With convention just around the corner, I thought I share this tid-bit on the native wildlife in southern Indiana. Now my pioneer ancestors, saw fit to hunt the wolf, bear, lynx and the puma to extinction, not near extinction but down right eradicated them from the state of Indiana. One hasn't been sighted since the late 1800's. I however, would welcome them back, especially here in the city where they might help with the rampant gang problem. Anyway... there are the occasionally bob-cat reports and rattle snakes were better at hiding too during this time of extermination. With this in mind and my general confinement to the concrete jungles of urban Chicago, I will occasionally escape to southern Indiana for hiking, camping and caving. Once while poking around in a bed-rock edged ravine out in the Hoosier National forest I came across a hole in the rocks with feathers and other bric-a-brac of dead things, when a horrible and blood curdling hiss emanated from the whole. Leaping back, thinking that Mr. Bobcat was home, I caught a glimpse of the snowy-white fluff-covered vulture chick that was tucked away in the alcove.
Another wild-life encounter, and the center of why I hate established campgrounds relates to the following: Some fellow cavers and I were camped at Spring Mill near Mitchell, IN one weekend. One had brought his small and squat black dog and would generally hang out under a table waiting for food to be dropped. This was a habit at home and the dog followed it there in the wilds of tent camping site 14-north. So as I stood at the table fixing a bagel, the dog was busy chewing on something that had been dropped previously. I was unconcerned until I saw the dog sleeping over by the tents. At this point, doubting the dog had cracked some theory of quantum mechanics and was both under the table and sleeping at the tent I rechecked my observations. Dog by tent - check. At this point, I re-observed the dog's doppelganger and noticed what I failed to see before: a white strip. Adrenaline kicked in and picked the flight option, leaping backward I screamed "skunk". This reaction is much better than a later skunk encounter, where my sister shot back hollering "squirrel". Granted that was in Colorado, may be she knew something I'd missed in my encounters with rodents of North America but she knew it was a skunk and was at a loss for a better, more apt word. --- Bill Bentley <[email protected]> wrote: > Summer 1993 Midnight Canyon in Carlsbad Caverns National Park. > I once poked a stick in a crevice where I saw bird feathers near. > There was > a really loud hissing noise coming out of the small cave crack. Later > I > found out that mountain lions or wildcats have been reported in that > area. > Reflections later....Probably on the long list of stupid things you > do in > your life... > Bill - Jack Wood University of Illinois at Chicago Earth and Environmental Sciences Department 845 W. Taylor Ave. (M/C 186) Chicago, IL 60607 (312) 413-9695 ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better Globetrotter. Get better travel answers from someone who knows. Yahoo! Answers - Check it out. http://answers.yahoo.com/dir/?link=list&sid=396545469 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Visit our website: http://texascavers.com To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
