OT: Rarest Animal You've Seen in the Wild in PA?
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Ringneck snake in Westmoreland county. Has a very light yellow ring around its neck and was about 12 inches long. Found it in my log pile in the back yard.
Cool place. Not the least bit developed and some things worth seeing.
The Reynolds Mansion is the big thing. It's where the University of Georgia has their Marine Institute. Tobacco magnate RJ Reynolds built it. Renowned for parties of big time politicians there. NO press....you can only imagine how crazy that is. Basement bar has circus theme with clown murals on wall. Really Creepy!
Nice restored lighthouse.
Miles of deserted beach. We used to walk miles there, and when you'd see a footprint, you felt like Robinson Crusoe!
The Ruins at Chocolate are cool. Foundations mostly, slave quarters clearly visible.
Not sure what the rules over there are. You'd have a hard time getting around. No transportation.
The people who live there have to have their cars barged over from the mainland. We had a junk 68 Chevy! LOL
Village of black folk who's descendants have been there forever! Speak Pigeon English. When they don't want you to know what they're saying, they break into that! Very nice people, very superstitious! Most can't swim, but insist in going in canoe like boats to fish and gather oysters, etc. Every year they would have kids drowning!
If you can go, take a bike. The roads are descent, but some are sand. Wide tires would be best.
It is absolutely beautiful. Full of deer, birds, alligators and snakes. Palmetto and Spanish Moss on the live oaks. Surrounded by salt marsh.
Peaceful and quiet.
Living there for a year was quite an experience!
Not a strange animal per se, but 2-3 months ago, I saw a large snapping turtle (maybe 16” in diameter) along the Montour Trail. I never expected to see one so far away from water. (It was on the section of the trail that bends in the direction of Library, not far from where it forks at the Bethel Park spur.)
Nice. I walk that part of the trail a good bit.
I made the uneducated decision of relocating a snapping turtle in 2019. He was in the middle of 43, so I got out and captured him. I drove him to Brownsville and released him near the river. Then I happened to have a conversation with someone who works with wildlife some time after that: You're only supposed to move them to where they're going (i.e. help him across the road in this case). If you take them elsewhere, they usually will not eat and will starve themselves to death trying to get back to where they were. I'm sure a lot of people already know that, but I didn't at the time. I feel incredibly awful about the experience.
Yeah, that's too bad. I happened to know that info only because after I saw the turtle, I did some research and read about it afterward.
As far as moving it myself, I had no desire to even try to move it because I know of the injury that a large snapper might inflict on my hands. They're "tricky"; they supposedly have surprisingly long necks, and this enables them to stretch "backwards" and bite back to a place where one would normally think should be safe to grab their shell.
This particular turtle had a small crack in its shell. Some "war wound" with another animal? Or was it struck by a car? Who knows - but it was still moving at what seemed to be a normal pace for a turtle.
Good friend of mine built a second home up in Sinamahoning. The house was between a Rocky Mountain peak and a creek a half mile below the house. 4 young boys and a dog. My buddy is a serious hunter. In any event there is a rattlesnake den up above the house and they pass through to get to the water. In the past four years he has had 22 rattlers in his yard, on his deck stairs, and near his garage. He has a routine when he arrives that he does before the boys and dog get out of the truck looking for the snakes. Total nightmare in his words.
Yeah, this one almost got me. I had to move somewhat fast, because the speed limit is 70 on that road, so I kind of figured he would get me at least once, but it was better than getting hit by a car. But he didn't. Mind you, I grabbed him by the tail after he snapped at me... which I also read you're not supposed to do. I really wish I could have a mulligan on that entire experience.
Knowing my luck, I wouldn't mess with one without a large shovel with a long handle.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
I flush one occasionally and I hate them for how they do it. Noisy jerks. They do pretty well around here. One of my favorite things is to listen to them "thumping" while I'm fishing.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Few snake stories:
- Couple of years ago, we had some timber taken off of our property. Guys had tons of run-ins with rattlers due to the dryness and them disturbing the ground. Were moving to a new area and saw what looked like a opossum's tail going down through the weeds. Turned out to be a rattler with 15 rattles. Biggest one I've ever seen a picture of.
- Story goes that when they were blasting for a new road over the mountain, the heavy equipment operator moved a boulder and rattlers came pouring out. Guy froze up in terror. I avoid that mountain in the summer. Was an old rock quarry and it is absolutely loaded with snakes.
- Was fishing with a friend along the Little Juniata. Late spring so the water was up. Line busted on a snag so I walked up the hill to put more line on. Was watching my buddy. He was sitting on a big rock. When he stood up to cast, a huge copper head came flying out from under the rock and up the bank. I waited till we hiked back to the car to tell him. He was so mad at me. He never went fishing with me again.
- Couple of years ago, we had some timber taken off of our property. Guys had tons of run-ins with rattlers due to the dryness and them disturbing the ground. Were moving to a new area and saw what looked like a opossum's tail going down through the weeds. Turned out to be a rattler with 15 rattles. Biggest one I've ever seen a picture of.
- Story goes that when they were blasting for a new road over the mountain, the heavy equipment operator moved a boulder and rattlers came pouring out. Guy froze up in terror. I avoid that mountain in the summer. Was an old rock quarry and it is absolutely loaded with snakes.
- Was fishing with a friend along the Little Juniata. Late spring so the water was up. Line busted on a snag so I walked up the hill to put more line on. Was watching my buddy. He was sitting on a big rock. When he stood up to cast, a huge copper head came flying out from under the rock and up the bank. I waited till we hiked back to the car to tell him. He was so mad at me. He never went fishing with me again.
I always thought that the tail is how you grab em'? Then you hold them with the belly facing you because they can't bend their necks forward to bite you.
A guy on youtube got nailed by a snapping turtle after he caught one and gutted it for a stew. He cut the head off, gutted the turtle and after about 10 minutes took a step too close to the head and it bit him after having been severed from the body for ten minutes!
I think there is a disease destroying them. The commision is expecting 88% to be killed off but due to improving habitat, there may actually end up being more in the long run. They do very well in elk habitat. I hear they taste great but I've never seen or eaten one.
If you're going to kill it I guess you could, but I couldn't ever do that to an animal. I think grabbing them by the tail can result in some sort of spinal injuries for them.
Man, I think the last time I had ruffed Grouse, is Carter was in the White House (or it may have been Ford) and I was a little, little kid so my palate wasn't exactly honed at that time. I don't remember. I vaguely remember Pheasant. But back in the 70's, folks cooked dead things until they were like dead times 12. So not sure if things were dry or those who cooked them dried them out.
Because....one of my favorite things in the world is duck. Maybe not wild duck, but duck and duck breast. Back then, one would never even think of cooking a duck breast to medium-medium rare (which is what they should be served at) back then.
Pheasant is also very good. Especially ones living in the middle of field corn.
The thing I miss most is the hunting opportunities I had in PA.
One of the things on my hunting bucket list is a wild boar. I’ve seen dead ones when I’ve been hunting in my county, but I’ve never had a chance to harvest one.
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anon_vmuicqnzlyp3u
Guest
The original layout was Donald Ross, it has since been redesigned but still have the small greens
West Nile virus has killed most of the grouse in PA and most other eastern states. Transmitted by mosquitos. Foresters sometimes clear cut sections of woods to get new growth coming up which grouse need. The DCNR recommends trying that only on high mountaintops over 2000 feet where mosquitos are uncommon.
I have seen many bear in multiple different counties. I have seen some of the elk broken away from the herd in Potter county.
By far, the neatest thing I have seen was many years ago when I was fishing salmon creek up near Clarion.
I was walking the trail along the creek and just off the trail I could see some of the high grass and weeds knocked down a bit. I went over to check it out and a Doe had just dropped a little fawn who was curled up in the weeds and hadn't even gotten up to take its first step yet. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in nature. I quickly got out of there because I didn't want to draw attention to it, the little guy was so vulnerable having not even stood up yet.
By far, the neatest thing I have seen was many years ago when I was fishing salmon creek up near Clarion.
I was walking the trail along the creek and just off the trail I could see some of the high grass and weeds knocked down a bit. I went over to check it out and a Doe had just dropped a little fawn who was curled up in the weeds and hadn't even gotten up to take its first step yet. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen in nature. I quickly got out of there because I didn't want to draw attention to it, the little guy was so vulnerable having not even stood up yet.
Like many folks in Western PA, we find the occasional black snake in the yard. I let them slink off, but if necessary I'll fish it into a box and release it in the woods. Usually they are pretty docile.
My next-door neighbor, a biker who looks the part, is deadly afraid of snakes. Several years back he found one wrapped around the leg of the standing tool box in his garage. He calls our house, and my wife calls me at work to come home to resolve the situation. Now, on a manly scale I am much closer to Elmer Fudd than a Son of Anarchy. So I come home, grab a rake and enter the garage, biker and son behind me as our wives watched from the yard.
This snake was having a bad day.
I approach. The snake unwinds and launches itself a good three feet right at us. I mean, I had no idea they could spring like that. From there it was a cartoon scene -- three men running from the garage -- Fred, Barney and Bam Bam -- chased by the snake. As we huddled at the street to plot our next move, the snake shimmied up a lilac bush and sat there, glaring. I could only wonder what was going through his reptilian brain, but our wives' color commentary was enough. From there he was easy enough to coax into a bag. We took him to Montour Creek and let him go. If a snake could flip the bird, I'm sure he would have as he disappeared down the embankment.
My next-door neighbor, a biker who looks the part, is deadly afraid of snakes. Several years back he found one wrapped around the leg of the standing tool box in his garage. He calls our house, and my wife calls me at work to come home to resolve the situation. Now, on a manly scale I am much closer to Elmer Fudd than a Son of Anarchy. So I come home, grab a rake and enter the garage, biker and son behind me as our wives watched from the yard.
This snake was having a bad day.
I approach. The snake unwinds and launches itself a good three feet right at us. I mean, I had no idea they could spring like that. From there it was a cartoon scene -- three men running from the garage -- Fred, Barney and Bam Bam -- chased by the snake. As we huddled at the street to plot our next move, the snake shimmied up a lilac bush and sat there, glaring. I could only wonder what was going through his reptilian brain, but our wives' color commentary was enough. From there he was easy enough to coax into a bag. We took him to Montour Creek and let him go. If a snake could flip the bird, I'm sure he would have as he disappeared down the embankment.
Yeah 2 years ago I was cutting my grass and this huge black snake came up into the yard. I quickly grabbed a rake to keep him from going into my garage, and the bleeping snake started to go up the wheel well of my car. The snake was huge and heavy. I got him wrapped around the rake....then walked down the street and into the woods and flung him over the hill.
They are surprisingly strong critters for being so thin! Damn snake was thrashing in the bag as we drove to the creek.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
pittdan77
Athletic Director
The PAGC is doing a lot to create habitat near the tops of mountains where they have game lands. It's a pretty ambitious project and it allows the GC to make some money cutting down some timber and selling it. The habitat will help with other animals, too.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Oh, regarding killing a rattler in self defense or something. Not against it at all but do yourself a favor and don't post any pictures on social media of a dead snake or tell too many people. PAGC is super aggressive in prosecuting and they'll hit you with a laundry list of charges.
Never experienced that aggression before that particular snake. We found a 60-incher one time that was easy as a lamb. Not this dude.
Carnegie Museum used to claim bobcats were extinct in PA since 1937. My uncle who lived in northern Susquehanna Co, scoffed when I told him that having seen bobcats multiple times while hunting deer with shotgun and deer slug in a heavily forested area of the county. this was back in the 1970s.
Does the state still consider Bobcats extinct in PA?
Does the state still consider Bobcats extinct in PA?
Nah, they're everywhere now. They like freshly tilled soil, so you tend to see a lot of them around areas undergoing new construction.
I’d buy one just to get this attachment:Nah, they're everywhere now. They like freshly tilled soil, so you tend to see a lot of them around areas undergoing new construction.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
Per PA Game Commission, bobcats are plentiful enough in the Commonwealth to "earn" a hunting season, which runs through Feb. 3. Lynx rufus is the only recognized wild feline in Pennsylvania. I like one of its alternate names: Swamp Tiger.
pittdan77
Athletic Director
So PA black snakes are aggressive but are they as big as Alabama black snakes?
You bad. LOL
funny, I just saw a red fox in my back yard last night...damn thing called me a big dummy...
pittdan77
Athletic Director
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