OT...4 raccoons and 6 deer...

[phillinois]

That's what I walked out to on the west porch a little bit ago. (just for you city folk, the deer weren't on the porch)
Nothing unusual about that except the relatively young 6 point buck was there with his bitches.

If this were a football game this place would get a five yard penalty for encroachment.

 

[gtanduga]

We live in a suburb of ATL and behind us is about six acres of undeveloped land that the family has owned for decades (hopefully they'll keep it that way and keep saying no to the real estate developers!). Every now and then we'll see some deer in our back yard or an occasional fox. At night, the owls get their hoots going and it's pretty cool. Scares the wifey to hear them all hooting, but I think it's great!

 

[Soccerpal]

We're in the suburbs of Houston and live on a golf course. We take golf cart rides around the course in the evenings.
We often see deer, raccoons, rabbits, foxes, hogs and even skunks.
It is an amazing sight this close to a large city.

 

[John Otterstedt]

Well, I'm in the middle of the city, and I was out walking my mini poodles through the neighborhood one night when I saw a large dog in the distance trotting down the middle of the street like he was lost or got out from a backyard. I was concerned for him because it was dark and he was staying in the middle of the street, so I started approaching him to see if he had a collar. When I got about 40 feet from him, he veered to the opposite side of the street and that's when I noticed it wasn't a dog. It was a coyote about as big as I've ever seen one - bigger than most full-size dogs and not too skinny. He was apparently well fed. That's also about the time my poodles decided they wanted a piece of him and started going ape ****, to which the coyote just halted in his tracks and mad-dog'd us from across the street. It's difficult to explain to dogs when they need to shut up and leave well enough alone. I honestly thought I was about to lose both poodles and have to wrestle the life out of this coyote, but I finally managed to drag the poodles by their leashes enough that they gave up and the coyote turned away as well and darted down into the creek that runs through the neighborhood.

 

[phillinois]

Dang Jcon, whew, that sounds like a button pucker.

I've heard stories like that, that the predator instinct is so strong a wolf actually took a Shih Tzu from a ladies grasp in Alaska a while back and just ran off and ate it.

You might have got lucky. Good.

 

[John Otterstedt]

Definitely a tense moment. I was a little surprised it didn't just run away considering there were 3 of "us." It was definitely unwavering in its stance and stare, just waiting for us to make the first move. I didn't know if dragging the dogs away would show fear and prompt it to attack, or if I should have squared up with it and let my dogs keep hollering at it in a game of chicken.
Like you said, I got lucky. I would have survived, but I have little doubt that at least one of my dogs would have been done for, if not both.

 

[phillinois]

We live in a suburb of ATL and behind us is about six acres of undeveloped land that the family has owned for decades (hopefully they'll keep it that way and keep saying no to the real estate developers!). Every now and then we'll see some deer in our back yard or an occasional fox. At night, the owls get their hoots going and it's pretty cool. Scares the wifey to hear them all hooting, but I think it's great!

Yep, the only time you can utter the phrase...'Great hooters', and get away with it.

Just for grins you ought to go out with an LED flashlight and see if you can determine what species they are.
Around here we have an abundance of Great horned owls.
They're just huge. Very stealthy by the way.
Curious factoid about owls...they can't pivot their eyes. They're locked into place so any peripheral vision they have is only by turning their heads, up, down and sideways.

See, this site, entertaining and educational...Booya!

 

[Refdawg]

If you live in the center of Dallas, the nocturnal life would stun you. They may stop serving at 2:00 AM, but nature is just beginning.

Around every creek, you will find trees. It is a nightly occurrence to see an Opossum family. They look like little pull toys with their red and purple legs flashing in the headlights. You don't want to try to chase the raccoons away from the garbage can that they have overturned. That is breakfast, and they are protective. I hear the teeth are sharp.

I have watched coyotes chasing a rabbit across an open lot, both sailing over a six-foot wide ditch with twenty foot leaps. I never actually saw the coyote catch one. I've seen in in rural OK, but not in Dallas.

I have seen bobcats in the trees along the creeks. They do look freaky, like they were designed for a movie set. I have never seen one in daylight.

When the sun comes up, the party is over.

 

[phillinois]

Yeah, I've got to give it up to the animals, really.
All they're trying to do is what we humans do...live another day in a hostile world. I get it.