Idaho Outdoors

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Mom2_3

For those of you that have been camping, what kind of wildlife have you run into?

While I also live in the southern end of the state, Idaho's wildlife abounds from top to bottom. You could expect to see many common rodents such as ground squirrels, chipmunks, rock chucks. You will probably see skunks, badgers, and beaver as well. You could also see weasels, martins, and rarely, otters and mink. There are foxes as well.

You might see a bobcat or a coyote, but it's unlikely you will see a wolf or mountain lion. You may see a bear, but most likely at a distance. Expect to see deer, elk, and, if you're lucky, mountain caribou (which are rare, threatened, and only found in Idaho). You could also see moose and elk.

You will probably see bald eagles, red tail and sharp-shinned hawks, possibly some peregrine falcons and/or prairie falcons ( which are a paler, greyer variant of the peregrine) along with ducks, geese, and a wide variety of songbirds. The mountain bluebird is also commonly seen and is always a treat; they look grey until they fly, and then they are a bright stunning blue. If you're lucky, you may see some wild turkeys and vultures and golden eagles, the true masters of the air.

Idaho is all rattlesnake country. The snake found in N. Idaho is the Northern Pacific rattlesnake, which is not as aggressive as in Texas. It is also a louder rattler, and if you give one the road, it will prefer to leave.

The streams hold fresh water crayfish, clams, and fresh water mussels. There are lots of different fish, but north Idaho contains the endangered (and big) sturgeon. These fish can grow to be huge, but are very rare and cannot be caught. They don't put up a fight anyway. Fish for trout and bass if you want to go fishing.

As with all wildlife, the more alert you are, the more you will see. Once you see a critter, be sure to look for others, as they're all around all the time. They are one of the great rewards in living here.

[banjomike]

A wildlife story:
One summer day when I was around 18, my father and I rode all over our ranch looking for stray cows. It was a beautiful day, dry, clear and hot, and in early afternoon, we got off on a wide bank of Willow Creek, which runs through our property, close to a beaver dam. We unbridled the horses and let them get a big drink out of the creek while we ate lunch, and then we both stretched out on the bank while the horses grazed, just being lazy after eating.

All of a sudden, a mother skunk emerged from the willows on the opposite side of the creek with her brood of young, and proceeded to lead them across the creek on the beaver dam. The kits would slip and get their feet wet and cry and cry, and the mother would scold them and urge them on. They all walked right by us, ignoring us completely,no further than 3 feet away, and climbed the bank we were on and disappeared into the sagebrush.

We were chuckling about it when another mother skunk emerged from the willows on the other shore! She also led her brood across the dam, but the last kit in the line was really afraid of the water. It lagged on the bank for a very long time before daring to try the dam, and cried and cried while the mother progressed to our side. The kit finally started to cross only when mamma reached our side, and she called and scolded while her baby wobbled it's way over the dam.
About halfway across, it slipped, and got it's butt wet. That was too much. It turned around and went back to where it came from.
As with the first skunks, we were only 2-3 feet away. The other kits were all bunched up right next to us, and the mother gave us a look that said "Watch these kids for a minute, will ya?", then went back across the dam to fetch the reluctant stray. She picked it up by the scruff and deposited it on the dam, then got in front and chattered her way, all the way across. The kit slipped, got it's feet wet, and shook it's feet, complaining about how rotten life was all the way.
Once the pair were finally across, the mother proceeded up the bank and they, too, disappeared in the sagebrush.

Neither one of us ever saw anything like that before or since. It was our treasured memory, and my Dad talked about it to the end of his life.

We gave them all a little time to get settled, then we bridled the horses, who had ignored everything, and rode back to the corrals. We never did find the strays, but they came back on their own.

That's life in Idaho.

[Mom2_3]

banjomike, very informative! Sounds like it was straight out of an encyclopedia
I loved the wildlife story. I could picture the whole thing in my mind. what an amazing experience. I hope I will experience things like that.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by Mom2_3

banjomike, very informative! Sounds like it was straight out of an encyclopedia
I loved the wildlife story. I could picture the whole thing in my mind. what an amazing experience. I hope I will experience things like that.

My father passed on 24 years ago, so it is now an event I really treasure. He did too, all his life. It was one of the great rewards people can get only in the outdoors, and I have many others. Not as unique as that event, though... it was a once in a lifetime.

I may write up another one of these days; I'm paying more attention now to how all my early years living on a ranch is now an uncommon thing. Back then, I just took it for granted as all kids do.

[chevpu1967]

Awesome story, banjomike. Thanks for sharing.

[NIDt8ter]

You ever watch Saturday Night Live's skit "Debbie Downer"? Man, I think I found your soulmate....

[illun]

Moose are the most dangerous animal in Idaho, someone mentioned bulls in heat but Mothers with calves can be a nasty bunch as well. Wolves will increasingly present a danger, and I wouldn't go into the hills without a gun just as a precaution.

[banjomike]

Originally Posted by illun

Moose are the most dangerous animal in Idaho, someone mentioned bulls in heat but Mothers with calves can be a nasty bunch as well. Wolves will increasingly present a danger, and I wouldn't go into the hills without a gun just as a precaution.

Oh, man...
I got a summer job in Teton Park in 1964 for a couple of weeks working in the woods. When I left, I was on foot, as I didn't own a car then, and was walking out to the highway to hitch back to I.F.

A yearling cow moose spotted another guy and me, and ran us both up an aspen tree. She tried to knock the tree over for the next 3 hours to get at us! Darn near got it done more than once, too.

I fear the Griz, but the Moose is #2 on my list. And there are a lot of them here.

[chevpu1967]

Originally Posted by banjomike

Oh, man...
I got a summer job in Teton Park in 1964 for a couple of weeks working in the woods. When I left, I was on foot, as I didn't own a car then, and was walking out to the highway to hitch back to I.F.

A yearling cow moose spotted another guy and me, and ran us both up an aspen tree. She tried to knock the tree over for the next 3 hours to get at us! Darn near got it done more than once, too.

I fear the Griz, but the Moose is #2 on my list. And there are a lot of them here.

I guess I should have a fast scooter because having only one leg I can't run away.