Official Luthiers Forum!

A little while back, I set up some security cameras on the road outside my shop. I encourage anyone who lives in the sort of neighborhood that I do, to do the same. You might be surprised by what's been going on when you weren't looking.

After looking a few of those, I'm not sure I want to know!
If those Deer only knew what they shared the road with.
Beautiful though.

_________________
Jim Watts
http://jameswattsguitars.com

Wow! I hear foxes screaming in the back yard now and then, and have seen deer out there before too, but certainly no mountain lions. Beautiful. Hope they're not eating any friends of yours, though...

Is the third photo a bobcat? I'm right on the edge of their range, but have never actually seen one.

The main resident wildlife the past couple years has been barred owls. There are at least 3 of them in the neighborhood at the moment, usually most active around 5am. I love listening to them while I work

Eric, where do you live? We've had bobcats and at least one mountain lion in the daylight here in Bellevue. I'd love to see what goes on at night!

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

_________________
Pat

I live inside the city limits of Charleston, West Virginia, but in a wooded neighborhood near a state forest. We have so many deer that you can count on seeing at least two or three during any drive to/from our house, and you run a real risk of hitting one at dusk around here.

My uphill neighbors have night cameras, and they spotted a black bear one night. No wonder my dogs freak out every so often during a pre-bedtime pee!

One night a few years ago, I took my daughter and some of her friends to the movies not far from my house and we spotted a black bear coming out of the woods. He was heading for the dumpster, which was probably chock full of stale popcorn and day old hotdogs.

Lord knows what else lives out there and comes creeping when we aren't watching. Yeti? Chupacabra?

We have a lot of stray cats in our neighborhood too Not quite like those though! I don't know if I would feel too comfortable taking a nice moonlit walk at night.

Yikes Eric!
Bears are a way of life around here but after 35 years living and playing in Colorado I finally saw a mountain lion last winter. I was coming home at night in a snow storm. It was tearing large steaks off a dear carcass like sheets of single ply toilet paper. One of the most awe inspiring things I've ever seen. Even huge bears tend to run from you like big babies but under the lights and sound of my car stopped ten yards away, it couldn't have cared less. It moved like it didn't know what fear was.
I think if I set up a game camera between my house and shop I might never go out there in the dark again.

What are you doing as a result of your new knowledge?

There's a fascinating book about my old neighborhood in Boulder, "The beast in the garden" by David Baron. If you haven't read it, based on what's in your driveway, I'll go so far as to say you need to!

Which one's Riff and which one's Raff?

A camera on the sidewalk in front of my Brooklyn home would just capture rats and roaches.

How cool is that?! Love the big cats. None of those in NC. We've got the others though...

_________________
Steve Sollod (pronounced sorta like "Solid")
www.swiftcreekguitars.com

Those creatures are all here on the Alsea River, that's why I don't let my cat out at night. We once had an amazingly tame bobcat come strolling through, when I went out on the porch with my binoculars to get a closer look it showed me its teeth (probably 50 feet away) then casually strolled off. If you live in the country you realize that the wild creatures are normally not interested in any kind of interaction with humans so there's no reason to fear them.

Remember, if a mountain lion stalks you, they attack from the back and go for the back of your neck. Throwing punches over your shoulder is the best defense, although something more lethal is a plus. (Chisel, truss rod, guitar neck with Grover Imperials). Hunters in Eastern Washington are required to carry a knife or pistol just for that reason.

Just something to think about when you go out to the shop late at night because you can't wait till morning to remove those clamps and admire your joinery.

Sent from my SM-G930T using Tapatalk

_________________
Pat

Wonder if those mountain lions are 2 of the 3 that were in my neighborhood by the University a year ago. I've seen a couple of singles over the years but never more than that at one time. Bobcat too, and full sized. Does you camera wake you up every time it picks up motion?

It's true though!
There was a woman here a few years back sitting on her deck drinking wine. One came up behind and grabbed her on the shoulder with a paw. I guess it bolted when she jumped (must have been a beer drinker) but left some nasty tracks on her.
After that, I imagine you'd spend the rest of your life moving like a crab on defence.

The pictures got more impressive each time a new one came up:
Oh wow, a bobcat.
Oh! a mountain lion.
TWO mountain lion!

I fully expected the last picture to be bigfoot.

_________________
Bryan Bear PMoMC

Take care of your feet, and your feet will take care of you.

Probably none around Raleigh, but mountain lions (panthers) have been seen and heard in the mountains of Western NC.

_________________
John

Here's what is in my yard!

"I wonder what my buddy Carl left for me tonight? Oooooh, Domino's!!!"

Ah, don't sell yourself short. I'm sure there is plenty of dangerous wildlife in Brooklyn!

best thread ever ...