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Posts Tagged ‘animals’

Since the recent past, Canadian Geese have become too numerous not only in the urbanized areas but also in the suburbs of the country. The bird is basically black in color from the head to the neck, and the color changes from tan to cream over the breast. It has a brown back with a whitish strip over the chin.

About one or two decades ago ago the people deliberately took efforts to bring back the Canada Geese to different regions of the country. It is however, peculiar to note that now these geese are treated like unwanted pests, as their number multiplied beyond the manageable limits.

Among the numerous subspecies of the geese of Canada, eleven of them have been named. A few of these birds can be distinguished as a result of their varying features. Geese of darker color are common to western Canada, while smaller geese are primarily found in the north.

An interesting fact about the Canada geese is that the migratory populations are no longer going as far to the south during the winter months as they used to previously. This change in northward migration has been accredited to the changes in farming practices which makes grain more available during fall and winter, combined with changes in the weather and hunting patterns.

Generally after the breeding season, the Canadian Geese travel to the northern parts. A few of them unfortunately sometimes lose their nests. Such geese, along with those that do not breed fly to the far north travelling nearly one thousand and five hundred kilometers. They move into the thick foliage for molting. By the end of summer, even those that had chosen to avoid winter-migration reach the north for molting.

The decision of mating partners depends exclusively on their size. An exceptional attribute of the Canada Geese is that they form a partnership for life. A variant of the Canada Geese of a especially large size was declared extinct in the 1900s. Subsequently, numerous of these birds were reintroduced in various parts of the country. Unfortunately, their population became too big, and so they were regarded as pests.

Predominantly found in marshy land and on grassy areas or grain-cultivated fields close to water resources, the Canadian Geese like to reside amidst the grass. This is because they can easily feed their chicks, while at the same time checking out for predatory animals. Hence, it is not surprising to find flocks of these birds in human-inhabited places like the airport, grassy lawns, parks and golf courses.

Over the seasons of spring and summer, Canadian Geese usually feed on grass, decaying cabbage leaves, eelgrass and marshy plants. In winter and autumn, plenty of blueberries and other grains and seeds are available for their food. Two of their major subspecies have amazingly evolved themselves to their surroundings and thrive well.

These birds lay 2 to 8 eggs in one clutch. They are white colored with a creamy shade. Measuring 8.3 centimeters in breadth and 3.3 inches in length, they incubate for nearly 25 to 28 days. The eggs hatch to reveal little yellow goslings. Their eyes are openwhen they are hatched. After a nestling time of 45 to 50 days, they are able to live on their own.

Canada goose eggs are three times the size of chicken eggs. Follow the link for further Canadian goose information.

When I was a boy, I was fascinated with my grandfather’s stories about black bears. My grandfather had worked as a game warden in northern Pennsylvania for about 20 years (from 1930 to 1950). And so he always had an abundance of intriguing stories that delighted my brothers and me. We were especially fond of his tales about black bear encounters.

My grandfather told us a story that took place one year about a month before bear hunting season started. He told me he had often heard about bear wallows, but he had never been fortunate enough to see one. Well, this day he was walking along in the woods when he saw a huge tree that the wind had blown down, with the roots and soil all torn out of the ground to form a large hole. Rainwater had accumulated in this basin to make the perfect bathtub for bears.

Muddy paw prints emanated out of the bear wallow like a bunch of spokes from a wagon wheel. Grandpa guessed that quite a few bears were using the wallow. He told us that he supposed that bears have fleas and vermin to deal with and that they use these wallows to rub off any insects and to keep them off.

The ground around these trees was covered with the tips of hemlock branches. My grandfather observed that bear cubs avoided water like cats and were amusing themselves in the trees while their mothers bathed in the water. Apparently there had been a lot of mothers with cubs at this wallow, because all the hemlock trees nearby were lighter in color than normal, and the bark on the trunks was all worn down.

Grandfather said that he guessed there must have been a whole lot of cubs climbing those trees! However, my grandfather never could come up with a reason as to why the bear cubs wanted to break off the tips of the branches.

Finding a Bear’s Den

Speaking of those branches reminds me of my grandfather’s story about a hemlock thicket he once came across. He was actually out hunting bobcats when he found it. It was a dense thicket about eight or ten feet high.

It was so impenetrable that even the snow could not get through. Inside was a hollow room in which a bear had chosen to make his bed for his winter sleep.

The black bear had broken off the tips of the surrounding hemlocks, similar to what the cubs had done at the bear wallow. With the hemlock tips, the bear had fashioned a neat rug that was around five inches thick. Grandfather noticed that the the forest-green hemlock tips were bunched close together with the branchy part down. Because of this, the edges of this “bear rug” were as neat as a braided oval rug. He told us children that he could hardly believe that a bear had made it! “It was just one of nature’s wonders,” he said.

How to Observe Wildlife Unnoticed

I was curious how my grandfather could see so many wild animals. So one time I asked him, and he told me that he put something over his face and then lay on the ground perfectly still. He said that animals are scared of motion and also your face. If you cover your face, then you can often actually see the animals in action.

He related to us that once when he was lying still, with nothing covering his face but some grass he had stuffed under the edge of his hat, he had seen a covey of grouse walking all around him. He said that at one point, they all perched themselves on a fallen tree several feet away from him and preened their feathers. He supposed they were “chatting” about their adventures that day. However, suddenly, they became edgy about grandfather, because they couldn’t figure out what he was. However, my grandfather lay perfectly still, and so the grouse relaxed again and continued their preening.

On a different occasion, my grandfather was lying on the ground when a weasel jumped on his shoulder and then scurried across the whole length of his body, in hot pursuit of a squirrel.

Tad Brenk lives in the Allegheny mountains of southern Pennsylvania. His house borders a state forest, so he has lots of opportunities to observe wildlife. In fact, every summer one or more black bears visit his home. He invites you to read more of his game warden stories at The Knowledge Universe.

Unless properly cared for, a dog bite can be one of the most severe of animal bites. Thousands expire each year because of rabies transmitted by the bite of a rabid dog. It is unwise to neglect these types of bites, however, many fail to recognize the severity of such bites when they think that a good cleansing of the lesion is all that is needed to treat it or by simply taking an antibacterial drug. What they don’t seem to realize is that a bite like this can cause dangerous infections, disfigurement, impairment and even death.

You can escape from an attacking dog through several means. Keeping a safe distance between the canine and yourself is the best way. Another effective way is to avoid provoking the dog to attack you. If you encounter such a scenario, slowly retreat and move away from the animal. However, there may come a time when you will find yourself in this scenario, no matter how careful you are. This is where the dog pepper spray comes into action.

A dog pepper spray is an animal repellent used specifically against a threatening canine. It comes in an aerosol container which you can take along in your knapsack, handbag, or attach case. For further ease of use, you can even affix it to your belt or key chain. There are several advantages of using defense sprays. Once it is sprayed on the animal, the symptoms of dog pepper spray will be straightaway. The effects of the spray last long enough giving you enough time to get away from the animal to safety. The pepper spray will cause so much agony and discomfort that the dog will turn his attention from attacking you to recuperating from the burning sensation. If you a lover of animals, you don’t need to worry about these chemical substances because they do not cause lasting or critical injury to the animal. The effects of the spray are non-lethal and will disappear in about half an hour. One other reason why this type of animal repellent is used widely is because it is legal to use anywhere in America, providing it is used only for self defense. There may be restrictions in some cities or states, so always check your local law enforcement agency for any state’s ordinances covering the use of pepper sprays.

What is the difference between oc pepper spray used against human attackers and dog pepper spray? One difference is that the pepper resin in dog spray is not as potent as the resin found in the human version. More often than not, the pepper resin in found in dog repellent is less than half of that found in human spray. In times of an emergency, you may use a human pepper spray on an attacking canine, but dog pepper spray will not be very effective on a human attacker.

Even dog lovers may find themselves in a situation where they will need to defend themselves against an attacking canine. Animals can be very unpredictable, it is wise to never underestimate a dog’s capacity to cause you injury. Carrying dog pepper spray is one effectual and humane way to defend yourself and loved ones from an attacking dog.

Find out more about dog pepper spray and other animal repellentsincluding bear spray by visiting www.a1selfdefenseproducts.com.