Where is Ratdog????

[Aspp]

Today's been a VERY busy day thus far ! Within the first four hours of today's shift, I've ID's and watched FOUR separate Polar Bear boars !!! Two have wandered off, two are bedded down and hangin' out within 150yds. And... the fog is beginning to roll in once again.

That ought to make some butt holes pucker up!

 

[histopicker]

That ought to make some butt holes pucker up!

by a factor of ten.

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

If the polar bears get ya can I have your guns!?!

 

[Ratdog68]

The third one in hiding came out again... went nose to nose with #1 and began jousting and boxing a little bit, then they became buddies. The previously timid one is darker in color, almost the color of the gravel... even when he emerged straight up from the ocean. I'm wondering whether he's a hybrid? So, I have three I'm watching right now.

 

[Aspp]

The third one in hiding came out again... went nose to nose with #1 and began jousting and boxing a little bit, then they became buddies. The previously timid one is darker in color, almost the color of the gravel... even when he emerged straight up from the ocean. I'm wondering whether he's a hybrid? So, I have three I'm watching right now.

You know the rules!!!

 

[Ratdog68]

Hey... give a feller some time to shoot/downsize/upload. LOL

It looks to me like his undercoat is dark, and his outer guard hair coat is the more creamy white color. This is how he looked (same as here) when he emerged from the ocean. I watched him come up. The sort of a "halo effect" of his appearance is what is making me think he's got darker fur beneath.

Here he is near another of the boars I'm watching.

 

[Ratdog68]

Sounds like things could get interesting. I have to say knowing two polar bears are within 150 yards of me secluded by fog could tend to be a bit un-nerving.

I've had a total of FOUR today... three at present. What was really unsettling was last November when I was doing my morning "bag inspection" of the beaches (island's perimeter) and came across tracks ON our island !! I had the guys at the desk start searching the video camera recordings while I was conducting a search of all the dark corners of the island... and getting people back inside while determining whether we had 'em ON the island still. The sow's prints were ALMOST as large as my size 14 boot prints. Turns out, they were on the island at 0100 hrs., night shift had just missed seeing them. The trio were long gone by the time I was there at 0600 hrs. I strive to be "first eyes" on an intruder on my watch at least 50% of the time. Given that there's at least 60 more pairs of eyes running around, a goal of 50% is fair. Right now, for this season, I'm 5 for 6 at being first eyes on.

 

[Ratdog68]

Wow... today's been really busy too ! I've had SEVEN different bears today... at present, have FOUR in front of me !

01 Sow with a pair of yearlings left just before lunch
01 Sow (collared) with a COY has been here since just after lunch
01 Large boar arrived this afternoon
01 Small boar arrived later this afternoon

Neither pair knows the other pair is around (the sow would be up and running). The sow is about 1/2 mile east of the boars. The larger boar bullied the smaller one out of his bed and took ownership of it (bedding down in it). He paced back/forth in front of the smaller one, yawned as he was doing so... then turned and did the stiff legged walk towards him. The smaller one got up and ran to the SW until he felt safe again, and found a new bed to lay in.

If the boar (larger one in particular) finds the sow, she'll run off. The boars can/will kill and eat the cub, bringing the sow into heat again and mate with her.

Tell me again how the Polar bears are declining in numbers? I'm sitting on a 12 acre island and have ID'd and watched at a MINIMUM, 10 different Polar bears in ONE week !!!

 

[histopicker]

Where is the old dog? I really want to read some more Polar bear adventures!

 

[FrankT]

After his last story he may be busy w the bears, shame they will not allow them to shoot at will and have some fun feeding the residents.

 

[Ratdog68]

Work was crazy this time. Between poor internet connection and too much "busy work" filling each day up, the vehicle going down twice in one hitch... didn't get ONE chance to log on, other than to check emails each day.

I hear that Kaktovik (village to the east) got a whale, and folks were out videoing the 15 polar bears that showed up to feed on the carcass. We had only ONE bear show up this entire hitch, and it was a brief one... on the night shift.

 

[FrankT]

HE"S BACK, 100 posts in the first hour! Welcome home old man!

 

[Ratdog68]

HE"S BACK, 100 posts in the first hour! Welcome home old man!

Hey, I'm not that bad. LOL Thanks, good to be home again. Been wonderin' what's happening 'round here while I was gone. Glad to see the place didn't burn down, or flood.

 

[FrankT]

We flooded and lots of TX got rain, but are still here awaiting your return!

 

[Ratdog68]

Well... a couple of days before leaving work, this is what the place was lookin' like. Notice the already "drifting" snow in the lower right?

The next day, prior to the sun rising...

After sun-up...

Yes kids... that's salt water. The Arctic Ocean is going slurpee already. (Ack)

 

[Ratdog68]

It's been crazy, one day we'll have chunks of ice (as one big sheet) as far as you can see... then the wind will change direction and blow it all off to the east and we'll have nothing but open water. The next day, it'll ice back up again. Today, open water again.

We have an ODD critter in the waters up here, called an "Isopod". A marine "bug". To look at 'em, they look like the "pill bugs" you see in the back yard (some call 'em Roly-Poly). I saw one pulled from the shoreline the other day... about 6" long and about 2.5" wide. Another way to describe what they look like is to have only the tail section of a lobster. Weird lookin' things. I'm wondering whether this is what the seals feed on. I also wonder if the bears snack on these when they can't find seals?

 

[FrankT]

What do they taste like RD? We want a personal report!

 

[TEXASLAWMAN]

Weird looking things

 

[Ratdog68]

What do they taste like RD? We want a personal report!

I'm wondering whether they have a lobster like flavor to 'em? Strange critters.

 

[Itsazonik]

cook some up so we can all know