NGC - Not a mouse or rat .. nor a mole ... maybe a vole?

[ohiorider]

I pulled in my driveway a few minutes ago only to see a little creature sitting on the extreme edge, next to the yard. 

Chipmunks run like crazy when they're approached ... so not a chipmunk.  Color was all wrong, anyway.  It certainly wasn't a field mouse.  So, what was it?

The critter moved into the grass, and I stopped the car and got out to take a closer look.  Dark grey .... bigger than a mouse, and crazy to fight!  Or at least willing to defend itself.  I stomped my foot close to him/her, and the critter took a run at my foot.  It didn't jump on my shoe, but I was surprised to find that each time I stomped the ground, the little animal ran toward my foot, not away.

I hate the damage all these critters do to my yard, but I didn't have the heart to 'put the pedal to the metal' and put the little guy/girl out of commission.  Actually, I was rather proud that the little son of a gun was willing to fight for whatever it thought belonged to it.

Any ideas as to what it was?  Maybe a vole?

[cruzziguzzi]

Definitely a vole.

Crazy little bastidges.

They'll rear up, squeal, feint and bluff an attack.


Todd.

[ohiorider]

Definitely a vole.

Crazy little bastidges.

They'll rear up, squeal, feint and bluff an attack.


Todd.

What an amazing little creature!  Maybe not the smartest, since its opponent (me) was certainly able to wipe it out, but perhaps it saw nothing other than my shoe, and felt that it could scare it off.

[cruzziguzzi]

What an amazing little creature!  Maybe not the smartest, since its opponent (me) was certainly able to wipe it out, but perhaps it saw nothing other than my shoe, and felt that it could scare it off.

I've watched 'em - a bit.

Yeah.... I get like that.


I think all the bravado is a fuzzy few grams of Knight alerting the nest and holding the breach in a sacrificial move. The first time one charged me it certainly worked. Just like an aggressive snake or insect, my very first, instantaneous reaction is that it knows something that I don't. Horror movies of me being awash in voles and dying either the death of a zillion bites or some awful African-grade disease is there too.


They've gone absolutely nuts up Idaho lately.


Todd.

[oldbike54]

 Hell , if you are gonna get eaten anyway you might as well put up a good fight 

 Dusty

[Guzzistajohn]

The taming of the ................... .vole

[Sasquatch Jim]

  That coyote is about to partake of an hors d'oeurvre.  I think that is pronounced like horse ovary.
  Anyway, when I was living in the Selkirks in Idaho I saw a sprig of green plant disappear like in a cartoon,
 sucked down into the ground.  I stared and soon saw it happen again while the ground around it moved slightly.  Like a bugs bunny cartoon with the wascally wabbit  pulling carrots from below, something was sucking down small green plants.  I loaded my pellet rifle,  A beeman R 1 in 20 cal. and waited.
 When next I saw a green wiggle, I took aim.  When I figured the critter was at his closest to the surface, I
 triggered and saw the dirt splash, then no movement.  With a pocket knife I probed the dirt and dug up
 A small rodent with its' forward face shot off.  It was a vole.  I had never killed one before and being curious
 I researched and read about them.  Interesting creatures they are.