Random crap with Uno.

[Unorthodox]

SOMETHING in the garden this morning. 

I leave every morning at 5:30 or so.  I walk out the back and around the garden.

This time of year, that's about an hour and a half before sunrise, so it's nice an dark.  We also get NO light pollution in the back yard from street lights or such unless a neighbor leaves their back porch on, which is not typical. 

My night vision is above average to down right excellent, and I've been able to work and navigate in the dark for most my life, regularly working on the farm in the darkness and encountering all the regular critters. 

SOMETHING has been PICKING and eating our tomatoes. 
Badgers have been reported in the city. 
Raccoons and skunks are regulars. 
Porcupines are not unheard of. 

I'm familiar with all "in the wild", save the badger. 

Whatever it was was dark colored, but beyond that I can't put a color on.  Smaller than a typical cat, and seemed to be upright when I first saw it.  It hunched and went into the pumpkins. 

Started yammering at me as I walked by and generally thrashing and making as much noise in the vines as it could.  My typical response in these situations is to just ignore it and move along like I don't care.  This aproach has kept me from getting sprayed by skunks or attacked by various animals in the defensive posturing, so I just moved on without trying to identify. 

Not typical skunk or raccoon behavior.  No smell, either.  Though skunks don't ALWAYS smell.   
Not familiar with the sounds it was making and while not typical behaviour I wouldn't rule out OWL based on the sound either (I'm forgetting the name of the little owl with the wierd sound).  We've had mice and rats in the yard this year, so theoretically possible.   

[Rusty Edge]

My guess is a possum. They like Tomatoes. Well, I think they eat practically everything if they're hungry, kinda like rats.

Although as far as the sound goes, I've only heard hisses and throaty sounds, sort of like a tiger makes.

[Rusty Edge]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZCTC5iwEGI  Possum sounds. Apparently they can vocalize.

[Unorthodox]

My guess is a possum. They like Tomatoes. Well, I think they eat practically everything if they're hungry, kinda like rats.

Although as far as the sound goes, I've only heard hisses and throaty sounds, sort of like a tiger makes.

Non native to Utah.  Doubt there's much of a pet trade...

[Rusty Edge]

I think they're hideous, but my sister has a friend who keeps one as a pet. It rides around on her shoulder.
I suggested possum because I figured you weren't familiar with them, and as you've proved just because something's not officially in a state doesn't mean it doesn't pass through.

I know next to nothing about wild badgers from personal experience. I may live in the badger state, but the only live one I've seen is at the zoo, and it's not alive any more.


Maybe you could do something to capture tracks. Soak the ground, or cover it in some kind of dust? Dry sand maybe?

[Unorthodox]

Most logical answer would be a kit raccoon.  About the time of year for them to be wandering further away from mom.  Maybe it was more distress/calling mom?  Something I wouldn't really know what sounds like.  I'd expect a coon to be more destructive than the one or two a night once or twice a week that I'm seeing on the tomatoes.  hEt has positively ID'd a coon on our street this year on her way home from work in the middle of the night as well. 

Possums seem to avoid the rockies all together. 

Badger MIGHT be hunting mice, and theoretically might bite into the tomatoes to go after the juice to drink.  It would be consistent with the one bite and drop it nature of the 'eating'. 

Skunks have traditionally been in our garden.  Fairly sure we had one earlier in the year, but only briefly.  Maybe it returned. 

[Bertilak]

Most logical answer would be a kit raccoon.  About the time of year for them to be wandering further away from mom.  Maybe it was more distress/calling mom?  Something I wouldn't really know what sounds like.  I'd expect a coon to be more destructive than the one or two a night once or twice a week that I'm seeing on the tomatoes.  hEt has positively ID'd a coon on our street this year on her way home from work in the middle of the night as well. 

Possums seem to avoid the rockies all together. 

Badger MIGHT be hunting mice, and theoretically might bite into the tomatoes to go after the juice to drink.  It would be consistent with the one bite and drop it nature of the 'eating'. 

Skunks have traditionally been in our garden.  Fairly sure we had one earlier in the year, but only briefly.  Maybe it returned. 

One of the great questions about this universe .

[Unorthodox]

One of the great questions about this universe .

The day I don't find joy and wonder in such a simple experience is the day I want to die. 

[Unorthodox]

Father is officially entered into the city scarecrow contest, which just opened registration. 

on the form:  "briefly describe what your scarecrow will look like."


"Traditional pumpkin headed scarecrow with a twist"

[Buster's Uncle]

[vonbach]

I have started playing fallout shelter. This game is evil.
I may die in front of my monitor from starvation.

[Rusty Edge]

One of the great questions about this universe .

Actually, I find this mystery interesting. Same as I did the mystery jumping spider, the monarch butterflies that didn't exist in Utah, the aphid plague, and the slug plague that was defeated by a skunk. It's all cool.

The great thing about this forum is that you have the ability to create a thread of your own and name it -
"Great Questions of the Universe with Dio" and you can post whatever you deem appropriate. Pretty cool, huh?

[Buster's Uncle]

Dio?

Yeah, I think he's pretty swell.

[Unorthodox]

I have started playing fallout shelter. This game is evil.
I may die in front of my monitor from starvation.

Iphone game?  Maybe I'll have to try it out. 

[Bertilak]

One of the great questions about this universe .

Actually, I find this mystery interesting. Same as I did the mystery jumping spider, the monarch butterflies that didn't exist in Utah, the aphid plague, and the slug plague that was defeated by a skunk. It's all cool.

The great thing about this forum is that you have the ability to create a thread of your own and name it -
"Great Questions of the Universe with Dio" and you can post whatever you deem appropriate. Pretty cool, huh?

I think Rusty Edge had a sarcastic intent behind his post, and I believe that he tires of my laconic humor.