Wildlife encounters

Obsidian said:
Nothing worse than a wasp sting ... so they tell me.

I was on Palomar Mountain in San Diego County a few years back and there were literally hundreds running across the road. Pretty wild. Freaked my girlfriend out for days. :laugh:
Click to expand...
Yep our Tarantula Hawk Wasp and Velvet Ant rate as the #2 and #3, respectfully, most painful insect sting in the animal kingdom.

Our tarantula's bite is rated to be about as painful as a bee sting.
 
SnakeCharmer said:
Yep our Tarantula Hawk Wasp and Velvet Ant rate as the #2 and #3, respectfully, most painful insect sting in the animal kingdom.

Our tarantula's bite is rated to be about as painful as a bee sting.
Click to expand...

Someone on this forum got bitten by a Tarantula Hawk Wasp ... I can't remember who it was, but if I remember right, it was on STT on the way to the Luge. Terrifying. I see them all the time.
 
As mentioned in the other thread... I've seen a lot of bobcats over the years, but never a juvenile. As we were on the fire road between the top of Boy Scout and Logjammer, we rounded a gentle right hand turn. The road had recently been graded, so there was a small ridge of soft dirt on the edge of the road. All of a sudden, I saw motion to my immediate right. Not 2 feet from my pedal. It was a youngin... Not all that much bigger than a good sized house cat. Stubby little black tipped tail, and just an incredible sight.

He was gone in a couple seconds.
 
Faust29 said:
As mentioned in the other thread... I've seen a lot of bobcats over the years, but never a juvenile. As we were on the fire road between the top of Boy Scout and Logjammer, we rounded a gentle right hand turn. The road had recently been graded, so there was a small ridge of soft dirt on the edge of the road. All of a sudden, I saw motion to my immediate right. Not 2 feet from my pedal. It was a youngin... Not all that much bigger than a good sized house cat. Stubby little black tipped tail, and just an incredible sight.

He was gone in a couple seconds.
Click to expand...
Maybe a decade ago I was riding Sleepy Hollow in Whiting ranch and came across a cub (or, is it called a kitten). It was definitely very young, still didn't have much spotting. We stared at each other for a few minutes until I tried to get closer for a picture and it took off—no sign of a mom anywhere.
 
Obsidian said:
Someone on this forum got bitten by a Tarantula Hawk Wasp ... I can't remember who it was, but if I remember right, it was on STT on the way to the Luge. Terrifying. I see them all the time.
Click to expand...

That was probably me. Pretty sure that's what went up my shorts as I was descending at a good clip. Stinger was like a small roofing nail, and damn, yeah talk about gnarly...for days.....my recommendation is don't get stung by one.
 
Sasquatch9billion said:
Maybe a decade ago I was riding Sleepy Hollow in Whiting ranch and came across a cub (or, is it called a kitten). It was definitely very young, still didn't have much spotting. We stared at each other for a few minutes until I tried to get closer for a picture and it took off—no sign of a mom anywhere.
Click to expand...

Wow that's a good sighting... Might have been the same one I saw a decade or so ago........Wasn't sure if it was a very young cougar cub or a mid growth bobcat. Looked more like a cougar. Pretty cool only a few feet apart from it.
 
Had a stranger at our front door last night.

117252F4-FA02-4456-AC5E-B05E0BE67ED1.png
 
buggravy said:
Had a stranger at our front door last night.

View attachment 85549
Click to expand...
He was on Rat Patrol. How cool is that?!

We have a pair of owls here who periodically work my neighborhood for a week or so at a time and it's clear that they lower the pest numbers because I see little to no signs of them after the owls have been here. I once saw the pair land on top of some tall Junipers next door. Suddenly, one them dive bombed into a big oak tree and the other flew stealthy toward my building. Such cool animals!
 
I see them now and then. If you get real close to see the adults have spots as well. The coolest viewing was at the Field Lab: an adult was walking on top of a tall wall. She, He? was leading a group of about 6 kits walking the wall as well. About a half mile from my scary Mtn Lion encounter. If you want to see um look under the chaparral near the trail head. They do not normally move so you need to look for that smiling face looking at you. They are not small but dressed in camo
 
Obsidian said:
Nothing worse than a wasp sting ... so they tell me.

I was on Palomar Mountain in San Diego County a few years back and there were literally hundreds running across the road. Pretty wild. Freaked my girlfriend out for days. :laugh:
Click to expand...

I can vouch for the pain a Tarantula Hawk Wasp can inflict. Back in the early 1990’s I stepped on one while barefoot. Sent me to my knees and to the fetal position. My girlfriend helped me up the 100’ walk up the cliff to the truck [jet skiing at El Capitan Res] and then drove me to the hospital. They gave me a shot of something and it subsided. I’ve been stung by many species of bees, hornets and wasps and none had the electrified jolt pain these things pack.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top