Hi from Montana!

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Wow, how I would love to see a moose come into my yard! Wait, I'm in Illinois, there are no moose here. Darn!!! I would love to see a pic of that big fella or moma. I guess it could really play havoc in your pond, and cause huge problems, but I still thinks it's really cool. Probably just very curious, since it has other water sources that are amazing in themselves! I would guess he/she was likely after something besides the water, like the plants like Sissy mentioned.
 
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Wow, third sighting in your LIFE and it's in your back yard. Priceless!!!! My daughter is in UT, she loves spotting the elk. I've never seen an elk in the wild yet, but keep looking when I'm out there and we are driving through the mountains. She has also spotted the mountain sheep, big horns maybe, and I've never seen one of them either. Have seen the antelope out her back window, and mule deer. Here in IL, we have white tail deer, coyotes, fox ... and that's pretty much it!
 

j.w

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We have no big moose, elk or buffalo here, just a couple of deer I call "The Twins" who came into our yard and decided they liked the idea of biting the tops off my little 7 son's trees I grew from starts from the neighbors tree. When I ran out to shoo them away they just stood looking at me w/ those what's the big deal eyes! Had to actually chase them over and over, they'd move and I'd run and they'd stop and so on till I managed to make them jump over a fence into the neighbors yard and they slowly hoofed it away. The trees are now covered w/ tomato cages and wrapped w/ wire screen till they get big enough to where perhaps "The Twins" won't bother w/ them anymore. Love to see them but they are not getting my baby trees!
 
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We have lived here for 29 years and the only thing we ever saw were deer and we would see a coyote occasionally. The last couple of years I have seen the moose, elk, a bear with her two cubs, wild turkeys and hubby saw the mountain lion. I think that they have probably always been here but we never saw them. The last couple of years there have been quite a few people that have moved up here and I think that's why we are seeing more wild life. People are moving into their territory and so they are moving to other areas.
 

j.w

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The mountain lion would be kinda freaky to see roaming around my property. Guess you know to keep your eyes out for them now and just be careful. Coyotes are around here but only see one regular come through once in awhile. Cats and small dogs are sometimes missing and their photo's are up on the poles. Sad to think but I bet it was coyotes. Up to us to protect our pets. Not the coyotes fault.
 
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I get to see a few deer go thru our yard several times a year. We have skunks, possums, raccoons that show up occasionally. There have been a few black bears that have come down from the Smokey Mnts in the past few months in our city but I haven't seen any up close at my house. People have seen coyotes in our area but again I haven't seen them. Don't want too.
 
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Every now and then I smell a skunk, did recently here, too, but not too often. I just hope my dogs don't try to tangle with one and get sprayed up close and personal! So far, they have been lucky.
They have "cornered" a possum in the middle of a newly planted bean field, no where to go, just had to scowl at the dogs with his long snout and big teeth! It was around midnight one night, I took a pic, but have no idea when it was, and don't organize my pics well enough. Anyhow, I went out there and spotlighted it and then called the dogs home, put them in the garage for the night, so Mr. Possum could get his butt home!
Raccoon, only spotted one here since I moved 4 years ago, and it was right before I started digging my koi pond!!! He somehow got into the yard, dogs chased it and it ran TO the house, up a pipe on the outside of my house, only place to go to get safe, although tree would have been more favorable, I would think. Again, brought dogs into house, shooed him away and told him not to come back! Guess he got the message! Never have seen any damage on ponds from any type of small animal like that.
Had foxes running the fields within a mile of my house, and coyotes do, too. But, never seen one in my yards. Have a cat missing, so maybe that is what happened to him! I just figured he went somewhere and died, but it could have been a coyote that caught him out in the fields hunting, too!
 

sissy

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never smelled or saw a skunk here but my house in NJ we had them and one would nest under my front porch and have her babies and first time we scared her it was bad but then she got used to us coming and going so she did not do it again .Tried to catch her to take her away but no luck even animal control could not catch her or her babies .Must have been a Pepe around for her to have babies .We have red fox here and even had to baby black bears and animal control came and got them out of my apple tree .They had already caught momma to relocate them .Had a red fox get my neighbors little dog that is why king arthur watches over the chi's when they go out in the yard .Not sure what I would do without him .He wouldn't let anything harm them .
 
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Yeah I smell skunk here once in a while. One night I took my dogs out before going to bed, I had my daughters dog here and as soon as we walked out the door my female min pin and my daughters dog shot up the bank (never smelled skunk) there was a skunk right under the bird feeder. The skunk ran down into the yard and stop to hold its ground. Needless to say both dogs got sprayed :(. After that before I let the dogs out I go out and shine the light up on the bank before I let them out. It came back one more time and I started hollering at it and it waddled off and I haven't seen it since. I have seen foxes up here three different times. A mile down the road I seen a pair of foxes two different times and once I seen one walking the fence line between my place and the neighbors. Never have seen a raccoon up here which I'm glad about I know they can do a lot of damage to your pond and fish.
 

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