilicioso when properly prepared.

Davey Crockett once said, "You may all go to hell, I'll go to Texas. "  He might not of come if knew about the hogs.

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« Last Edit: June 06, 2016, 09:26:58 AM by davedel44 »
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Offline rtbickel

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #62 on: June 06, 2016, 12:41:00 PM »
Getting passed by a cager running on 3 tires and a rim.  On the interstate.
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Offline Arizona Wayne

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #63 on: June 06, 2016, 02:50:49 PM »
A turtle crossing the road in front of me in Arkansas.  :huh: Probably common there but not out west where I was from.

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #63 on: June 06, 2016, 02:50:49 PM »

Offline ITSec

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #64 on: June 06, 2016, 05:27:53 PM »


In Texas the most dangerous and widely-feared critter is the feral hog.  Such a nuisance that they are commonly shot on sight.  Especially prevalent in South Texas along SH130, North of San Antonio.  I will not travel SH130 on MC and rarely in my Van.  With a legal speed limit of 85MPH and the huge hog population, it is a recipe for disaster.

Davey Crockett once said, "You may all go to hell, I'll go to Texas. "  He might not of come if knew about the hogs.

Dave
Galveston

Well, when I lived in San Antonio I rode SH130 lots of times and never saw one of these beasts. Luck? Time of Day? The hogs smelled me before I did them? It's a mystery...

As for Davey, he did come to Texas. And he did go to hell. At the Alamo, with all but a few others. And for that matter, feral pigs were not unknown in his home territory, though whether they measured up to Ozark razorbacks or Texas wild hogs is questionable - after all, everything's bigger in Texas!
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Offline Chuck in Indiana

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #65 on: June 06, 2016, 05:31:33 PM »
Getting passed by a cager running on 3 tires and a rim.  On the interstate.

 :grin: :grin: I wonder where the term brain dead cager came from?
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Offline johnr

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #66 on: June 07, 2016, 12:18:31 AM »
Maurie, Thanks for that story. I enjoyed it and find it entirely creditable.

Wild pigs are also the most dangerous animal you will find in New Zealand.  On land that is. Introduced by Capt. Cook as a food source for the Maori. (who were otherwise busy eating each other!)  They are fortunately very shy and retiring animals though and you are very unlikely to even see one without the aid of dogs to find them.  Cornering  one though is unwise unless you are prepared for just that.  Considered a pest these days as it's non native and very destructive.

They can get pretty big here too
« Last Edit: June 07, 2016, 12:46:11 AM by johnr »
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Offline charlie b

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #67 on: June 07, 2016, 07:55:55 AM »
Those are big pigs  :)  Do the wild ones taste as good as the domestic?  :)
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Offline RANDM

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #68 on: June 07, 2016, 08:45:16 AM »
Hi Johnr,
That's just snippets of course, anyone curious could just
Google "Killers of Eden" - it's there.

WOW that the biggest pig I've seen!
Reckon that a size up on Dad's.

Maurie.

Offline sib

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #69 on: June 07, 2016, 09:25:18 AM »
A turtle crossing the road in front of me in Arkansas.  :huh: Probably common there but not out west where I was from.
I came across two of these in the last couple of weeks in western RI.  The first one must have been a foot in diameter and I would have gone down for sure if I had hit it, but, fortunately, it was moving slowly and I could see it early enough to swerve around it.  I did wave to oncoming traffic to warn about the turtle.  The second one was a few days later, much smaller (about 6 inches) and moving faster.  I also swerved around that one.
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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #70 on: June 07, 2016, 09:42:10 AM »
I came across two of these in the last couple of weeks in western RI.  The first one must have been a foot in diameter and I would have gone down for sure if I had hit it, but, fortunately, it was moving slowly and I could see it early enough to swerve around it.  I did wave to oncoming traffic to warn about the turtle.  The second one was a few days later, much smaller (about 6 inches) and moving faster.  I also swerved around that one.

 I need one of those bumper stickers "I brake for turtles"  :laugh:

 A couple of years back returning home from Cedar Vale , riding along an open stretch of road , I came upon this scene . There were 3 cars stopped on the shoulder , and 4 or 5 young folks scurrying about . Stopping to see what was happening , the young folks were herding what amounted to a mass turtle migration across the road . Maybe 6 or 7 large land terrapins were heading East at once . I couldn't help it , stuck around and helped direct traffic until the last one was safely across the road and into the trees .

 Dusty

Offline Thunderbutt

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #71 on: June 07, 2016, 11:23:25 AM »
Several years ago my brother and I rode our bicycles from Bar Harbor, Maine to just south west of Buffalo, NY during the month of July.  We were on a back country road in New Hampshire during a cold (for us Florida boys) rainy day when we heard some crashing and banging in the woods directly adjacent to the road.  Suddenly a female moose comes charging out of the woods and stops in the middle of the road not more than twenty five yards in front of us, WTF!!!.  We come skidding to a stop close enough that I can see the water droplets from the rain running down her fur.  Next, we hear more crashing behind us and to our left when a yearling calf emerges from the woods.  Uh OH, we are almost between the mother and her calf!  Having heard horror stories of moose destroying cars and trucks we feel rather vulnerable in our spandex bicycle outfits.  As the mother tightened her muscles and postured up while glaring at us with those big eyes, I whispered to my brother "Don't flinch but run like hell if she starts to charge!" .  The calf rather nonchalantly trots between us and the mother across the road and up the bank back into the woods on the opposite side of the road.  The mother then calmly turns and follows the calf. Neither of us had ever been so close to such a huge wild animal without a fence protecting us.  The entire incident took maybe thirty seconds and we both stood there in the pouring down rain for what seemed like hours with our mouths hanging open after they left.  The memory will last my lifetime.
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Offline Guzzistajohn

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #72 on: June 07, 2016, 11:43:56 AM »
A turtle crossing the road in front of me in Arkansas.  :huh: Probably common there but not out west where I was from.

I brake for turtles all the time, they're very photogenic!

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Offline rodekyll

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #73 on: June 07, 2016, 12:59:41 PM »
I was riding westward over drumlins on the Alaska Highway one dusk.  A drumlin is a mound shaped like a torpedo or bowling pin left over from glacier.  They make a mini "basin and range" region trending north and south.  As I came over the crest of a drumlin I could see on the crest of the next one, a moose standing like those Teutonic paintings of a forest stag -- full profile silhouette, head raised, antlers wide -- and between it's tummy and the ground was the setting sun.  They got some long legs.  You haven't lived until you see the sun set under a moose.

Offline Huzo

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #74 on: June 07, 2016, 01:27:21 PM »


In Texas the most dangerous and widely-feared critter is the feral hog.  Such a nuisance that they are commonly shot on sight.  Especially prevalent in South Texas along SH130, North of San Antonio.  I will not travel SH130 on MC and rarely in my Van.  With a legal speed limit of 85MPH and the huge hog population, it is a recipe for disaster.

Pic is from a Texas hunting web site.  Haven't seen one that big, but plenty big to ruin your day.  Texas ranchers often offer free or low-cost hunts to curb the population. Not working.  They breed like rabbits, stink to high heaven, are incredibly destructive, but muy dilicioso when properly prepared.

Davey Crockett once said, "You may all go to hell, I'll go to Texas. "  He might not of come if knew about the hogs.

Dave
Galveston
Jeez, must be a proud moment though !

Offline Muzz

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #75 on: June 07, 2016, 04:15:41 PM »
Those are big pigs  :)  Do the wild ones taste as good as the domestic?  :)

Quite different, a lot stronger. Also depends on what they have been feeding on.

Smothered in butter and salt and then slow roast about four hours. Can be absolutely beautiful.
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Offline ITSec

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #76 on: June 07, 2016, 05:10:29 PM »
I brake for turtles all the time, they're very photogenic!



In the Mojave you have to brake for turtles - actually, for Mojave tortoises. It's hard not to be an endangered species when your top speed is about 0.75 mph.  :shocked:
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Offline johnr

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #77 on: June 07, 2016, 07:17:24 PM »
Those are big pigs  :)  Do the wild ones taste as good as the domestic?  :)

There are many who would answer yes to that, but not me.  Our native vegetation does not taste good in my opinion and of courser affects the taste. Dito regarding Venison. Venison is not my favourite meat, but the farm raised animals taste better than the wild ones. In my opinion of course.
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Offline charlie b

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #78 on: June 08, 2016, 08:08:10 AM »
That's kinda what I thought.  Venison out here in the desert is not as good as the deer in the SE for example.
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Offline kirb

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #79 on: June 08, 2016, 08:51:34 AM »
A turtle crossing the road in front of me in Arkansas.  :huh: Probably common there but not out west where I was from.

They put up turtle fences here in MI to prevent the turtle slaughter every spring when they migrate from the marshes to somewhere else across the freeway. The fences were very effective...in funneling the little guys through my yard. No harm, but I usually have to take a few from my dog as she runs around with her new walking toy. They hang out in the koi pond for a few days and move on.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/fences-to-stop-fatal-migration-by-turtles.205410/

Offline donn

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #80 on: June 08, 2016, 09:30:01 AM »
There are many who would answer yes to that, but not me.  Our native vegetation does not taste good in my opinion and of course affects the taste.

It will depend, for sure.  There's a small commercial trade in feral hog, in the US, and it can be very good, but it's a professional operation - I believe live trapping is required, etc. - and they likely know where to go and which ones are keepers.  ("Wild boar" is not the same thing at all, by the way - more of a livestock breed.)

Offline johnr

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #81 on: June 08, 2016, 07:22:08 PM »
They put up turtle fences here in MI to prevent the turtle slaughter every spring when they migrate from the marshes to somewhere else across the freeway. The fences were very effective...in funneling the little guys through my yard. No harm, but I usually have to take a few from my dog as she runs around with her new walking toy. They hang out in the koi pond for a few days and move on.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/threads/fences-to-stop-fatal-migration-by-turtles.205410/

Four foot tall fence! Seems very high for a turtle. I didn't know that turtles could jump that high (or at all)  Seems there might be a secondary purpose for this fence.  Did they consider a few 'Turtle Transit' pipes under the road?
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Offline 1Sourdough

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #82 on: June 08, 2016, 09:57:59 PM »
Hi Johnr,
That's just snippets of course, anyone curious could just
Google "Killers of Eden" - it's there.

Maurie.

I searched on "Whaling in Twofold Bay, AU and came up with this:
     http://www.wildaboutwhales.com.au/whale-facts/whales-in-australia/whales-of-twofold-bay
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Offline johnr

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #83 on: June 09, 2016, 05:01:42 AM »
Good article.

I stumbled on this, "According to some authors, the name killer whale is a mistranslation of the 18th century Spanish name asesina de ballenas which means literally whale killer"

You know I have never heard of an Orca intentionally attacking a human being. It may have happened, but if it has it must be very rare.
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Offline donn

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #84 on: June 09, 2016, 08:57:20 AM »
The local killer whales, the few that are left, don't even kill whales or even seals, they eat strictly fish, preferably one species of salmon.  Whether people would be an acceptable prey for killer whales in principle, is hard to say, but they don't just randomly attack anything that moves, they're immensely smarter than sharks.

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #85 on: June 09, 2016, 01:11:45 PM »
Good article.

I stumbled on this, "According to some authors, the name killer whale is a mistranslation of the 18th century Spanish name asesina de ballenas which means literally whale killer"

You know I have never heard of an Orca intentionally attacking a human being. It may have happened, but if it has it must be very rare.

 Like lots of misunderstood creatures , Killer whales are pretty mellow . The BIG BAD WOLF , the barracuda , hell , even big cats aren't all that aggressive except when hunting . I posit that the Alligator Gar is more ferocious than most feared predators , the dang things can breathe both air and water , have an impressive array of teeth , and have been known to contain boat motor parts and chunks of car tires in their digestive tracts  :shocked: Kind of the great white of fresh water .

 Dusty

Offline ITSec

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #86 on: June 09, 2016, 01:15:47 PM »
Good article.

I stumbled on this, "According to some authors, the name killer whale is a mistranslation of the 18th century Spanish name asesina de ballenas which means literally whale killer"

You know I have never heard of an Orca intentionally attacking a human being. It may have happened, but if it has it must be very rare.

There's a story about an orca that broke the ice under an Antarctic explorer, likely thinking his shadow was that of a large penguin. I have been diving in British Columbia, and the divers there all avoid the local seals and sea lions - too much chance of an error in judgment by a transient pod member. The resident pods all eat salmon and other fish, the travelers take on the mammals...
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I am but mad north-northwest!
When the wind is southerly, I can tell a hawk from a handsaw...

Offline rodekyll

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #87 on: June 09, 2016, 04:20:33 PM »
The local killer whales, the few that are left, don't even kill whales or even seals, they eat strictly fish, preferably one species of salmon.  Whether people would be an acceptable prey for killer whales in principle, is hard to say, but they don't just randomly attack anything that moves, they're immensely smarter than sharks.

Where is 'local' to you?  Our local orca eat anything slower than they are, from herring to larger whales.  Other marine mammals, large sharks and salmon-sized prey are literally their bread and butter. 

I was in Juneau once when the entire Eagan Highway (Alaska 7) was stopped in both directions.  I thought there had been an accident, but everyone was watching a pod of orca herding seals into the shallows and disassembling them in a horrid fashion.  I was watching from the shoulder and was getting sprayed with spume and blood.  Quite dynamic.  A couple of cop cars pulled up behind me and the cops got out and looked over the side.  One turned to the other and said "So, Joe -- can we tell 5,000 people they can't park here?"    :shocked:

Offline RANDM

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #88 on: June 09, 2016, 05:47:13 PM »
I've read there are no recorded confirmed attacks on
Humans by Orcas - none.
That article has  a little poetic licence. They never helped
tow the Whale back  - they had their feed and left looking
for their next meal. It would take 2 or 3 days for the
Stomach gasses to float the carcass.
They did sometimes grab the rope when the boats were
being towed by a harpooned whale.

They made mistakes too.
One night they bit off more than they could easily chew -
They were led out to and Harpooned a " large " Whale
which proceeded to tow them all over the map at a speed
They didn't think possible and didn't  act in the same manner
as anything they'd caught before and simply would give up.
Dragged them all over the shop and then headed for shore,
ran along the shoreline towards the wharfe/jetty ...............
Straight through the wharfe destroying it and kept going
with them still in tow.
Turned out - in Daylight - to be a Finn Whale or Finnback.
Only the Blue Whale is bigger - gave them quite a surprise!

Maurie.

Offline johnr

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Re: Weird stuff you see when travelling!
« Reply #89 on: June 09, 2016, 05:54:50 PM »
Well they are a member of the Dolphin family. Dolphins have a long established record of being friendly to humans as well as being more intelligent than us!   There is a saying somewhere that someone (American Indians ?) have, that  "Man is the tree of the Dolphin".   Interesting.
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