Cool stuff my neighbor catches in his live trap

[Brisketexan 105,569]

We back up to a green belt, so lots of critters around. Both of us have had to trap a raccoon in the attic before. And the neighbor still has a live trap. The last week or so, he’s set it out. No bait, just a tempting “den” next to some brush.

So far, he’s caught 1 cardinal, 1 raccoon, and 2 squirrels. But today, he called me to help him ID his catch. He sent me a pic...and I had a suspicion...

 

 

 

 

I sent him a text back asking about its tail. He didn’t answer, so I just went over and checked for myself.

[Brisketexan 105,569]

Once I got there, it skittered around in the cage and I could confirm what it was.

 

 

So cool. Hadn’t ever seen one around here. Any of y’all want to earn 37 internet points and a Best Buy coupon by ID’ing it?

 

And he’s leaving the trap out. We’ll see what else turns up.

[TwiceHorn 31,677]

Ring tailed cat or ringtail. 

Didn't know they were here in Texas. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/rtail/

Would have guessed an escaped or abandoned pet.  Not an actual cat of any kind,but a member of the raccoon family. 

Edited May 3, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Walden Ponderer 12,639]

Was gonna say, looks vaguely like a Coati or a Jaguarundi, but not enough to make a "Sure! I know what it is!" kinda statement.  Ringtail, though, yeah, that sounds right.

[Armybrat 40,987]

My brother trapped two ringtails a week apart in his Georgetown attic last year.

They can walk straight up a wall and squeeze through very small openings.

[deadshank 24,653]

1 hour ago, Walden Ponderer said:

Was gonna say, looks vaguely like a Coati or a Jaguarundi, but not enough to make a "Sure! I know what it is!" kinda statement.  Ringtail, though, yeah, that sounds right.

It’s a ringtail.  Definitely not a jaguarundi.  I’d kiss your coon dog if he caught a jaguarundi. 

[deadshank 24,653]

Lots of old timers call ringtails “civet cats”  or “civets” but again ringtails are definitely not civet cats (African predators). 

[Coyote 269]

They can walk straight up a wall and squeeze through very small openings.

So you’re saying a spiral staircase is no deterrent to these critters? Yikes!

[Onboard 2.0 9,083]

1 hour ago, Brisketexan said:

Once I got there, it skittered around in the cage and I could confirm what it was.

 

 

So cool. Hadn’t ever seen one around here. Any of y’all want to earn 37 internet points and a Best Buy coupon by ID’ing it?

 

And he’s leaving the trap out. We’ll see what else turns up.

Fucking juvenile Chupacabra before the change.

[Brisketexan 105,569]

Fucking juvenile Chupacabra before the change.

Well, I mean, that seemed like an obvious first bet.

[Onboard 2.0 9,083]

1 minute ago, Brisketexan said:

Well, I mean, that seemed like an obvious first bet.

Always go with the obvious, first bet I say.

[Armybrat 40,987]

31 minutes ago, Coyote said:

So you’re saying a spiral staircase is no deterrent to these critters? Yikes!

That’ll just slow them a little bit.

[TwiceHorn 31,677]

49 minutes ago, deadshank said:

It’s a ringtail.  Definitely not a jaguarundi.  I’d kiss your coon dog if he caught a jaguarundi. 

Yeah, a jaguarundi is a full-on cat, like a big bobcat.  It does have small ears that make it look a little funny.

[Pescado_Rojo 19,453]

First, you make a roux...

[clapclapclap 9,000]

I had better luck:

Spoiler

 

[Pato del Muerto 52,853]

I don’t think you realize what he had. Probably could get a nice ransom for king Julian. 

[TexasEd 8,142]

I've Seen a  Jaguarundi and in NW Travis county and it was pretty cool. 

[justhookit 4,191]

Ha. Need to set one up down here. Coyotes are out of control since the shutdown started. I turned the corner tonight walking a block from my house to my mom’s condo and ran into 3 of them in the middle of the road. They give no fucks.

many years ago, maybe 15, neighbor set his trap out. Caught some along with the random raccoons and possums. One night got home late and heard an awful wail/howl coming from the trap. Waited a bit and it got worse so went out and looked. It was my dog. Couldn’t stop laughing but got him right the heck out. Few weeks later that same dog got in between me and the front door one night when I came home. Growled at me and backed me to the car. 4 coyotes came out of the back yard. He was a damn good dog.

[Lat22 4,051]

He should open up a wet market.

[Hate 20,157]

So you’re saying a spiral staircase is no deterrent to these critters? Yikes!

Username checks out.

[Parliament 14,368]

What did it taste like?

[TwiceHorn 31,677]

Now for the background question.  Why is he trapping random stuff, even if it's not baited and a no-harm trap?  Just shits n giggles?

Is that ethical?

 

*Not a PETA fehg, but I do like and respect most all animals

[smuggs 9,354]

14 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

Now for the background question.  Why is he trapping random stuff, even if it's not baited and a no-harm trap?  Just shits n giggles?

Is that ethical?

 

*Not a PETA fehg, but I do like and respect most all animals

Vid of neighbor:

 

[Onboard 2.0 9,083]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

Now for the background question.  Why is he trapping random stuff, even if it's not baited and a no-harm trap?  Just shits n giggles?

Is that ethical?

 

*Not a PETA fehg, but I do like and respect most all animals

If it's a live trap, and he's releasing, what's the harm ?  If he checks them often/every day.

[Brisketexan 105,569]

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Now for the background question.  Why is he trapping random stuff, even if it's not baited and a no-harm trap?  Just shits n giggles?

Is that ethical?

 

*Not a PETA fehg, but I do like and respect most all animals

He's had a dillo digging up his yard -- that's the target, I think.  Of course, none of us know good bait to use to catch a dillo.  Dig up some grubs, I guess?

[conVINCEd 21,474]

2 hours ago, smuggs said:

Vid of neighbor:

 

How much do we have in the wreath fund?  It would be spectacular if we could turn a house on Brisket’s street into a halfway house and pull some strings to get Joe Exotic sent there when he’s released from prison.  Brisket could then start a thread titled ‘Joe Exotic is now my neighbor’ and we could all be entertained for years.

[Hate 20,157]

 

42 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

He's had a dillo digging up his yard -- that's the target, I think.  Of course, none of us know good bait to use to catch a dillo.  Dig up some grubs, I guess?

Edited May 4, 2020 by Hate

[Reagan1k 3,026]

19 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

Ring tailed cat or ringtail. 

Didn't know they were here in Texas. https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/rtail/

Would have guessed an escaped or abandoned pet.  Not an actual cat of any kind,but a member of the raccoon family. 

Yep - and oh they are here for sure.  I momentarily shared a deer blind with one in the cold, predawn hours years back.  

Probably the longest 5 seconds of my life to date.

[TwiceHorn 31,677]

1 hour ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

If it's a live trap, and he's releasing, what's the harm ?  If he checks them often/every day.

Just asking questions.  And apparently it's not totally random.  And yes, it's a live trap, but I don't imagine the various animals enjoy it very much.  They probably get over it though.

Edited May 4, 2020 by TwiceHorn

[Loco 3,754]

3 hours ago, Lat22 said:

He should open up a wet market.

He didn't trap your mom

[Fuck Tim Beck 3,851]

33 minutes ago, conVINCEd said:

How much do we have in the wreath fund?  It would be spectacular if we could turn a house on Brisket’s street into a halfway house and pull some strings to get Joe Exotic sent there when he’s released from prison.  Brisket could then start a thread titled ‘Joe Exotic is now my neighbor’ and we could all be entertained for years.

And he could serenade Brisket from the top of the spiral staircase 

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,822]

We have one living under the house at my place out near Hamilton Pool.   I catch him on the game cam all the time.   A few years ago I found the tail from one in an oak tree next to the road.  Just the tail.  Dunno if it was an owl or what that got him, but apparently they don’t eat the tail.

[Steel Shank 9,439]

Spiral Staircase? Sure, why not!

 

[TwiceHorn 31,677]

1 hour ago, Judge Roybeanbag said:

We have one living under the house at my place out near Hamilton Pool.   I catch him on the game cam all the time.   A few years ago I found the tail from one in an oak tree next to the road.  Just the tail.  Dunno if it was an owl or what that got him, but apparently they don’t eat the tail.

How can you tell it from a raccoon tail?

[TwiceHorn 31,677]

7 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

He's had a dillo digging up his yard -- that's the target, I think.  Of course, none of us know good bait to use to catch a dillo.  Dig up some grubs, I guess?

Years ago, an armadillo(s) was digging up stuff around my aunt and uncle's "lake house" on a big tank near Wichita Falls.  I was given carte blanche to hunt it with bb or pellet gun. I duly stalked it in the early morning and nighttime hours and spied my quarry. My projectiles bounced off it.  I suppose that is to be expected, maybe not to a 10 year old, but I wasn't going to get permission to tote and fire something stronger in the yard near the house (where it was digging).

[Judge Roybeanbag 11,822]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

How can you tell it from a raccoon tail?

Longer and lighter, and usually a more stark black and white.

[BillyBadAss 189]

I mean, it's not the worst thing a person could do, but stressing out wild animals for sport is slightly above neutral on the shitty - not shitty scale. 

Ever gotten stuck in an elevator for longer than an hour? You aren't gonna die or anything , but being trapped still sucks. 

 

[Spaulding Smails 1,568]

They're definitely around Central Texas in the wild.  Just not very common.  I saw one about six years ago along Onion Creek then another near my house about a year ago.  There must've been a decent sized group of them at our deer lease when I was a kid because they were a pretty common occurrence when sitting in the deer stand.  I don't think they're endangered, but certainly not common in this area.  Cool find.

[Reagan1k 3,026]

The thing about ringtails is that they are damn near 100% nocturnal and I mean dead of night...not dusk and dawn - evolutionary reason they have such big eyes for operating at night.

Unless you happen to disturb one, the chances of seeing one in the daytime are extremely slim.  They also spend a lot of time up in trees so headlights while driving or flashlights while walking often don't pick them up and when you do pick up shining eyes, they're mistaken for a plain old coon in many people's guestimation.

They're more common in the hill country than most people would think.  We see them fairly often, but mostly when doing nighttime deer counts when we have q-beams spreading a wide light.  Cool critter!!

What's going to be fun is when your neighbor catches a porcupine.

[Hate 20,157]

[TwiceHorn 31,677]

On 5/12/2020 at 2:26 PM, Reagan1k said:

The thing about ringtails is that they are damn near 100% nocturnal and I mean dead of night...not dusk and dawn - evolutionary reason they have such big eyes for operating at night.

Unless you happen to disturb one, the chances of seeing one in the daytime are extremely slim.  They also spend a lot of time up in trees so headlights while driving or flashlights while walking often don't pick them up and when you do pick up shining eyes, they're mistaken for a plain old coon in many people's guestimation.

They're more common in the hill country than most people would think.  We see them fairly often, but mostly when doing nighttime deer counts when we have q-beams spreading a wide light.  Cool critter!!

What's going to be fun is when your neighbor catches a porcupine.

You are probably aware of this, but if not, there is a word for dusk and dawn critters like nocturnal and diurnal.

And it's a fantastic word.

CREPUSCULAR.  As in bobcats are crepuscular predators.

[Juicy 728]

18 minutes ago, TwiceHorn said:

 

CREPUSCULAR.  As in bobcats are crepuscular predators.

[BabaYaga 15,371]

On 5/12/2020 at 12:38 PM, Hate said:

Nope.  Nope.  Nope.  Aunt hates those little monsters.  Lost a calf last year to one.  Face full of quills, imagine it died horribly as the infection and swelling was horrible.  

[Armybrat 40,987]

1 hour ago, TwiceHorn said:

You are probably aware of this, but if not, there is a word for dusk and dawn critters like nocturnal and diurnal.

And it's a fantastic word.

CREPUSCULAR.  As in bobcats are crepuscular predators.

And roof rats are crapsuckular annoyances.

Thank Mother Nature for the owl in my back yard who likes them for midnight snacks.  Wish it would quit leaving the ass half of the carcasses around the bird bath though.

[Hate 20,157]

Owls don’t eat ass? Who knew?

[Reagan1k 3,026]

3 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

You are probably aware of this, but if not, there is a word for dusk and dawn critters like nocturnal and diurnal.

And it's a fantastic word.

CREPUSCULAR.  As in bobcats are crepuscular predators.

Was not aware of crepuscular but I've already decided I MUST work that into a conversation this week while talking to my wife.  In fact, that alone may justify a new Swarovski scope purchase.  Thanks for the heads up!

Her: Why in the fuck did you buy ANOTHER scope?

Me:  I didn't have one specifically for crepuscular hunting and that's really important.

Her: Wanders off wondering WTF I just said and trying to determine how a crepuscular is going to taste off the grill or in a gumbo.

[BabaYaga 15,371]

3 hours ago, Hate said:

Owls don’t eat ass? Who knew?

Owls are assassins.  Straight up merk anything and everything smaller than them....

[mulletpelini 5,216]

On 5/3/2020 at 10:21 PM, clapclapclap said:

I had better luck:

  Hide contents

 

so defeated?

[smuggs 9,354]

22 hours ago, Hate said:

Owls don’t eat ass? Hoo-HOOOOOOO-Hoo knew?

Fify.

[TwiceHorn 31,677]

19 hours ago, BabaYaga said:

Owls are assassins.  Straight up merk anything and everything smaller than them....

Dumb question, but are those doves or small raptors?