Critter picture tread,(post what you have)

[RobertBrown]

Are these feral deer?
I didn't think there were native wild deer down under,..never heard of marsupial deer either.

There are deer there, but you are right they are not native. They were introduced. There are no deer indeginous to Australia.
Six species of deer were released at various locations. The animals dispersed and established wild populations at various locations across Australia, mostly depending upon their points of release into the wild.
I think a Kangaroo is probably the closest thing you will find to a "marsupial deer".

 

[RobertBrown]

Our winter 'Roo's on our house paddock lawn/gardens again- the size the larger 'Roo in the foreground is close to c.6ft when standing & quite capable of killing any hunting dog or causing serious injury to people if provoked (they're in the wild not all quite the cuddly creatures as portrayed on the tourist brochures), we occassionally hand feed this small mob & treat them with a healthy respect - we should also see a few wild deer too coming down in the next few days as it's getting colder @ c.0degC .
Makes a change from the reptiles of summer - like the c.5-6ft venomous black, brown & tiger snakes, & c.6ft goannas/lace monitors that can make for some" interesting" outdoor/gardening companions.

I have seen these things close up at the zoo we have nearby. The enclosure allows visitors in with the Kangaroos. I was there once while the male was sleeping and it enabled me to see the claws close up. They are formidable weapons, and the roo himself went over 5 feet tall. You could easily see that this is a powerful animal. I keep a fence between myself and him from now on.
You would not want to get on the bad side of a full grown male Kangaroo, you would not stand a chance.

 

[MBTRAC]

Are these feral deer?
I didn't think there were native wild deer down under,..never heard of marsupial deer either.

Yes right on, no native deer down under - these are feral deer ,existing in/around our farms (in the more remote hills/valleys) in the wild for many generations - according to my 94yr old grandfather at least since the 1930's.
We see mostly Red deer which seem to have more of a herd/pack instinct when they come down onto the pastures in winter, & there is also a similar large population around us of the much less visible Sambar deer.
The Sambars are generally in smaller groups or solitary, and whilst all deer are "flighty" the Sambars are extremely shy/far more reluctant for any human encounter/observation usually staying well concealed wherever possible in heavy timber/bush cover & make themselves scarce the moment they sense/smell people around.
The Sambar stags are @ c.150cm+ (50inches?) at the shoulder & at a guess weigh c.240kgs+ (530lbs ? ), are aggressive if cornered (as has happened by our dogs a few times) & make a defensive sound that once heard will never be forgotten (absolutely deafening at mega decibels that rattles your brain, like a cross between an air horn & a squealing pig - as a kid scared the hell out of me & makes most dogs retreat for cover).
All good venison.

 

[Bison]

A Wood chuck has set up shop under my barn in the background.
As long as he/she refrains from going in the hayfield next to it and dig a burrow there..he/she lives,if not...,...his/her life expires!

 

[RobertBrown]

A Wood chuck has set up shop under my barn in the background.
As long as he/she refrains from going in the hayfield next to it and dig a burrow there..he/she lives,if not...,...his/her life expires!

Looks just like a ground hog :tongue:. Why don't you name him Phil?....I have no experience with rodents that large, Why is borrowing if the field a problem?
Did you know the name "woodchuck comes from the Indian word "wuchak"?

 

[midnite rider]

Looks just like a ground hog :tongue:. Why don't you name him Phil?....I have no experience with rodents that large, Why is borrowing if the field a problem?
Did you know the name "woodchuck comes from the Indian word "wuchak"?

If he has cows are bison in his case in the field they could step in the burrow and injure their leg possibly.
For your information to the age old question. :biggrin:
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
An article in the Wall street Journal reports on the work of New York state wildlife expert Richard Thomas, who found that a woodchuck could (and does) chuck around 35 cubic feet of dirt in the course of digging a burrow. Thomas reasoned that if a woodchuck could chuck wood, he would chuck an amount equivalent to the weight of the dirt, or 700 pounds.

 

[Bison]

Looks just like a ground hog :tongue:. Why don't you name him Phil?....I have no experience with rodents that large, Why is borrowing if the field a problem?
Did you know the name "woodchuck comes from the Indian word "wuchak"?

Ground hog-woodchuck-wuchak..,its one and the same,..i usually call them varmint....this one i named Obama:laughing:

What!,..you tell me you got no neighbors:confused2:

Cause they build hills when the dig their burrows and when i come along with the haybine to mow the field the dirt from the hill plugs the cutter bar and i have to stop to clean it out,and that is a PITA.:tongue:

 

[BKBrown]

Groundhogs - Woodchucks not only create mounds of dirt that mess up machinery - the holes also have broken tractor axles, and larger animals (cows, horses, etc.) sometimes break legs when they step in the holes. They can undermine foundations in buildings and have animals drop into the burrows inside the building - even breaking legs inside barns. They aren't bad eating if you get rid of the musk sacks when cleaning and also make good food for the dogs and cats.
Farmers where I grew up used to provide ammo for free if you would go shoot the pests.

 

[Bison]

Ground hogs are not that common on my place,..i see only a couple of them a year,..mostly when cutting hay cause i run in their mounds...I'll shoot them if i see them.
I would venture to say if one breaks an axle on a tractor or implement in a ground hog hole,that the operator was driving to fast or that axle was about to break anyway cause its not like one runs into a bomb crater

Last night i shot and killed "Obama",
much like the real one in the WH he proved to be a nuicance. He started to climb under the hood of my truck ,I tought i better send him to Allah before he might want to take a liking to chewing on the wiring:wink:

 

[BKBrown]

The axles that have been broken tended to be just over a rise on the downside and not seen before hitting a sizable hole and usually right next to a large rock. I'd agree it was probably too fast and never actually seen it happen, just heard about it. Usually when the story was told, it was a younger driver pulling a wagon.

Most often the problem was with livestock stepping in the holes when tall grass was covering the area. I've heard of the tunnels being under a barn floor and the cow or horse breaking into the tunnel resulting in the injury.

Slightly different and no evidence of injury, but often see deer tracks in mole tunnels where they went in quite deep.