Posts Tagged ‘animals’

Background Information On The Famous Pheasant

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

Pheasant hunting on a Saturday afternoon is an American tradition and a way of life for hunters. In the United States, the common pheasant (Phasianus Colchicus) is a game bird prized by hunters and sometimes referred to as English Pheasant or simply plain pheasant.

You’ll find pheasants mostly in woodland areas but they are also in grasslands. They like to feed on stuff like spiders, grasshoppers, worms, slugs, and centipedes or millipedes. These soft animals and insects make for a tasty treat for these amazing creatures. They like to also feed on a number of grains and berries. At night, these gorgeous fowl will roost up in the trees and at daybreak they will peck the ground for some tasty treats.

Pheasants can also be a phrase used for quail, ruffed grouse, or partridge. The ring-necked pheasant was released in North America in 1857 and has become well established in locations out West such as around the Rocky Mountains, Midwest, and the Great Plains. They have also populated parts of both Canada and Mexico. The male, known as the cock, has brilliant brown plumage with a green, purple marking with a white ring across the neck. Female pheasants are called hens and have a duller looking brownish plumage. The male and female both have strong yellowish beaks and short rounded wings. The male can have a tail over 20 inches long and it often has long sharp spurs that often protects it from other wild animals.

It’s getting harder and harder to find good wild populations of pheasant due to environmental issues such as pollution and the reduction suitable habitat due to things like clear cutting and urbanization. In many regions in the United States pheasant farming seems to be a good solution for guaranteeing future generations. Pheasant farms guarantee a better solution for the pheasants to survive and flourish so that future generations can enjoy the bounty of the land.

Out west on the Great Plains, you will find that there are an abundance of pheasants in the open fields and around old farm houses. The birds absolutely love to peck around on the grasses for grains and insects in the fields and roost around old homeplaces and farming implements. In the US there are about 10 million birds compared to about 35 million in the United Kingdom.

Males do a strutting movement in the spring of the year to entice a female into courting. The head on the male will become bright red and engorged with.feathers puffed out as the male begins strutting in a courtship dance. Males will fight each other to the end for breeding rights with the females.

Being polygamous, the males will mate with more than one female and are often seen with a group of females following him. When the females lay their eggs they will do it in a nest of about 10 eggs. The eggs will be incubated by 23 to 26 days before hatching. Usually this occurs in the late spring and early summer starting in April through June.

For more on pheasant hunting and Bird hunting lodges. Get your bird dog ready for a hunt of a lifetime.

Fishing Destinations And Guides

Sunday, May 23rd, 2010

Ever since mankind walked this earth, he has been enjoying one of nature’s elusive goodies, fish. Fish nourish a lot of cultures from around the world; in spite of this catching them can be a enjoyable and tricky process. A number of fisherman make use of baskets and some utilize hooks. Other folks may utilize spears and some use their bare hands.

Fly fishing is becoming more popular and can an adventurous means to find your trophy. You can find trout in the mountain streams and the best way to get to them is wading in the cool mountain water. Do not forget bears love yummy trout too! Fly fishing started out using a stick or a cane pole with a string tied to it with a fly baited hook. As opposed to reeling the fly in, you just throw it back & pitch it once again. Popping on the surface of the slow moving water is tempting for a hungry fish. Modern fly rods use reels and allow for more control for reeling in that monster.

Most big lakes have a good number of fish species. In the United States, you can find fresh water populations of largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, spotted bass, quadalupe bass, black bass, white bass, yellow bass, striped bass, blue catfish, channel catfish, flathead catfish, black catfish, yellow bullhead, black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, green sunfish, longear sunfish, redbreast sunfish, redear sunfish, warmouth, common carp, grass carp, Texas shiner, golden shiner, blacktail shiner, red shiner, alligator gar, longnose gar, shortnose gar, spotted gar, bigmouth buffalo, smallmouth buffalo, Trout, walleye, shad paddlefish, bowfin, pickerel, American eel.

If you keep your ears open, you could get fortunate and hear of a hot fishing hole locally. Look on message boards, blogs, websites and your local paper for good insights. Many people will give out the details online of where they catch their trophy fish. Look for this sort of information.

If you do not have a bass boat no problem, fishing from shore is easy and efficient. If its not enough excitement from land, a raft or kayak might be what you need. Imagine floating in the deep Alabama backwater searching for that huge bass. Kayak fishing is quickly becoming a popular past time for serious adventure seekers.

Indians had their own strategies such as utilizing a spear which is easier said than done. They frequently would utilize holes in creeks and channel the fish into the holes. Once inside, the fish cannot escape and eventually they could have a good deal of fish waiting for the fire.

Many cultures around the world often catch fish by feeling for them around rocks. This seems to be popular among fisherman searching for big river catfish. They use hands and their arms to catch these monster cats. Feeling through the muddy water doesn’t come without risk! In some areas you might find a big mean water moccasin or even a gator, so watch where you stick your hands. Good luck on your next fishing adventure.

For more information on Alabama fishing guide or fishing destination!

Keeping Your Dog Motivated

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Keeping the attention of a dog while training is not always an easy task. Dogs are very easily distracted, and it is important to not allow the dog training sessions to be ruined by boredom. Making dog training fun for the dog and the human alike is essential to creating a happy, well-balanced and well-trained dog.

You should provide random positive stimuli during the day in order to keep the attention of your dog. Doing things the dog enjoys, like walking in the park, riding in the car, and playing with other dogs, are great ways to keep the dog’s attention, but you must reward him for small successes.

For instance, to reward the dog for coming to you when you call him, tell your dog to come to you, without giving any clues about going for a walk, a car ride, or other treats.

After the dog has come to you and obediently sat down, attach the leash and start the reward. This can be either the before-mentioned walk in the park, ride in the car, or anything else the dog likes to do.

Giving some sort of reward, whether a treat, a special outing, or just a scratch behind the ears, every time the dog does something you want, is a good method to keep your dog’s motivation while you are dog training.

If your dog knows something good is going to happen every time he obeys your command, he will be more motivated to please you every time.

Distraction training.

When training any dog, it is important to not allow distractions spoil the training. The dog must be taught to ignore distractions, such as other people, other dogs, other animals and loud noises, and focus on what is being taught These kinds of distractions can even be used as rewards when training the dog to come when called.

For instance, if your dog enjoys playing with other dogs, whether in a local dog park or with the neighbour’s dogs, let him play freely with those other dogs. Then go into the park or yard and call your dog.

When he comes to you, provide lots of praise, treats and other rewards, then immediately allow the dog to return to playing with his pals. Do this a few times and praise the dog each time he comes to you.

The dog will soon realize that coming to your call results in good things (treats and praise) and not bad ones (being removed from the park).

So-called distraction training is one of the hardest things to teach, because dogs are naturally social animals, and breaking away from the pack is one of the hardest things you can ask your dog to do. Most dogs will be understandably unwilling to leave their canine companions, but it is important to persist in dog training.

Training the dog to come to you when you call may take some creativity on your behalf at first. For example, waving one of his favourite toys, or a lure, is a great way to get your dog’s attention and put the focus back on you. If your dog has been clicker trained, a quick click can be a good motivator too in dog training.

Once the dog begins to get used to coming when called, you can start to reduce and eliminate the visual cues and focus on getting the dog to respond to your voice alone. It is important that the dog responds to voice commands alone, since you will not always have the availability of a toy or other lure.

Does your dog need training? If you need further details on dog training, then go over to our website called Successful Dog Training

Dogs’ Heart Worm, Fleas And other Parasites

Monday, May 10th, 2010

You really have to get rid of heart worm, fleas and other parasites in dogs whenever it becomes obvious that your dog is infected by using the relevant medication against them. Many products are available to protect our dogs from heart worms, fleas and other parasites like hook worms, whip worms, round worms, lice, ticks etc.

Of the heart worms, fleas and other parasites, fleas can produce a super-sensitive reaction in the infected dog. Animals infested with fleas scratch their skin very vigorously. Often the scratching becomes so severe that the skin becomes super-sensitive and dermatitis occurs in the scratched patches of skin.

The result is often that your dog can not lie down for long or sleep comfortably due to the constant bites by the fleas. So, your dog looks as if has some serious skin issues. If the your dog is not properly attended to for these flea bites, there will often be secondary bacterial invasions in these sites and there may even be a bad smell emanating from the animal’s affected skin.

You ought to inspect your dog closely in order prevent a serious infestation. It is essential to prevent such a serious outbreak as they are extremely distressing to your dog. Similarly, the skin of the animal needs to be checked often for the presence of ticks and lice. In order to do this effectively, you must look at the dog’s skin by separating the dog’s hairs. The easiest way to do this is by slowly back-combing or ruffling the pet’s hair.

Often, if your pet is anaemic, and he is not infested with fleas, you need to check for hookworm. Symptoms of hookworm are anaemia, loose stools and a pot belly. The dog’s owner may recognize these symptoms themselves, however, to be honest, the dog needs to undergo a routine health examination at the vet’s involving faecal and hematological examinations.

There are many commercial products available on the market, some of which are effective for dealing with all these conditions in a single dose. Drugs like ivermectin are highly efficacious and are obtainable in injection, oral and solution forms. The latter should be put directly on the dog’s skin. These drugs can lead to the prevention of the above conditions too.

So, the best policy to adopt is to keep a keen watch on your dog. This could very easily be carried out at bath time and when you are brushing him. You can use an anti-flea and anti-tick shampoo, which will keep these nuisances at bay, if used regularly. Couple this with frequent grooming with a lice comb and the use of a flea collar should keep your pet flea, lice, and tick free.

If you are experiencingproblems dog flea treatment on your dogs, please follow the ‘fleas’ link or if you want to read more about dogs or training dogs, please go here: Man’s Best Friend - the Dog

Dog Names

Monday, May 10th, 2010

Dog owners will explain that there is no given formula for choosing a good name for a new dog or puppy. Whether they need to come up with girl or boy dog names, they will normally pick a name that sounds cool or a name they like rather than putting some thought into what the name really means. Popular boy dog names have meanings, as do human names, so more often than not the meaning will not suit the dog it is given to. Here we give a list of the top five boy dog names and what they actually mean.

Undoubtedly, one of the first things you do when you get a new dog or puppy is pick a dog name for him or her. For most dog owners, this actually requires little thought. They just choose a dog name at random and that is the name by which the poor animal will be known forever. However, there are certain issues that ought to be taken into consideration when going through dog names in order to make sure that you choose a suitable one.

First of all, dogs can sense attitude and tone of voice better than we can. If you pick a dog name for comic effect or after someone you don’t like, your dog will know by your tone of voice that something is not right. As a result, their attitudes may change towards you or they may refuse to respond to your commands. Dogs’ names should mean something but should not hinder their training, so you should really take the decision of the dog name carefully.

Although dogs are very intelligent creatures, they can’t process the same amount of information that we can. Therefore, dog names ought not be more than two syllables long. If they are more than that, most dogs will not respond. Max, Sam, Becky, Lady, Molly and the like are excellent dog names because they are short and the names are easily heard. They respond to these dog names and that will help your chances of training them successfully.

However, dogs’ names should help them form an identity of their own. Common names don’t really allow them to do that, so finding something simple but unusual can help their characters a great deal without damaging their ability to respond to a command.

Max: This is probably the most popular boy dog name and the meaning is surely the reason why many people choose it for their dog. It literally means “the most”. After all, every dog owner thinks that their dog is the ‘most’.

Jake: Jake is short for Jacob, which means “victor”. This is a suitable boy dog name, if your puppy has taken over the house within moments of setting feet inside of it!

Buddy: Buddy is a variation of Budd, which means “messenger”. This boy dog name could be apt for a working dog or one you might possibly train to retrieve the newspaper from the porch in the morning. It is a very popular boy dog name throughout America.

Bailey: The boy dog name Bailey is French and means “steward”. This is pretty apt if your dog is responsible and sensible, so it is probably not suitable for a Jack Russel puppy, for example!

Sam: Sam seems to mean “an answer to prayers”. This is a good boy dog name for dogs that are easy to train and are largely quiet!

Not many people consult a name’s meaning when choosing boy dog names, so instead of just going with your first thought, it may be worth taking the time to choose a dog’s name that is actually apt for your dog. After all, it doesn’t cost anything to spend some time thinking about your dog’s name.

Does your dog require training? If you require further details on dogs in general, then go over to our website called Successful Dog Training

The Reasons Why Dogs Snore

Sunday, April 25th, 2010

We all know that it is not unusual for pet owners to permit their pets to sleep with them on their beds at night. In fact, one third of pet owners have at some time, allowed their pets to sleep on their beds. Dogs readily provide a companionship that can’t be shown by any other kind of animal. However, this doesn’t mean to say that cat owners do not let their cats or another pets sleep with them too.

It is facilitated too by dogs having a sleep pattern which is rather much like our own. Dogs usually have complete trust in their masters, which makes them a lot more relaxed during the night. This goes a long way to explaining why most dogs fall asleep easily and even go into a deep sleep where REM sleep activities can occur. In fact, once a dog goes into this stage, the owner often needs to call them several times before they can be woken up completely.

I’m sure, many of us have already seen a dog ‘running’ during sleep and, at times, barking with his eyes closed too. These dogs are believed to be dreaming. Breathing patterns can also be observed among dogs while they are asleep. For example, there are breeds which breathe heavily and there are breeds which breathe more lightly. The heavy breathers are much more likely to snore than those which do not breathe so heavily.

Often, dogs that snore can be quite a nuisance during the night, depending on the degree and frequency of the phenomenon. Like with humans, there are various considerations why dogs snore, although most have to do with the obstruction of the passage of air in the throat, which in turn is caused by the collapse of certain areas along the throat. It is the same problem as with humans.

A snoring dog ought to be checked for various issues to determine which treatment can be best applied. Some dogs are especially prone to specific allergic reactions that cause constriction in the airway. It may also be that there is some excess tissue in the areas that are inhibiting proper breathing. It is best if a veterinarian checks on different factors through careful evaluation of the dog’s anatomical features and general physical symptoms.

Maybe, your dog is overweight. Like with humans, obese dogs are more likely to snore during the night. This is because they have more flesh surrounding their throats. Therefore, they have excess tissue that hangs around the throat which can potentially cause the obstructions. Once this problem is corrected, the risk of snoring will be decreased. This would not only be healthy for your dogs, you may eventually enjoy nights of restful sleep too.

Snoring also has something to do with the general facial features. Some dogs seem to have pushed-in faces which narrows their air passages to a certain degree. The construction of their nasal passages also largely contributes to their difficulty in breathing. They are pretty much like humans with a cold, who are forced to breathe using only twenty-five percent of their nostril capacity. Dog breeds with shorter faces need to expend lots of effort to breathe properly. It costs them more work to control breathing and they are also more prone to snoring.

Minor surgery can afford your dog great relief. Be sure though that before any decision is made, you are well informed about the potential risks and consequences of surgery to stop a dog snoring. Most are irreversible, so careful thought must be given to any operation you allow. In fact it is best to accept the guidelines provided by your veterinarian.

Does your dog need training? If you need more information on dogs in general, then visit our website entitled Successful Dog Training

Looking For Snakes And Reptiles

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

There are few places in the world that haven’t been colonised by snakes and other reptiles. Snakes can be even found in towns, although it is only the friendlier ones that tend to survive human wrath. However, if you want to find some of the more uncommon snakes, you could try in parks and fields, on beaches or in rivers and ponds and even in the sea, depending on where you live, naturally, as sea snakes are inclined to swim in warmer, tropical waters.

You will need to be very alert and accustom your eyes to spot even the smallest movement. Wear clothing of dull, drab colours and move very slowly, stopping often to listen out for movement in the grass or bushes. In the beginning, you will have many false hopes, until you learn to differentiate between the noises of the different animals that live or hunt in the grass.

Snakes are difficult to find, because most of the adventurous snakes get killed by frightened (and often ignorant) humans, but good advice is to look for relatively damp areas in arid regions and, on the other hand, dry spots in damp areas. Look for where their prey might congregate. For instance, near water for toads and frogs. Look out for frightened lizards or birds fleeing for all they are worth. And listen out for geckos warning each other of the presence of a predator.

If you must disturb anything, at least don’t wreck it and furthermore, make sure you put it back as you found it. Two useful tools to have while out looking for snakes and other reptiles are binoculars (for tree snakes) and a snake-hook, which should also be used for moving bits of debris so that you don’t risk getting bitten by a snake or stung by a scorpion. A camera, a torch and a notebook and pen are quite, depending on how seriously you treat your hobby of herpetology.

You could also take a rule or tape to measure your specimens and a few plastic bags and boxes to hold them while you are doing it. Do not kill anything and do not take anything home with you either! Besides it not being right to wander into their territory and cause mayhem, it is frequently contrary to the law too. Be very wary of handling any snake that you cannot definitely identify as non-venomous. You could be miles from anywhere and will probably not have anti-venom with you. Since many snakes can kill within 30 minutes, you would probably die.

In summary, go looking for snakes by all means, but take it easy and slowly and wear inconspicuous clothing. Moreover, wear strong, hiking-style boots to give you some protection where you are most vulnerable and do not move anything you don’t have to. Take a snake-hook to move things if you have to; a tape, torch, camera, notebook and pen to record your experience and/or findings and a few clear plastic receptacles in case you feel that you have to pick something up.

I hope you enjoy your search for snakes and other reptiles, but remember that they are not friendly and they are definitely not pets and be wary of bites especially when your search is not taking place in the gardens of a hospital!

If you are interested in snakes and reptiles, you ought to go to our website entitled Caring for Snakes

Is She A Lady Or A Tramp?

Monday, April 12th, 2010

So, you may be asking yourself, what is in a dog’s name? Just what does it matter what your female dog’s name is? The answer is perhaps a lot, because your dog’s name defines him or her in the eyes of your friends, especially if you have a rather small, puny dog. For what a small dog lacks in stature it can make up for in attitude. For a smaller dog, being cute will get her everywhere. But what is a cute dog without a cute dog’s name?

Cute dog names are really meant for female dogs. Abby, for example is a very cute dog name. When you put that together with an image, you probably see a little Westie or a Labrador pup running around a lawn in your mind’s eye. Other cute female dog names are Beauty, Becky and Princess. All of these cute dog names seem to embody a bundle of fur that has a sweet nature and just loves cuddles. They all allude to a cute appearance and a very happy dog owning experience.

However, there seems to be rather few cute dog names available for male dogs. This may be because it detracts from the masculine image that male dogs should have. Still, there are some male cute dog names out there. Bobby, Casper, Patch and Spot are all cute male dog names that have the same effect as the female ones do. However, you do have to ensure that you have the right kind of male dog to give a cute dog name to, because if you get it wrong, he will sound ridiculous.

Cute dog names can be suitable for male and female members alike of certain breeds and can help to develop a lovable personality, because of the affection, with which it will be handled. But do be warned, you do not want to leave your dog open to ridicule so pick when to give your dog a cute dog name with caution.

Whilst dogs are very intelligent creatures, they cannot process the same amount of information that humans can. Therefore, dog names should never be more than two syllables. If they are more than that, it is very rare that a dog will actually respond. Max, Sam, Lady, Molly and the like are excellent dog names because they are short and the syllables are hard. They easily respond to those dog names and it can improve your chances of training them successfully.

Moreover, dogs names can assist them form a character of their own. Common names do not encourage them to do that, so finding a simple but unusual name can help their characters a great deal without damaging their ability to respond to a command.

I would bet money that most pet owners do not consider the points mentioned above when considering dog names for a new pet. Instead, dog names are chosen at on a whim, but it really is well-worth putting a bit more thought into it, for your dogs sake if nothing else.

Does your dog require training? If you require further information on dogs in general, then visit our website entitled Successful Dog Training

How Do Dogs Speak?

Tuesday, April 6th, 2010

Dogs are just about the most intelligent of household animals. If you take the time to look, you will see that they have the ability to communicate with humans, other dogs and even other animals. They do this with body language and voice. Their signs are made with the their eyes, ears, eyebrows, head, mouth and tail.

Their voice is obviously not the same as ours, but they use pitch in their barks, whines, whimpers, pants, growls and howls and their gestures are made with their whole body and every element of it.

You can always tell a self-assured and therefore higher ranking dog, because they hold their tails aloft. Dogs, like all other animals, including we humans, have an inborn sense or their place in society. This is because dogs evolved in packs in the wild, just as we evolved in communities. which is why they fit well into our human society.

There is a pecking order within their group, as within human society. The subservient dogs submit themselves to the stronger dogs, which is why dogs lower their tail when they feel insecure. When dogs fight for dominance, the fur on their tails stands up and they have this trait in common with other animals. They do it to show that they are being serious in front of their enemy.

A dog that is uncertain what to do will wag its tail slowly. Rather like you or I might give a weak smile, unsure whether to smile explicitly or glower. They are in a process of figuring out whether they should accept the status quo or fight. Excited dogs wag their tails very fast and if the dog’s hip moves along with the tail, it means that the dog is in submissive mode to a higher ranker. A pet should do that to its owner, as you have become the leader of its surrogate pack.

When dogs become aggressive they show their teeth, the same as humans. If all of the teeth are visible, it indicates that the dog is prepared to bite or attack. We do the same unconsciously. People often bare their teeth and snarl insults, before a fight. However, they also show teeth when they smile but this is an indication of compliance, again as we do - submissiveness here meaning a recognition that a fight is superfluous.

With a dog, the number of teeth on display differentiates between a smile and a snarl. In a smile, a dog only shows the front teeth, but in a snarl the dog reveals all his teeth and gums and makes an aggressive sound.

Ears are a good indication of the dog’s degree of attention. When the ears are vertical and forward facing, it means that the dog is concentrating. But if the dog is relaxed, its ears will lie flat. However, some breeds do not have as much control over their ears.

Dogs bark to defend their territory, which comes to mean their boss’ territory, which should signify your property. However, barking is their usual speech so you will have to learn the difference between friendly play barking and aggression in your dog. It is pretty obvious though.

Observation of your pet is the key, because, although all dogs are the same as in all humans are the same, there are minor differences. They are not difficult to learn, just spend some time with you dog and keep your mind open and it will become very obvious to you.

If you are interested in dogs or Welsh corgi puppies, or even Wales in general, please go to our website at Welsh Products Online

Would You Like More About Elk?

Tuesday, March 23rd, 2010

Elk, often called Wapiti, is one of the biggest deer species in United States. The only deer species that is larger is the Moose in the United States. Related to the red deer in European countries, Elk is massive game that will lead to enjoyable hunting trips.

You will find Elk living around rivers and lakes and they tend to be very protective of their particular area in the course of rut. Throughout rutting season, bucks will mark their own territory and challenge various other males to a fight so that they can catch the attention of females for mating.

The stronger buck is one that will win mating privileges with the nearby female, and often the loser will certainly retreat to be alone. Often, two bucks struggle to the death in these courting rituals. The truth is, bucks have been known to lock antlers during sparring (antler wrestling) and starve to death as a result.

Elk meat is high in protein and is known to taste something between venison and beef. Elk meat is lower in fat than chicken or beef and higher in protein. It is also particularly high in zinc, phosphorus, and iron.

You will find 6 species of elk in America and a total of 4 in Asia. Antler size, body weight, color and other features vary from each species.

Elk hunting season varies from state to state and is usually a very short time frame. It can generally take an advanced hunter seasons, months, and even years to track elk. Elk can be tricky to find and are not in the same area a long time.

Most of the highest quality elk hunting can be encountered in the state of Colorado and the Rockies. Be sure you be smart and keep your eyes wide open, a mad elk isn’t no small deer to play with. With a rack as wide as your car a big elk can inflict some serious damage on you if you get too close.

Find big Elk Hunting and discover other great Elk Hunting Destinations today!