What did you do in the garden today?

[gtaus]

Found this fella hiding in one of my chicken coops. Didn't kill her... Instead I released her in a blackberry patch by the garden. Hoping she kills the damn vole that's causing chaos in my garden...

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I don't know much about snakes given where I live, we only have small non-poisonous garter snakes. I'm assuming that snake you caught is non-poisonous. Don't know if I would survive the surprise without a heart attack if I found it in my garden, but good luck to you!

 

[TJAnonymous]

I don't know much about snakes given where I live, we only have small non-poisonous garter snakes. I'm assuming that snake you caught is non-poisonous. Don't know if I would survive the surprise without a heart attack if I found it in my garden, but good luck to you!

It's a harmless black rat snake. They will eat eggs and baby chicks. The coop where it was found has juvenile chickens about 8 weeks old now. Too big to become dinner and too young to be laying. I do have mice in the coops (bane of my existence) so I'm guessing that's what she was after.

I put down some scent deterrent around the coops tonight. Supposed to get bad storms so it will likely wash away but hoping the snake takes the hint. The blackberry patch is 500 ft from the coops so maybe it will work. We usually take the snakes miles away to release them but couldn't do that tonight...

 

[jnicholes]

YouTube search might help with the sounds.

A few years ago, we had a large cat(s) come across our property around midnight. There were two growls, a low deep growl and a much higher pitched screech. I'm thinking both a male and a female traveling together. My brother and I found a soundtrack on YouTube of mountain lions that was an exact match. Lived here 35 years and that was the first and only time we ever heard that!

Sure put the scare in us, and the family dog was cowering down in the basement and would not budge. Smart dog.

In any case, I think it's probably the predatory animal that you DON'T hear that poses the greatest threat.

I’ve had a similar scare with a black bear while I was turkey hunting once.

I was in a blind, waiting for a turkey to come around, when, all the sudden right behind me, I hear a low growl. I realized it was a bear. I thought to myself “I’m not equipped to take out a bear.”

Needless to say, I left.

I tell ya, being close to bears, even when you’re hunting them, is pretty scary. In 2020, I had to get off a kill shot on a bear that was charging me. Fortunately, I had a bear tag, so I was able to take it.

However, that was the hardest hunting shot that I ever had to take in my life. 70 yards at a charging black bear. Obviously, I succeeded, because I’m still alive.

 

[gtaus]

I tell ya, being close to bears, even when you’re hunting them, is pretty scary. In 2020, I had to get off a kill shot on a bear that was charging me. Fortunately, I had a bear tag, so I was able to take it.

We have lots of black bears here in northern Minnesota. I have crossed paths with black bears a few times in my lifetime, but I just turn around and walk the other way. Fortunately, so have the black bears. They stay away from our houses as long as people don't put garbage in cans outside. We keep our garbage inside the garage until we take it to the transfer station. Don't invite the bears....

 

[karenerwin]

I’ve never grown spaghetti squash before. Is this what it’s supposed to look like?
I’ve also never eaten it before.
How do I know when it’s ready to be picked?

 

[CNJ]

View attachment 3546538
I’ve never grown spaghetti squash before. Is this what it’s supposed to look like?
I’ve also never eaten it before.
How do I know when it’s ready to be picked?

That looks like my local long squash, If you pick them young, you can eat the seeds. If the seeds are hard you have to scoop them out. It can be stir fried with pork or used for chicken squash soup. I take the skin off with a potato peeler. You probably could use it in a spagetti sauce, since they call it that. I put them in my black bean noodles, so there are lot of ways to use them. I also, preserved some with salt and ate it raw after rinsing. Furthermore, the salted squash holds its texture and doesn't turn mushy and translucent when used in cooking recipes.

 

[Sueby]

I had a bobcat kill a chicken once. They are very abundant here. & the bear are such a big problem the are trying to get a hunting season passed & trying to pass laws about taking in bird feeders for the summer. Because people leave their feeders out the bear are too used to seeing humans & are now breaking into houses every couple weeks. & there is no where to relocate to so they have to euthanize them. The saying DEEP uses here is 'a fed bear is a dead bear'. Obviously you saw from the video yesterday of the bear eating from my neighbors ground feeders people don't care & it's getting dangerous.

View attachment 3546538
I’ve never grown spaghetti squash before. Is this what it’s supposed to look like?
I’ve also never eaten it before.
How do I know when it’s ready to be picked?

It will turn yellow. & then you can do the nail test, if you poke your nail into it & it doesn't really leave a mark, it's done. That's a very nice squash, but not done cooking yet!

ETA: but even if you pick it unripe you can still eat it & it still tastes good! & it will ripen off the vine too if far enough along.

 

[chickengr]

it is cold and rainy today. sort of day off.

 

[ShrekDawg]

We have a black bear that’s been traveling around the local towns around me and was even in my town. Idk where it is now.

 

[ShrekDawg]

I think it is a young one