Camping/fishing/guns/outdoors

[aero]

Our woods can get pretty wild with a lot of territorial animals that let you know by stalking and growling that they do not want you in their territory where they raise their young including Coyotes, Red Fox, Gray Fox, Lynx, Bobcats, and Black Bears especially at night. Plenty of rabies in the northeast as well with insane rabid raccoons, skunks, opossums, New Jork Jankees Fans, etc - so sidearms in the wild are a must.

A couple summers ago I was hiking up Belknap Mountain in the beautiful Lakes Region, going up the trail in the afternoon, all of a sudden I hear a loud rustling up ahead in the bush and it's coming towards me fast. I looked around and saw no other hikers, and if it were another person at this point with the sound as close as it was I would have seen them. I drew my side arm and prepared for whatever creature was about to emerge. All of a sudden I spot the creature and it is a huuuge fisher cat, for those who don't know these are very elusive animals, known for the terrifying scream they let out that people will sometimes hear way out in the woods, very cool animal. This thing had to be 30 pounds and the size of like a small golden retriever. This guy was just barreling down the mountain in my direction, and the thing just goes right past me about 15 feet away like I'm not even there, and just continues down the mountain and out of sight. It was a wild experience. I've seen tons of wildlife over the years in NH (and Maine) but that was the most memorable.

 

[Get2choppaaa]

Easiest way to deal with 4 legged pests is a live trap, a can of tuna fish with a few holes punched into the top, and a long barreled 22 revolver.

ha some animals get trap smart quick.

1 or 2 cats / coons and after that... they call out to their homies pretty quick.

Funny enough, my wonderful wife has no problem with me shooting animals, or me trapping them... but shooting them after i trap them is a problem.

So I dont waste the time with the traps anymore.... I be shoosting them.

 

[BeatUpTruck]

A couple summers ago I was hiking up Belknap Mountain in the beautiful Lakes Region, going up the trail in the afternoon, all of a sudden I hear a loud rustling up ahead in the bush and it's coming towards me fast. I looked around and saw no other hikers, and if it were another person at this point with the sound as close as it was I would have seen them. I drew my side arm and prepared for whatever creature was about to emerge. All of a sudden I spot the creature and it is a huuuge fisher cat, for those who don't know these are very elusive animals, known for the terrifying scream they let out that people will sometimes hear way out in the woods, very cool animal. This thing had to be 30 pounds and the size of like a small golden retriever. This guy was just barreling down the mountain in my direction, and the thing just goes right past me about 15 feet away like I'm not even there, and just continues down the mountain and out of sight. It was a wild experience. I've seen tons of wildlife over the years in NH (and Maine) but that was the most memorable.

I used to have a fisher hanging around my yard in the winter. I remember his bounding tracks across the snow were funny because every time he landed his fat tail would leave a big mark in the snow. He liked to jump from the trees and run across my roof for some reason.
Last winter it was a pine marten that was coming around. Here he is poking around my back deck. Handsome fella

 

[Hannibal]

ha some animals get trap smart quick.

1 or 2 cats / coons and after that... they call out to their homies pretty quick.

Funny enough, my wonderful wife has no problem with me shooting animals, or me trapping them... but shooting them after i trap them is a problem.

So I dont waste the time with the traps anymore.... I be shoosting them.

True

We would cover the trap in blankets or tarps, move them around every so often. Caught a coyote once, but many raccoons and possums.

I suspect that coyotes are generally too smart for such traps and perhaps half of the raccoons.

 

[ed plrbs unm]

A couple summers ago I was hiking up Belknap Mountain in the beautiful Lakes Region, going up the trail in the afternoon, all of a sudden I hear a loud rustling up ahead in the bush and it's coming towards me fast. I looked around and saw no other hikers, and if it were another person at this point with the sound as close as it was I would have seen them. I drew my side arm and prepared for whatever creature was about to emerge. All of a sudden I spot the creature and it is a huuuge fisher cat, for those who don't know these are very elusive animals, known for the terrifying scream they let out that people will sometimes hear way out in the woods, very cool animal. This thing had to be 30 pounds and the size of like a small golden retriever. This guy was just barreling down the mountain in my direction, and the thing just goes right past me about 15 feet away like I'm not even there, and just continues down the mountain and out of sight. It was a wild experience. I've seen tons of wildlife over the years in NH (and Maine) but that was the most memorable.

That's an amazing encounter.
I've had the privilege of being included in a moose-hunting group despite never having hunted before in my life. The other 3 guys (including my friend who invited me) have been hunting from a very young age and they have a wealth of knowledge and experience to share with me. We've been twice so far now, and the place we were last year will be ours for as long as we want to hold it. The wildlife is rich and varied and all seems to be in great health.
All that to say, one of our group saw 2 fishers walk past, a rare sight indeed. The guy who operates the territory is a trapper and said in 30 years he's never seen one there.

 

[Deepdiver]

A couple summers ago I was hiking up Belknap Mountain in the beautiful Lakes Region, going up the trail in the afternoon, all of a sudden I hear a loud rustling up ahead in the bush and it's coming towards me fast. I looked around and saw no other hikers, and if it were another person at this point with the sound as close as it was I would have seen them. I drew my side arm and prepared for whatever creature was about to emerge. All of a sudden I spot the creature and it is a huuuge fisher cat, for those who don't know these are very elusive animals, known for the terrifying scream they let out that people will sometimes hear way out in the woods, very cool animal. This thing had to be 30 pounds and the size of like a small golden retriever. This guy was just barreling down the mountain in my direction, and the thing just goes right past me about 15 feet away like I'm not even there, and just continues down the mountain and out of sight. It was a wild experience. I've seen tons of wildlife over the years in NH (and Maine) but that was the most memorable.

LOL Larger Fisher Cats have been known to stalk hunters and shore fisherman here in New England as they are basically dwarf wolverines all in the weasel family. Which is why I carry two compact 9MMs, a Sig P938 and Glock 43 both 9MM and a Ruger Speed Six .357 Magnum in Black Bear/Moose Country. Also bought a short 2.5" full Stainless Bond Arms .357 Magnum Roughneck (Made in Texas) a 2 barrel over under .357 American style Derringer. Bond has a feature that with a hex wrench you can interchange barrels with .45 ACP and even .410 Shotgun shells for Texas belt & boot leather rattlesnakes. Some Texans even grill snake meat - go figure.

 

[Get2choppaaa]

LOL Larger Fisher Cats have been known to stalk hunters and shore fisherman here in New England as they are basically dwarf wolverines all in the weasel family. Which is why I carry two compact 9MMs, a Sig P938 and Glock 43 both 9MM and a Ruger Speed Six .357 Magnum in Black Bear/Moose Country. Also bought a short 2.5" full Stainless Bond Arms .357 Magnum Roughneck (Made in Texas) a 2 barrel over under .357 American style Derringer. Bond has a feature that with a hex wrench you can interchange barrels with .45 ACP and even .410 Shotgun shells for Texas belt & boot leather rattlesnakes. Some Texans even grill snake meat - go figure.

Snake tastes like crap. It's gross.

Have shot a couple snakes though. A judge pistol with some bird shot will take care of em.