I've been compiling some pictures of other wildlife at the pond this spring. Thought I'd share them here. the pond has been a magnet for activity since the ice came off at the end of March.

nice pictures!

Great photos, I'd love to have some painted turtles, just got snappers.

Nice pics, looks like a great place to relax.

Nice pics, I love the toad and bull frog!

I've got a couple you can have! I'm worried they could climb into one of my fish cages or chew their way in!

I wouldn't think painted turtles would be a problem, but when I couln't find the fish in the cage the first thing I thought was snappers.

great pics, nice looking water. thanks for sharing.

That toad looks like his name is Guido and all the other pond denizens have to pay him a weekly "gift" for protection.

Love the deer picture!!!!!

Eddie

My neighbor has 2 Red Fox pup's living under his barn and they roam the neighborhood like they own it.
They seem to think I built the backyard mini pond as their private watering hole.

Cute! And I am sure very naughty...

The fox is neat - I'd put my trail cam on the pond to see what else visits -

I got this picture at the pond the other night - the flash doesn't show the pond in the backround so I didn't include it in my 1st set of pictures.



FH

That white clover looks great... What all is in that mix?

Those pictures look great. I really should carry the camera with me. 2 days ago I had 3 velvet bucks graze thru the food plot on the South side of the pond as I was fishing on the West side. They didn't even seem that nervous even tho they were about 75 yds away. I had the wind, and didn't move once I saw them so they maybe thought I was part of the landscape. All 3 had horns that were just shy of the ends of their ears.

Sounds like you've got the makings for a nice hunting season this fall...

The past two years I thought so too, but when I the deer didn't show, I put out the trail cams. I had them set to shoot 3 pics in a row. It turns out I had some dogs running the deer. First pic would be a deer, next pic would be one or two dogs, and then just the forest in the 3rd pic. If that happens again this year, I'm starting trapping season early!

VA is awful... Most parts of the state it is still legal to run deer with dogs during the general firearms season. Dogs do not understand property lines. Very frustrating trying to bow hunt from a treestand only to have dogs running around chasing the deer. Sometimes unwanted remedies must be taken.

It isn't legal in Indiana (running dogs with deer), and you're correct, the dogs don't know property lines. The biggest problem is the owner - he lets the dogs run loose because they are "coon hounds". I didn't know that a Queensland Heeler, Black Lab, Beagle and German Shepard/Golden Retriever mix were considered "coon hounds". I talked to a local Conservation officer, and he said "as a landowner, you are allowed to hunt or trap coyotes on your property at any time", and if I see any domestic animals chasing wild game on my property, that I should catch them if possible and I should call him immediately after capture. He also said that I "should capture them any way possible". When I asked him how I should hold them for him, put them in the dog kennel? or airline crate?, he said that laying them on the ground by the barn would be fine. He knows the animals in question, and the owner............

I saw the lab earlier this Spring, and it was painfully thin. I'll bet I could put my hands around it's midsection and touch my middle fingers and thumbs together, it looked that thin. I know that it's not the dog's fault, it's the owners, but out here in the country there's not much help from the humane society unless the animals are locked up and neglected. The Shepard/Golden mix and Heeler ran when they saw me last month, so calling them in and feeding them isn't an option either.

One of the reasons that I bought this property is that it's prime deer territory, and they use the property as a travel route on a daily basis. I am able to hold them here for a short time by planting food plots, and they'll bed here as well if they are left alone. Now in addition to passing thru, they are making this place a breakfast and dining spot on their restraunt menu.

Anna, if you see this, do you have any suggestions?

This apple tree is 20' from the edge of the pond now, and to my knowledge this boy is still out there. The property record stands at a 142" net 10 point taken with my muzzleloader.

Here are a couple of pictures of my newest visitor. It has been here almost 2 months, but today is the first time I have been able to get any kind of picture and these were taken through the kitchen window, if I open the door it spooks the lizard and ruins the photo op.

It looks to be about 3' long. I am hoping it is a female here to lay eggs.

Very neat Rad!!

We don't have any big lizards in Arkansas, but I did have a 4 foot alligator show up about a month after my pond had water in it.

Is that some species of Monitor, Rad?

That's a nice green color to the water! What do the lizards eat, and is that as big as it will get?

The brow tines on that buck are impressive!

Theo, it is either a varanus salvator macromaculatus or maybe varanus salvator komaini.
There is apparently a scientific discussion as to whether the komaini is a sub species or a variation.

esshup, it will at least double in length and probably reach 70 pounds in weight. That is if it lives to maturity, in my neighborhood it is a menu item. The largest found are in the 3 meter range and over 70 kilos.

The book says it will eat anything it can over power, a scary phrase. Book also says it eats a lot and fish are in its diet.

That color of green is because of all of the rain water that has been added over the last month or so.

Two Lakes, we have crocodiles here, but they are even more rare than the monitors.

Thanks Rad. Great pics. In the oxbows we have large lizards (gators) . I have one skull from a 12 ft gator. It has a 30 cal hole in it that I did not put there. I think that happened because it had a couple dog collars in its gut.

Thanks Rad. Interesting stuff!

Rad that lizard pic sure is different -
Neat to see!

CJ -the mix was at the co-op and was a "conservation Mix" -
but it included White clovers, several fesues and rye grass. planted last July.

It came in thin - but has been thickening up nicely this Spring, especially where there was shade. We are going to let it all go to seed one time before we start regularly mowing.