Tag: outdoors

Can you spot both bobcats photographed in Wisconsin forest?

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Saturday shared an image that shows two camouflaged bobcats in a wintry landscape and asked its Facebook followers if they could spot the animals.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources on Saturday shared an image that shows two bobcats camouflaged in a wintry landscape, and asked its Facebook followers:

“There are two bobcats in this snapshot from Lincoln County! Can you find both?”

It’s probably not so much a matter of if viewers will spot both bobcats, but how long it will take them. (One bobcat is clearly more visible than the other.)

The top two images – the same image in different sizes – show how well these predators blend in with their surroundings, and how thick their coats become as winter sets in.

The bottom image provides the answer, with both animals circled.

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The WDNR wrote on Facebook: “Bobcats are crafty hunters, and with small prey, they will wait motionless and then pounce. Bobcats hunt small mammals, like eastern cottontail rabbits and snowshoe hares, as well as birds and even reptiles.”

The image was posted as a promotion for the Snapshot Wisconsin program, which allows schools and the public to participate in research by hosting trail cameras that help the state monitor wildlife activity.

Tiny dog stares down mountain lion; ‘this is really scary’

Sarah Bole came home to find the unsettling scene of her dog sitting unfazed as a mountain lion approached it. She videotaped the moment.

A tiny dog named Dash stared down a mountain lion, putting up a brave front thanks to a pane of glass separating it from the big cat.

“There is a big, big mountain lion on our patio,” Dash’s owner Sarah Bole said in the video she recorded upon getting home last Thursday evening and discovering the unsettling scene. “He wants to eat my dog…I’m not going to lie, this is really scary.”

Dash remained unafraid, however. He simply wagged its tail and ignored Bole’s commands to get away from the door.

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The incident occurred in Grand Lake, Colorado, an area known for its wildlife, but Bole had never seen a mountain lion before.

“I thought it was very unusual that my little dog was sitting at the door like that and he didn’t come greet me or anything and then I looked up and the mountain lion was frozen on the patio in med-step,” Bole told Sky-Hi News. “That’s where the video starts.”

“I knew the cat couldn’t come in in my rational brain, but…I’m 5-feet away and it’s tapping on the glass,” Bole told Sky-Hi News.

“We’ve always known that there are mountain lions up here, on our property, in this neighborhood, but you do all the things you’re supposed to do…and I just never expected to see one 5-feet away looking in my dining room.”

Can you spot the rattlesnake in Arizona man’s yard?

A company that captures and relocates rattlesnakes has asked its Facebook followers if they can spot the rattlesnake in a photo.

A company that captures and relocates rattlesnakes discovered on public and private property recently quizzed its Facebook followers by posting the accompanying image and asking:

“Western Diamondback Rattlesnake spotted in a backyard by Dave recently. See it?”

While many might spot the rattlesnake after a brief inspection, the image reveals how adept rattlesnakes are at blending into their surroundings.

The image was posted to Facebook by Rattlesnake Solutions, which operates in Phoenix and Tucson. The company is licensed by the Arizona Game and Fish Department and claims that snakes are not harmed during capture or relocation.

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Many in the comments section correctly described the location of the venomous reptile in the image.

For those wondering if their guesses are correct, the snake is circled in the image posted below.

–Images courtesy of Rattlesnake Solutions

A catch so large that state creates new record category for species

A North Carolina angler’s catch of a type of grouper called a red hind has led to the creation of a state record category for the species.

A North Carolina angler’s catch of a type of grouper called a red hind has led to the creation of a state record category for the species.

Matthew Parr of Wilmington caught the 7-pound, 1.6-ounce red hind on Oct. 1 and the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries announced this week that it has certified the catch as a record.

“Previously, North Carolina did not list a state-record red hind but created the category after Parr applied for the state record,” the agency explained in a news release. “The Division of Marine Fisheries creates new state record categories for fish that are exceptionally large for North Carolina.”

Matthew Parr with his record red hine. Photo: N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries

Catches of giant red hind are rare. The International Game Fish Assn. lists two 9-pounders, caught off Florida and Georgia, as a tie for the world record.

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Red hind are native to the Western Atlantic and range from the eastern U.S. to Brazil. They represent an important commercial fishery in the Caribbean.

The fish are reef dwellers and feed mainly on crabs and other crustaceans, and small fishes.

Parr caught his 21.5-inch red hind on cut bait while fishing with Capt. Charles Stewart Merritt of Salt Air Ventures off Cape Lookout.

Boy, 12, lands record catfish, pens letter of appreciation

A 12-year-old Texas angler has fulfilled a three-year quest to set a youth record by landing a nearly 25-pound blue catfish at Calaveras Lake.

A 12-year-old Texas angler has fulfilled a three-year quest to set a youth record by landing a nearly 25-pound blue catfish at Calaveras Lake.

Colt Franke now holds the record for the largest blue catfish caught by a junior angler at the popular fishing reservoir southeast of San Antonio.

His catch last week was recognized by the Inland Fisheries San Antonio District – Texas Parks and Wildlife, which announced via Facebook:

“Help us congratulate Colt F. who caught this 33.5 inch, 24.5 lbs. Blue Catfish at Calaveras Lake. He had been trying to break the youth record the past 3 years and was able to achieve his goal last week! His next goal is to get his name on the Texas Elite Angler list. No doubt we will see it there someday!”

Colt was so pleased that he penned a letter to TP&W, thanking the agency for “everything that y’all do” and for recognizing the efforts of young anglers.

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In the letter Colt explained that he had been “trying to catch this fish for 3 years while working on my dad’s boat.” His dad, Travis, guides for San Antonio Fishing Charters.

Colt said that when the catfish struck he tried to pass the rod to someone else but his dad, knowing it was a large fish, responded, “No, you reel it in.”

Colt and his dad typically release fish, but Colt kept this trophy for the sake of setting the record. He added that the meat “was donated to a local pantry.”

While his achievement is noteworthy, there are much larger blue catfish to be caught.

The overall Texas record for blue catfish in the junior division stands at 72.40 pounds. That fish was caught by Cade Childress last March at Lake Tawakoni.

The state’s rod-and-reel record for anglers of all ages is 121.50 pounds, for a blue catfish caught at Lake Texoma in 2004. 

For the sake of comparison, the overall world record for blue catfish stands at 143 pounds. That whopper was reeled from Kerr Lake in Virginia in 2011.

Watch: Large shark on the hunt frightens surfer to shore

A surfer in Puerto Rico on Monday was frightened out of the water by a large hammerhead shark that could be seen thrashing just outside the lineup.

A surfer in Puerto Rico on Monday was frightened out of the water by a large shark that could be seen thrashing just outside the lineup.

Jorge Benitez, who captured the accompanying footage at a spot called Middles, told FTW Outdoors that the surfer closest to the shark is Rolando Montes “and he definitely saw the shark and paddled to shore quickly.”

However, Montes might not have been in danger.

As science writer Sarah Keartes pointed out via Twitter, the shark is chasing a large ray – “maybe an eagle ray?” – and shows no interest in the surfer.

“Only a close call if you’re the majestic flap flap,” Keartes wrote, referring to the wording in a CBS News tweet showing the footage. “No danger here.”

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Benitez told FTW Outdoors that he spotted the leaping ray and began to capture that on video. He was not aware at the time that a shark, possibly a hammerhead, was pursuing the ray.

When Montes reached the beach Benitez asked him, “Why were you so afraid of a stingray?”

Benitez said he did not see the shark until he and Montes reviewed his footage. “It was definitely a big one,” Benitez said.

–Image courtesy of Jorge Benitez

Public plea issued after catch of freakishly large goldfish

Fisheries officials in Canada are sharing images of monstrous goldfish pulled from a Lake Ontario waterway in an attempt to discourage people from releasing aquarium fish into the wild.

Fisheries officials in Canada are sharing images of monstrous goldfish pulled from a Lake Ontario waterway and begging the public to stop releasing aquarium fish into the wild.

“Ever wonder what happens to pet goldfish when they end up in our waterways?” Fisheries and Oceans asked Wednesday via Twitter. “This one was pulled from Hamilton Harbour, where we’re studying this invasive species using acoustic transmitter tags.”

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The agency referred to the image atop this post, showing a freakishly large goldfish that clearly had been thriving at the expense of native flora and fauna.

“By tracking these goldfish,” Fisheries and Oceans continued, “we’ve learned that they’re breeding in Hamilton Harbour and targeting key spawning sites for native species like Northern Pike – tearing up aquatic plants for food and clouding the waters with their waste. That’s why it’s important to never release pets into the wild.”

Damage to native fisheries can be extensive wherever goldfish are released. They typically weigh less than half a pound in captivity, but can exceed five pounds in the wild, where they multiply and become voracious.

Several states in the U.S. are dealing with the same issues.

In July the City of Burnsville in Minnesota issued a similar public plea, tweeting images showing enormous goldfish pulled from Keller Lake.

“Please don’t release your pet goldfish into ponds and lakes!” the City of Burnsville tweeted. “They grow bigger than you think and contribute to poor water quality by mucking up the bottom sediments and uprooting plants.”

–Images courtesy of Canada’s Department of Fisheries and Oceans

Watch: Elephant nearly flips safari vehicle in harrowing encounter

Safari instructors and trainees at a South African wildlife reserve are fortunate to be alive and uninjured after a harrowing run-in with an elephant that almost flipped their vehicle.

Safari instructors and trainees at a South African wildlife reserve are fortunate to be alive and uninjured after a harrowing run-in with a bull elephant that nearly flipped their vehicle.

The accompanying footage, captured Sunday at Selati Game Reserve, shows a bull elephant bluff-charging the safari truck, then partially lifting and turning the vehicle, spilling at least one occupant.

An instructor repeatedly yells, “Get out!” The other occupants quickly exit and scamper toward safer ground as the elephant pauses as if it has issued a sufficient warning.

The footage was being widely shared and on Monday the company involved in the incident, EcoTraining, issued a news release describing what happened:

“On a routine activity, the EcoTraining instructors and trainees came across a breeding herd of elephants. The vehicle stopped to observe the elephants and give them a chance to settle down. An elephant bull, who was with the breeding herd, mock-charged the vehicle.

“The elephant bull mock-charged again, when they moved forward slowly, and then made contact with the vehicle and displaced it off the road. Once the vehicle had come to a standstill, the trainees were moved to the second vehicle that was parked in close proximity.”

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EcoTraining quoted Bryan Havemann, general manager of Selati Game Reserve, as saying the vehicle had been damaged but “none of the people on the vehicle were injured.”

EcoTraining added that bull elephants in musth during their breeding season “experience high levels of testosterone and may display aggressive behavior.”

Watch: Woman tries to feed duck decoys, admonishes hunters

Video footage posted this month on a hunting-themed Facebook page shows a woman attempting to feed decoys in front of hunters hoping to shoot real ducks.

Video footage shared this month on a hunting-themed Facebook page shows a woman attempting to feed decoys in front of hunters hoping to shoot actual ducks.

In the footage – click here to view the video – the hunters can be heard asking the woman to stop tossing feed, informing her that live ducks are off in the distance and that baiting inside a hunting area is illegal.

“Those aren’t real ducks,” one of the hunters says.

“They’re all fake,” says another.

https://www.facebook.com/100003917073235/videos/1259052394605499/

The woman, momentarily unconvinced, looks around before turning to the hunters and admonishing, “You would spend all this money just to murder a duck? They never did anything to you.”

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One hunter responds, “We eat them.” Another adds, “They’re delicious.”

The woman becomes angrier. “Buy it in Wegmans!” she says, before stomping away.

Wegmans is a grocery store chain. The footage was posted to the Long Island Deer Hunting group page and shared by ODU Magazine.

One of the many comments reads, “Buy it in Wegmans? Regardless one way or another someone is killing it.”

–Generic mallard image courtesy of USFWS

Hawaii diver captures rare great white shark encounter on video

A Hawaii-based photographer was astonished Friday to spot a 15-foot great white shark swimming toward him off Kona on the Big Island.

A Hawaii-based photographer was astonished Friday to spot a 15-foot great white shark swimming toward him off Kona on the Big Island.

Deron Verbeck told FTW Outdoors that he was freediving and first spotted the shark about 100 feet below the surface. “But she turned and came up into about 30 feet when I got all the shots and video,” he said.

The accompanying video shows the shark’s close approach as Verbeck captures video footage with a GoPro while also shooting stills. (Video is best viewed with volume.)

Great white shark sightings are rare in Hawaii, but adult white sharks from Mexico and California seasonally visit island waters.

After the encounter, Verbeck joked on Facebook: “Well check this one off the list of things ‘I shouldn’t have been swimming with.’ My first ever GREAT WHITE SHARK! And it happened to be in Kona and a 5-minute drive from my house!”

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The renowned freediver told KHON 2 that he first thought he had spotted a tiger shark but quickly recognized the classic shape of a large female white shark.

“It just kept getting bigger and bigger and I was like, ‘That is for sure, 100% a great white,’ ” Verbeck said. “And I just shot as much as I could as she went by, and she just disappeared back off the drop, then I was just shaking like, ‘Woah! That was insane!’ ”

The shark, although inquisitive, did not seem to regard Verbeck as prey.

Carl Meyer of the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology told KHON 2 that white sharks might be attracted to island waters by the seasonal abundance of humpback whales. (White sharks are known to feast on whale carcasses.)

Michael Domeier of the Marine Conservation Science Institute stated on Instagram that “after a quick scan” the shark did not match any of the nearly 400 white sharks in the photo-identification catalog from Mexico’s Guadalupe Island.

Deep Blue, said by some to be the largest great white shark ever documented, measuring about 20 feet, is in the Guadalupe Island database and has been spotted in Hawaiian waters.

Domeier said his research team suspects that “this beautiful female is from the Central California Tribe or Pt. Conception Tribe” of white sharks.

Domeier stated that the shark “was spotted literally right in front of my house. This is the stuff that gets me out of bed in the morning with a smile!”

Verbeck is an award-winning photographer who specializes in shooting while freediving, or on a single breath without scuba gear. Many of his photos are shared via Instagram.