# wildlife



## stihl460 (Jun 2, 2011)

I'm normally a skidder operator, but I have recently had a job offer that will bring home $35 an hour after taxes cutting trees. I will be a temporary employee of the road commision, they want to widen a road but need trees cleared on either side of the road to do so. they tell me it will take 4 or 5 weeks but ive seen it, it's a 2 or 3 week job, but if they say its gonna take 4 to 5 weeks and they want to pay me that kind of hourly wage, its gonna take 4 to 5 weeks by god! ...anyways, im getting sidetracked.. 

so ive recently started cutting. gotta get my practice so i dont look so much like a rookie tree cutter in a few weeks when i start this job. ive noticed that you see so much wildlife in the woods when cutting trees. squirrels, raccoons, opossumes...etc.. today for example, i tripped over a fawn that was NOT moving for anything.. so i snapped a picture and stopped working in that side of the woods untill the doe came and took it's baby elsewhere.

just curious to see if anyone else has any pictures of the cool stuff you see in the woods while cutting.


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## slowp (Jun 2, 2011)

This is what I was working on.





Then I stopped for a bite to eat, looked in the mirror and saw this.






View attachment 186105
View attachment 186101


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## paccity (Jun 2, 2011)

slowp said:


> This is what I was working on.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


 
he was just checkin to see when his road would be open.


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## paccity (Jun 2, 2011)

or these seedling eating critters.View attachment 186127
View attachment 186128
View attachment 186129


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## Greenwedge (Jun 2, 2011)

stihl460 said:


> I'm normally a skidder operator, but I have recently had a job offer that will bring home $35 an hour after taxes cutting trees. I will be a temporary employee of the road commision, they want to widen a road but need trees cleared on either side of the road to do so. they tell me it will take 4 or 5 weeks but ive seen it, it's a 2 or 3 week job, but if they say its gonna take 4 to 5 weeks and they want to pay me that kind of hourly wage, its gonna take 4 to 5 weeks by god! ...anyways, im getting sidetracked..
> 
> so ive recently started cutting. gotta get my practice so i dont look so much like a rookie tree cutter in a few weeks when i start this job. ive noticed that you see so much wildlife in the woods when cutting trees. squirrels, raccoons, opossumes...etc.. today for example, i tripped over a fawn that was NOT moving for anything.. so i snapped a picture and stopped working in that side of the woods until the doe came and took it's baby elsewhere.
> 
> just curious to see if anyone else has any pictures of the cool stuff you see in the woods while cutting.


 
Yeah, I have a picture of me roasting a fawn over a campfire that I fortuitously tripped over. I moved to the other side of my strip, but unfortunately did not trip over another. lol. Just kidding. Great picture. I will dig through mine and try to post some on here.


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## Greenwedge (Jun 2, 2011)

slowp said:


> This is what I was working on.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Slowp, love the pic's of the wildlife, but the slab is what really tugged on my heartstrings. I had a bullbuck tell me once many moons ago, and I quote, "Theirs whole damn bunch of slabbers out there looking to get on for this outfit.....You know why looking is as far as they'll get kid?.......Cause this outfit hires fallers and buckers, not slobber's and slabbers!" Couldn't resist Slowp! I have darn sure slabbed a few in my day.......Never was much on taking pics of it though.


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## paccity (Jun 2, 2011)

Greenwedge said:


> Yeah, I have a picture of me roasting a fawn over a campfire that I fortuitously tripped over. I moved to the other side of my strip, but unfortunately did not trip over another. lol. Just kidding. Great picture. I will dig through mine and try to post some on here.


 
they just melt in your mouth don't they. :msp_rolleyes: at least thats what i've herd.


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## Greenwedge (Jun 2, 2011)

paccity said:


> or these seedling eating critters.View attachment 186127
> View attachment 186128
> View attachment 186129


 What is that critter? Opossum?


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## OregonSawyer (Jun 2, 2011)

SlowP, your picture reminds me... I guess this could be directed toward anyone with insight. I was thinking about a little Saturday hike up "Tall Timbers Trail" (just a bit outside of town). The last time (and first time) I tried to go up there the road was blocked off by a bunch of blow-downs. Would a guy get in hot water if he were to bring his 66 up there and buck anything laying across the road? It seems USFS can be a bit strict in it's policies, and I would rather have some background info before I go hackin' away. There is obviously no fire danger here right now...


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## paccity (Jun 2, 2011)

Greenwedge said:


> What is that critter? Opossum?


 
boomer, or mt beaver. if you've cut in the coast range you've walked right over them. nocternal criters, love to snack on seedlings. now a guy that traps them for some of the timber co's.


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## Greenwedge (Jun 2, 2011)

*As wild as Wildlife gets*

Here are some pics of some wild critters i found roaming around in my strip. The critter in the 1rst pic gives me all kinds of crazy feelings! My wife with a gun......a feeling of excitement and dread all wrapped together!


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## paccity (Jun 2, 2011)

OregonSawyer said:


> SlowP, your picture reminds me... I guess this could be directed toward anyone with insight. I was thinking about a little Saturday hike up "Tall Timbers Trail" (just a bit outside of town). The last time (and first time) I tried to go up there the road was blocked off by a bunch of blow-downs. Would a guy get in hot water if he were to bring his 66 up there and buck anything laying across the road? It seems USFS can be a bit strict in it's policies, and I would rather have some background info before I go hackin' away. There is obviously no fire danger here right now...


 
i do it every time i'm up in the green. just have permits. if your takin it out.


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## slowp (Jun 2, 2011)

Greenwedge said:


> Slowp, love the pic's of the wildlife, but the slab is what really tugged on my heartstrings. I had a bullbuck tell me once many moons ago, and I quote, "Theirs whole damn bunch of slabbers out there looking to get on for this outfit.....You know why looking is as far as they'll get kid?.......Cause this outfit hires fallers and buckers, not slobber's and slabbers!" Couldn't resist Slowp! I have darn sure slabbed a few in my day.......Never was much on taking pics of it though.


 
I would be a slabber, and have never claimed to be any good. I just had to get the roads open, no timber value, roll the chunks off, and go on to the next. The woodcutters got the chunks. I call it whacking, but that could be a bad thing to call it so slabbing it is. I can't seem to cut straight, it isn't my chain or saw, but it is a good thing because then the rounds stay put on my sloped land and I can split them.


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## slowp (Jun 2, 2011)

OregonSawyer said:


> SlowP, your picture reminds me... I guess this could be directed toward anyone with insight. I was thinking about a little Saturday hike up "Tall Timbers Trail" (just a bit outside of town). The last time (and first time) I tried to go up there the road was blocked off by a bunch of blow-downs. Would a guy get in hot water if he were to bring his 66 up there and buck anything laying across the road? It seems USFS can be a bit strict in it's policies, and I would rather have some background info before I go hackin' away. There is obviously no fire danger here right now...



Here, it can be done on a numbered road and you can have the wood (usually) at least for the width of the road if you have a wood permit. It is complicated. 

I have packed The Barbie Saw up a trail to (I'll use my new terminology) do "some slabbing" to get some blowdown out of it.
I never had any problems, and got thanked for doing it. When you said Tall Timbers, I was thinking about that trail. The Tall Timbers Bar, Motel, and Restaurant is just down the road. 

The forest has just come out with a new travel policy, you have to stay on roads that are on a very bad map. The pile of maps is about a foot thick.


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## Greenwedge (Jun 2, 2011)

*Ugly and the Brownie*

Here is a pic of Ugly Hound running of a Brownie.


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## OregonSawyer (Jun 2, 2011)

The thing is... I don't even want the wood. I just want to be able to make it up to the trail-head!


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## Greenwedge (Jun 2, 2011)

Much better profile of my wild women of a wife!


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## OregonSawyer (Jun 2, 2011)

Greenwedge said:


>



Is that a sighting of the infamous "Ugly Hound"? :smile2:


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## Greenwedge (Jun 3, 2011)

*A few more*

Here is some more. I found piles and piles of pic's on here. I could do nothing but post for day's. lol.


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## slowp (Jun 3, 2011)

OregonSawyer said:


> The thing is... I don't even want the wood. I just want to be able to make it up to the trail-head!



You could go ahead, and then plead ignorance if it turns out to be a bad thing. Around here, most of the motorized trails get opened up by motorized people. The woodcutters do OK with the roads, except when it is hemlock across. Like on that elk road.


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## Greenwedge (Jun 3, 2011)

Greenwedge said:


> Here is some more. I found piles and piles of pic's on here. I could do nothing but post for day's. lol.


 
BTW, these are all from Alaska days.


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## Greenwedge (Jun 3, 2011)

OregonSawyer said:


> Is that a sighting of the infamous "Ugly Hound"? :smile2:


 
Yes it is! Palin and Ugly. You have got to tell me how you made that pic so you could see it without clicking a link. I worship Thee, Almighty computer genius known as Oregon Sawyer.


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## paccity (Jun 3, 2011)

slowp said:


> You could go ahead, and then plead ignorance if it turns out to be a bad thing. Around here, most of the motorized trails get opened up by motorized people. The woodcutters do OK with the roads, except when it is hemlock across. Like on that elk road.


 
i allways have a permit . that way when the power that be rollup they can't say that you intended to take the wood. had that argument before.


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## OregonSawyer (Jun 3, 2011)

Greenwedge said:


> Yes it is! Palin and Ugly. You have got to tell me how you made that pic so you could see it without clicking a link. I worship Thee, Almighty computer genius known as Oregon Sawyer.


 


Easy there!! 

All I do (I have a Macintosh) is "right-click" the picture and click "copy image location". Then when posting in a thread - above the box you are typing in - you will see an icon that resembles this






Click that. It will then pop up a little window where you input the web address of the image you would like to post (the "location" I copied earlier). Then select ok

I should appear in the box you are typing similar to "whatever web address you inserted" [IMG]

Hope that helps :)


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## OregonSawyer (Jun 3, 2011)

... If you are not using a Macintosh you can "right-click" the image and select "properties", it will pop up a window and from there you can highlight and copy the web address (URL) for the image. Then follow that same steps for inserting it into your post....


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## floyd (Jun 3, 2011)

Just stack those rounds next to the trail & someone will steal them for you.

Friend was cutting firewood on private timber ground with a permit. He cut some extra rounds because he was coming back. He came back to someone loading his rounds in their truck. Since he was my friend I did not point out the obvious. 

Some folks still believe in the tooth fairy. Cut it & they will load it...in their trucks.

After all, look at all those nice piles right next to the road. Christmas!


I always like to see mama & cubs heading away from me. 

We buzzed up the road a few yrs ago to look at the fire. Just 20 min from the house. Didn't take a gun. On the way back to the truck mama was paralleling us about 60' above the road. We couldn't see the cubs anywhere. Yup, we learned something.


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## floyd (Jun 3, 2011)

OK, one more. Doing some inventory & running profiles on the breaks of the Grande Ronde River. Elk are in rut. Here comes a cow, tongue hanging out, that stops in the middle of the plot.

She finally looks around, rolls eyes & bolts. Here comes a spike bull, tongue hanging out, stops in the middle of the plot. Same scene. Off he goes after the cow.

We just shake our heads & keep working on the plot.


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## Joe46 (Jun 3, 2011)

Greenwedge said:


> Here are some pics of some wild critters i found roaming around in my strip. The critter in the 1rst pic gives me all kinds of crazy feelings! My wife with a gun......a feeling of excitement and dread all wrapped together!


 Great pics. There is just something about a boy and his dog. Good looking boy and dog. Congrats!


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## slowp (Jun 3, 2011)

These guys are dangerous. I know of a little dog that chases them down and kills them.


View attachment 186195


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## paccity (Jun 3, 2011)

mmmm, i like nanars.


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## paccity (Jun 3, 2011)

greenwedge, uglydog looks border/ lab.? and a good lookin littleman you have there.


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## NORMZILLA44 (Jun 3, 2011)

My buddie's dad used to be a timber faller, he told me some good wildlife storie's, mostly bees, and rattlesnake's, but he fell a tree once, and the top hit a brush pile, and the dust started to clear, and he saw wild pig,s running everywhere. They were bedded down in the brush the whole time he was there sawing, and everything. I guess when the tree hit they were'nt comfortable anymore LOL! He threw down his saw, and ran to his truck for the rifle! Sausage make's a good logger's breakfast! Im not a logger do cut alot of wood, and do tree, and ranch work clearing tree;s, and brush mostly on our hunting ground. Alot of enjoyment for me being in the woods is seeing wildlife! Even when Im hunting I dont always shoot, sometimes I just enjoy the wildlife!


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## Greenwedge (Jun 3, 2011)

paccity said:


> greenwedge, uglydog looks border/ lab.? and a good lookin littleman you have there.


 
He is Border Aussie. You were close. Thanks man. I love them kids to death. There the only reason I'm able to stay fairly grounded.


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## Greenwedge (Jun 3, 2011)

Joe46 said:


> Great pics. There is just something about a boy and his dog. Good looking boy and dog. Congrats!


 
Yes there is, and thanks!


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## paccity (Jun 3, 2011)

Greenwedge said:


> He is Border Aussie. You were close. Thanks man. I love them kids to death. There the only reason I'm able to stay fairly grounded.


 
there why i settled down. good thing cause i mite not have made it this far. good dawgs i've got 3 boarders.


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## NORMZILLA44 (Jun 3, 2011)

My dog's alway's have been a huge part of my life. True best friend's. During the spring, and winter mostly, I work wiht, and hunt with my dog's for pigs almost every weekend. Weeknights after work I spend atleast an hour of quality time with them. Weekends they go with us in the truck wherever we go.


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## nw axe man (Jun 9, 2011)

NORMZILLA44 said:


> My buddie's dad used to be a timber faller, he told me some good wildlife storie's, mostly bees, and rattlesnake's, but he fell a tree once, and the top hit a brush pile, and the dust started to clear, and he saw wild pig,s running everywhere. They were bedded down in the brush the whole time he was there sawing, and everything. I guess when the tree hit they were'nt comfortable anymore LOL! He threw down his saw, and ran to his truck for the rifle! Sausage make's a good logger's breakfast! Im not a logger do cut alot of wood, and do tree, and ranch work clearing tree;s, and brush mostly on our hunting ground. Alot of enjoyment for me being in the woods is seeing wildlife! Even when Im hunting I dont always shoot, sometimes I just enjoy the wildlife!


Looking at the post title and just had to tell this story.
In 76 we were cutting a nice patch down on the South Toutle river on state land. Cow creek clean up was the name of the sale. I was bucking for my uncle at the time. Now, he was a really manly man sort of guy. A Robert Redford type, rugged, handsome except not an idiot. He had several things that really bothered him, though. Snakes, mice and bats.
He was falling a nice full length fir snag about 5' on the butt. The kind that has been dead for a while with the bark splitting in various places up the length of the tree. We were both afraid that when he was cutting it the bark would come sliding down the tree. It had happened several times before on this particular job.
He made it through the undercut alright. Then started on the backcut. As he went around the tree it started to pinch down on him. He was real nervous anyway what with the bark setting down on him when the tree started to go. As it fell toward it's mark the bark did indeed start slipping down the tree. As it did it released a black cloud. We couldn't figure out what it was for a bit. We finally realized that it was just full of bats. I have no doubt in my mind that there must have been upward of two thousand of the winged rodents trying to escape the coming tempest. The sky was filled with them. My uncle realized what they were and took off like a fullback intent on a TD. He never had anything to do with the tree. As I bucked it up into log lengths there were dead bats all over the ground. I've never seen anything like before or since. Just had to tell that wildlife story.


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## OregonSawyer (Jun 9, 2011)

Reminds me of the time that we found a live family of Opossums in the end of a hollow log once we started sawing it.


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## nw axe man (Jun 9, 2011)

OregonSawyer said:


> Reminds me of the time that we found a live family of Opossums in the end of a hollow log once we started sawing it.


 
That could have been a mess.


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## OregonSawyer (Jun 9, 2011)

There were Opposums running all around the mill. Literally. The off-bearer wasn't too thrilled to be right in the thick of it. Good entertainment though


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## 056 kid (Jun 9, 2011)

I have escaped a lot of bee attacks. I guess they are too disoriented from slamming the ground to be interested in attacking me. When the skidder driver would come around, he would receive the brunt of the bees anger. most of the time I didn't even know there where bees in the tree. I usually was not so lucky with yellow jackets in the ground, they are ready for action as soon as the tree hits.. Used to see a lot of squirrels and deer, the deer like eating the nice foliage off the tops of trees, I would always see them first thing in the morning. I once cut a tract that was full of cows, NEVER had so many ticks at the end of each day:taped:


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## nw axe man (Jun 10, 2011)

I've escaped a lot of bee attacks myself but have not made it away many times.
One of my favorite tales is a time when I was falling about a 3 forty foot log hemlock that grew out of the base of an oldgrowth fir snag. All the bark had come down from the snag and piled up at the base of the tree. The place for this hemlock to go was across a wet barren seep about 100' across. The limbs on the hemlock were all out front so when it fell there would be no limbs facing up from the tree when I fell it. I knew I was about out of gas but figured that I had enough gas to fall and buck it if I got with it. I slipped a draw notch in it and let it go. As it fell it pushed a bunch of the bark down with it and as I reached down to plug in my tape I noticed that there was an uncovered yellowjacket swarm right at the butt. One of them little fighter jets nailed me right on the end of the chin. I reared back, give my saw a big fling out into the seep and ran the full length of the tree. As I reached the end of the tree I looked back and saw my 056 magnum laying there as if I'd set it down. Suddenly the revs picked up and it started to run out of gas. The chain took off and buried the 3 foot bar and chain straight down into the seep. Didn't do my chain any good but I did have to have a good laugh over that one.


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## NORMZILLA44 (Jun 11, 2011)

I hate them yellow jackest. I was skinning a Big Boar once, and one of the S.O.B's stung me right on the tip of my finger #### That hurt!


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## nw axe man (Jun 11, 2011)

NORMZILLA44 said:


> I hate them yellow jackest. I was skinning a Big Boar once, and one of the S.O.B's stung me right on the tip of my finger #### That hurt!


Yeah, I hate em too. We have a lot of them and they like to build their nests in the ground. In the fall their sting seems to pack a bigger punch. Not sure if it's the carrion they feed on from hunters killing game or what but there's sure a difference in their sting. We also have a bald faced hornet here that will really knock your socks off. They're black and white, bigger than yellowjackets and mean. Funny how a little insect can make a big man run like a rabbit.


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## NORMZILLA44 (Jun 11, 2011)

We have the bald face ones too, when I see those bastard's I try, and give em a little room. When cutting wood, and brush, and stuff where we hunt I am always looking around my feet, and stuff, well I guess like driving not only watching for a hazard from the tree or whatever, but constantly scanning for rattlesnakes, and yellow jackets. The lousy thing about the bee's, not a hella of alot you can do. I got lucky before, and was able to get away before by running, but it was close, and those yellow jackets chased me. I bet a quarter mile maybe. They sure don't quit easy. We get some big scorpions too. Funny the scorpions like the tan oak, I guess because of the thick bark, and the black widow's like hiding in the Madrone.


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## 056 kid (Jun 11, 2011)

nw axe man said:


> Yeah, I hate em too. We have a lot of them and they like to build their nests in the ground. In the fall their sting seems to pack a bigger punch. Not sure if it's the carrion they feed on from hunters killing game or what but there's sure a difference in their sting. We also have a bald faced hornet here that will really knock your socks off. They're black and white, bigger than yellowjackets and mean. Funny how a little insect can make a big man run like a rabbit.


 
I had a bald face hornet trace the trajectory of a rock I threw at his nest, he nailed me in the nose from a good 60 feet away, by the time I saw him coming it was too late, I ended up looking like a baboon for a few hours, face all puffed up. Then the next day I was completely out of it..


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## coastalfaller (Jun 11, 2011)

*Deer in the bunkhouse!*

View attachment 186910


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## NORMZILLA44 (Jun 11, 2011)

056 kid, when they are pissed off it is amazing, kinda scary how determined they are for revenge! Coast faller cool pic, nice lil buck!


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## stihl460 (Jun 13, 2011)

so dissapointed today when i didnt bring a camera, i was topping a nice walnut in the woods about 40 feet up so i had a nice view, when my dad (who was standing at the base of the tree) about got run over by a fawn that got spooked by the log skidder as it passed by.. funniest thing ever, i thought it was a dog at first but then saw the spots, it got about a foot from him before it decided to go around him goin like a bat outta hell to get away from that skidder!


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## earache (Jun 18, 2011)

Great idea for a thread, though I'm not seeing many pics. I have alot of pics of wildlife I have seen and found. Buck skulls, salamanders, tree frogs, etc. I will see if I can get them posted over here.


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