August 28, 2017
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Montana Outdoors
Way beyond our comprehension! The nose knows. 🙂
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Comment by Pat — August 28, 2017 @ 5:00 pm
Sometimes I would like to smell what he smells, but most of the time I’m glad I don’t.
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Comment by montucky — August 28, 2017 @ 5:08 pm
I always let Buddy take the lead going into the meadow and I keep an eye on the trees along the fenceline. If he smells bears, or anything untoward, he tends to skirt the meadow, avoid the trees, and heads back towards the outbuildings closer to the house. Besides bears, the neighbor has evidence of wolves. I always trust Buddy’s instincts, and his sense of smell. 🙂
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Comment by Teresa Evangeline — August 28, 2017 @ 5:09 pm
It sounds like Buddy has a good sense for what may be dangerous. Isn’t it nice to have his company! Buster hasn’t yet met a bear, although he came close a week or so ago: I saw a bear at close range but when I spoke to the bear he skedaddled before Buster got to see him. He knows the smell (he once rolled in bear poop) but hasn’t connected that to the visual yet. When we’re out though, I always look closely at where he is looking. I was concerned about his tendency to investigate snakes, and so he received his rattlesnake vaccine this summer: one less thing to worry about.
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Comment by montucky — August 28, 2017 @ 6:44 pm
Had a very large black bear go through the backyard earlier this summer. Buddy was my early warning system, from his 30 ft. tether by the porch. An older cub thought he’d help himself to the hummingbird feeder on the porch, I told him he best be on his way and he complied. Yes, Buddy has rolled in bear poop, more than once, and it’s something I’d very much like to avoid in the future.:)) So glad I don’t have rattlers to worry about ….
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Comment by Teresa Evangeline — August 28, 2017 @ 9:14 pm
Haven’t had any bear visits at the house yet this year, but the apples are getting ripe and the mountains are very dry, so I expect to see some. I like a little snow on the ground so I can see who visits during the night. Last week I successfully discouraged a skunk from taking up residence here, fortunately before Buster got involved. Then there was an incident one evening with a raccoon: Buster had a small cut on his head and the raccoon has never returned. Once in awhile there is a visit from a mountain lion, but he hasn’t seen one yet. That should be interesting. He has agreed to stop chasing deer and I hope that will apply to elk and moose as well when the time comes. There’s always something!
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Comment by montucky — August 28, 2017 @ 9:42 pm
Hi, I am really into flowers and love your pictures all spring and summer. You make me try harder but don’t quite get there. I would REALLY like to get the Lady Slipper you posted in the spring. Can you tell me exactly where you found it. I live in Mackay in the summer but Phoenix the rest of the time. I am trying to get my granddaughter to take me to where ever it is as she is a good driver and has a better eye for taking pictures too. Sharon
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Comment by Pug888@aol.com — August 28, 2017 @ 5:11 pm
I’m glad that you share my love for flowers Sharon! Lady Slippers are fairly common in several places in this locale. As I recall, the photos I took of them this spring were along the road to the Spring Creek trail head. About 6 miles west of the Montana town of Plains on Montana highway 200, a Forest Service road (USFS road 887) turns off and goes up Weeksville Creek. One and a half miles up that road another road turns off and goes a mile to the Spring Creek trail head (USFS road 18477). There are usually Lady Slippers along that road. The photos of them were taken on May 28th. In this region Lady Slippers are in good bloom from about the middle of May through about the first week of June. MacKay is about 326 miles from here though, but if you are in this area during that time period and want to see Lady Slippers, please contact me and I will be happy to help you find some.
I see from the USDA website that they are also found in the northern part of Idaho (In Valley and Washington Counties and north). I would bet that if you call the Ranger Station in MacKay, they could tell you where you might be able to find them the closest to you.
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Comment by montucky — August 28, 2017 @ 7:13 pm
Probably a grizzly watching the house. Nothing to worry about.
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Comment by Malcolm R. Campbell — August 28, 2017 @ 10:58 pm
Yes, probably nothing more.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 7:51 am
It would be highly interesting to know!!! 🙂
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Comment by Hanna — August 29, 2017 @ 3:59 am
Despite having been together only a year now we know each other very well. He tolerates my verbal conversation and understands more of it than one would think, and I have learned how expressive he can be with his movements and body language. We both now speak two languages, one verbal and one visual and that works very well.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 7:56 am
That’s a story within the story, Montucky 🙂
Thank you so much!!
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Comment by Hanna — August 29, 2017 @ 8:53 am
A dog is man’s best friend when it comes to the sense of smell. Hope he always warns of bears and potentially dangerous wild critters.
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Comment by Vicki — August 29, 2017 @ 6:39 am
He has a lot of advantages; in his sense of smell, his hearing and his eyesight, greatly superior to mine in the night. He speaks to me through his attitude toward a sense perception.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 8:01 am
Something surely got his attention! You’ve got a great friend and protector there. 🙂
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Comment by Mama's Empty Nest — August 29, 2017 @ 6:48 am
He doesn’t know he’s doing it of course, but his reactions to something that gets his attention speak volumes about what might be expected. He understands my language well and I have learned to speak fluent “dog”.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 8:07 am
What a great photo. There’s no telling what he’d be sensing if he were here. People are picking up young alligators off their driveways, deer are roaming, and there are flotillas of ducks everywhere.
The best news is that the night’s not quite so dark. Under normal circumstances, a dark night is beautiful, but during major flooding, it just makes things more dangerous — and unnerving — for everyone.
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Comment by shoreacres — August 29, 2017 @ 8:59 am
Having not ever been through an event like that, especially not in an urban setting, I can only imagine what it is like. I feel deeply for those most affected and also for those who respond to bring help and rescue to those who need it. I do know that there are legions of heroes there, most of whom will never be officially celebrated.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 9:22 am
He’s not looking very confident in that stance. Tail is not riding high, but at least the hackles aren’t up too high either. Still, I wouldn’t go charging out there to find out what it is. Just go into the house and lock the door. (Smart coward that I am.) Interesting about the snake vaccine! It’s a big deal to try to get it here as we are not in rattlesnake country, but for visiting there, we have asked about it. How did your dog react to the vaccine? Any side effects? That was another worry about giving it to our dogs (if we could get it).
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — August 29, 2017 @ 11:00 am
Actually, that tail position on Buster indicates “ready”; he never carries it high. Had there been anything serious out there, he would have been turning frequently to look at me for “go” or other instructions.
There were no reactions or side effects at all to the vaccine, but he’s a big dog too (92 lbs) and that might make a difference. The vaccine seems to be readily available here. It takes two shots, about a month apart and it lasts for a year. Fortunately it is not very expensive. Makes me wonder why there isn’t one available for humans!
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 11:33 am
Good to hear that he had no side effects. Is it good for a year?
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Comment by wordsfromanneli — August 29, 2017 @ 11:45 am
That’s what I understand.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 12:16 pm
I hope it wasn’t a bear!
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — August 29, 2017 @ 2:52 pm
Haven’t had a bear visit yet this year, but a bear is far from the worst visitor I might have. Probably the worst is a skunk. When I do go out very far after midnight though I carry a pistol and a good light: I have had cougars visit during the night too. Black bears are pretty mellow, and a visit from a Griz would be extremely rare right here.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 3:32 pm
I think I’d rather meet a bear than a cougar. Skunks aren’t a problem here but I don’t have a dog either.
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Comment by New Hampshire Garden Solutions — August 29, 2017 @ 4:15 pm
I would too, with the exception of the Griz and I don’t want anything at all to do with them. I’ve met many bears but few cougars. I think that is intentional on my part and also on theirs.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 4:28 pm
I am always amazed at how aware my dog is when we are outside
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Comment by John Purdy — August 29, 2017 @ 4:31 pm
They have and use to their advantage thousands of years of instincts. Most of us have forgotten or not used ours.
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Comment by montucky — August 29, 2017 @ 4:36 pm
Interesting photo. Yes, what Your dog saw or smelled indeed.
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Comment by Sartenada — August 30, 2017 @ 12:36 am
An enjoyable mystery!
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Comment by montucky — August 30, 2017 @ 7:15 am
Oh yes he is definitely alert to something that you aren’t! Great pooch, great shot 😃
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Comment by Julie@frogpondfarm — August 30, 2017 @ 12:48 am
It’s joyful having a dog like Buster!
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Comment by montucky — August 30, 2017 @ 7:16 am
A brilliant picture and a great looking dog. A smell is telling him something but what ? Our dogs are so much more aware of their surroundings than we ever will be. Happy for you that you have such a good companion.
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Comment by isathreadsoflife — September 1, 2017 @ 8:47 am
I enjoy seeing his reactions to things and watch him closely for indications to what may in the proximity. I’m really happy that I found him and that he now part of my family!
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Comment by montucky — September 1, 2017 @ 8:55 am
Great lighting on Buster, conveying the sense of who-knows-what is out there.
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Comment by Candace — September 1, 2017 @ 1:19 pm
That was just the light from my flashlight on a very dark night. He knows more than I about what’s out in the darkness.
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Comment by montucky — September 1, 2017 @ 1:43 pm