got home late and guess what was outside

[Autumn T]

I was driving up my street just a block from my house and something ran in front of my truck. I stopped thinking it was a cat as it was coming from the fire dept bay area. It ran past the dumpster on my right and stopped to look at me next to a house.

So I pulled my truck over and hit the high beams.
A HUGE COON! It had to be 2 ft tall or better and it just sat and stared at me! Then is turned and ran into the darkness.

I am in town!
A block from Town Square, city hall, FD, PD and AC!
I would have never thought coons would come in so close esp with the loose dogs around here.
Hubby pointed out that we are next to the railroad which is heavily wooded and really only 2 blocks from open pasture that goes for miles. Not as 'town' as I thought.

And I thought I just had to worry about a cat under my house.

and people around here free range (illegally) their chickens


sigh

 

[Gazinga]

Everything is bigger in Texas, right?

 

[gypsy2621]

Quote:
Wildlife is everywhere, it doesnt matter that your in town , they will come anyways.
Central Park in NY has many critters, weasels, bear, coyote, coons, the list goes on and on.

 

[speckledhen]

The biggest mistake city folks make is assuming because they are in the city that they do not have wildlife. Raccoons are scavengers and what better place to scavenge than in garbage cans? Just because you don't see them, doesn't mean they aren't there. You'd be amazed at the night life in your city! Coyotes are often seen in town at night, in big cities.

 

[Autumn T]

I know there are coyotes in the fields as we hear them singing in the summer

bear in NY Central Park!?! wow!

we have lived here 3 yrs. walked at night, sat out at night, and drove in at all times of the night and this is the first time I have seen anything other than a cat.

I have seen half grown opossum dead in the street about a mile away by a creek

I am starting to seriously reconsider chickens and very glad my rabbit is indoors!

 

[Whispering Winds]

I think we also have to take into effect that more and more timber is disappearing and they have no where to go.

 

[Autumn T]

TIMBER??

giggle
I am in North Texas. We don't have 'timber' here.

 

[Wolf-Kim]

Predators are everywhere.

Fox, coon, rats, and coyotes are actually quite common in even the large cities. Many times they adapt to city life, and feed off of garbage and pets. Coyotes especially love cats and small dogs. I personally know someone who ran into the backyard when she heard her dog screaming, she got their just in time to see a coyote jump the fence with her dog in it's mouth. Dog never came home.

Cats and dogs that live in the cities are not without blame for poultry deaths. Do not think that your birds or other small animals are safe in the city.

-Kim

 

[mediazeal]

I'm in Sacramento, which is a major city, but we have a greenbelt a few city blocks and major intersections away.

I have seen raccoons staring back at me from the storm drains. They use them as their own highway and waltz right into my yard.
Skunks, possum, raccoons all come up the storm drains in the streets. We all have fences so I have not yet seen fox or coyote
but I have seen wild turkey walking down the middle of our street

Cougar are in the greenbelt sometimes but no idea how far they come down. A friend up the greenbelt/river about 15 miles said bears have been spotted near them lately.

Critters are everywhere.

 

[SunnyChic]

I live in town and always walk my dogs at night because my welsh corgi gets too hot in the daytime (Florida = hot). We see coons on a fairly regular basis; they even use the sidewalks! They also like to use the street gutter system as their major highway.